Explore upcoming Illinois Extension agricultural, environmental, and horticulture programs offered online and in person around the state. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate, contact the coordinator of the event. LIVESTOCK
Jan. 19, 6 p.m.: Beef Quality Assurance Training, WCC Ag Education Center, Baylis -- Beef Quality Assurance is a nationally-coordinated, state-implemented program that provides U.S. beef producers and consumers with systematic information and knowledge to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions. Contact: Travis Meteer
Jan.y 26-27: Driftless Region Beef Conference, Grand River Convention Center, Dubuque, Iowa -- The 11th Annual Driftless Region Beef Conference will focus on efficient and economical forage and beef production. This conference includes Extension specialists from Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Contact: Travis Meteer
Feb. 7, 9:30 a.m.: Dudley Smith Farm Winter Meeting, Christian County Extension Office, Taylorville -- The Dudley Smith Farm Winter Meeting will feature cover crops performance, development of grazing farms, soil health recommendations, and drainage practices. Contact: Cassie O’Connell
Feb. 7-24: Certified Livestock Manager Training. Multiple locations -- The Livestock Management Facilities Act requires facilities designed for 300 or more animal units to have at least one employee certified in environmentally aware manure management techniques. Facilities with more than 1,000 animal units must have a certified livestock manager attend a workshop and pass the IDOA exam or complete the online training and pass the online test. Contact: Jay Solomon. Sign up for these trainings: Feb. 7, Springfield; Feb. 8, Monmouth; Feb. 9, Sycamore; Feb. 10, Freeport; Feb. 21, Effingham; Feb. 22, Breese; Feb. 23, Pittsfield; Feb. 24, Springfield
Feb. 23, 11 a.m.: Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale, Illinois Beef Expo, Springfield -- For more than 50 years, breeders and commercial cow-calf producers have trusted the Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale for proven genetics. The IPT Bull Sale is known for giving bull buyers the information they need to make positive herd progress. All bulls will have genomic-enhanced EPDs. Contact: Travis Meteer CROPS
January-February: Illinois Farm Economic Summit, Multiple locations and online -- The University of Illinois farmdoc team is back on the road bringing the Illinois Farm Economic Summit, IFES, to a town near you. The program includes Grain Market Outlook for 2023 with Joe Janzen; South America: Expectations for Agricultural Production with Joana Colussi; Enterprise Budgets and 2023 Farm Income and Interest Rate Outlook with Bruce Sherrick. The topics are also covered later in the season as online webinars.
Jan. 10, 8 a.m.: IFES, Mt. Vernon Jan. 11, 8 a.m.: IFES, Peoria Jan. 12, 8 a.m.: IFES, DeKalb Jan. 19, 11 a.m.: Grain Market Outlook for 2023 | IFES Online Jan. 26, 11 a.m.: South America: Expectations for Agricultural Production | IFES Online Feb. 2, 11 a.m.: Enterprise Budgets & 2023 Farm Income | IFES Online Feb. 9, 11 a.m.: Farm Bill Update | IFES Online Feb. 16, 11 a.m.: Farmland Price & Interest Rate Outlook | IFES Online Feb. 23, 11 a.m.: Outlook Wrap-Up | IFES Online
January-March: Crop Management Conferences, Multiple locations and online -- Make the most informed decisions you can for your farm by getting the latest research updates to improve productivity and output from crop science experts at University of Illinois. Crop producers, consultants, and industry professionals are invited to attend.
Jan. 24: Mt. Vernon Feb. 7: Champaign Feb. 15: DeKalb Feb. 16-March 31: Online
Jan. 18, 9 a.m.: 2023 Conservation Cropping Seminar, Illinois Department of Agriculture Building, Springfield -- Build natural resilience to weather extremes, pests, and weeds using sustainable techniques that improve soil health and keep your farm profitable.
March 7, 8 a.m.: All Day Ag Outlook, The Beef House, Covington, Ind. -- What will this spring hold? Before the rush of spring planting, join us for this farmer favorite. This all-day round-up features industry experts in ag economics, grain outlook, crop health, crop insurance, and weather. Now celebrating more than 30 years, the update meeting is produced by University of Illinois Extension, WILLAg.org, and farmdoc. Contact: Todd Gleason PESTICIDE SAFETY
January-April: Illinois Pesticide Safety Education Program -- Need to get your pesticide applicator or operator license? Sign up for training and testing online or in person. Seating for the in-person clinics is limited, so don't delay!
Private applicator clinics: Jan. 17: Rock Island; Jan. 24: Carterville; Feb. 2: Springfield; March 2: Peoria; March 7: Rockford; March 29: Collinsville.
Commercial Applicator/Operator clinics: Jan. 10-11: Champaign; Jan. 25-26: Mt. Vernon; Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Springfield; Feb. 14-15: Peoria; March 8-9: Rockford; March 27-28: Collinsville; April 4: Crystal Lake; April 5-6: Skokie; April 19-20: Matteson. SPECIALTY CROPS
Jan. 11-13: From Food to Flowers: Everything Local Hybrid Conference, Crowne Plaza, Springfield -- This combined Illinois Food, Farmers Market, and Specialty Crop Conference is a collaboration among the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Specialty Growers Association, and Illinois Farmers Market Association to bring together more people than ever from across Illinois’ local food, specialty crop, and farmers market supply chains. Contact: Elizabeth Wahle
Jan. 23, 7 p.m.: Farm Liability and Insurance Basics | Legal Training for Illinois Small Farms, Online -- Legal risks can be fatal to a farm business. Understanding legal issues can dispel anxiety and help farmers realize their power to control their circumstances. Contact: Kathryn Pereira
Feb. 6, 9 a.m.: Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference, NIU-Rockford -- The Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference provides northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin growers with the information to implement new practices, diversify their crops, and hear about relevant research from University of Illinois Extension and University of Wisconsin-Madison educators and specialists. We’re pleased to have Dr. Emily Lavely, a tree fruit educator at Michigan State, joining us for a keynote on roots and a breakout session on apple tree pruning. Additional topics this year will be diseases and insects, pumpkins, urban-agriculture research in high tunnels, weed management, and day-neutral strawberries. Contact: Grant McCarty
Feb. 8, 8 a.m.: Southern Illinois Fruit and Vegetable School, Mount Vernon Hotel and Event Center, Mt. Vernon -- The 2023 Southern Illinois Fruit and Vegetable School will feature four tracks to address vegetable, small fruit, tree fruit, and cut flower production, bringing informative, practical, and up-to-date research-based information to address the challenges of growing fruit and vegetables commercially in Southern Illinois. Contact: Elizabeth Wahle
Feb. 9, 8 a.m.: Southwestern Illinois Commercial Tree Fruit School, Knights of Columbus Hall, Hardin -- Meet this year's uncertainties with practical research-tested best practices from industry experts at the 2023 Tree Fruit School. This year’s program features a wide range of topics to help you meet the challenges of commercial fruit production in Southwestern Illinois. Industry representatives will also be on hand to talk about their latest products and services. Contact: Ken Johnson HOME, COMMUNITY, COMMERCIAL HORTICULTURE
Jan. 24, 9 a.m.: Gardening | Bi-State Conference Series, The Beef House, Covington, Ind. -- Gather with fellow gardening enthusiasts to learn about current gardening trends and take advantage of research-based horticulture expertise from University of Illinois and Purdue University Extensions that can help you plan, plant, and harvest a successful garden. Contact: Ryan Pankau
Feb. 28, 1:30 p.m.: Success with Indoor Plants | Four Seasons Gardening, Online -- Plants that thrive in indoor environments require a balance of plant culture and human care. Learn how to create a healthy houseplant environment by selecting the right plants for your indoor space as we discuss cultural requirements, maintenance practices, and key ornamental aspects in growing interior plants. Contact: Andrew Holsinger
February-March: Growing Great Vegetables, Online -- Dig in with confidence this spring with Growing Great Vegetables, a five-week webinar series that will cover how to grow a vegetable garden from seed to harvest.
Feb. 28, 6 p.m.: Where Will You Garden? | Growing Great Vegetables -- Build a garden using whatever space you have. Learn about traditional garden plots, raised beds, salad tables, container gardening, growing vertically, and more. Contact: Jennifer Fishburn, Sarah Vogel, Chris Enroth
March 7, 6 p.m.: Seed and Plant Choices | Growing Great Vegetables -- Planning, design, and layout are key elements to successful gardening. Learn about hardiness zones, frost and freeze dates, how to order plants or seeds from a garden catalog or locally, reading and selecting seed packets, and starting plants from seed. We'll also cover soil testing and amendments, fertilizer, manures, mulch, watering, and weeding. Contact: Jennifer Fishburn, Sarah Vogel
March 14, 6 p.m.: Cool Season Vegetables | Growing Great Vegetables -- Cool-season crops can be grown in spring or fall, each with its own characteristics and potential issues. Learn about growing and harvesting cool-season vegetables, including how to manage common insect pests. Contact: Ryan Pankau, Ken Johnson
March 21, 6 p.m.: Warm Season Vegetables | Growing Great Vegetables -- Warm-season crops grow during the hottest part of the year. This session will cover how to help vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes, squash, and more flourish while keeping pests at bay. Contact: Chris Enroth, Ken Johnson
March 28, 6 p.m.: Insects and Diseases | Growing Great Vegetables -- New and experienced growers alike are challenged by pests, diseases, and disorders of vegetable plants. Learn about insects, diseases, and wildlife pests and how to prevent and handle them. Contact: Ken Johnson, Ryan Pankau
March 7, 1:30 p.m.: Basics of Home Composting | Four Seasons Gardening, Online -- Home composting is a great way to support our environment by introducing a sustainable gardening component that builds healthy soils while reducing the volume of waste going to landfills. Discover the fascinating ins and outs of the decomposition process and learn how to turn waste into valuable organic matter by starting a compost pile at home. Contact: Nancy Kreith
March 9, 1 p.m.: Tricky Pollinator Questions and Answers | Everyday Environment, Online -- Are my annual plants “junk food” for bees? Can I help pollinators by not mowing my lawn? How can I help pollinators thrive if I don’t have a garden? This presentation will explore pollinator questions that have nuanced, uncertain, or controversial answers. Contact: Brodie Dunn ENVIRONMENT
Jan. 26, 1 p.m.: Extreme Weather Impacts, Soils, and Integrated Pest Management | Climate Series, Online -- Climate change has significantly impacted agriculture in Illinois, particularly with extreme weather impacts and challenges with integrated pest management. Impacts are projected to intensify with future warming, but solutions exist to mitigate and adapt agriculture to climate change and its effects. We'll discuss climate change, its impacts, and the important roles of soil and water conservation in improving long-term profit, sustainability, and resilience. Certified crop advisors can obtain 1 hour of soil and water continuing education for this webinar. Contact: Duane Friend
Feb. 9, 1 p.m.: Tornado Trends | Everyday Environment, Online -- It seems like we are experiencing more tornadoes, but are we? Let’s discuss tornado myths, facts, and trends in the United States. Contact: Duane Friend
Feb. 23, 1 p.m.: Decision Support Tools and Climate Monitoring for Agriculture | Climate Series, Online -- The Midwestern Regional Climate Center is the regional host for free, online historical and near real-time climate and weather monitoring. Utilizing data from federally funded weather station networks, the MRCC has developed several tools and resources that may be useful and usable to the agricultural community for planning and risk assessment purposes. This presentation will highlight some key value-added products that were developed specifically for the agricultural stakeholders as well as provide an opportunity to learn more about the climate data and monitoring needs from the community that would benefit planning and yield. Certified Crop Advisors can obtain 1 hour of soil and water continuing education for this webinar. Contact: Duane Friend FORESTRY AND TREES
Jan. 12, 1 p.m.: Maple Syrup: From History to Harvest | Everyday Environment, Online -- Maple syrup season begins when the temperatures are above freezing during the day and drop below freezing at night. This is a very limited and precious time for those who love real maple syrup. Contact: Peggy Doty
Jan. 31, 1:30 p.m.: Pruning Shade Trees | Four Seasons Gardening, Online -- Proper pruning ensures that long-lived woody plants remain healthy and structurally safe in the home landscape. Many homeowners skip this important maintenance task due to uncertainty surrounding how, when, and where to make pruning cuts, which can vary based on a tree’s age. Unravel the mystery of pruning shade trees as we cover basic pruning cuts, the all-important practice of young tree pruning, and how to care for and prune mature trees. Contact: Ryan Pankau
Categories: Illinois, General