Calendar: Succulent Workshop

STERLING, Ill. — The Whiteside County Master Gardeners Succulent Workshop will be 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 6 at the Sterling Public Library, 102 W. Third St., Sterling.

Learn the basics of soil, water, containers and propagation of succulents. Participants will have a plant to work with and take home, as well as cuttings from different succulent species.

Gardening info

TAYLORVILLE, Ill — Not sure what vegetables, fruit, or flowers would work best for your needs? Have a plant dying or a problem with a tree or pest? Christian County Master Gardeners will be available at the Taylorville Farmers Market, 101 S. Main St., from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 6 to answer your horticulture and gardening questions. Look for the orange tent.

Georgetown Ag. Fair

GEORGETOWN, Ill. — Georgetown Ag. Fair, Aug. 6-13, 413 N. Seminary St., Georgetown; www.georgetownfair.org; 217-662-6415.

Open Streets Fort Wayne

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Extension Master Gardeners of Allen County will host a booth during Open Streets Fort Wayne, noon to 4 p.m. ET Aug. 7.

The family-friendly event opens up more than two miles of roadway to walking, biking, rollerblading and numerous activities. The streets will be car-free, allowing residents to enjoy and see the community like never before. Bring your bike this year and enter the bike parade. There will be a bike decorating station too, if you don’t want to decorate your bike at home.

This year’s Open Streets Fort Wayne directly connects the neighborhoods of West Central, East Central, LaRez, Hoagland Masterson, Historic Williams Woodland, Fairfield and Williams Park with the Central Business District on Calhoun Street. The route is almost 25 blocks stretching from Promenade Park to Pontiac Street.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/3c25bjyk.

White County Fair

CARMI, Ill. — White County Fair, Aug. 7-13, 201 Fairground Road, Carmi; www.whitecountyfair.com; rickbarbre@countyfinancial.com; 618-384-6274 or 618-926-3560.

Be prepared

URBANA, Ill. — The online program Be Prepared When Disaster Strikes: Building an Emergency Food and Water Supply will be from noon to 1 p.m. Aug. 8.

When emergencies occur, it could be days or weeks before power is restored. Tornadoes, floods, fires, blizzards, pandemics, and earthquakes all present a risk to a safe and secure food supply. Having an emergency supply of food and water on hand is important to keep you and your family fed and hydrated until help arrives.

In this session, participants will learn how to build this emergency supply and techniques to extend shelf-life of food.

In addition to having enough food, it’s equally important to have safe food and water. There are certain precautions to take to ensure food safety during and after a disaster event. Food safety measures such as temperature control, sanitation, and shelf-life will be highlighted with special considerations after a power outage, flood, and fire.

Idea Garden Open House

ST. CHARLES — See inspirational garden ideas during an open house from 9 to 11 a.m. Aug. 9 at the Kane County Master Gardener Idea Garden, 3480 IL-38, St. Charles.

The mission of an idea garden is to showcase gardening methods or designs that are easy to replicate at home. Master gardeners will be available for questions and discussion.

Follow the Idea Garden on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KaneMGIdeaGarden.

Farm in the Park

GALVA, Ill. — Join University of Illinois Extension and 4-H for a fun day of activities at Farm in the Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 9 at Veterans Memorial Park, Front Street, Galva.

Illinois nutrition and wellness staff will have a variety of interactive stations where youth and families can play games as they learn the healthy ways to eat and move. Recipes and samples from Illinois Extension’s Eat Move Save nutrition program will be available. Get a free recipe calendar and reusable grocery tote bag while supplies last.

Youth will enjoy agriculture-related crafts as well as “farmer for a day” stations where kids can simulate picking apples, gathering eggs, and milking a cow. Prizes will be given to kids who fill out their activity passport card. A petting zoo will be on hand with a variety of farm animals.

Extension master gardeners will be there to answer your gardening questions.

Lunch for $5 includes a hot dog, chips, apple slices, cookie and drink, with proceeds to benefit Henry County 4-H.

Clark County Fair

MARSHALL, Ill. — Clark County Fair, Aug. 8-13, 602 N. Second St., Marshall; www.clarkcountyfairmarshall.com; Clarkcountyfairil@gmail.com; 217-826-8005.

Pinney Purdue Vegetable Field Day

WANATAH, Ind. — The Pinney Purdue Vegetable Field Day will be from 5 to 8 p.m. CT Aug. 9 at the Pinney Purdue Ag Center, 11402 S. County Line Road, Wanatah.

Topics will include:

• Are Dry Beans an Option for Indiana Farmers? with Ashley Adair.

• Weed Management in No-Till Pumpkins, with Stephen Meyers and Jeanine Arana.

• Drip Irrigation Equipment and Scheduling, with Wenjing Guan and Lyndon Kelley.

• Vegetable Farm Equipment, with Liz Maynard.

• High Tunnels and Cover Crops, with Marian Rodriguez-Soto and Tatiana Gill.

• Preserving Your Produce, with Annetta Jones.

• Cover Crops, with Phil Woolery.

• Irrigation Options for Vegetables, with Nikky Witkowski.

• Sweet Corn: USDA Variety Testing and No-Till Planting, with Liz Maynard.

• Sweet Corn Insect Management, with Laura Ingwell.

Dinner will be included. Register at https://tinyurl.com/374spksn.

Tracking farm’s success

PRINCETON, Ind. — The program Getting into the Farm Business: Numbers and Ratios — Tracking Your Farm’s Progress and Success will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. CT Aug. 9 at the Princeton Public Library, 124 S. Hart St., Princeton.

Cost is $25. Register at https://tinyurl.com/yc5ap46m.

Carroll County Fair

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ill. — Carroll County Fair, Aug. 9-13, 28374 Milledgeville Road, Milledgeville; www.carrollcountyfair.info; ccfairmville@yahoo.com; 815-225-7444.

Boone County Fair

BELVIDERE, Ill. — Boone County Fair, Aug. 9-14, 8791 IL-76, Belvidere; www.boonecountyfair.com; bcfa2001@aol.com; 815-544-2900.

Cullom Junior Fair

CULLOM, Ill. — Cullom Junior Fair, Aug. 10-13, Cullom; www.facebook.com/cullomjrfair; loschen@frontiernet.net; 815-689-2146.

Cover Crops and Gardens

URBANA, Ill. — There is a lot of talk about the use of cover crops in agricultural settings. What about in gardens? University of Illinois Extension Educator Duane Friend will discuss cover crop use in gardens, its benefits, and field demonstrations of its potential during an online program from 1 to 2 p.m. Aug. 11.

The program is part of the Everyday Environment Webinar Series focusing on a different environmental topic each month. These webinars provide new information on natural resources and help you learn how to make small changes in your lifestyle to have a positive impact on the environment.

Cool Season Vegetables

ELIZABETH, Ill. — University of Illinois Extension Local Foods and Small Farms Educator Grant McCarty will present the program Cool Season Vegetables at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Jo Daviess County Extension office, 204 Vine St., Elizabeth. McCarty will discuss cool season vegetables and how to get the most out of your garden heading into the cooler months of fall.

Cost is $5. Register at https://tinyurl.com/ycktnvfw.

For more information, call 815-858-2273 or visit go.illinois.edu/jsw.

Help Desk

CLINTON, Ill. — The DeWitt Master Gardener Help Desk will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Vespasian Warner Library, 310 N. Quincy St., Clinton.

Talk with master gardeners in person to learn garden tips and have any of your gardening questions answered.

Fermenting Vegetables

ROCKFORD, Ill. — The workshop Yes, You Can: Preserve It Safely: The Art of Fermenting Vegetables will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Winnebago County Extension office, 1040 N. Second St., Rockford.

Fermentation, like drying, is one of the oldest methods of preserving food for later use. It is also used in creating other foods, like cheese, yogurt, alcohol, and sourdough bread. Fermentation is a natural process in which microorganisms, such as bacteria or yeast convert carbohydrates into alcohol or organic acids under ideal conditions.

There are several different methods used in fermentation, and they can be classified into four types, based on the end product formed. They include lactic acid fermentation, alcohol fermentation, acetic acid fermentation, and butyric acid fermentation. Lactic acid fermentation, or lacto-fermentation, uses lactic-acid-producing bacteria and some yeasts to break down the sugars in food to form lactic acid and sometimes alcohol or carbon dioxide. Fermenting vegetables in this manner can extend the shelf life and break down some vegetables’ components, making them easier to digest and absorb.

Learn about the importance of salt, water, temperature, the types of vessels used, and basic food-safety practices for fermenting vegetables.

Cost is $5. Register at https://tinyurl.com/5yhctydp.

Illinois State Fair

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois State Fair, Aug. 11-21, 801 Sangamon Ave., Springfield; www.agr.state.il.us; 217-782-6661.

August gardening seminar

TRERRE HAUTE, Ind. — The program August Oughtas: You Aren’t Done in the Garden Yet will be from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET Aug. 13 at the Vigo County Fairgrounds, 3901 S. US Hwy. 41, Terre Haute.

Garden experts will discuss gardening activities that should be happening later in the summer and into the autumn season. Presentations in the Community Building at the fairgrounds will include:

• Edible landscaping: Beautifying your home with food plants.

• Fall gardening: What to plant in August and beyond for late-season harvesting.

• Preparing your plants for winter: Landscape and lawn winterization, fall pruning tips, planting for fall color.

In addition to the presentations, there will be live demonstrations featuring how to sharpen garden tools, DIY cold frames, and using yoga to help those aching gardening muscles. You will be able to examine a live honeybee setup and ask the beekeeper questions about keeping live honeybees. Vigo County Soil and Water Conservation District personnel will demonstrate the usefulness of garden cover cropping. They will also discuss the importance of soil testing, demonstrate how to do it and will be offering to conduct free at-home soil tests for people who sign up at the seminar.

To round out the seminar attractions, a number of vendors will have garden-related wares available for purchase. Also, tours will be given of Wabash Valley Master Gardeners Association’s Giving Garden which is used to raise around 10,000 pounds of produce annually for local food pantries. The demonstrations and vendors will be located at the Vigo County Fairgrounds on the lawn in front of the 4-H Building.

The event will take place rain or shine. For more information, visit the wvmga.org website or send an email to wabashvalleymastergardeners@yahoo.com.