March 29, 2024

Calendar: Pumpkin Field Day

BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Learn how to increase your pumpkin production and the latest pumpkin research at Pumpkin Field Day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 1 at Eckert’s Orchard, 951 S. Green Mt Road, Belleville.

Learn about commercial pumpkin production, including fertility management, variety selection, no-till production, and insect disease and weed management. This year’s trials include cover crop and weed management trials and a variety trial with over 80 pumpkin varieties, including gourds, jack-o’-lantern, pie-sized, and specialty pumpkins of all shapes and colors, including many new releases just on the market. Hear from specialists on production-related topics, see the trials, and network with other growers and industry vendors.

This program is free and open to anyone interested in commercial pumpkin production. Lunch will be provided, and this outdoor program will be hosted rain or shine.

Register by visiting go.illinois.edu/PumpkinFieldDay2022 or call 618-939-3434.

4-H State Dog Show

DIXON, Ill. — The Illinois 4-H State Dog Show will be from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 27 at Granny Rose K-9 Enrichment Center, 613 River Lane, Dixon.

Butterfly Festival

WATERLOO, Ill. — The Butterfly Festival will be 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 28 at Baebler Educational Farm, 4022 Jj Road, Waterloo.

Activities will include a photo contest and scavenger hunt. You also will be able to explore pollinator habitats and enjoy the different activities and vendor booths available.

For more information, call the Extension office at 618-939-3434.

Garden Tour

DECATUR, Ill. — North and West Side Garden Tour will be 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 29 at the Decatur Public Library, 130 N. Franklin St., Decatur.

Observe the beauty of these gardens while adding to your knowledge of different plants.

Register at https://tinyurl.com/47h8c2e9. For more information, call 217-877-6042.

SEPAC Field Day

BUTLERVILLE, Ind. — The 2022 SEPAC Field Day will be 4 to 8:30 p.m. ET Aug. 30 at the Southeast Purdue Agricultural Center, 4425 County Road 350 N, Butlerville.

Rotating sessions from 4 to 7 p.m. will include:

• Rethinking Soybean Seeding Rates, Shaun Casteel.

• Nitrogen Timing Management of Corn When Following a Rye Cover Crop, Dan Quinn.

• Foliar Disease Management, Darcy Telenko.

Dinner speaker at 7 p.m. will be Michael Langemaier discussing ag outlook.

Recognition of Bill Maschino will be at 8 p.m.

All PARP fees will be waived, courtesy of the sponsors, Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council.

To register, call 812-352-3033.

Guided Bat Walk

CENTRALIA, Ill. — A guided bat walk will be at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 30 at Centralia Youth Center, 1224 E. Rexford St., Centralia.

The walk will be led Dr. Joy O’Keefe, whose research primarily focuses on ways to facilitate the coexistence of bats and humans in human-altered landscapes. She works to understand the roosting and foraging ecology of bats, identify best practices for studying bat ecology, characterize bat behaviors, and assess the quality of mitigation practices designed to help bats. Dr. O’Keefe collaborates with many organizations and people who interact with bats, including private landowners, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, and state agencies.

This program is free and open to the public, but advance registration is requested. Register at https://tinyurl.com/52zehhvr.

What’s Ailing My Tree?

TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — The program What’s Ailing My Tree? will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 31 at the Christian County Extension office, 1120 N. Webster St., Taylorville.

There are many things to look for when determining what is causing tree issues. University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator Andrew Holsinger will discuss tree insects, diseases, and other means of a tree’s demise during this program.

Register for this free program by visiting https://tinyurl.com/2fandyhb.

Solar Gardens and Farms

ELIZABETH, Ill. — Join University of Illinois Extension Natural Resources, Environment and Energy Educator Jay Solomon for the program Solar Gardens and Farms: Understand the Differences and Opportunities from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 1 at the Jo Daviess County Extension office, 204 N. Vine St., Elizabeth.

Solomon will discuss residential solar, community solar, solar gardens, utility scale solar, and solar farms. Along with this, he will touch on how these installations can combine with other renewable energy options to reduce our energy costs and impacts. Different types of solar developments happening locally also will be discussed.

Cost is $5 and pre-registration is requested. Register at https://tinyurl.com/y7v6h2m9. For more information, call 815-858-2273.

Beef Research Field Day

BAYLIS, Ill. — The 2022 Orr Beef Research Center Field Day will be from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 1 at John Wood Ag Center at the Orr Beef Research Center, 37803 IL-104, Baylis.

Life is risky enough without taking chances on your herd management decisions. The Orr Beef Research Center Field Day provides you a chance to determine how the latest research can inform profitable decisions for your herd.

University of Illinois Animal Sciences assistant professors Dan Shike and Josh McCann, along with University of Illinois graduate research students, will present research updates on:

• Extending the Grazing Season Using Summer and Fall Stockpiling.

• Creep Feeding Duration in Drylot Housed Cow/Calf Pairs.

• The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Limit Feeding.

Also, Travis Meteer, University of Illinois Extension educator, will discuss Controlling Feed Costs in a Beef Cow/Calf Herd; David Otte, Green Valley Seeds, will discuss Cover Crop Forage Opportunities; and Trent Ford, Illinois state climatologist, will discuss Climate Trends and Upcoming Weather Forecast.

To register, email Meeter at wmeteer2@illinois.edu.

O.K.E.S. Field Day

VIENNA, Ill. — Join University of Illinois Extension Forestry and Ozark Koala Ecosystem Services (O.K.E.S.) on a field day to see first-hand some incredible land stewardship. Explore private landowner John Havlik’s property where O.K.E.S. is in the midst of a multi-stage effort to restore savannah habitat, reduce invasive species, and create wildlife habitat through the installment of an ephemeral pond and native landscaping.

Jeremy Schumacher of O.K.E.S will discuss the management that has taken place, results of management so far, and what the next steps are to meet those goals. He also will discuss how land management practices can be used to help you achieve your personal land goals.

The field day will be Sept. 1 at 70 Shelby Road, Vienna. There will be two sessions: 10 a.m. to noon, and 2 to 4 p.m.

Register at https://tinyurl.com/mpnad6j7. For more information, contact Taryn Bieri at tbieri@illinois.edu.

O.K.E.S. was founded in 2009 by Kenneth Andrew West as a sort of hobby after retiring from the IL DNR. Andy saw a need for work in natural areas to help in preservation and stewardship of our public and private lands. The company has now grown into a forestry consultant business.