CHICAGO — Don’t trash your Halloween pumpkins; smash them for composting from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 5 at five locations:

• Gary Comer Youth Center, 7200 S. Ingleside Ave., Chicago.

• Lake View High School, 4015 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago.

• Morton School of Excellence, 431 N. Troy St., Chicago.

• Plant Chicago, 4459 S. Marshfield Ave., Chicago.

• First Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights, 302 N. Dunton Ave., Arlington Heights (starts at 9 a.m.).

Pumpkins must be free of candles, stickers, glitter, yarn and synthetic decorations. Pumpkins decorated with water-based paints are OK for composting.

All are welcome for this free family event happening rain or shine. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/3zhzc92r.

Albany Mounds

ALBANY, Ill. — Discover the secrets of the Albany Mounds State Historic Site, 12th Ave S, Albany, from 1 to 3 p.m. Nov. 5. Archaeologist Ferrell Anderson will take you on a journey into the Hopewell culture in Illinois, sharing some of the artifacts and diagrams in his collection.

Meet at the picnic shelter at the Cherry Street entrance for a short talk, then take a quarter-mile, moderately strenuous hike up the hill to the mounds.

Register by visiting https://tinyurl.com/2p95j628 or call Mary Nelson at the Whiteside County Extension office, 815-632-3611.

Gardener Showcase

HILLSBORO, Ill. — The Master Gardener Showcase will be from 9:15 a.m. to noon Nov. 5 at the Montgomery County Extension office, 1 Industrial Park Drive, Hillsboro.

Learn about the Master Gardener program and attend classes on soil, insects, gardening, and tomatoes.

Cost is $5. Register at at https://tinyurl.com/b4ndc2kj.

Achievement Night

MONTICELLO, Ill. — The record achievements of the DeWitt, Macon, and Piatt county 4-H members will be recognized during 4-H Achievement Night from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at 4-H Memorial Camp, 499 Old Timber Road, Monticello.

There will be games and dinner, followed by the awards ceremony at 6 p.m.

Millstone Bluff Tour

MURPHYSBORO, Ill. — Join Jackson County 4-H to celebrate Native American Heritage Month with a tour of Millstone Bluff in Simpson from 10:30 a.m. to noon Nov. 5.

Participants will meet at the Jackson County Extension office, 402 Ava Road, Murphysboro, to drive to Millstone Bluff. The Heritage Program manager and tribal liaison from the Shawnee National Forest Service will showcase artifacts and lead a tour of Millstone Bluff.

To register, contact Becky Needham at bneedham@illinois.edu or visit go.illinois.edu/4HMillstoneBluff.

Tractor Safety

OLNEY, Ill. — A tractor safety program for teens ages 14 and 15 will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 5, Nov. 12 and Nov. 19 at the Richland County Extension office, 306 S. Fair St., Olney.

Classes will be taught by University of Illinois Extension staff. There will be 15 classroom lessons, written test, operational test and certification upon completion.

Register at https://tinyurl.com/yc6ncpde. For more information, contact Ryan Littlejohn at 618-395-2191 or rclittle@illinois.edu.

Project Fair

LEBANON, Ind. — The 2022-2023 Boone County 4-H Project Fair will be from 2 to 4 p.m. ET Nov. 6 at the Farm Bureau Community Building. 1300 E 100 S, Lebanon. For more information, call 765-482-0750, or visit https://tinyurl.com/5bvzspty.

Teen Cuisine

MT. VERNON, Ind. — Teen Cuisine will be from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. CT Nov. 7 at the Alexandrian Public Library, 115 W. Fifth St., Mt. Vernon. Join Purdue Extension’s Tiffany Haug as she teaches a fun, new class to teens in grades 9-12. For more information, call 812-838-3286 or visit https://tinyurl.com/ycksd7hs.

The Next Generation

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The virtual program Farmland for the Next Generation will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. ET Mondays, Nov. 7-28.

Ready to grow your farm operation, but unsure how to acquire more land? Hear from industry representatives, farmers, and Extension personnel as they prepare you for your future land acquisitions.

The series will address three paths to land access: leasing, purchasing, and receiving land through inheritance or gift. It utilizes a skills-based approached that focuses on what people need to be able to do, not just on what they need to know.

A variety of topics will be presented throughout the four sessions that will help prepare you for future land acquisitions. Some of the topics will include:

• Financial readiness

• Paths to land access

• Finding farmland

• Assessing farmland suitability

• Success stories

Cost is $50. Register at https://tinyurl.com/ya8snmhw.

Open House

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The Allen County Extension Open House and Annual Meeting will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. ET Nov. 9 at the Allen County Extension office, 4001 Crescent Ave., Fort Wayne.

Explore Purdue Extension, meet new educators and staff, learn about educational and volunteer efforts, and visit the Display Gardens.

For more information, call 260-481-6434.

Applicator Program

CHARLESTOWN, Ind. — The 2022 Area 2 Applicator Program will be from 9 to 11 a.m. ET Nov. 10 at the Clark County Fairgrounds, 608 Highway 62, Charlestown. RSVP to hlpotter@purdue.edu or 812-256-4591. The program also will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. ET Nov. 10 at the Washington County Fairgrounds, 118 Fair St., Salem, RSVP to dhowellw@purdue.edu or 812-883-4601; and 6 to 8 p.m. ET Nov. 10 at the Harrison County Extension Office. 247 Atwood St., Corydon; RSVP to gmanders@purdue.edu or 812-738-4236.

Topics at all three locations will include:

• Mud Management When Feeding Hay from a Soil Health, Fertility, and Weed Control Perspective — Robert Zupancic, NRCS Southeast Grazing Specialist

• Forage Species Selection for Pest Management — Keith Johnson, Purdue Extension Forage Specialist

• Pesticide Poisoning of Livestock — Extension educators

The program is free, but private applicator credits are $10. Commercial applicator credits (1, 14, and RT) are available. Participants receive credit for attending one program.

Building Better Soils

URBANA, Ill. — The online program Building Better Soils will be from 1 to 2 p.m. Nov. 10.

What is going on beneath our feet? Get a crash course on soil science, support the soil that’s already there, and learn how you can build healthy soils in your landscape. This Everyday Environment lesson will be led by Abigail Garofalo, Extension natural resources, environment, and energy educator.

Garden Cleanup

TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — The program Garden Cleanup for Another Season will be from 3 to 4 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Christian County Extension office, 1120 N. Webster St., Taylorville.

Cleanup of the garden can impact the results of next year’s bounty. Join Andrew Holsinger, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator, on how to prepare for next year by using the proper techniques to reduce disease for next year’s crop.

The program also will be available online. Register at https://tinyurl.com/z74jbs22.

Extension Night

TELL CITY, Ind. — The Purdue Extension Perry County Annual Extension Night will be 6 to 8 p.m. CT Nov. 10 at the Perry County 4-H Fairgrounds, 99 Roy Fenn Drive, Tell City.

The event will feature Fred Whitford, director of Purdue Pesticide Programs, speaking on the history of farming in Perry County. Dinner will be catered by Bill & Dave’s Smokin’ Pit.

Cost is $5. Register by calling 812-547-7084, emailing rhaunst@purdue.edu, or visiting https://forms.gle/asTsqAZWgkXdYUmA6.

CSA Conference

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The Tri-State CSA Conference will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET Nov. 12, and 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Walb Student Union, Union Circle Drive, Fort Wayne.

Learn how to start and a grow community-supported agriculture (CSA) program, and how to expand your existing CSA to make it more sustainable and prosperous.

The conference will be hosted by experts from Purdue University, Michigan State University, and Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

The conference will allow producers to learn from their peers who have successfully operated CSAs for years and hear from Extension experts on various topics.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/2er3nkeh.

Calendar: Smash your pumpkins for composting