Calendar: Meat alternatives: How do they stack up?

CROWN POINT, Ind. — The program Meat Alternatives: How Do They Stack Up? will be presented 11 a.m. to noon CT Feb. 7 at the Lake County Extension office, 2291 N. Main St., Crown Point.

The free program will be presented by Karen Richey, Purdue Extension health and human sciences educator.

To register, contact Diana Cook at dmcook@purdue.edu or call the Extension office at 219-755-3240.

Ecology Hike

AVA, Ill. — An ecology hike will be at 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 5 at Piney Creek Ravine State Natural Area, 2248 Piney Creek Road, Ava.

Kevin Rohling, Extension forestry research technician, will lead the interpretive hike in this scenic and ecologically diverse site. The trail is around 3 miles in length and moderately rugged. Bring a water and snack if desired. More information about the site may be found at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/Parks/Pages/PineyCreek.aspx.

For more informaton, contact Rohling at krohling@illinois.edu or 618-695-3383.

Stateline Growers

ROCKFORD, Ill. — The Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference will be 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Feb. 6 at NIU-Rockford, 8500 E. State St., Rockford.

This conference addresses common issues facing fruit and vegetable growers, providing the most up-to-date information to ensure a successful growing season and business.

Emily Lavely, a fruit educator with Michigan State University, will be the keynote speaker, presenting “Exploring the World of Roots in Perennial Production Systems.” Roots are a critical part of crop production, but they often go unnoticed below ground. For perennial crops, fine roots are primarily responsible for water and nutrient update. They are an active part of the plant, similar to leaves, and they respond readily to the orchard environment as well as soil microbes. This presentation will discuss what we know about root growth and how we can support root health in perennial production systems.

Following her keynote, Lavely will provide a fruit breakout session: “Pruning to Match Your System: Considerations for Rootstock and Tree Vigor.”

Additional topics for the breakouts will include high tunnel vegetable research, day-neutral strawberries, and mechanical weed management. Mohammad Babadoost, Extension plant pathology specialist, and Kacie Athey, University of Illinois Crop Sciences assistant professor and faculty Extension specialist, will provide their yearly grower and research updates for the fruit-vegetable tracks. Breakouts also will feature Zack Grant, Extension local foods and small farms educator for Cook County, and Sam Oschwald-Tilton, vegetable educator for UW-Madison.

The registration fee is $35 per person and $25 for additional employees of the same farm. This fee includes one general education session, your choice of three breakout sessions and boxed lunch from Mary’s Market.

4-H Orientation

AUBURN, Ind. —The first of four 4-H orientation sessions will be 6 to 7 p.m. ET Feb. 6 at the DeKalb County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall, 708 S. Union St., Auburn.

This first session will be an open house format for you to get answers to question you may have for club leaders and livestock superintendents.

Other sessions will be:

• May 3, 6 to 7 p.m. — Designed to help you meet the 4-H Online May 15 deadline by answering any 4-H online questions you may have. 4-H trips, programs and workshops also will be a topic.

• June 13, 6 to 7 p.m. — Focus will be on getting your Summer Static projects entered in FairEntry so that you don’t miss the July 1 deadline. Help also will be available for 4-H Online Animal ID.

• Aug. 2, 6 to 7 p.m. — Focus will be on getting your Fall Fair animals and projects entered in FairEntry in time for the Sept. 8 deadline. You also will get information about how to prepare for the Fall Fair.

For more information, contact Effie Campbell at 260-925-2562 or campb314@purdue.edu.

Estate Planning

FAIRFIELD, Ill. — A four-part estate planning series will be 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 6, Feb. 13, Feb. 20 and Feb. 27 at the Wayne County Extension office, 2B Frontier Drive, Fairfield.

Making plans for your estate and end-of-life decisions allow you to take control of your affairs, protect your loved ones, and feel a sense of security in an uncertain world.

Local professionals will provide information and advice for hospice/advanced directives, funeral preparation, investment and financial planning, identity protections and vehicle titling, legal documents and obligations, insurance, and banking.

For more information, call the Extension office at 618-842-3702.

Winter Workshops

FORT BRANCH, Ind. — Purdue Extension Gibson County will host four Winter Workshops in February at Gibson Southern High School, 3499 800 S, Fort Branch.

Workshops will begin at 6 p.m. CT in the school’s cafeteria and cover a variety of topics relevant to local farmers.

• Feb 6 — Weed Management Outlook by Marcelo Zimmer

• Feb 13 — Farm Bureau Policy Discussion and FSA Update.

• Feb 20 — Digital Agriculture: Drones, Data & So Much More by Mark Carter.

• Feb 27 — Weather, Climate and Soil Health by Hans Schmitz.

Everyone is welcome to attend; no RSVP necessary. For more information, call 812-385-3491.

Homemakers Sew Day

AUBURN, Ind. — DeKalb County Extension Homemakers Sew Day will be 9 a.m.to 3 p.m. ET Feb. 7 at the DeKalb County Office Building, 215 E. 9th St., Auburn.

Come and help the DeKalb County Extension Homemakers make baby blankets for the hospital. There will be five sewing machines available, so you don’t have to bring your own. You don’t have to be a seamstress to participate — there’s cutting, pressing, and hand stitching to help with. Bring a dish to share and come have a fun time.

Tea Party

FRANKLIN GROVE, Ill. — The program Tea Party will be 6 to 7 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Winfred Knox Memorial Library, 112 S. Elm St., Franklin Grove.

Learn all about traditions of making and taking tea in the garden.

Winter Meeting

TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — The 2023 Dudley Smith Farm Winter Meeting will be 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Christian County Extension office, 1120 N. Webster St., Taylorville.

The meeting will feature cover crops performance, development of grazing farms, soil health recommendations, and drainage practices. Lunch will be provided.

Be Heart Smart

SALEM, Ind. — The four-week program Be Heart Smart will be 1 to 2 p.m. ET Feb. 7, Feb. 14, Feb. 21 and Feb. 28 at the Washington County Government Building Meeting Room, 806 Martinsburg Road, Salem.

This lecture-based program is for individuals who want to learn more about preventing heart disease by making heart-healthy lifestyle changes. Participants will learn how to monitor risk factors for heart disease and how to make simple changes to their daily routine that can improve their heart health.

Attend all four classes and receive a kitchen tool of your choice from an array of preselected items.

Register for this free program by contacting Sonya Mitchell, Purdue Extension health and human science educator, at 812-833-4601 or shmitche@purdue.edu.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/4stawcm8.

The program also will be offered 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Feb. 8, Feb. 15, Feb. 22, and March 1 at the Indiana Health Center, 35 Bob Babbs Drive, Spencer. Register by calling 812-829-5020.

Seed Starting

OTTAWA, Ill. — The Seed Starting Workshop will be 6 to 7 p.m. Feb. 7 at the La Salle County Extension office, 1689 N. 31st Road, Ottawa.

Master gardeners will provide information and demonstrations focusing on the soil type, containers, temperature, light and moisture requirements of various vegetables, herbs, and flowers.

The program will be repeated 6 to 7 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Bureau County Extension office, 850 E. Thompson St., Princeton.

Pressure Cooking

SPENCER, Ind. — The program Cooking under Pressure will be 6 to 7 p.m. ET Feb. 7 at the Owen County Family YMCA, 1111 IN-46, Spencer.

The program will focus on techniques for using electric programmable pressure cookers, food safety and increasing family meal time.

Healthy Eats

PERU, Ill. — The program Healthy Eats for a Healthy Beat will be 6 to 7 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Peru Public Library, 1409 11th St., Peru.

Learn how to build a healthy meal plan for heart health. Try a sample from a Key Lime Dip with Strawberries recipe.

Get Connected

MARION, Ill. — The workshop Don’t Go it Alone: Improve Your Social Connections will be 1 to 2 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Marion Senior Center, 507 W. Main St., Marion.

Research shows that social isolation and loneliness can deeply impact the quality of life, especially for older adults. And some studies show that more than 20% of adults in the United States identify as lonely, isolated, or both.

Extension Family Life Educator Robin Ridgley will discuss the various consequences of isolation and loneliness and strategies for staying connected with others.

This program is free, but registration is encouraged by calling 618-997-9019.

Investing Basics

URBANA, Ill. — The free program Investing Risks and Rewards will be noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 8.

Increase your investing knowledge in this Get Savvy webinar. Register at https://tinyurl.com/yjs9kh27.

Fruit and Vegetable School

MT. VERNON, Ill. — The 2023 Southern Illinois Fruit and Vegetable School will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 8 at the DoubleTree Meeting and Event Center, 222 Potomac Blvd., Mt. Vernon.

The event will feature four tracks to address vegetable, small fruit, tree fruit, and 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. Vendors will be on hand to discuss your production needs.

Cost is $50. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2p9a9sea.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Wahle at 618-344-4230 or wahle@illinois.edu.

Tree Fruit School

HARDIN, Ill. — The Southwestern Illinois Commercial Tree Fruit School will be 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Feb. 9 at Knights of Columbus Hall, Illinois River Road, Hardin.

The program will feature a wide range of topics to help you meet the challenges of commercial fruit production in southwestern Illinois, including peach and apple thinning, apple and peach insect and disease management updates, and climate’s impact on production. Industry representatives also will be on hand to talk about their latest products and services.

Cost is $40 and includes lunch. Register at https://tinyurl.com/mhz99r3j.

Candy Making

FLORA, Ill. — The Candy Making Workshop for youth ages 5 to 11 will be 6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Clay County Extension office, 223 W. Railroad St., Flora.

Participants will create Valentine-themed candy that will be donated to Clay County nursing homes.

Poisonous Plants

STERLING, Ill. — The Saturday with a Master Gardener Series presented by the Illinois Extension Whiteside County master gardeners will begin 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 11 at the Whiteside County Extension office, 12923 Lawrence Road. Sterling. Featured will be a discussion about poisonous plants and how to protect your family, pets and livestock.

The series will continue the second Saturday of the month on March 11, April 15, June 10, July 8, Aug. 12, Sept. 9, Oct. 14, and Nov. 11.

Other topics in the series will include hydrangeas, milkweed and seed collecting.

Nursery School

MOLINE, Ill. — Get inspired and grow your horticultural knowledge at Nursery School: Lessons in Gardening, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Vibrant Arena at The Mark, 1201 River Drive, Moline.

Horticulture experts will lead workshops and share tips, pointers, ideas, and information everyone can use — from the novice to the most experienced gardener.

This year’s event opens with a keynote address by renowned prairie ecologist and landscape architect Neil Diboll, president of Prairie Nursery Inc., Westfield, Wisconsin. He will talk about Prairie Plants for Urban and Suburban Gardens.

Following the keynote, you will attend three additional sessions that you select upon registration from nine different topics. Classes have been arranged by track topics: Ornamental, Edible and Nature. You can select all of one track or pick and choose.

Cost is $70, which includes morning coffee and rolls, the keynote session, lunch, your three additional classes, and access to the Nursery School vendor area featuring a host of merchants and agencies offering a variety of garden-inspired gifts, crafts, plants, and resources.