Calendar: Crop Management Conference in Collinsville

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. — The 2024 Crop Management Conference will be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 1 at Gateway Convention Center, 1 Gateway Drive, Collinsville.

The conference is an in-depth program providing university research-based information on current crop production issues. Certified crop advisors may earn up to seven hours of continuing education units credit at the in-person event and additional CEUs by accessing the online-only content, available Feb. 16 to April 30.

Cost is $100. Lunch is included. Register at http://tinyurl.com/5a3m8rsj.

Program topics will include:

• Insect Management in Corn and Soybean — Nick Seiter, University of Illinois field crop entomology Extension specialist and assistant research professor.

• Building a Successful Weed Management Plan for 2024 — Nathan Johanning, University of Illinois Extension educator, commercial ag.

• What Does “The Data” Really Tell Us? — Emerson Nafziger, University of Illinois agronomy Extension specialist, professor emeritus.

• From Field to Sky: Drones are Transforming Agricultural Input Applications — Dennis Bowman, University of Illinois Extension digital agriculture specialist.

• Making Weather and Climate Information Work: Existing Tools and Monitoring to Help Agriculture Decision-Making — Trent Ford, state climatologist, Illinois State Water Survey at University of Illinois.

• Profitable Regenerative Agriculture: Focus on Incorporating Perennial Biomass Crops into Annual Cropping Systems — Talon Becker, University of Illinois Extension commercial agriculture specialist; and Nathan Johanning, University of Illinois Extension educator, commercial ag.

• Pathogen Surveys from a Food Safety Perspective: A Deeper Dive into Ear Rot and Head Scab in Illinois Grain — Briana Whitaker, United States Department of Agriculture, Ag Research Service, microbiologist; and Joseph Opoku, USDA, Ag Research Service, research plant pathologist.

Trails and Tales

PECATONICA, Ill. — Winter Trails and Naturalist Tales will be Jan. 27 at Torstenson’s Education Center, 13735 Cook Road, Pecatonica.

Three Naturalist Tales speakers will begin at 9 a.m., followed by lunch and a self-guided outdoor hike and bird-watching at 1:30 p.m.

Cost is $15. Lunch will be provided. Register at http://tinyurl.com/2f328szk.

Now You Seed It

STERLING, Ill. — The program Now You Seed It with Whiteside County master gardeners will be 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 27 at the Sterling Public Library, 102 W. 3rd St., Sterling.

Participants will learn the essentials of starting seeds and caring for bedding plants until they’re ready for outdoor planting.

Register for this free program by calling the library at 815-625-1370 or contacting Mary Nelson at 815-632-3611, ext. 209.

Snowflake Macramé

HILLSBORO, Ill. — Participants ages 13 to 18 will learn the craft of macramé and make their own macramé snowflake from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Montgomery County Extension office, 1 Industrial Park Drive, Hillsboro.

Cost is $3. Register at http://tinyurl.com/35sdt5ts.

Maple Syrup Workshop

ROCKVILLE, Ind. — The Parke-Vermillion master gardener maple syrup workshop “The Sweetest Generation” will be 5 to 6 p.m. ET Jan. 30 at the Parke County Extension office, 1472 N U.S. 41, Rockville.

Participants will learn about the history and science of maple syrup production.

Register by visiting https://tinyurl.com/PVEMGMaple. For more information, contact Kurt Lanzone at 765-569-3176 or email klanzone@purdue.edu.

Simmer up to Soup

FAIRBURY, Ill. — The program Simmer up to Soup will be 6 to 7 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Dominy Memorial Library, 201 S. 3rd St., Fairbury.

Participants will learn about the many types of soup and ways to make them healthy and flavorful. You’ll receive a packet of recipes and taste a hearty bowl of soup.

The program is free and no registration is required.

Native Landscape Design

URBANA, Ill. — The online Native Landscape Design Workshop will be 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 30.

Participants will learn design principles and native plant selection.

Following the workshop, participants will be invited to attend one of two virtual coaching sessions from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 13 and Feb. 27.

Hearty Soups

OTTAWA, Ill. — The program Soupology: The World of Hearty Soups will be 6 to 7 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Reddick Library, 1010 Canal St., Ottawa.

Susan Glassman, nutrition and wellness educator, will discuss the many varieties of soups, how to layer different flavors, and benefit from good nutrition. She will demonstrate how to make a seasonal butternut squash soup.

Handouts and recipes will be available. Register at http://tinyurl.com/yrwc623s.

Breadmaking 101

WATERLOO, Ill. — The program Breadmaking 101 will be 3:15 to 5:15 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Monroe County Annex, 901 Illinois Ave., Waterloo.

Participants in grades 3 to 5 will gain hands-on experience in yeast bread baking, educational insights into the science behind baking, and culinary skills from measuring ingredients to understanding yeast.

Cost is $5. Register at http://tinyurl.com/cz9cttv9.

Sprayer School

VINCENNES, Ind. — Purdue Extension will be offering a sprayer school for farmers and commercial pesticide applicators from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m ET Jan. 31 at the Vincennes University Agricultural Center, 4207 Purdue Road, Vincennes.

Topics will cover mixing procedures, adjuvants, equipment on roads, calibration, drift management, and machinery maintenance. There is a $50 fee for this program and lunch will be provided.

Register at https://bit.ly/sprayer2024. For more information, contact Valerie Clingerman 812-882-3509 or clingerman@purdue.edu.

Agronomy Summit

FREEPORT, Ill. — The Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit will be 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 31 at Highland Community College Student Conference Center, 2998 W. Pearl City Road, Freeport.

The theme for this year’s conference is Updates in Nutrient, Weed, and Soil Health Management, with University of Illinois and University of Wisconsin-Madison specialists discussing strategies for weed, nutrient management, and plans to build soil health.

Topics will include:

• Practical Nitrogen Management for Corn, presented by Giovani Preza Fontes, field crops agronomist, U of I Extension.

• Understanding Biologicals for Row Crops, Connor Sible, a postdoctoral research associate with the Crop Physiology Department at the University of Illinois.

• Navigating the Inevitability of Herbicide Resistance, Kathryn Seebruck, crops educator, U of I Extension.

• Building Soil Health in Northern Climates, Dan Smith, regional specialist, Nutrient and Pest Management Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Also, Highland Community College agriculture instructor Justin Ebert will be on hand to talk about the Highland Community College research plots and the results from this past growing season.

Cost is $25. Register at http://tinyurl.com/4daump3u. For more information, visit go.illinois.edu/jsw or call 815-235-4125.

Plant Propagation

HILLSBORO, Ill. — Embark on a hands-on journey into the art of plant propagation and cultivate your green thumb at the Plant Propagation Workshop, 3 to 4 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Montgomery County Extension office, 1 Industrial Park Drive, Hillsboro.

The workshop, led by Andrew Holsinger, Extension horticulture educator, is designed to demystify the propagation process, equipping you with the skills needed to expand your plant collection with confidence. Participants will take home two plants they personally propagate during the workshop.

Cost is $5. Register at http://tinyurl.com/ms98c8xk.

Home Landscaping

CHERRY VALLEY, Ill. — The program Seasonal Care of the Home Landscape: Spring Edition will be 6 to 7 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Cherry Valley Library, 755 E. State St., Cherry Valley.

Jennifer Crider, Boone County master gardener, will discuss caring for and maintaining your home landscape during the spring season. Discover the best practices for planting and maintaining your plants, flowers and shrubs.

Pasture Management

URBANA, Ill. — The online program Equine Pasture Management will be 6 to 7 p.m. Feb. 1.

Extension Educator Katie Bell will discuss strategies for building and maintaining pasture health, fencing options, equine health on pastures, and alternate strategies for keeping horses on small acres.

The program is part of the Livestock Production and Principals for Beginners Webinar Series. Cost is $5. Register at http://tinyurl.com/2d95ub6f.

Growing Fruit Trees

MURPHYSBORO, Ill. — The program Growing Fruit Trees will be 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Jackson County Extension office, 402 Ava Road, Murphysboro.

Plan your future homestead orchard as you learn about variety selection, root stock selection and pruning basics.

The program is part of the Modern Homesteading Series. Register for this free program by calling 618-687-1727 or visit go.illinois.edu/HomesteadingFruitTrees.

Spring Garden Clinic

INDIANAPOLIS — The Spring Garden Clinic will be 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET Feb. 3 at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 100 W. 86th St., Indianapolis.

This annual event for beginners and experts alike provides a wide array of gardening information and a chance to network with other gardeners. Four hour-long presentations on gardening topics will be offered. Attendees will have the option of choosing one of three presentations for each time slot.

Cost is $65 and Includes breakfast and lunch. Register at http://tinyurl.com/rf5yn8js.

Gardener Gathering

HILLSBORO, Ill. — Gathering of the Gardeners will be 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at the Montgomery County Extension office, 1 Industrial Park Drive, Hillsboro.

Plant Identification: Then and Now will be the topic of the program for master gardeners from Christian, Jersey, Macoupin and Montgomery counties.

A free lunch will be served. Register at http://tinyurl.com/2p9n42fa.

Winter Wildlife Tracks

FAIRBURY, Ill. — The program Who Was Here? Winter Wildlife Tracks will be 1 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at the Dominy Memorial Library, 201 S. 3rd St., Fairbury.

Bundle up and head out to Fugate Woods Nature Preserve in Fairbury to look for winter animal tracks and signs. It may be cold, but many animals are still active and their tracks tell quite a story. Be prepared for winter weather with warm clothes and boots or shoes that can handle some mud and possibly snow. The program will start at the Dominy Library before heading to the woods. In case of bad weather, the program will be held indoors at the library.

The program is being presented by the Illinois Grand Prairie master naturalists. Register at http://tinyurl.com/558zwr47.