Calendar: Big-picture trends in agrivoltaics

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Agrivoltaics Webinar hosted hosted by Purdue Extension and the Indiana Chapter of the American Planning Association will be 10 to 11:30 a.m. ET June 23.

Participants will hear from experts at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on big-picture trends, NiSource for the utility perspective, and also cover the local regulatory perspective.

A question-and-answer session will follow the panel presentations.

For more information about this free webinar, visit https://tinyurl.com/mr2he9z7.

5-H Rabbit Clinic

WOODSTOCK, Ill. — The 4-H Rabbit Clinic will be 3 to 4 p.m. June 7 at the McHenry County Extension office, 1102 McConnell Road, Woodstock.

Topics will include:

• Show etiquette, how to pose rabbit correctly, along with a mock showmanship lesson.

• How to enter rabbit for fair.

• Coat care.

Digital Boundaries

PEORIA, Ill. — The online program Raising Responsible Digital Citizens will be 1 to 2 p.m. June 9.

In our increasingly online world, it is important to make sure our families are safe online. Especially as school winds down and we enter into summer, having digital boundaries and clear tech use guidance is important. The program will go over developmentally appropriate tech use for children of varying ages, and ways to keep children safe while they navigate online spaces.

The program is being offered in partnership with Illinois Central College, American Connection Corps and IL Broadband Lab.

Swine Workshop

HAVANA, Ill. — Beginner Swine Workshop and YQCA Training will be 10 a.m. to noon June 9 at the Mason County Fairgrounds, 17248 E County Rd 1600 N, Havana.

The workshop is for 8- to 18-year-olds who are new to the 4-H swine project or who would like to learn more about raising and exhibiting swine. Participants will also complete the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals training and receive their certificate.

4-H Alumni Event

URBANA, Ill. — The 4-H Alumni Event will be 5:30 to 8 p.m. June 10 at the Spice Box, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana.

Dinner and program will be 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Spice Box, followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana.

Speakers will include Dr. Kevin Carey, interim assistant dean and director of Illinois 4-H; Danielle Gapinski, Extension specialist, 4-H Creative & Cultural Arts; 4-H members sharing how 4-H has shaped their lives; and representatives from the Illinois 4-H Foundation & Alumni Association.

Cost is $30. Register at https://tinyurl.com/mbncfbth. For questions, call 217-333-0910 or email il4halumni@illinois.edu.

Cattle Judging

COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. — The State 4-H/FFA Dairy Cattle Judging Career Development Event will begin at 9 a.m. ET June 11 at the Whitley County 4-H Fairgrounds, 680 W. Squawbuck Road, Columbia City.

This event is open to 4-H and FFA members and is designed to teach youth skills to evaluate live dairy animals. Each contestant will judge six classes of lactating dairy cows and dairy heifers; oral reasons on four classes, or questions on two classes.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/mr3aewka. For questions, contact Brieanna Slonaker, 4-H State Dairy Judging Coordinator, at 574-935-8545.

Be Heart Smart

MUNSTER, Iind. — Be Heart Smart will be 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CT Wednesdays, June 11-July 2 at the Munster Branch of the Lake County Public Library, 8701 Calumet Ave., Munster.

The classes will include a Be Heart Smart program manual, a heart-healthy cookbook, food demonstrations and tastings, and educational instruction focused on the benefits of following a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Wellness Walk

FOREST PARK, Ill. — The Wellness Walk will be 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. June 14 at Miller Meadow, 2175 S. 1st Ave., Forest Park.

Relaxing mindfulness and meditative practices will be led during these slow and leisurely walks that can lead to improved mental and physical health. A beautiful tea ceremony will be conducted after the walk. These walks are designed for those 18 and older.

Self Care

PALOS HILLS, Ill. — The program Putting ‘Self’ Back into Self Care will be 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 17 at Green Hills Public Library, 10331 Interlochen Drive, Palos Hills.

Learn the importance of making time for self care as well as lowering barriers to access. Discover simple and cost-effective ways to add self care into your life. Presented by Community Health Extension Educators Michele Crawford, Sonia Lopez, and Leilah Siegel.

Wild About Plants

JOLIET, Ill. — The Wild About Plants Summer Program for 10- to 18-year-olds will be 1 p.m June 17 at the Will County Extension office, 100 Manhattan Road, Joliet.

The series will include information about gardening and horticulture. Session topics are: Plant Propagation June 17, Soilless Media June 24, Seed Cards July 15, Kokedama July 22, Living Art July 29, and Plant Tea Aug. 5.

Cost is $20. Register at https://tinyurl.com/ye3a4krd.

Garden Warriors

MONTICELLO, Ill. — Beneficial Insects: Garden Warriors will be noon to 1 p.m. June 17 at the Piatt County Extension office, 210 S. Market St., Monticello.

Participants will learn to identify different types of beneficial insects that can be found in their Illinois garden, the bad insects they control, and more about their life cycles.

Smart and Healthy Canning

TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — Smart and Healthy Canning will be 5 to 7 p.m. June 17 at Taylorville Memorial Hospital, 201 E. Pleasant St., Taylorville.

Learn the fundamentals of water bath canning, discover which recipe tweaks are safe (and which aren’t), and take home research-backed canning recipes. Participants will get practical experience making a no-sugar-needed strawberry jam and a low-sodium dill pickle recipe.

NRCS Field Day

CHICAGO — NRCS Field Day will be 5 to 7 p.m. June 18 at La Villita Park, 2800 S. Sacramento Ave., Chicago.

As part of Illinois Extension’s Summer Technical Assistance Field Day Series, in partnership with the Farm Service Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Extension educators are hosting a field day focused on soil health. This event and program is part one of a two-part series focused on bilingual soil health, with Spanish interpretation available.

Extension educators will discuss soil stewardship and conservation practices. Joseph Bridges and Alicia Lozano, the USDA NRCS soil conservationists for Cook County, will be on site to meet farmers and answer questions about applying for reimbursement programs. Reimbursable conservation practices related to soil health that are available to small-scale urban growers will also be discussed.

Plant Biotechnology

MORRIS, Ill. — Plant Classification: Decoding Plant Types will be the topic of the Plant Biotechnology Series, at 1 p.m. June 18 at the Grundy County Extension office, 4004 N. Division St., Morris. Learn about using a classic botanist practice known as the dichotomous key to identify common plants and trees.

Other topics in the series will be Take the Apple Taste Test June 25, Pinpointing Plant Parts July 8, Design Your Own Corn July 26, Engineer a Greenhouse July 30, and Mustard Mania: A DIY Biotech Board Game Aug. 13.

Cost is $25. Register at https://tinyurl.com/4ahhhdcu.

Farm Property Insurance

URBANA, Ill. — Farm Property Insurance will be the topic of the Legal Training for Illinois Small Farms Webinar Series, 7 to 8 p.m. June 23.

Running a farm or ranch operation often depends on buildings, equipment, vehicles, and supplies for day-to-day success. If these valuable resources are lost or damaged, it can be devastating to profitability. Different types of property insurance can help address this risk, but only if the farmer clearly understands how these products work. Learn the basics of farm property insurance and what it covers in the final session of the webinar series.

Food Preservation

KENDALLVILLE, Ind. — The four-day Mastering Home Food Preservation Workshop will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET June 24-27 at the Community Learning Center, 401 E. Diamond St., Kendallville.

The program will include valuable resources, in-depth lectures, interactive discussions, hands-on practice, and take-hope products. Topics will include food safety, boiling water canning, pressure canning, pickling and fermenting, freezing and dehydrating, and jams and jellies.

Farmers Briefing

GOSHEN, Ind. — Calf Care will be the topic of the Farmers Briefing, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET June 24 at the Elkhart County Extension office, 17746 CR 34, Goshen.

This event is a great chance for farmers and business to connect and learn about a variety of topics. Sessions meet monthly with a different topic. Lunch will be provided to participants at no charge.

A virtual option is available. Register by visiting https://tinyurl.com/42dr8xwu or call 574-533-0554.

Field Day

VINCENNES, Ind. — Field Day will be 8 am. to 1:30 p.m. ET June 26 at the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center, 4669 Purdue Road, Vincennes.

The event will include a tour with 10 stops and lunch. Topics covered will include field crop disease update, high tunnel tomato and cut flower research, fungicide efficacy trial research on vegetable crops, pollinator health and pollenizer use in seedless watermelon production, produce food safety update, overview of spray drones in Indiana, winter canola production, sorghum as alternative crop, and identifying genes behind protein in cowpea seeds.