Calendar: Benefits of raising quality quail

INDIANAPOLIS — The Lunch & Learn program Quail in the Garden will be noon to 1 p.m. ET Aug. 22 at Discovery Hall, 1202 E. 38th St., Suite 201, Indianapolis.

Jayde Grisham, Extension urban agriculture educator for Marion County, will discuss raising Coturnix quail for eggs, meat, pest control, and fertilizer as a part of an urban garden system.

4-H Livestock Auction

YORKVILLE, Ill. — Purchase quality animals that were raised and cared for by Kendall County 4-H members at the 2025 4-H Livestock Auction, 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 2 at the Kendall County Fairgrounds Livestock Pavilion, 10826 Illinois Route 71, Yorkville.

The in-person auction will feature the 4-H show grand and reserve grand champions in several animal project areas, as well as more 4-H projects in beef, swine, and sheep.

For questions or more information on the auction, contact Jodi Brummel at 815-735-0834, or visit https://tinyurl.com/5n6ethfu.

All My Money

DECATUR, Ill. — The All My Money Workshop Series begins 11 a.m. to noon Aug. 4 at the Decatur Family YMCA, 220 W. McKinley Ave., Decatur.

The Aug. 4 topic will be Who Am I With Money? In this session, participants will learn how to understand what leads people to make different spending choices as well as the importance in learning how to manage money. This session will help participants become more comfortable talking about money, identify needs versus wants when making spending choices, and become aware of spending choices.

Future topics will include Tracking Spending, Aug. 11; Savings, Aug. 18; Spending Plans, Aug. 25; Money Services, Sept. 8; Choosing Credit, Sept. 15; What Happens If I Don’t Pay?, Sept. 22; and Credit History and Score, Sept. 29.

Farm in the Park

GALVA, Ill. — Farm in the Park will be 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 5 at Veterans Park, 29 Front St., Galva.

Explore agriculture, horticulture, and healthy living with Illinois Extension, SNAP-Ed and 4-H at this free event. There will be a petting zoo and a variety of interactive games, crafts, information, handouts and prizes.

A hot dog meal with, chips, applesauce, cookie and drink will be available for $5. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/3bz4wb83.

Livestock Skillathon

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The 4-H Superior Young Livestock Producer Contest Skillathon will be 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 6 at the South Cattle Barn at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, 801 E. Sangamon Ave., Springfield.

4-H members will compete for one of nine $1,000 scholarships while testing their knowledge on breeds of cattle, swine, sheep and goats; marketing; equipment identification; and quality assurance.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/428ydhue.

School Nutrition

FREEPORT, Ill. — The ABCs of School Nutrition will be 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 7 at Highland Community College, 2998 Pearl City Road, Freeport.

University of Illinois Extension has partnered with the Illinois State Board of Education to offer professional development training for school nutrition professionals.

This training will provide six hours of USDA Professional Standards credits. There is no charge for this training; however, preregistration is required by visiting https://tinyurl.com/y2jthvwt. For questions, call 815-235-4125.

Growing Appetites

JERSEYVILLE, Ill. — The program Back-to-School Snacks for Growing Appetites will be 6 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 7 at the Jersey County Farm Bureau, 402 S. Jefferson St., Jerseyville.

Learn how to outsmart sugary snacks with high-protein, high-fiber alternatives. Explore balanced bites, decode tricky labels and spot healthier granola bar options, and whip up easy, delicious snacks for kids and adults.

Register by calling the Jersey County Farm Bureau at 618-498-9576. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/3325zky6.

Prescribed Burn Plans

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Prescribed Burn Plans Writing Workshop will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Aug. 13-14 at the John S. Wright Forestry Center, 1007 N 725 W, West Lafayette.

Participants will gain experience in various aspects of writing burn plans, including evaluating sites, plan development and writing, using smoke and fire behavior modeling tools, and plan implementation. During the course, participants will have the opportunity to develop at least one prescribed burn plan.

Master Gardener Training

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Purdue Extension Master Gardener Training will be 2 to 5 p.m. ET Mondays, Aug. 18 to Nov. 24, at the Allen County Extension office, 4001 Crescent Ave., Fort Wayne.

This training course covers various horticultural topics, including ornamental plants, growing fruits and vegetables, soil health, invasive species, and plant pests. The program aims to train volunteers to spread horticultural knowledge throughout the community.

Classes take place in-person with sessions led by multiple experts and professionals. Upon completing the course, there will be a written exam to become a master gardener intern. Interns can then volunteer in the community to become master gardeners.

Master Gardener Training also will be offered 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. ET Thursdays, Aug. 21 to Nov. 20, at the North Liberty Community Center, 300 S. Main St., North Liberty. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/yn9djbwz.

How to Love a Forest

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — How to Love a Forest: An Evening with Ethan Tapper will be 6 to 8:30 p.m. ET Sept. 4 at the Monroe County Public Library, 303 E. Kirkwood Ave., Bloomington.

The program will invite participants to reimagine what forests are and what it means to care for them.

The best-selling author of “How to Love a Forest,” Tapper is a forester, birder, naturalist, and digital creator. He also owns Bear Island Forestry, a consulting forestry company, and regularly contributes to Northern Woodlands magazine and other publications. At Bear Island, his 175-acre working forest, homestead, orchard, and sugarbush, Ethan works, writes, hunts, and aviates.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/2fs9cc26.