Calendar: Farm-to-table dinner and tours

STERLING, Ill. — Farm-to-Table Dinner and Tours will be 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 11,

Tours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. will include Indian Hills Orchard in Fulton, Buffalo Creek Murray Greys in Polo, JL Acres LLC in Sterling, Koster Farms in Sterling, SVCC Greenhouse in Dixon, Brummel Beef and Locker in Rock Falls, and Whiteside Area Career Center in Sterling.

The tours will be followed by dinner at 5 p.m. at Whiteside Area Career Center, 1608 5th Ave., Sterling. The freshly prepared meal curated by WACC’s Culinary Arts Class will feature local ingredients from the Sauk Valley.

Cost is $50. Register at https://tinyurl.com/2s35uzzj.

Herb Syrup

LEWISTOWN, Ill. — The program Drying Herbs and Herb Syrup will be 1 to 3 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Fulton County Extension office, 15411 IL-100, Lewistown.

Learn how to grow, harvest, and use herbs in simple, creative ways, and take home your own custom creations. Bring your favorite herbs if you like, fresh or dried. All supplies will be provided. Cost is $10. Register at https://tinyurl.com/4dv5brzc.

Landscape Waste

ROCKFORD, Ill. — The program Successfully Managing Your Landscape Waste will be 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Winnebago County Extension office, 1040 N. Second St., Rockford.

Fall brings beautiful seasonal changes, and often a large pile of yard waste. Instead of sending it to the landfill, why not turn that waste into something valuable? Composting is a simple and effective way to transform leaves, grass clippings, and other organic materials into nutrient-rich compost that supports healthier gardens and a more sustainable environment.

Join University of Illinois Extension Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy Educator Jay Solomon for an informative and engaging program where you will learn how to manage your yard waste effectively, turning the year’s discarded plant material into next year’s valuable soil amendment. In addition to the benefits of compost, Solomon will dig into the challenges and benefits of different compost system’s designs and management issues. This will include a discussion of things learned from two local demonstration systems. Attendees will leave the program with the knowledge to get started on and to have a successful compost system.

Put It to Bed

DECATUR, Ill. — The Program Let’s Put the Garden to Bed will be 10 to 11 a.m. Sept. 9 at Crossing Healthcare Garden, 320 Central Ave., Decatur.

Learn what needs to be done to close up the garden for the year.

Grab and Go

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Are you prepared for an emergency resulting in needing to leave your home in a hurry? Find out what you may need to have ready in a bag to “grab and go” from 1 to 2 p.m. ET Sept. 9 at the Allen County Extension office, 4001 Crescent Ave., Fort Wayne.

The program will be presented by the Red Cross and Donna McEvoy of Huntertown Homemakers.

For more information, call the Extension office at 260-481-6826 or visit https://tinyurl.com/56xvh6hu.

Seed Saving

BREESE, Ill. — The Back to Basics program Seed Saving will be 5:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Clinton County Extension office, 1163 N. 4th St., Breese.

Extension Educator Chris Lueking will share tips and tricks on how to save seeds so they are ready for next year’s planting season.

Cover Crop Field Day

DAVIS, Ill. — Winnebago County Soil and Water Conservation District and University of Illinois Extension will host a cover crop field day, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 10 at the field entrance, directly north of 12501 Best Road, Davis.

Observe standing cover crops and view a demonstration of cover crop planting via drone. Educational presentations on cover cropping will be given, and lunch will be provided.

Wash and Pack

URBANA, Ill. — The webinar Food Safety in Fresh Produce: Wash-and-Pack Areas will be 4 to 5 p.m. Sept. 10.

Discover practical strategies to improve food safety in fresh produce wash-and-pack areas during this expert-led webinar. Whether managing a small farm or overseeing a large-scale operation, this session offers essential guidance on reducing contamination risks and protecting your customers and business from foodborne illnesses.

Invasive Plants

CHERRY VALLEY, Ill. — Invasive and Nuisance Plants in the Forest Landscape will be 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 10 at Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve, 5360 Mulford Road, Cherry Valley.

Participants will walk and see real examples of invasives in the wild, hear about the forest preserve’s current efforts to squash invasives’ spread, and learn management strategies for a variety of plants and situations.

Prep Like a Pro

CLINTON, Ill. — The program Prep Like a Pro will be 10 to 11 a.m. Sept. 11 at the DeWitt County Extension office, 1160 IL-54, Clinton.

Meal prep offers flexibility to cook meals and ingredients ahead of time. Discover strategies to add more variety to your meals, save money, and spend less time getting dinner on the table.

Topics will include batch cooking, freezer meals, no-cook meals, individual meals, lunch meal prep, and prepping multiple ingredients to mix/match meals during the week.

Declutter Your Home

URBANA, Ill. — The online program Where to Start: Declutter Your Home and Finances will be 10 to 11 a.m. Sept. 11.

Do you feel overwhelmed trying to organize your stuff? Do you have a filing cabinet spilling over with financial paperwork?

Learn what financial documents need to be kept while discussing options to discard sensitive documents. earn the benefits of decluttering and minimizing, and identify strategies to create a plan to clear your clutter.

Pickle Magic

WELDON, Ill. — Pickle Magic will be 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Weldon Library, 505 Maple St., Weldon.

Learn how to prepare home-preserved pickles at this make-and-take workshop presented by Extension nutrition and wellness staff.

Invasive Plant Swap

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Do you have invasive plants in your landscape? Tippecanoe County Soil and Water Conservation District is hosting an Invasive Plant Swap from 9 a.m. to noon ET Sept. 25 at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds Show Arena, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette.

This free event offers an opportunity to bring in invasive landscaping plants and exchange them for native species that support pollinators and local ecosystems. Residents are welcome to bring any invasive plant used in landscaping, including burning bush, callery pear, Japanese barberry, wintercreeper and periwinkle.

Native plants will be available while supplies last. Early arrival is recommended.

Replacing invasives with native plants is a great way to support local wildlife, improve soil and water quality, and help restore ecological balance.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/3pnp4m6c.

Plant-Based Diets

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The program Plant-Based Diets will be 1 to 2 p.m. ET Oct. 9 at the Allen County Extension office, 4001 Crescent Ave., Fort Wayne.

Learn what foods are included in plant-based diets, the benefits, and other considerations when deciding to try the diet. This lesson will be presented by Abigail Creigh, Noble County Extension educator.

Call the Extension office at 260-481-6826 for reservations. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/y486mzzv.