Calendar: Sustainable living focus of Homesteading Conference

COVINGTON, Ind. — The Bi-State Homesteading Conference will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET Feb. 20 at The Beef House Restaurant, 16501 IN-63, Covington.

The conference offers hands-on, research-based education for individuals interested in homesteading, food production, and sustainable living.

Chaired by University of Illinois Extension Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy Educator Karla Griesbaum, the one-day conference will feature expert-led sessions on backyard maple syrup production, composting, and sourdough breadmaking. The event brings together Extension educators and specialists from Purdue and University of Illinois to provide practical skills participants can use at home.

Registration opens at 9:30 a.m., followed by a welcome at 10 a.m. The morning program begins with “Backyard Sugaring for Beginners,” presented by Kurt Lanzone, Purdue University Extension agriculture and natural resources educator. A long-time maple syrup tapper, Lanzone will guide participants through the basics of tapping trees and producing maple syrup at home, drawing on his work with a USDA-funded Extension initiative that supports maple syrup producers and beginners.

From 11 a.m. to noon, Sue Gasper and Gemini Bhalsod will present “The Science of Composting.” Gasper works with residents throughout Cook County to increase science literacy with an emphasis on chemistry, while Bhalsod provides horticulture education focused on plants, environmental stewardship, and gardening. Their session will explain the science behind successful aerobic composting, including the reasoning behind common composting guidelines such as browns-to-greens ratios, and how to build an effective outdoor compost pile.

Following a lunch break from noon to 1 p.m., the afternoon session will focus on sourdough breadmaking. Rachel Mannen, Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator, will lead an introductory class on creating and maintaining a sourdough starter. Mannen, a registered dietitian nutritionist, will cover the science behind sourdough fermentation, proper feeding and care techniques, and participants will take home their own sourdough starter.

The cost to attend is $35, which includes lunch and is payable by cash or check at the door. For more information or to register, visit https://tinyurl.com/53kuprct.

Floral Design

OREGON, Ill. — The Floral Design Class will be 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 3 at Rock River Center, 810 S. 10th St., Oregon.

In this beginner-friendly class, participants will learn how to create beautiful, professional-looking arrangements using simple techniques and thoughtful design. Discover tips on flower selection, color combinations, and styling methods that will make your blooms shine — whether for gifts, décor, or personal enjoyment.

Call the Rock River Center to register at 815-732-3252. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/m82kr6ve.

Certified Livestock Manager Training

EFFINGHAM, Ill. — Certified Livestock Manager Training will be 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 3 at Effingham County Extension, 1209 N. Wenthe Ave., Effingham.

Livestock facility staff can get certified through one of University of Illinois Extension and the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s 2026 Certified Livestock Manager Training Workshops, including Feb. 3 in Effingham. Seven locations around the state will host training workshops that meet the Illinois Livestock Management Facilities Act training requirements for Illinois livestock managers.

Each workshop location will open at 8:30 a.m., and training will begin at 9 a.m. The training lasts 3.5 hours, and IDOA staff will administer the exam after the training.

Other workshop locations are Feb. 4, Clinton County Extension, 1163 North 4th St., Breese; Feb. 5, Pike County Extension, 1301 E. Washington St., Pittsfield; Feb. 6, Illinois Soybean Association, 1108 Trinity Lane, Bloomington; Feb. 24, Stephenson County Farm Bureau, 210 W. Spring St., Freeport; Feb. 25, DeKalb County, 1350 W. Prairie Dr., Sycamore; and Feb. 26, Warren-Henderson Farm Bureau, 1000 N. Main St., Monmouth.

Cost is $40. Register at https://tinyurl.com/yee7ne8f.

Claim Your Online Turf

PORTAGE, Ind. — The Claiming Your Online Turf for Small Business Workshop will be 9 to 10:30 a.m. CT Feb. 4 at the North County Complex 3560 Willowcreek Road, Portage.

Learn how to establish the virtual identity of a business on multiple platforms.

Other Digital Ready Business workshops will include Social Media for Your Small Businesses on Feb. 11, Evaluating Your Online Marketing Effectiveness on Feb. 18, and Artificial Intelligence for Your Small Businesses on Feb. 25.

Cost is $20 per workshop or $60 for all four workshops.

Bats and Forest Habitat

URBANA, Ill. — The online program Bats and Forest Habitat: From Canopy to Understory will be 1 to 2 p.m. Feb. 4.

Bats play a vital role in healthy ecosystems, but many bat populations are struggling. They are essential to a healthy ecosystem, as they eat insects that are pests to trees, crops, and humans. Most bats use trees as their daytime roosts during spring, summer, and fall. If you have good places for bats to hunt for food, how do you attract them to roost in forests?

Joy O’Keefe, University of Illinois associate professor and Extension wildlife specialist, will discuss what makes good natural and artificial roost habitats for bats and other ways to overcome the challenges they face and support your local bat populations.

Renewable Energy

PEORIA, Ill. — The online Renewable Energy Listening Session for Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell counties will be 9 to 10:30 a.m. Feb. 5.

Local elected officials, zoning committee members, municipal and county staff, and other local leaders outside of government have been invited to have a guided conversation on what they view as the largest needs surrounding education and resources for renewable energy planning, including the siting process.

Andrea Wagner, Extension’s statewide energy specialist, will be leading the discussion. She is interested in learning about local energy issues, experiences with renewable energy development in the region, and what educational opportunities might be of interest.

Historic Pests

URBANA, Ill. — The Community Tree Care Series webinar Changing Climate and Historic Pests will be 9 to 11 a.m. Feb. 10.

Topics will include:

• Urban Forest Trees in a Changing Climate: Impacts and Strategies. This session will explore how climate change impacts tree health, species performance, and urban canopy resilience. Additionally, learn to examine adaptive strategies to mitigate climate-related risks and maintain healthy urban forests.

• Historic Forest Pest Outbreaks in North America. This presentation examines past outbreaks to compare what has been learned about historic pests with the current pests threatening native trees.

Cost is $10. Register at https://tinyurl.com/74e9t8d3.

Winter Meeting

TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — The Dudley Smith Farm Winter Meeting will be 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Feb. 10 at Christian County Extension, 1120 N. Webster St., Taylorville.

Stay informed on current agriculture practices and the latest research taking place at Dudley Smith Farm. Topics will include:

• Cattle production and profitability

• Cattle market outlook

• Dudley Smith Research Farm updates

• Soil health producer panel

This meeting is free and open to the public. Register at https://tinyurl.com/h4jahmx4.

Soap-Making Workshop

JERSEYVILLE, Ill. — The Soap-Making Workshop will be 5 to 6 p.m. Feb. 10 at Jersey County Extension, 201 W. Exchange St. a, Jerseyville.

Participants ages 10 to 18 will learn the basics of soap crafting, including ingredients, safety, and simple techniques. They will create their own bar of soap to take home.

Cost is $10. Register at https://tinyurl.com/5c9tcwx5.

Forming an LLC

URBANA, Ill. — The online program Forming an LLC will be 6 to 7 p.m. Feb. 10.

Most farmers choose the a limited liability company as their preferred business structure. The good news is that forming one is quite simple. But at the same time, farmers and ranchers need to know a few keys to ensure they get the benefits they’re expecting from this entity.

In this session, presenters will do a quick recap of why an LLC is a good risk management tool, before going into how to form one, which best practices to implement after it’s formed, and regular obligations to keep the LLC in top legal shape.

Register for this Legal Training for Illinois Small Farms Webinar Series program by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yskrvwb7.

Get Growing

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Get Growing, a seven-week basic horticulture course designed for homeowners and individuals curious about gardening, will be 6:30 to 8 p.m. CT Tuesdays, Feb. 10 to March 24.

The online series will include How Plants Grow: Basic Botany on Feb. 10, What’s Pestering Your Garden on Feb. 17, Woody Landscape Plants on Feb. 24, Vegetable Gardening on March 3, Fantastic Flower Gardening on March 10, Lawn Care on March 17, and Native Plants on March 24.

Air Drying Lumber

LOGANSPORT, Ind. — The Indiana Hardwood Lumber Association program Air Drying Hardwood Lumber, will be 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET Feb. 11 at Cole Hardwood, 1611 W Market St. Logansport.

Topics will include the moisture content of wood, why drying is necessary, and various ways to dry lumber. Learn the principles of setting up a quality air-drying yard, proper lumber stacking, and basics of wood preservation.

There also will be a tour of Cole Hardwood’s air-drying yard.

Nature’s Engineers

OREGON, Ill. — The program Beavers: Nature’s Engineers will be 10 to 11 a.m. Feb.11 at Rock River Center, 810 S. 10th St., Oregon.

Learn all about beavers in this free program. Register by calling 815-732-3252.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/4jfj8f5j.

Fruit and Vegetable School

MT. VERNON, Ill. — The Southern Illinois Fruit and Vegetable School will be 8:30 a.m to 3:15 p.m. Feb. 11 at Doubletree Meeting & Event Center, 222 Potomac Blvd., Mt. Vernon.

Current trends in insect and disease management, as well as a variety of other production-related topics, will be discussed. Vendors will be on-site.

Concurrent speaker tracks will include: Tree Fruit, Vegetables, Small Fruit and Cut Flowers. Improving Extreme Weather Forecasts and Agriculture Impacts will be offered in all tracks.

Tree Fruit topics will include:

• Drones and Pesticide Applications

• Updates on Apple Diseases

• Incorporating Tissue Analysis into a Fertility Management Plan

• Liberty Apple Orchard 2025 Year in Review

• Integrated Pest Management in Tree Fruits with a Focus on Traps

• Updates on Peach Diseases

• The Other Side of the World: Study Tour to South Africa

Vegetable topics:

• Heat Stress

• Updates on Solanaceous Crop Diseases

• Updates on Curcurbit

• Pollinators

Small Fruits topics:

• Updates on Strawberry Neopestalotiopsis

• Value-Added Marketing

• Spotted Wing Drosophilia Management in Small Fruits

• Pruning Blueberries

• Strawberry Cultivars

• Blackberry Production

Cut Flower topics:

• Wild Child Flower Farm

• Making Market Bouquet Budgets Work for Your Operation

• Vertical Garden With Herbs

• The Flower Field

Cost is $35. Spray guides will be available at the conference for $15. Register at https://tinyurl.com/3yj69mhz.

Vet Science Camp

SALEM, Ind. — Vet Science Camp will be 5:30 to 7 p.m. ET Feb. 11, Feb. 18 and Feb. 25 at Washington County Extension, 806 Martinsburg Road #104, Salem.

Washington County 4-H members in grades 3–12 will learn about:

• Basic anatomy of small and large animals

• Signs of a sick animal and when to call the vet

• Preventive health: vaccines, deworming, and disease spread

• Safe injection practice and vaccine handling basics

• Animal ID: tagging, tattooing, ear notches

• Drug withdrawal and reading labels

• Vet–client–patient relationship

• BQA/PQA basics for market animals

• Low-stress handling and safe restraint

• Bandaging and basic first aid

• Parasitology: FAMACHA and fecals

• Birthing basics (dystocia concepts)

• Vet equipment and possible x-ray/ultrasound demos

• Careers in veterinary medicine and animal science

For more information, call Washington County Extension at 812-883-4601 or visit https://tinyurl.com/43xa7ax3.

Tree Fruit School

HARDIN, Ill. — The Southwestern Illinois Commercial Tree Fruit School will be 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at Barefoot Restaurant, 106 S. Water St., Hardin.

The 2026 program features a wide range of topics to help meet the challenges of commercial fruit production in southwestern Illinois. Industry representatives will also be on hand to talk about their latest products and services.

Current trends in insect and disease management production-related topics to be covered include:

• Updates on Peach Diseases

• Integrated Pest Management in Tree Fruits With a Focus on Traps

• Updates on Apple Diseases

• The Weather Hazard Forecasting Project

Cost is $35. Register at https://tinyurl.com/59xanz7s.

Line Dancing

OLNEY, Ill. — The Line Dancing Workshop will be 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 12 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 5330 E. Frontage Road, Olney.

Participants ages 8 to 18 will grab their boots and learn the basics of line dancing. Register by calling 618-395-2191 or visit https://tinyurl.com/mhsh5459.

Propagating Houseplants

MILAN, Ill. — Propagating Houseplants will be 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 12 at Rock Island County Extension, 321 2nd Ave. W, Milan.

Learn simple propagation techniques to multiply your favorite houseplants. After the educational portion, practice propagation methods and take home plants you started yourself.

The cost is $15 and includes all of your supplies. Register at https://tinyurl.com/mtytjaa2.

Gardening Workshop

MT. CARMEL, Ill. — Grow it From the Ground Up Gardening Workshop will be 5 to 6 p.m. Feb. 12 at Wabash County Extension, 738 N. Market St., Mt. Carmel.

Participants ages 8 to 18 will learn how to draw a garden plan, when and where to get started, how to start seeds, and the essentials for growing a thriving vegetable garden. 4-H members who are interested in the vegetable gardening project will learn how to keep records, basic garden care, when to harvest crops, and how to prepare to present their project at a 4-H general project show.

Introduction to Beekeeping

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Introduction to Beekeeping will be 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Feb. 12 to March 19 at Sangamon County Extension, 700 S. Airport Drive, Springfield.

This series is designed for those who are interested in starting beekeeping in central Illinois or who would just like to learn more about honey bees. Topics that will be covered by experienced beekeepers include life of the bee, common pests and diseases, bee equipment, how to assemble bee equipment, new package installation, how to inspect a hive, and care of the colony.

If weather permits, an outdoor hive viewing inspection will be held on the last night.

International Night

OGLESBY, Ill. — International Night with 4-H will be 6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at Illinois Valley Community College, 815 N Orlando Smith Road, Oglesby.

4-H club members will present information about the cultural practices of a chosen country, which may include food, entertainment, arts, family and youth activities, sports, interactive games, landscape, historical facts, and more. The displays may include art projects along with information. Clubs are asked to provide a cultural dessert or snack, and include recipe cards as a handout.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/2mn935e3.