Calendar: Brush up on your plant ID skills

ECKERTY, Ind. — The August Plant ID Walk will be 9 to 10 a.m. ET Aug. 22 at Patoka Lake, Newton-Stewart State Recreation Area, 9009 W. Patoka Lane, Eckerty.

Natural areas in Indiana feature some great native plants, but also destructive invasive plants like garlic mustard, autumn olive, Japanese stiltgrass, and burning bush.

Brush up on your plant ID skills throughout the season at these free plant ID nature walks. No RSVPs needed. There will be another plant ID walk from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at Niehaus Park, 403 W. 6th St., Huntingburg.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/y5mrc86s.

Charcuterie Board

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Building a Healthy Charcuterie Board will be 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 1 at Illinois Extension, 201 W. Kenyon Road, Suite 3, Champaign.

Learn to create a balanced and beautiful charcuterie board. Discover tips for selecting wholesome ingredients, arranging a well-balanced spread, and making your own mini charcuterie board to enjoy. Whether you’re hosting guests or just want to elevate your snacks, this class will give you the skills to craft a delicious and nutritious board with confidence.

Cost is $20. Register at https://tinyurl.com/3t4rbvf8.

School Nutrition Training

CARTERVILLE, Ill. — School Lunch Rocks will be 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Aug. 3 at John A Logan College, 700 Logan College Drive, Carterville.

School Lunch Rocks is an annual free training opportunity for school food service staff throughout southern Illinois. School Lunch Rocks is being provided by the Illinois CATCH onto Health Consortium, Illinois State Board of Education, Southern Illinois Healthcare, and University of Illinois Extension.

Topics covered include:

• ISBE Updates and Every Penny Counts: The Essentials of Food Cost Control.

• Peer Learning Panel — partnerships, special diets, and more.

• ABCs — meal presentation and marketing to boost participation.

Light refreshments will be provided. Register at https://tinyurl.com/yknzrh4s.

Simple Meals

JERSEYVILLE, Ill. — Simple Meals for One or Two will be 10 to 11 a.m. Aug. 3 at Jerseyville Public Library, 105 N. Liberty St., Jerseyville.

Cooking for one or two doesn’t have to mean eating the same leftovers all week or buying more groceries than you need. Whether you live alone, are empty nesters, or simply cook for a smaller household, preparing healthy, satisfying meals can be both enjoyable and affordable.

Join Lisa Peterson, Illinois Extension food and nutrition educator, to discover simple strategies for planning meals, reducing food waste, and making the most of your ingredients. Learn how a few small changes can make cooking easier, save money, and support better health while bringing the joy of cooking back to your kitchen.

This class is in collaboration with Jersey County Home and Community Education. Registration is not required. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/knzm78u6.

Crop Scouting

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The 2026 Youth Crop Scouting Competition will be 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at University of Illinois Crop Sciences Research and Education Center, 4202 S. 1st St., Champaign.

The one-day contest gives teams of high school students from across the state the chance to test their agronomy knowledge live and in the field.

All teams rotate through 10 outdoor stations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign South Farm fields to test their skills hands-on with topics such as identifying weeds, insects, and diseases, identifying the growth stages of corn and soybean plants, assessing abiotic disorders, pesticide application, and integrated pest management.

Teams are scored by judges, including University faculty, specialists, and Extension educators, and the top four teams will win cash sponsored by industry and university partners. The top two teams will also advance to compete against students in other states and represent Illinois at the regional competition.

For questions, contact the event coordinator, Meagan Diss, at mcdiss@illinois.edu. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/8udjwh4t.

School Nutrition

ROCKFORD, Ill. — ABCs of School Nutrition will be 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at NIU Rockford Conference Center, 8500 E. State St., Rockford.

To uphold the highest standards in school nutrition, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act requires all school nutrition professionals to complete annual training to meet USDA Professional Standards. These standards ensure school nutrition staff have the knowledge, training, and tools to plan, prepare, and procure nutritious, safe, and enjoyable school meals.

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

Lunch will be provided. For more information, call 815-986-4357 or visit https://tinyurl.com/yprr2m9r.

First Steps

PRINCETON, Ill. — First Steps for Farmland Owners will be 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 4 at Bureau County Farm Bureau, 1407 N. Main St., Princeton.

Inheriting farmland can bring both opportunity and uncertainty. This introductory program is designed to help new farmland owners understand their options and make informed decisions about managing their land. Participants will gain practical insights on topics such as farmland values, setting fair cash rent, and conservation programs and lease addendums that can support environmental goals. Whether you plan to actively manage your farmland or lease it out, this program will provide a helpful starting point for navigating your next steps with confidence.

Farm in the Park

GALVA, Ill. — Farm in the Park will be 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 4 at Veteran’s Park, Exchange Street and Front Street, Galva.

Bring your family for a fun day exploring agriculture, horticulture, and healthy living with Illinois Extension. There will be a variety activities, including a petting zoo; interactive games and prizes; crafts; and health, wellness, horticulture and agriculture resources.

Visit the lunch stand and support 4-H when you buy a meal.

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

CARE Garden

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. — University of Illinois Extension is celebrating 40 years of the Master Gardener program in Lake County. From food pantries to pollinators, master gardeners have been serving Lake County in many ways since 1986. To commemorate this milestone, Extension is hosting a series of public tours of master gardener project sites around Lake County that showcase the public service and outreach provided by master gardener volunteers.

A garden tour of the CARE Garden, 1200 American Way, Libertyville, will be 10 to 11 a.m. Aug. 4. The CARE Garden was established in 2011 and is an all-volunteer effort coordinated by Lake County Extension master gardeners. A wide variety of vegetables are grown at the garden, including tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, eggplant, summer and winter squash, broccoli, cabbage, beans, onions, and root crops — radishes, beets, turnips, and carrots. All of the produce from the garden is donated to local food pantries.

CARE Garden volunteers have harvested and donated over 10,000 pounds of produce annually for the last five years. 2025 was a record year, with a total harvest of 15,351 pounds.

Learn how this small-scale farm operates, and learn about some of the unique growing techniques that have been trialed at the garden, which doubles as a teaching tool and learning space for community members and Master Gardeners alike.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/3f5eu93p.

Attracting Hummingbirds

MURPHYSBORO, Ill. — Attracting Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds to Your Garden will be 5:30 to 7 p.m. Aug. 4 at Jackson County Extension, 402 Ava Road, Murphysboro.

Although ruby-throated hummingbirds are expected visitors to gardens east of the Rocky Mountains, several species of vagrant hummingbirds have been documented in Illinois. Horticulture Educator Kim Rohling will discuss the natural history of the ruby-throated hummingbird, tips on supplemental feeding, and native plant species that are attractive to hummingbirds.

Flower Arranging

HENRY, Ill. — Flower Arranging Workshop will be 6 to 7 p.m. Aug. 5 at Marshall-Putnam County Extension, 509 Front St., Henry.

Discover the art of floral design in this hands-on workshop led by master gardener volunteers. Learn how to arrange flowers like a professional using fresh, seasonal blooms — including dahlias, zinnias, and more — cut straight from a master gardener’s own garden.

Cost is $10, which covers all materials. Register at https://tinyurl.com/3rhusefn.

Oak Regeneration

URBANA, Ill. — The online program Managing for Oak Regeneration will be 2 to 3 p.m. Aug. 5.

Enhancing oak regeneration is a top priority in Illinois forests, but successfully establishing new oak seedlings is not always easy, and success is not guaranteed. Chris Evans, Extension forestry and research specialist, will review what recent research says about the strategies and practices used in managing for oak seedlings.

Test Drive

URBANA, Ill. — The Annual Test Drive, testing the best of today and what’s new for 2027, will be 9 to 10 a.m. Aug. 5 at the Idea Garden, South Lincoln Avenue, Urbana.

Join plant trialing expert Ann Tice at the Idea Garden for the latest info on new annuals for 2027 and others that continue to be favorites each year. Tice has led the Champaign County Master Gardener’s plant trial program since its inception in 2002. Over this time period, she has trialed thousands of plants and studied other plant trial programs around the country.

During this fun and informative field tour of the 2026 Champaign County Master Gardener’s trial beds, Tice will recount past favorites and compare them with the current array of over 40 varieties of new annual plant varieties to send participants home with eye-popping ideas for their own garden spaces or containers.

Moths of Illinois

PUTNAM, Ill. — The Night Shift: Moths of Illinois, will be 4 to 5 p.m. Aug. 6 at Putnam County Library — Condit Branch, 105 N. Center St., Putnam.

Explore the fascinating world of Illinois’ moths and the essential roles they play in our ecosystems. This program highlights moth diversity, their often-overlooked importance as pollinators, and the connections they have to native plants and wildlife. Participants will also learn about National Moth Week and discover simple, hands-on ways to get involved in moth observation and contribute to citizen science efforts right in their own backyards.

Field Day

WATERLOO, Ill. — Southwestern Illinois Agronomy Field Day will be 4 to 7 p.m. Aug. 6 at Baebler Educational Farm, 4022 JJ Rd, Waterloo.

This educational program will feature presentations on:

• Nutrient Management in Row Crops

• Weed Management Programs in Corn

• Strategies for Managing Invasive Weeds on Your Farm

• No-Till and Cover Crop Management

Participants will also tour corn nitrogen and herbicide trials and see demonstrations of tools and techniques used to control invasive plants. The program will conclude with a complimentary meal at approximately 6:30 p.m. at Acorns Golf Links, located near the farm.

This event is free and open to farmers, crop advisers, agricultural professionals, and anyone interested in crop production. Certified Crop Adviser credits will be available.

Master Gardener Training

CROWN POINT, Ind. — Purdue Extension Master Gardener training will be 5 to 8:30 p.m. CT Wednesdays, Aug.12-Dec. 16, at Lake County Extension, 2291 N. Main St., Crown Point.

The Purdue Extension Master Gardener Program trains gardening enthusiasts as volunteers to assist Purdue Extension with home horticulture education in Indiana communities.

Registration and payment are due by Aug. 5. Scholarship forms available upon request.

For more information, contact Rebecca Koetz at busser@purdue.edu or Dolly Foster dolly@purdue.edu. Visit https://tinyurl.com/3ncnujup.

Customer Appreciation

MILLERSBURG, Ind. — Crop Tech Customer Appreciation Event and PARP Program will be 9 a.m. to noon ET Aug. 18 at Crop Tech, 66808 County Road 37, Millersburg.

Topics include:

• Climate Data and the El Nino Ag Effect — Rachel Cobb, meteorologist, National Ocean Atmospheric Administration.

• Beating Weed Control Challenges — Bryan Young, professor, Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University.

• Drone Cover Crop Seeding — Adam Shanks, Digital Agriculture & Natural Resources Curriculum Lead, Purdue Extension.

• PARP Regulatory Topic — Mark Evans, Agricultural & Natural Resources Regional Educator, Purdue Extension.

The PARP program is being offered at no fee to participants, thanks to the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Indiana Corn Marketing Council. Crop Tech will provide lunch following the program.

To register, call Purdue Extension Elkhart County at 574-533-0554. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/4762baaj.

Securing the Future

VEVAY, ind. — The online program Securing the Future: Management Transfer will be 6:30 to 8 p.m. Aug. 24.

Join the Purdue Extension Succession Planning Team for a free, live, virtual program series built to support farm families as they prepare for legal aspects of transition planning and create a smoother, more successful transition for the next generation.

Enjoy It Later

CROWN POINT, Ind. — Preserve It Now...Enjoy It Later will be 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET. Aug. 25 at Lake County Extension, 2291 N. Main St., Crown Point.

Join Purdue Extension Master Home Food Preservation Instructor Linda Curley to learn the basics of boiling water bathing canning through education and a hands-on workshop. This workshop will focus on the preservation of jam and jelly products. Participants will prepare and process a recipe to take home after the workshop.