Identify, avoid, and manage troublesome wild parsnip
URBANA, Ill. — I love parsnips. Often parsnips, large white carrot-like root vegetables, are substituted for celery in my soups and stews. The cultivated parsnip that we eat heralds from the appropriately named wild parsnip, Pastinaca sativa. However, wild parsnip is a plant to avoid. The wild...

What’s in a name? The roots of fruit and vegetable names are long and intertwined
URBANA, Ill. – While Ireland is known for potatoes and Italy for its tomato-based sauces, many iconic fruits and vegetables have a tangled global history that has led to what ends up in your garden or on your plate. If someone says aubergine and you say eggplant, or maybe chickpeas and garbanzo...

Marshall-Putnam Youth robotics team excels at 4-H Hydrobot Robotics Competition
Photo: L-R, Marhall-Putnam Senior Team: Gwen Heeley, Samantha Nauman, Lillian Lindstrom, Waylon Lindstrom, Daphne Heeley, Caleb Wiesbrock, Logan Siegmann, and Cooper Hattan. Youth from 30 teams across Illinois demonstrated their learning, celebrated their accomplishments...

Embryology in the Classroom
Fieldcrest, Henry, Midland, and Putnam County schools participated in an Embryology unit through Marshall-Putnam Ag in the Classroom. Over the course of 21 days, students patiently waited for the chicks to hatch. A huge thank you to Saratoga Homestead for providing the fertilized eggs! Kits were...

Strengthen your farm's resiliency with legal training for Illinois small farms
URBANA, Ill. — Legal risks can be fatal to a farm business and addressing them proactively can keep farms in business. The relief of understanding legal issues can dispel anxiety and help farmers realize their power to control their circumstances....