Weather update by Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist.Climatological summer encompasses June, July, and August, and the season often brings more than its fair share of intense weather. This past season was on the mild side, temperature-wise. June started the season with warmer than normal...

Food Works Southern Illinois Farming Alliance is hosting a Mechanical Weed Control Field Day on two dates from two different locations in the southern Illinois region. Each of these is a full day workshop with lunch included. Tuesday, October 8, Beet Root Farm, Carbondale, IL with be hosting the...

Operations with agritourism opportunities have really geared up for the fall season and everyone is hoping for great weather these next four weekends leading up to Halloween. The last weekend of September brought welcomed rain to the St Louis Metro East, breaking a moderate drought before it became...

It’s here and now we have to deal with it.  Neopestalotiopsis fruit rot and leaf spot of strawberry, caused by a previously unknown, more aggressive Neopestalotiopsis ...

Hot summer days may be slowly coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean the growing season has to! Fall crops are a staple in the Midwest, which helps farmers and gardeners prolong the short growing season in Northern Illinois. Cool season crops like broccoli are commonly grown in the Spring and Fall...

Hot summer days may be slowly coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean the growing season has to! Fall crops are a staple in the Midwest, which helps farmers and gardeners prolong the short growing season in Northern Illinois. Cool season crops like broccoli are commonly grown in the Spring and Fall...

Now is the time when we need to think about what cover crops we are going to put out to help protect fields this winter. Here are a few thoughts to inspire you and help make those decisions.You can find cover crops to plant from now through November, but the earlier, the more options you have. If...

August, so far, has given us a break from the excess moisture that July brought to the region. We have only gotten 1.29” of rain this month to date. Some crops are showing a little moisture stress, but overall, things look very good. Temperatures have been highly variable, with the earlier part of...

‘Honeycrisp’ is usually known not to color well in the warm climes of southern Illinois, but not this year!  Across the board, red-colored apples are putting on a show this year.  Early apple cultivars like ‘Sweet Maia’, ‘Blondee’, ‘Buckeye Gala’, and ‘Grand Gala’ have already been...

In our current research project, “Strategies for Improving Biological Control of Insect Pests for Vegetable Growers Utilizing High Tunnels”, tomato harvest has slowed down significantly, due in part to a severe raccoon problem. We have trapped almost 20 raccoons in the past three...