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Flowers, Fruits, and Frass

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Epiphany farms owner Ken Myszka speaks into microphone

Ephiphany Farms brings 'farm to fork' to backyard gardeners

He’s not just a restaurateur, nor just a farmer, nor just a chef, nor just an entrepreneur. He’s an influencer of sustainable eating. He wants to change the world, one delicious plate at a time. Ken Myszka, owner and operator of Epiphany Farms Hospitality Group, runs four celebrated restaurants in...
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under ripe blackberries and pomme fruit

Backyard Fruit Tree Workshops

BLOOMINGTON, IL – University of Illinois Extension is hosting two sessions for backyard gardeners on how to grow and care for fruits at The Refuge Food Forest in Normal, an outdoor, hands-on classroom. One session will focus on pruning and training apple trees, the other on pruning brambles like...
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home lawn and garden day saturday march 7 2020 keynote speaker ken myszka

Register NOW for Home, Lawn, and Garden Day 2020!

University of Illinois Extension McLean County Master Gardeners would like to invite you to their 18th annual Home, Lawn and Garden Day on Saturday, March 7 at Central Catholic High School, Bloomington. Home, Lawn and Garden Day is a day dedicated to garden fun! It is an ideal place to gain...
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chinese money plant in tea cup

Gardening Trends for 2020!

It’s a new year and many are reflecting on their 2019 gardening season and making resolutions for the 2020 gardening season. If you are anything like me, you started missing gardening in early November and can’t wait for temperatures to rise and strive for all those grand resolutions. When I can’t...
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tree cookies painted like santa evergreen ginko leaf ornament wood burned ornament

Nature Ornaments for the Holidays

Perhaps my favorite thing to do during the holidays is to make my own ornaments. Glittery baubles, shiny tinsel, twinkling lights, and baroque glass ornaments just are not my style when decorating for the holidays. I am inspired by nature and entrenched in a family tradition of making art. In...
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Poinsettias grow in a large scale greenhouse

How Your Poinsettias are Grown, and Making Them Last

Before I became an educator for the University of Illinois Extension, my career solely focused on growing plants in a greenhouse. High-quality poinsettias were one of the most important crops for a grower. Clients had long-standing orders for these holiday treasures, and expected long-lasting,...
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bare tree reflects rooting system below

Basic Components of Tree Biology

Trees are vital to our environment, and understanding their biology can help us to protect them from stresses caused by the urban environment, extending their lives and promoting their health.  The average components of the tree consist of 5 percent fine feeder roots, 15 percent larger transport...
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Brittnay Haag teaching at Horticulture Center Children's Garden

Extension Grows Youths' Interest in Horticulture

Our unit director, Bobbie Lewis-Sibley, often says, “I wish there were a garden in every school,” a response to youths' unfamiliarity where their food comes from, and a deficiency of interaction with the natural environment. At the Unity Community Center, Extension’s after-school site in Normal,...
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Local Christmas Trees: A Gift to the Earth

Originally published by Kelly Allsup on November 22, 2019. This holiday, give a gift to the earth by buying a live Christmas tree. Many would think that buying a fake tree would be the more environmentally friendly option, because you are not actually chopping down a tree. However, most fake trees...
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golden beets and red beeds

Thankful for Our Local Food System

Last Thanksgiving, my family feasted on sweet potatoes, beets, Brussels sprouts, squash, and apples, all grown here in McLean County. We had a local business smoke our turkey for the holiday; our dessert featured cookies and macaroons and a festive dried flower arrangement from a local baker and...
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