2019 is finally coming to an end, but that does not mean that your opportunities to continue learning about crop management from Extension have to! 

There are few different Extension programs for commercial agriculture towards the beginning of the new year to consider attending. 

If you are in western Illinois, you might consider the Iowa Crop Advantage Series, hosted by Iowa State University Extension and makes 14 stops throughout the state of Iowa. Two of the stops are highly accessible to folks in western Illinois. The series kicks off on Friday, January 3rd in Burlington, Iowa and will feature talks from Extension specialists at Iowa State University as well as Illinois Extension's own Aaron Hager (weed scientist) and Nathan Kleczewski (field crops pathologist). For more information about Iowa Crop Advantage Series in Burlington, Iowa, follow this link. Early registration is $50 and ends on December 27, late or on-site registration is $60 and CEUs are available for all presentations throughout the day. The next opportunity for the Crop Advantage Series for western Illinois is on January 17 in Davenport, Iowa. Again, Aaron Hager and Nathan Kleczewski will be presenters as well as Phillip Alberti (commercial agriculture educator in northern Illinois). Here is the link to register for the Davenport location. Early registration for Davenport ends on January 10. Crop Advantage Series will last from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. I will be at both events to welcome folks along with Virgil Schmidt from ISU extension and hope to see you there! 

The next opportunity for growers in the northwest corner of the state is the Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit, hosted by Phillip Alberti in Freeport, Illinois on January 14 at Highland Community College. The event will last from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and will include presenters from Illinois Extension, University of Wisconsin Extension, and more. For more information on the Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit, follow this link. You can pre-register online prior to the event by January 10 or register the morning of the program for $30. 

And last but absolutely not least is our 2020 Crop Management Conference, coming to four locations throughout Illinois from January to February. The dates and locations include Mount Vernon on Wednesday, January 22, Springfield on Wednesday, January 29, Champaign on Tuesday, February 4, and Malta on Wednesday, February 12. Topics covered include farm stress, herbicide resistance, crop diseases, climate, hemp, insects, and more! Follow this link for more information and links to register for 2020 Crop Management Conferences. Up to 8 CEUs may be earned by Certified Crop Advisers at these events. Register at least one week prior to events to get the early registration discount! 

Now, let's break all of that down with a nice list in chronological order: 

• Friday, Jan. 3: Iowa CAS in Burlington, IA from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, Jan. 14: Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit, Freeport, IL, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Friday, Jan. 17, Iowa CAS in Davenport, IA from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, January 22, 2020 Illinois CMC, Mount Vernon, IL 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, January 29, 2020 Illinois CMC, Springfield, IL 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020 Illinois CMC Champaign, IL 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020 Illinois CMC, Malta, IL 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Please email me if you have any questions about any of these events. We are looking forward to being a part of your winter break and downtime.