Specialty Crops

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Blog Posts
four high tunnels in a row covered with white plastic on a Washington State Vegetable farm
What is a climate analog and what does that mean for specialty crops?
Early in October, I had the opportunity to travel to Mount Vernon, Washington to take part in a climate adaptation academy for Extension...
apples displayed in trays on a table for sale at a roadside market
Washington state study tour on commercial specialty crops
While in Mount Vernon, Washington attending a specialty crop academy with colleagues from other states, we had the opportunity to tour some...
a group of ginger rhizomes in a black tray
Harvest time for the Illinois Ginger Growers Collaborative team
In 2025 and 2026, a group of Extension field staff and small farmers have been working together to better understand best practices of production for...
tiny green seedlings growing in a raised bed with two black tubes running down the bed
From Dixon Springs Ag Center: Fall cover crops up and growing
October is nearly gone, and we have yet to experience a frost event in our area. Our lowest temperatures arrived in mid-October, bottomed out at 37 F...
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News Releases
A group of participants walking in a pumpkin field.
Local growers get fresh research and production strategies at Pumpkin Field Day
BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Attendees from across the Midwest braved the triple-digit temperatures to attend Pumpkin Field Day. The biannual event welcomed growers, educators, and industry partners for a hands-on pumpkin field day that highlighted the latest research, production strategies, and on‑farm...
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Videos
Mushroom Production on Small Farms

Direct market farmers, homesteaders, land-owners, hobby farms, and backyard growers can learn practices to improve production and increase profit.

Growing Shiitake Mushrooms

On this week’s Good Growing podcast we talk with Illinois Extension local foods educator Nick Frillman about growing gourmet shiitake mushrooms in your own backyard. Nick shows us the tools and methods used to turn fresh cut logs of white oak and sugar maple into inoculated “bolts” that will...
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