Take Steps to Prevent Farm Grain Bin Accidents this Spring
Grain bin accidents happen quickly. In a matter of seconds, a grown man can be buried by moving grain and suffocate. Farming is one of the most dangerous occupations, according to the National Safety Council. No amount of bushels is worth a life, Central Illinois farmers should take time to be...
Conferences Set for Fruit and Vegetable Growers Feb. 4 & 5
Growers from across the region will gather for the 2020 Southwestern Illinois Commercial Tree Fruit School on Tuesday, February 4 in Hardin and the 2020 Southern Illinois Fruit and Vegetable School on Wednesday, February 5 in Mt. Vernon. These programs, sponsored by University of Illinois...
Registration Open for 2020 Small Farms Webinars -January 30 - March 19
Small farm producers are invited to register for a free webinar series presented by University of Illinois Extension. The weekly series will provide practical knowledge on emerging topics that advance local food production in Illinois, giving small farm producers a look at how leading practices...
New Year, New Yard - Making Plans for Your Landscape in 2020
It is now the year 2020. It seems like everyone agrees, saying year “twenty-twenty”, feels so strange. As if we have arrived in a future, we’ve only seen in movies and the Jetsons.
As we were preparing for a New Year’s party, my six-year-old asked “Why is New Year’s such a big deal?” I...
New Garden Plants for 2020
The garden catalogs are coming thick and fast this time of year. There may be no better way to beat the winter blues than to thumb through these catalogs and start planning this year’s garden (it will be time to...
Christmas Tree Hitchhikers
If you have ever purchased or harvested a living or cut Christmas tree, you may have inadvertently brought in some overwintering pests.
Luckily, any concerns about these pests are unwarranted. “Yes, it is true that Christmas trees can harbor dormant pests that become active after being...
Winter Seed Sowing
Winter-sowing is a cost-effective and low-maintenance way of starting plants for the garden. Creator of the winter-sowing method, Trudi Davidoff puts it in simple terms: starting plants outdoors, in winter.
“Winter-sowing works with nature to prepare seeds for growth by providing the...
Preventing Uninvited Guests - AKA: Pantry Pests
Fast-forward past the holidays to springtime. You notice moths flying around the kitchen and pantry. Maybe you see them hovering around the light over the kitchen table or at a window. That is solid proof that you have Indian meal moth lurking in some leftover flour products, likely from all the...
Four Seasons Winter Gardening Series - Colorful Conifers - Feb. 25
University of Illinois Extension’s Four Seasons Gardening Series focuses on environmental stewardship, home gardening and backyard food production. These statewide programs are offered at your local Extension offices in Collinsville and Waterloo.
On February 25, 1:30 p.m. join...
2019 Illinois Farm Economics Summit Dates scheduled for December
Speakers from University of Illinois Extension and the farmdoc team from the U of I Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics will explore topics such as the 2020 outlook for crop and livestock prices, the next farm bill, farm profitability and management topics, and the impacts of trade...
The Truth about Woolly Bear Caterpillars
Woolly bear caterpillars are hurriedly crossing the roads this time of year. I have always been fond of the woolly bear caterpillar. As a child, the name woolly bear reminded me of the Muppet Fozzie bear. I imagined the woolly bear caterpillar has the same loveable optimism as Fozzie despite...
Master Gardener Training Registration Opens
Are you looking for the perfect winter activity to keep you focused on spring and summer outdoor pleasures? The University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener program trains adult volunteers who assist on many local projects. Master Gardeners grow produce for area food pantries, maintain...
Winter Dormancy in the Landscape
By mid-November, the last of the leaves float down to the ground and the landscape appears stark. All is quiet and nothing is growing as our gardens have been put to bed. Or are they? As I walk outside in the frigid cold, it is obvious my body has yet to adapt to colder temperatures, yet the...
Arne' Burns Receives Rookie of the Year Award
Arne' Burns Receives Rookie of the Year Award
On October 9 in Champaign, IL, Arné Burns received the Rookie of the Year award at University of Illinois Extension’s Illinois Nutrition Education...
Forest Management Workshop - Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m.
Do you have wooded property and wonder how best to manage your land? Then attend the Forest Management Workshop on Monday, November 4 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the University of Illinois Extension office, 1 Regency Plaza Drive, Collinsville, IL sponsored by University of Illinois Extension...
Fall House Guests
As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, we often start seeing uninvited insect guests in our homes, according to University of Illinois Extension educator Ken Johnson.
Boxelder bugs are commonly found trying to enter houses, especially if there’s a boxelder tree nearby. These...
Breaking the Fall Garden Clean Up Habit
Are you ready to change the way you clean up your perennial garden in the fall? Kelly Allsup, a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator, says changing just a few garden habits can make a huge difference to butterflies, moths, bees, and other beneficial insects that overwinter in...
