IFVN Vol. 31, No. 2 | March 2025 | Illinois Fruit and Vegetable News | Illinois Extension

Before you plant that field with fruits and vegetables

February 28, 2025

One of the key decisions farmers make is about where to plant crops. This question becomes even more important if you plan to grow fresh fruits and vegetables that will likely be eaten without cooking. The field in which fresh fruits and vegetables are grown can greatly impact their safety, and the health of the people who will eat the fresh produce harvested from that field. Whether you are just...

Blog articles

2025 small fruit survey for Illinois growers

February 28, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

During the 2025 Southern Illinois Fruit and Vegetable School recently held in Mt. Vernon, a short survey was created to go along with discussion in the Small Fruit Q & A session. The survey asked participants basic questions regarding crops raised, pricing, varieties, etc. These questions...

Finish this story

Winter's last shot

February 28, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist, provided this weather update. Since the calendar turned over to 2025, we have been experiencing winter weather that, especially in southern Illinois, conjures memories of winters of yore. Average temperatures over the last 30 days ranged from the high teens...

Finish this story

black trays filled with soil with small green seedlings growing

From Dixon Springs Ag Center: Seedlings and cover crops are springing into action

February 28, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

With all seeds ordered and in hand, pepper seeds were germinated and potted up into flats during the second and third weeks of February respectively. Tomato seeds have started to germinate and will be potted up by the end of this last week of February. It has been our experience with the greenhouse...

Finish this story

small solar panel and weather monitoring instruments on a pole in a field

From Southwestern Illinois (Waterloo): Definitely not starting off the year in drought conditions

February 28, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

We are certainly wetter now than we probably have been in a few years at this time of year. After starting 2024 in a drought we have rebounded on moisture. I have tracked rainfall for CoCoRaHS personally and also tracked rainfall at the...

Finish this story

rows of peach trees in an orchard in winter

From St. Louis Metro East: Preparations underway for the 2025 growing season

February 28, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

With the worst of the winter cold hopefully behind us, pruning of tree fruit and small fruit should be kicking into high gear. Based on grower feedback, both the apple and peach crop have sustained little to no cold damage and hopes are high for a full crop. Pictured is a high density peach...

Finish this story

From Central Illinois (Bloomington): Tarping new location for Unity Community Center garden

February 28, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

The Unity Community Center’s Food Production and Demonstration Garden I manage every year has had to move. We are in the process of relocating the Food Production and Demonstration Garden to an area behind Unity Community Center that Extension owns – formally the site of a children’s garden. The...

Finish this story

person standing at podium with a screen in background

From Northern Illinois (Rockford): Another successful Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Conference

February 28, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Nearly 110 growers from Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin joined us for the Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference in Rockford on Monday, February 17. This year’s conference was set up in the same format as last year with 3 different tracks and breakout sessions throughout the day....

Finish this story

Events

An overhead view of a farm with a variety of green specialty crops growing amongst it.

March 17, 2025

Land Leasing Basics
Don’t forget about the basics when considering leasing land. Leasing farmland is so commonplace that landowners, farmers, and ranchers may not think twice about the lease itself. Until things go wrong. Prevent problems with a strong lease while building a path to a resilient future. Leasing...

Less Seriously

This old Willy Jeep has been sitting in a shed at the Dixon Springs Ag Center since at least 1990, and probably much longer, but that was when I first spotted this gem. Our local high school ag teacher has taken the vehicle to the school to have students work on restoring it to running condition. This is a great learning opportunity for the students and will hopefully add new life and purpose back to this piece of history.