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Specialty Crops

Specialty Crops

Blog Posts

black currant berries and leaves on a mature plant
Read article: Enhance your Garden with Edible Landscaping Shrubs
Enhance your Garden with Edible Landscaping Shrubs
Enhance Your Garden with Edible Landscaping Shrubs  The integration of edible landscaping shrubs into Bloomington-Normal area...
pink peach blossoms on tree
Read article: Assessing Freeze Damage on Peaches
Assessing Freeze Damage on Peaches
Our warm overall winter and above normal February temperatures signaled plants to break dormancy early, putting many of our crops, especially peaches...
Read article: February and Winter 2024 IWCS Update from Trent Ford
February and Winter 2024 IWCS Update from Trent Ford
Weather/Climate Information:  Report provided by Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist The following description of temperatures...
rapeseed and crimson clover cover crops growing in a field
Read article: Cover Crop Update
Cover Crop Update
Fall Cover Crop Mixtures With spring weather pushing growth, our cover crops are also taking off as well.  I had some early fall...

News Releases

a flooded field
Weather a changing climate on the farm now and in the future
The only thing certain about modern farming is that things are always changing, and today’s weather isn’t your grandparents’ weather. Growing seasons are shifting, and extreme weather events like storms, floods, droughts, and wildfires are becoming more common. The University of Illinois...
Agriculture Climate Tools Workshop
Weather a changing climate on the farm now and in the future
URBANA, Ill. — The only thing certain about modern farming is that things are always changing, and today’s weather isn’t your grandparents’ weather. Growing seasons are shifting, and extreme weather events like storms, floods, droughts, and wildfires are becoming more common. University of...

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...