Winter begins challenges to the small flock chicken owner. There are issues that need to be solved: keeping the water from freezing, preventing the birds from getting frostbite, and maintaining egg production.
Winterize the Coop
Chickens need a dry, draft-free, and well-ventilated building to stay healthy and productive. A deep, 6 to 12-inch layer of dry bedding on the floor will provide insulation and help to keep your birds' feet warm. Keep roosts and nesting boxes clean. Check your chicken...
2020 has been quite a year for all of us with all the changes that have been thrust upon us. This includes our farmers who supply fresh produce and meats to our local markets. With the health restrictions, many farmers had to quickly change from face-to-face market sales to online sales with delivery or pick-up. Other farmers had to quickly find new markets for their lost restaurant sales and still, others had to make changes so that customers could safely come to their farms.
The turkey...
Often people who have their own private water well forget how important it is to do an annual visual inspection of their well components and annual water testing.
It does not take long to do, and it might save you an expensive well repair bill.
As far as the visual inspection, check the wellhead, the water system components and any other well system equipment. A visual inspection of the wellhead should include the following. Is the well casing at least 12 inches above the...
Fields are turning to browns and golds and harvest has begun. With farmers across Illinois spending long hours in the fields, they and their farm families are shifting mealtime from the kitchen table to the field.
Being in the middle of a field without kitchen conveniences like microwaves, refrigerators, and sinks requires farmers, workers, and farm families to get creative with meals and snacks.
In the busyness of the season, Illinois Extension wishes you well and encourages you to download...
If you enjoy those sweet tender vegetables of spring, then you get another opportunity to enjoy them during the cooler temperatures of fall. The catch is that you have to plant them now during the month of August.
Why does a fall crop need to be planted in August? Daylight and temperature.
Here in central Illinois, we lose over two hours of daylight from the beginning of August through the third week of September. Three hours are lost by mid-October. After the middle of September, average...
Spring has sprung, the weather is gorgeous, and everyone wants to get outside. However, social distancing measures prevent many of us from being in public spaces. We can’t gather with others, but we still care about our families and our community. What a perfect time to revisit the victory garden and give a whole new meaning to the word VICTORY.
During World War II, food was in high demand, and agricultural production was stretched to its limits. The United States fed our own population, both...
If you love having vases full of fresh flowers around the house, but not the price tag cut flower gardening is for you! A little planning now will have your home full of unique floral arrangements all summer long.
First off, what is a cut flower? A cut flower is simply any flower or flower bud that is cut from the plant and used decoratively in fresh or dried vase displays, wreaths and garlands.
Growing Cut Flowers
Choose your site
Choose your flowers
Plant and maintain your garden...
One of the secrets to getting fruit out of your home orchard year after year is annual pruning during the dormant season. This early-spring task can increase fruit quality, reduce the occurrence of diseases and improve tree health in the long-term, but many people are nervous about pruning or too heavy-handed with the clippers.
Why should you prune fruit trees?
The goal is to balance tree and fruit growth. Shaping young trees gives will keep them strong as they grow and...
Grandma’s blue-ribbon apple-pie recipe may still be winning awards and your secret ingredient BBQ sauce never has any leftovers, but shifting from being a home cook to a small business requires a leap of faith and a big financial investment not everyone can make.
Luckily, Illinois’ Cottage Food laws allow entrepreneurs and foodies looking for a side hustle to test their product by selling it on a smaller scale at farmers markets. Under the law, individuals can skip prohibitive start-up costs...
This spring has provided ample opportunity for DIY projects so here’s one more to add to the list.
Worm Composting!
For many, this might be unthinkable, but in reality, worm composting or vermicomposting is a great way to fulfill your mission to reduce, reuse, recycle. Vermicompost is mostly worm excrement which is also referred to as “castings.” Worm castings actually contain 5 to 11 times more plant-available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium which is comparable...
Food science is so fun! Like overmixing batter to see "tunnels" develop because of gluten. Or turning cream into butter or ice cream. And especially dyeing with food and plant pigments. Pigments are the compounds that make up the colors in food and plants.
Egg dyeing with food and plants is an easy alternative to commercial dyes. Pick foods and plants you have around your house and get to dyeing! While these dyes are much more muted or pastel than commercial dyes, they are so interesting to...
I’m a big tea drinker – chai, green jasmine, oolong – you name it, I probably have a secret stash of loose leaf squirreled away. And just in time for St. Patrick’s Day and all things green, I’ve recently succumbed to matcha madness.
While matcha is traditionally used in Japanese tea ceremonies, this powdered tea has been making its way onto coffee shop menus as green tea lattes and into baked goods for color and flavor. Check out our Matcha Yogurt Bowl and a Green Tea Matcha Latte recipes...
Hydroponics continues to be a popular topic in the horticulture industry, but usually it is on a very large greenhouse scale.
Why is it so popular? Well, it's because your plants can grow 30% to 40% faster. And it is just pretty darn cool.
Did you know that you can build a hydroponic system at home?
This particular system you can build is a passive hydroponic system, meaning that nutrients, which are in a fluid solution, are drawn up and absorbed by the growing medium — a...
Suicide rates are higher for farmers than any other occupationCenters for Disease Control
Think about that for a moment.
Farm life is stressful. Most pressures are constant and uncontrollable. Machinery breaks, weather delays work and commodity prices fluctuate. The work can be isolating. And between prices and trade wars, this has been an extremely difficult few years for Illinois farmers....
