Local Foods and Small Farms Blogs

One final regional update from Elizabeth Wahle. And the cycle begins again for 2026.  Asparagus harvest is ongoing and a good crop overall is being reported. Plasticulture strawberries are in week two of harvest and as usual for early berries, could benefit from some heat and...

May is a critical month for assessing winter trunk damage because trees are fully leafing out and water demand is increasing. Differences in vigor among cultivars and rootstocks that were subtle during bloom are often more obvious now. Along with thinning decisions, this is a good time to evaluate...

Bloom PeriodBy the time you read this, most fruit trees in northern Illinois will have bloomed. When I visited an orchard in mid‑April, most cultivars were at tight cluster to half‑inch green. Just a week later, some cultivars had already entered late pink and even bloom. This...

Tomato and pepper variety trials are being conducted in one of the high tunnels at DSAC, with a planting date of April 6. Tomato variety trials will consist of 5 determinate varieties, 6 indeterminate varieties, and 6 bell pepper varieties. In anticipation of the indeterminate varieties growing...

The 2026-2027 Midwest Fruit Pest Guide has been updated and the PDF files are available for download. New this year, the spray guide has been divided up into separate sections by fruit family and you can download specific sections, making it...

If you established a cover crop last fall or earlier this spring, the persistent April rainfall likely worked in your favor. Across northern Illinois, April weather was highly variable but ultimately warmer and much wetter than normal, shaping planting conditions throughout the western Chicago...

Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist, provided this article.April has continued our very warm and active spring, with average temperatures that have been 5 to 10 degrees warmer than average statewide (Figure 1). The warmth has pushed soil temperatures into the 60s and 70s statewide, well ahead...

When I started with Extension, I was fresh out of my Ph.D. program with Dr. John Masiunas…and really wet behind the ears compared to what I know now.  I have so many people to thank for sharing their expertise and friendship throughout my career, including colleagues, growers, and support...

Over the last 5 years, efforts have been made at the Unity Community Center’s Research and Demonstration Area Garden in Normal, IL to rejuvenate garden soils used for food-insecure community food production through extensive cover crop utilization. This approach was taken due to the condition...

Listeriosis is a disease caused by the bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes. Listeriosis is often acquired from consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Foods often...