Local Foods and Small Farms

It never ceases to amaze me just how fast pumpkins grow at this point of the season.  For us moisture has been very good since the first week after transplanting.  These plants have been in the field right at a month.  Pumpkins are starting to vine out and I just put on a side dress...

In early June, three cantaloupe varieties were planted under un-irrigated woodchip mulch to measure fruit quality and marketability in Northern Illinois. Varieties selected were ‘Hales Best Jumbo’, ‘Hearts of Gold’, and ‘Honey Rock’, all sourced and donated from Livingston seeds. The field was...

Agricultural water is a key potential source of fresh produce contamination on a farm or garden. Harmful microorganisms such as Salmonella and...

The squash bug is the main pest of pumpkins in Illinois. Squash bugs overwinter as adults and move into pumpkin plantings in June (southern IL) and July (northern IL). They prefer squash and pumpkins compared to cucumbers and melons. In southern Illinois, two...

There was a point where you could find strawberries, red and black raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries all in harvest. Strawberries are mostly done now, and the raspberries are also nearing the end of harvest. Blackberries and blueberries are in mid-harvest now. Early peaches are...

Monthly update from Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist Climatological summer technically runs from June 1 to Aug. 31, but temperatures this year have more closely followed the astronomical calendar. The days immediately...

WeatherJune began with much-needed rainfall, with most areas receiving 1-3 inches over three days. Temperatures remained consistent at the start of the month, ranging from 70-80°F during the day and dropping to the 50s at night, accompanied by periodic showers and storms across the region. However...

Dr. James Santiago, assistant professor and Illinois Extension horticulture specialist, is seeking grower input with this organic production survey. This 10-item...

Tomato and pepper harvests began during the middle of June, but the last week of June really saw an increase in ripe tomatoes. Typically, with transplants set out the first week of April, tomato harvest begins in late June, but the first really big pick is around July 6 or 7. This year I think the...

Research update from Karuna Kafle, master's student working in the Specialty Crops Entomology Lab, University of Illinois Department of Crop SciencesPlum curculio continues to be a serious concern for most peach orchards in Illinois...