Illinois Extension Webinar Opportunities Offered February 1 To February 16

Extension webinar opportunities offered February 1 to February 16

TREES

February 1 | 2 PM: Winter Tree Identification Webinar: Introduction and Basics

This three-part webinar series on winter tree identification begins with the basics of identifying trees: terminology, techniques, tools. Contact: Chris Evans

February 3 | 2 PM: Winter Tree Identification Webinar: Common Trees of Illinois

Part two of Extension Forester Chris Evans' three-part webinar series on winter tree identification will focus on the characteristics used to identify tree species commonly found in Illinois. Contact: Chris Evans

February 5 | 2 PM: Winter Tree Identification Webinar: Uncommon Trees and Difficult Groups

Part three of Extension Forester Chris Evans' three-part webinar series on winter tree identification will focus on tree groups that are difficult to identify by species in winter, such as oaks and hickories. He will also cover uncommon tree species found in Illinois. Contact: Chris Evans

Fruit and Vegetable Gardening

February 2 | 6 PM: Growing Great Vegetables: Seed and plant choices

Planning, design, and layout are key elements to successful gardening. Learn about hardiness zones, frost and freeze dates, how to order plants or seeds from a garden catalog, reading and selecting seed packets, and starting plants from seed. Contact: Ken Johnson

February 6 | 9 AM: Gardening in the Air: Growing Herbs and Microgreens Indoors

Growing culinary herbs and microgreens at home is a wonderful way to add flavor and freshness to any dish. Learn about the basics of growing indoors and some crops to try. Contact: Martha Smith

February 6 | 10:15 AM: Gardening in the Air: Straw Bale Gardening

Straw bale gardening is thoroughly innovative for home gardening. It solves every obstruction today’s home gardeners face: bad soil, weeds, watering problems, limited gardening space, and even physical difficulty working on ground level. Contact: Martha Smith

February 6 | 11:30 AM: Gardening in the Air: Starting Seeds for the Garden Indoors

Get a jump start on the garden season by starting seeds indoors. Seed starting is a fun way to learn about plants and can be a way to save money. Learn about seed selection, the growing process, supplies and more. Contact: Martha Smith

February 6 | 9 AM: Gardening in the Air: Growing Blooming Houseplants

Winter can be a little gray outside, but there are many houseplants that can brighten things indoors. From African violets to holiday cactus and bromeliads to begonias, blooming houseplants can bring much-needed color, fragrance, and life to the indoors during the winter. Learn about the special light, temperature and management considerations needed to get beautiful blooms from a wide variety of common and harder-to-find blooming indoor plants. Contact: Martha Smith

February 6 | 10:15 AM: Gardening in the Air: What is Wrong with My Houseplant?

Winter is the time we need to grow and nurture plants indoors. But, for indoor plants, winter is also the time when many problems occur. In this session you will learn about environmental factors that impact houseplant growth, how to diagnose problems, and what you can do to fix or change them. Contact: Martha Smith

February 6 | 11:30 AM: Gardening in the Air: Succulent Wreaths

Bright and textured succulent wreaths are living plant wreaths for any occasion. Succulents are desert plants turned houseplants. Learn more about what succulents are, their biology, how to build and care for a wreath. Contact: Martha Smith

February 9 | 6 PM: Growing Great Vegetables: Preparing the garden and care

The spring of 2020 saw a surge of gardeners taking up the trowel for the first time to try their hand at growing vegetables. Growing Great Vegetables is a seven-week webinar series covering the basics of starting a vegetable garden. This session will cover how soil plays an important role in growing a vegetable garden, including soil testing and amendments, fertilizer, manures, mulch, watering, weeding, and gardening tools. Contact: Ken Johnson

February 16 | 1:30 PM: Four Seasons: Therapeutic Value of Nature

Are you stressed from having to practice social distancing? Can’t go anywhere? Do anything? Spending time in nature can help soothe and heal. Join Illinois Extension horticulture educator Mary Fischer as she presents research-based studies in support of the healing powers of nature. Contact: Nancy Kreith

February 16 | 6 PM: Growing Great Vegetables: Cool Season Vegetables

Whether growers have several acres or a patio with room for a few containers, now is the time to start planning for a successful garden. Growing Great Vegetables will offer participants the opportunity to learn from and engage with professional gardeners, receive emails with helpful research-based hints and tips, and access to four additional monthly sessions for ongoing support throughout the growing season. Contact: Ken Johnson

Ornamental Gardening and Landscapes

February 6 | 9 AM: Gardening in the Air: Ornamental Grasses with Winter Interest

Which grasses can hold up through the rigorous Midwest winters? Join Mary Meyer from the University of Minnesota as we take a look at the best grasses to provide winter interest, including favorite native and non-native grasses.

February 6 | 10:15 AM: Gardening in the Air: Introduction to Sustainable Landscapes

Taking a sustainable approach to your yard benefits you, the environment, and our future. Sustainable landscapes save money by using fewer pesticides and fertilizers and lowers power, water and waste disposal bills. Sustainable landscapes safeguard our water quality, soils, and wildlife and provide us with countless ecosystem services. Chris Enroth will introduce several techniques to incorporate sustainable practices into the lawn and garden. During the session, we will discuss sustainable lawns, how to handle stormwater, building healthy soils, and more fundamental methods to reduce your eco-footprint. Contact: Martha Smith

February 6 | 11:30 AM: Gardening in the Air: How to Create an Out-of-the-Ordinary Theme Garden

Add an extra spark to your landscape by designing a garden about anything that captures your interests. Traditional themes, such as butterfly and moon gardens, will not be covered. Instead, bring your creative spirit and an open mind as you learn this new process to stretch the idea of what a theme garden can be. Contact: Martha Smith

Local Food, Small Farm, and Specialty Operations

February 4 | noon: Aquaculture and Aquaponics: An Overview For Urban Agriculture: Small Farms Winter Webinars

Aquaponics and aquaculture are viable alternatives to traditional farming practices and are poorly understood. This presentation will explore the science and symbiotic relationship between the two and the benefits for urban agriculture. The 2021 Small Farm Webinar Series gives small producers access to practical tools and knowledge to improve their profitability and sustainability by learning about leading practices on emerging topics in production, management, and marketing. Contact Zach Grant

February 10 | 8 AM – 4 PM: Southern Illinois Fruit and Vegetable School

This virtual conference will combine the Southwestern Illinois Tree Fruit School and the Southern Illinois Small Fruit and Vegetable School, which usually take place in Mt. Vernon and Hardin. Commercial specialty crop growers - tree fruit, small fruit and vegetables - of all sizes and experience levels will learn new information and have access to valuable resources. Contact Elizabeth Wahle

February 11 | noon: So You Want to Be a Farmer/Value Added Producer: Small Farms Winter Webinars

Starting a farm is much more than just putting seed to soil or livestock in field, especially in value-added agriculture. A farm is a complex business undertaking that involves managing people, products, and paperwork. This webinar will cover the decision to start a farm, and the tools and structures you'll likely need to manage a farm like a business. Contact Zack Grant

February 12 | noon – 1 PM: Hard Cider Production: Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference

Learn about market potential for the addition of hard cider to your existing farm or orchard operation. We’ll delve into the styles, production techniques, financial benefits, and reasons why hard cider is a growing trend across the nation. Carla Snyder, Penn State Extension, will share examples from new world cider makers in New Zealand and traditional artisans in the UK about how they adapt to new trends and how the growing U.S. market is changing. Contact Grant McCarty

Environment

February 6 | Dirt is Misplaced Soil

Nature-loving children, families, and educators are invited to explore dirt! The pre-recorded hour-long session is appropriate for families with children ages 4 to 7 (pre-K to 2nd-grade). Access the video resources and learn at your own pace. Contact: Peggy Doty

February 11 | 1 PM: Waste to Renewable Energy Everyday Environment Webinar

Anaerobic digestion technology is used as a solution to divert food waste from the landfill. Farmers also use the technology to capture methane emissions associated with the management of liquid manures. This webinar will cover the digestion process, steps for operating optimal digestion systems, and the current status of agricultural anaerobic digesters in the US. Contact: Ashley Belle

Commercial Agriculture

February 1 – 28: CropFlix: 2021 Crop Management Conference

CropFlix is binge-worthy content for corn and soybean producers aimed at improving your cropping systems. CropFlix participants choose from a series of prerecorded programs and watch on demand for the entire month of February on the Moodle learning platform. The conference’s new online format has allowed Extension to doubled the number of presenters, with a wide variety of presentations on research updates, recommendations for best practices, and climate projections. Participants will also have access to two live virtual town halls to ask questions and engage with presenters. Contact: Chelsea Harbaugh

February 4 | 9 AM: Certified Livestock Managers Training Virtual Live Webinar

Now, managers have a convenient, online opportunity to complete the Certified Livestock Managers Training. Although online, at-your-own-pace is encouraged, check out these two virtual live webinars which will provide Illinois livestock producers the manure management training they need to meet the requirements of the state's Livestock Management Facilities Act. Contact: Jay Solomon

February 9 | 10 AM: Dudley Smith Farm Winter Meeting

Dudley Smith, Jr. recognized the economic challenges facing agriculture in Illinois and its impact on rural communities. On his Christian County farm, he championed the adoption of technological advances which advanced stewardship and sustainability of agricultural practices. Smith gave the farm and a substantial endowment to University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences in 1993, and the transformative research on agricultural practices continues. That research will be highlighted in the Dudley Smith Farm Winter Meeting. Contact: Ashley Belle

February 12 | 11:30 AM: Illinois Sustainable Agriculture Partnership: Environmental, Carbon Market Opportunities

The adoption of practices like no-till, cover crops, pasture management, and agroforestry can sequester carbon in the soil and reduce greenhouse gases. Farmers utilizing these practices have multiple, new, opportunities to be financially rewarded for carbon and other ecosystem services.

Family, Food, and Finances

February 2 | 6:30 PM: Let's Talk Money: Who Are You With Money?

The first step to taking control of your money is matching your values and goals to your financial decision-making. In this interactive workshop, assess who you are with money, and where you want to be in the future. Contact: Kathy Sweedler

February 2 | 10 AM: Five Flavors: How the Palate Changes: Lessons for Living

How does our palate change through our lifecycle? What are some ways to enhance flavor using color and spices? What is behind the psychology of taste? Learn about the five senses, the process of aging, and the connection between smell and taste. Discover new ways to boost your wellness. Attend one or more of the 2021 Lessons for Living, presented in collaboration with the Illinois Home and Community Education Association. Contact: Karla Belzer

February 9 | 6:30 PM: Let's Talk Money: How much debt is too much?

Deciding when and how much credit to use depends on the financial situation. Discover different scenarios when you might use credit, and learn options for borrowing money from creditors. Let's Talk Money is a free, online 8-week series to help you talk with family, friends, and financial professionals about money. Contact: Kathy Sweedler

February 11 | 3:30 PM: Happy Healthy Providers: How High Do You Bounce

Resiliency skills help people adapt, recover, and grow stronger from challenging situations. Learn how to grow opportunities from challenges and nurture and strengthen your resilience. Contact: Michelle Fombelle

February 16 | 6:30 PM: Let's Talk Money: Fair Access to Credit

Not all individuals and families have the same access to credit. While consumer laws offer protection from discrimination, this problem still affects many consumers. In this webinar, we will explore some of the challenges of obtaining credit, as well as unfair lending practices that create barriers to accessing the mainstream credit market. Contact: Kathy Sweedler

Community Development and Local Government

February 12 | Noon: COVID-19 telehealth sea change and new opportunities

Telehealth is the remote, digital delivery of clinical healthcare and non-clinical services, such as provider training and continuing medical education. Through virtual visits, patients can gain access to specialists, chronic condition monitoring, and counseling that otherwise might be limited or unavailable. State healthcare policies, funding opportunities, and access to technology and broadband can play limiting roles in residents’ ability to access these services. Contact: Nancy Ouedraogo

February 16 | 6:30 PM: Dare to Dream Virtual Series

Now is the perfect time to reconnect with your passions, interests, dreams, and goals. The virtual Dare to Dream class offers a unique approach to life planning where participants will actively visualize their personal and professional lives and creatively strategize how to move toward realizing their dreams. Contact: Tiffany Macke

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