2025 Schedule
March 7, 2025
11:00 am
Growing Fruit Trees in your Backyard
Bronwyn Aly, Local Food Systems and Small Farms Educator for the University of Illinois. Planting fruit trees is a great way to add shade and provide an edible landscape component to our backyards. This presentation will focus on two of the most commonly asked questions about growing fruit trees – what varieties should I choose and how do I prune my trees. Disease management and rootstock availability should be factored into variety selection as well as personal preferences. Following basic pruning techniques can improve fruit quality and productivity.
12:00 pm
Winter Sowing: An Easy, Low-Cost Technique for Starting Seeds in Recycled Milk Jugs
Christine Leuking, Agriculture & Natural Resource Extension Educator, U of I, Winter sowing is a seed-starting technique where seeds of certain vegetables, flowers, and herbs are started outdoors in milk jugs or containers in the winter. Lueking will discuss how many native perennials require stratification, a treatment that uses temperature and moisture to soften the seed coat and break seed dormancy. Lueking will give a step-by-step guide and kit on kick-starting your growing season with winter sowing.
1:00 pm
Creating a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife
Steve & Regina Garr, owners of Birds-I-View. This program will focus on the complimentary aspects of plants, insects, birds and other wildlife but will also feature fundamentals of building a habitat that attracts both "year-round resident" birds AND migratory birds looking for "stop-over" habitat. We will also share some basic bird identification because it is always more fun to watch the birds in your space if you know who they are!
2:00 pm
Herbs for Health
Mike King, Mari-Mann Herb Company. Your body was designed to heal itself when given proper care. Mike will educate and make sure customers get the latest information.
3:00 pm
How Goat Milk Skin Care is Beneficial for You and Your Skin
Brooke Anderson. Goat milk skincare is beneficial for you and your skin. It can be used to treat a wide variety of skin alignments such as: psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, skin rashes, and more. I offer 30 some products I will go over and tell you about each one and how to use.
4:00 pm
World of Gourds
Paul Sr. and Karen Wilson, Wilson Gourds. The Wilson's will present The World of Gourds and discuss some history, uses, growing methods, types, cleaning, etc. The Wilson's have worked with gourds since 2002 in Kell, Illinois.
March 8, 2025
10:00 am
Orioles - Spring AND Summer
Steve & Regina Garr, Birds-I-View, "Do we have orioles here??" It is a question we hear frequently and the answer is a resounding YES! Come learn about these gorgeous special birds that are much more prevalent than you might expect. We will focus on Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, which nest abundantly east of the Rockies before returning to their wintering grounds in Central and South America. With their beautiful songs and vibrant plumage, Orioles are a favorite backyard bird for good reason.
11:00 am
Cooking with Herbs, A Variety of Ways to Use the Bounty of Your Garden,
Jeff Fairchild, Culinary Instructor at Rend Lake College, Explore the many ways you can use herbs to liven up your cooking.
1:00 pm
Wildlife and Bird Photography
LaRita Nance, Award-winning wildlife photographer, LaRita's photos grace a recent published book "Bubbles of Emotions". Her signature style, composition and unique attention to detail has won her praise from her peers.
2:00 pm
Springtime Hiking in the Shawnee National Forest
Shawn Gossman (aka: Hiking with Shawn) Learn how to gear up and enjoy a springtime hike through the Shawnee National Forest and where to go for wildflowers, mushrooms, and scenic views. This program is designed for beginners and those who are already hiking but would like to learn more about trails in the Shawnee National Forest.
3:00 pm
How to Kill your Tree, a guide of what not to do
Christina Lueking, Agriculture and Natural Resource Extension Educator, Sometimes, a tree’s biggest pest is the homeowner. This presentation discusses common mistakes homeowners make when planting and maintaining their most valuable landscape investment: their trees and shrubs. Lueking will show some pruning tips for shrubs like Ninebark and Hydrangeas.