March 29, 2024

Calendar: Bi-State Crops Conference

COVINGTON, Ind. —The Bi-State Crops Conference will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET Dec. 1 at the Beef House Restaurant, 16501 IN SR-63, Covington.

Topics will include:

• Building a Soil Health Management Plan, Barry Fisher, Fisher Soil Health, LLC.

• Using Soil Health for Resiliency During Extreme Weather Events, Hans Schmitz, Indiana Conservation Cropping Systems.

• Anhydrous Ammonia Risks and Regulations, Kurt Lanzone, Purdue Extension.

• The Farm of the Future is Here, Dennis Bowman, Illinois Extension.

PARP, CCH, CEU credits will be available.

Cost is $30. Register at go.illinois.edu/BiStateConference.

Wreath Workshop

CARLINVILLE, Ill. — The Youth Holiday Wreath Workshop will be from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Macoupin County Extension office, 60 Carlinville Plaza, Carlinville.

Get into the holiday spirit and use nature’s bounty to build a beautiful wreath. Natural materials such as fresh evergreens, foliage, pine cones, berries and more will be provided.

Cost is $15. Register at https://tinyurl.com/yvdzdaap.

Holiday Bake-Off

INDIANAPOLIS — The 4-H Holiday Bake-Off will be 5 to 8 p.m. ET Nov. 30 at the Marion County Extension office, 1202 38th St., Indianapolis.

4-H members in grades K-12 and their families will make their favorite holiday recipes, competing with other 4-H’ers from across the county.

Register at https://tinyurl.com/7fatyyt3.

Heritage Cooking

GREENFIELD, Ind. — The Hancock County Extension Homemakers Association will host the Heritage Cooking Class from 6 to 7:30 p.m. ET Nov. 30 at the Hancock County Public Library, 900 W. McKenzie Road, Greenfield.

Local homemakers will be demonstrating how to make broth/stock, dumplings and sugar cream pie. Samples and light refreshments will be provided.

Register for this free program by contacting Debbie Elsbury at 317-697-0346 or debra.elsbury@gmail.com.

Tobacco Surcharge Policies

URBANA, Ill. — The online program Tobacco Surcharge Policies for Illinois Businesses will be from noon to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 30.

Workplace tobacco surcharge policies can be challenging for local businesses to navigate. Although employer-sponsored tobacco cessation programs provide one effective means to help individuals quit, many employers, particularly small businesses, may find these programs difficult to implement.

Under the Affordable Care Act, group health plans (and self-insured employers) can charge tobacco users up to 50% more for their health insurance premiums than non-tobacco users, and when they do this it is called a tobacco surcharge.

Illinois-based business owners, business representatives, and HR personnel can gain insights into how businesses can implement an effective tobacco surcharge and get access to a leading tobacco cessation program for employees in this free, online session led by Allen Barton, University of Illinois Extension specialist in substance use and family health. A representative from Truth Initiative, a non-profit organization focused on tobacco cessation, will be a presenting panelist as well.

Participants will gain essential information about:

• What a tobacco surcharge policy is.

• What is required to implement a tobacco surcharge.

• How to implement a tobacco surcharge and be compliant with requirements at no cost to a business through the Be A Quitter project.

Register at https://tinyurl.com/2zcv7fv5.

Christmas Bazaar

SULLIVAN, Ind. — Sullivan County Extension Homemakers Christmas Bazaar: “Scatter Christmas Kindness” will be from 3 to 6:30 p.m. ET Dec. 1 at the Sullivan County Fairgrounds, 1301 E County Rd 75 N, Sullivan.

Featured will be the Cookie & Candy Walk; assorted holiday cookies and candies at $4 per pound; crafts and treats for sale by area crafters and cooks; Goodie Books with recipes for $1.50; and a photo opportunity with Cindy Lou Who and The Grinch.

Jolly Good Cooking

PARIS, Ill. — The program Healthy Holiday: Jolly Good Cooking will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Paris Public Library, 207 S. Main St., Paris.

Nutrition and Wellness Educator Mary Liz Wright will discuss how to make healthy decisions at holiday gatherings, make your favorite recipes healthier, and other tips and tricks to avoid holiday weight gain.

Registration is not required.

Christmas Workshop

MT. CARMEL, Ill. — The Wabash County 4-H Christmas Workshop will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Anderson Building, 15039 4-H Center Lane, Mt. Carmel.

Participants will create Christmas decorations that will be donated to the Oakview Nursing Home.

Register at https://tinyurl.com/4yhtjxvs.

Applicator Program

SALEM, Ind. — The Specialty Crops Applicator Program will be from 6 to 8 p.m. ET Dec. 1 at the Washington County Government Building, 806 Martinsburg Road, Salem.

Topics will include:

• Everything You Wanted to Know About Fungicides But Were Afraid to Ask, Dan Egel, Purdue Extension vegetable plant pathologist, Southwest Purdue Agriculture Program.

• Manure Handling On and Near Produce Farms, Richard Beckort, Jackson County ANR educator.

The program is free; private applicator credits are $10. For more information, contact Danielle Walker at dhowellw@purdue.edu, or 812-883-4601.

Holiday Swag

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Deck your halls this holiday season with fresh evergreen boughs. Amy Henry, landscape designer at Arbor Farms Nursery, will be giving a demonstration on how to create a festive swag from 6 to 8 p.m. ET Dec. 1 at the Allen County Extension office, 4001 Crescent Ave., Fort Wayne.

Participants will put together the fragrant tips of noble fir and cedar to create a fresh holiday swag to take home. The swag will incorporate accents such as pine cones, berries, a decorative bow, and more for a nice seasonal touch. You are welcome to bring your own items to incorporate into the evergreen swag, as well.

Bring your own gloves and pruners to use at the workshop.

Cost is $40. Register by contacting Vivian Bickley at emgcontedu@gmail.com or 215-480-9145.

Weed Wrangle

GREENFIELD, Ind. — The Hancock County Cooperative Invasive Species Management Association will be eradicating Asian Bush Honeysuckle from 9 to 11 a.m. ET Dec. 3 at the Brandywine Trail Connector in Brandywine Park, 900 E. Davis Road, Greenfield.

Get a hands-on lesson on how to eradicate this invasive that keeps native plants from growing. Participants will find and manage Asian Bush Honeysuckle by cutting and doing cut stump treatments with herbicide. Bring gloves and tools — pruning shears and loppers of you have them.

For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/yeyp7jtp, or call 317-462-1113.

Holiday Workshop

YORKVILLE, Ill. — The 4-H Holiday Workshop will be 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 3 at the Kendall County Extension office, 7775B IL-47, Yorkville.

Join 4-H teen leaders for a hands-on youth workshop to create fun items for the holidays, including an ornament wreath, gift wrapping, decorative bows, and a delicious treat.

Cost is $15. Register at https://tinyurl.com/y42hmbfp.

Saturday with Santa

CORYDON, Ind. — The Mini 4-H Saturday with Santa for kindergarteners through second-graders will be 10 a.m. to noon ET Dec. 3 at the Harrison County Extension office, 247 Atwood St., Corydon.

Bring two canned goods to participate in Christmas fun and crafts.

RSVP by calling 812-738-4236 or email feve@purdue.edu.