Our office will be closed on Monday May 27 in observance of Memorial Day.

Mark your calendars for these Illinois Extension programs and events in our service area of Henry, Mercer, Rock Island and Stark Counties
Saturday, June 1, Ag Careers Camp
More than 50 kids from 12 - 18 years old will attend the Ag Careers Camp at Black Hawk College East in Galva, IL. University of Illinois Extension 4-H is proud to offer this agricultural careers exploratory experience to help teens plan their future by learning about jobs in agriculture. Support for this camp is provided, in part, by CHS, Tyson Foods, and the Illinois 4-H Foundation. Read more here
Aledo Rhubarb Festival, June 7 and 8, Central Park, Aledo, IL
This unique festival, which is celebrating its 28th year will feature more than 3,000 homemade Rhubarb Pies for sale, Rhubarb Sampling, 12,000 free Rhubarb seeds given away, crafts, music, entertainment and more all set in our historic downtown. Stop by the University of Illinois Extension booth for information and visit with Master Gardeners. Vist AledoRhubarbFest.com for event details.
Join us Friday, June 14 in Aledo, IL for:
Farm in the Park
3 - 6:30 pm, Central Park
Mercer County 4-H BBQ
4 - 7 pm at the Aledo Fire Station
Family Movie at dusk, Central Park

Mark your calendars and plan to spend a fun day with Illinois Extension and Mercer County 4-H on June 14th. The fun begins at 3 pm as kids of all ages will enjoy hands-on agriculture-inspired activity stations, a petting zoo, bounce house and more, brought to you by the Mercer County Farm Bureau, Mercer County Soil & Water, Mercer County Ag in the Classroom, and Illinois Extension. 

Bring your appetite — from 4 - 7 pm you can buy a delicious grilled pork chop dinner with all the fixings at the Mercer County 4-H BBQ right next door at the Aledo Fire Station. Prices are $8.50 meal for grilled pork chop sandwich, chips, bake beans, apple sauce, dessert and a drink or ($5 for hot dog meal.) You can even bid on a homemade pie to take home from the Silent Auction! It's a delicious way to support 4-H!

Then head back over to the park for a movie at dusk. Bring your blanket or lawn chairs and relax with your family at an outdoor movie showing Christopher Robin . We hope to see you there!
 
Floods can devastate your home and property, including your lawn and garden. A flooded yard is a frightening and messy experience. In just a few minutes, your carefully planted garden can be washed away by heavy flood waters or be submerged for an extended length of time. Martha Smith, horticulture educator with University of Illinois Extension shares ways you can recover your yard and landscape after a flood, whether it’s severe devastation or minor flooding. Read more here
Save the date!
Introduction to Industrial Hemp Workshop
August 6, Moline, IL
August 7, Wyoming, IL

The signing of the Illinois hemp bill has provided opportunities for the cultivation, distribution, and processing of hemp for fiber, grain, and CBD. This versatile cash crop has the potential to empower small farmers and revitalize farming communities. Join us for information on legal hemp production as University of Illinois educator Philip Alberti discusses topics such including: types of hemp, rules and regulations, licensing, production systems, end products, and networking opportunities. Registration will open June 10th when you can sign up for the date/location that works best for you, either in Moline, IL on August 6 or Wyoming, IL on August 7. Both dates will be from
9 am - noon and cost $10 person. Download a flyer here
Invitation to participate in a statewide study on environment-friendly lawn care practices.
Watering your lawn in the early morning or in the evening. Using phosphorus-free fertilizers. Mowing your grass to a height of at least 3 inches. These are but a few steps you can take to have healthier and environment-friendly lawns.

We want to share lawn care tips that are important to homeowners, so won’t you help us by answering a brief questionnaire?

If you are at least 18 years old and take care of your lawn, we seek your opinions. Our questionnaire will take no longer than 20 minutes to complete. And sending us back a completed one makes you eligible to be entered into a drawing to win an iPad!
 
Here’s the link to the survey questionnaire:
More Blogs & Articles by Illinois Extension educators:

Barbecue, BBQ, barbeque. Talk about confusing! Not only does the word "barbecue" have multiple spellings, but it also has multiple meanings. Memorial Day often starts the barbecue season, and it's important to keep food safety in mind. Read more here

Given the choice between a cheeseburger on the grill and a plain old salad….I would choose the cheeseburger. There is nothing wrong with that, but finding a healthy balance is what is key in trying to live a healthier lifestyle.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) gives us ten tips to use to make better food choices.
  1. Find Out What You Need: Get personalized nutritional information based on your own height, weight, gender, etc. through SuperTracker. www.SuperTracker.usda.gov
  2. Enjoy Your Foods but Eat Less: Use a smaller plater at meal times to control your food intake. Enjoy what you're eating as well Read more tips here

I've been seeing mosquitoes and ticks for several weeks already, and as the weather gets warmer they'll get more numerous. Not only are these critters annoying, many are also capable of transmitting a variety of diseases. There are three main types of mosquitoes. The permanent pool mosquitoes, which reproduce in relatively small numbers in permanent bodies of water such as lakes and Read More >

Herbaceous peonies are a common sight in many gardens and some of the most beautiful flowers you will find. They belong to the genus Paeonia which is native to Asia, Europe, and Western North America. They have been cultivated in Asia for more than 2,000 years. These cultivated peonies were brought to Europe and later the United States around 1800. In addition to their beauty, they can... Read More >

Attracting birds to your backyard can go beyond setting out birdfeeders. Creating a landscape that welcomes birds by providing critical pieces of habitat will not only benefit birds, but other wildlife as well. And it is a great way to introduce young people to nature and have something the whole family can share. According to Cornell, with nearly 80 percent of wildlife habitat owned Read More >
2019 SUMMER - FOUR SEASONS GARDENING WEBINAR SERIES
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Join University of Illinois Extension horticulture educators for free live online educational workshops. Live webinars will be offered on select Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m. (see list for dates and topics below). Each program will also be recorded and uploaded to Illinois Extension Horticulture YouTube website. You can view past programs here.

Register at this link for any or all of these upcoming webinars:

Which Grass is Which? Identifying Grasses Made Easy – June 11, 1:30 p.m.
Identifying grasses can be tricky! Join Erin Medvecz, Energy & Environmental Stewardship Educator, as she discusses basic grass identification and shares tips and techniques to identifying a number of common grasses in Illinois, without learning complex terminology or needing a hand lens.

Landscape Invasives and Native Alternatives – June 25, 1:30 p.m.
University of Illinois horticulture educator Kelly Allsup will discuss some of the most common landscape plants with potentially invasive qualities in the natural areas and replace them with native alternatives that are just as attractive.

Youth Gardening: Back Pocket Lessons and Activities - July 16, 1:30 p.m.
Looking for simple, but fun ways to get youth engaged in gardening? Join Brittnay Haag, horticulture educator, to learn some quick, easy and highly engaging gardening activities that require minimal preparation that everyone that works with youth should have in their back pocket.

Going Organic: Are organic pesticides safer than their synthetic counterparts? – August 6, 1:30 p.m.
Statistics show home landscapes receive three times more pesticides per acre than commercial agriculture production. Many clients are turning to ‘organic’ products due to their growing market and perception that these pesticides are safer, but are they? Join University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Chris Enroth as he sheds some light on the debate of organic vs. synthetic.
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University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. 
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact (309) 756-9978.