Winter is a great time to take workshops and catch up on trainings to expand your knowledge and maintain your certifications. Check out these opportunities from Illinois Extension.

January 14 | 9 AM - Noon: Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit

Stephenson County Farm Bureau Building, 210 W. Spring Street, Freeport

A collaborative effort by University of Illinois Extension and University of Wisconsin-Madison will provide strategies for weed, pest, disease, and nutrient management. Topics of the summit, Updates in Crop Management, include:

• Nutrient Management Under High Prices: Make the most of your input dollar by considering manure and cover crop credits, crop rotation, nitrogen management, and more. Presenter: Daniel Smith, Nutrient and Pest Management Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Illinois Variety Testing Program: Review recent University of Illinois corn, soybean, and hemp variety trials. Presenter: Allen Parrish, Director, U of I Crop Science Research Farm
• Tode Talk: Updates on Soybean Cyst Nematode Management: Learn new methods to help manage CSN. Presenter: Chelsea Harbach, Extension Commercial Ag Educator 
• University Research Trials: Presenter: Phillip Alberti, Extension Commercial Ag Educator 

Register here If you have questions or need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact Phillip Alberti. 815-235-4125. palberti@illinois.edu

Make the most informed decisions you can for your farm by getting the latest research updates to improve productivity and output from crop science experts at University of Illinois. Crop producers, consultants, and industry professionals are invited to the 2022 Crop Management Conference series in person or online. 

At least 12 continuing education units are available for Certified Crop Advisors on a broad range of crop production topics.

Online Crop Management Conference

Cost: $50. Presentations will be between 25 to 50 minutes long and are available from February 1 to March 14. Sessions will be worth 0.5 to 1.0 CEUs, accordingly. In-person sessions will be recorded and made available online. 

Register at go.illinois.edu/CMConline. 

In-Person Crop Management Conferences

There will be four in-person sessions are offered around Illinois. Cost: $100. Lunch is included. Sessions are 45 to 50 minutes long. Participants who attend in person also have access to online sessions.Conference locations

1. Mt. Vernon, January 19
2. Macomb, February 2
3. Champaign, February 8
4. Sycamore, February 15

Learn more or register at go.illinois.edu/CMC2022.

Register at go.illinois.edu/CMC0202

PRESENTERS & Topics include:

Insect Management in Corn and Soybean Dr. Nick Seiter, University of Illinois Field Crops Entomologist will discuss corn rootworm management and Bt resistance status.

Group 15 + Group 4 = Group 5? Dr. Aaron Hager, University of Illinois Weeds Specialist will discuss recent confirmation of dicamba resistance in an Illinois water hemp population suggests future limitations on the effectiveness of Group 4 herbicides.

Managing High-Priced Fertilizer in 2022 Dr. Emerson Nafziger, Professor Emeritus-Agronomy, University of Illinois This presentation will consider responses to this situation, including crop choice and fertilizer rates for the 2022 crop.

Maintaining and Enhancing the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection Dr. Adam Mahan, USDA-ARS, Soybean Germplasm Curator will discuss soybean accessions and the multitude of opportunities for discovering novel genetic diversity and identifying useful genes not available in commercial soybean breeding pipelines.

Agriculture in a Changing Climate: What we Know, What we Don't Know, and What we Can Do Dr. Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist will give a summary of recent changes in our weather and climate and agriculture impacts we've seen in the last few decades. I'll also breakdown potential future changes, the likelihood or confidence in these changes, and what they may or may not mean for Illinois agriculture.

January 27 – 28: Driftless Region Beef Conference

Grand River Convention Center, Dubuque, Iowa

With nearly 2.5 million cattle in four Midwest states, Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin Extension experts are teaming together to offer the Driftless Region Beef Conference.

• Keynote: Ron Gill, Professor and Extension Livestock Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
• Value-added Cuts Meat Fabrication Demonstration: Terry Houser, Iowa State University Meat Science Specialist
• Alternative Meats
• Consumer Trends
• Producer Panel: Value-added Opportunities 
• Matt Ludlow, Rush Creek Ranch, Wisconsin, and recent winner of the National Stocker Award
• Feedlot operations and cow-calf producers breakout sessions
• Market Outlook

If you have questions or need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact Jay Solomon. 815-235-4125. jssolomo@illinois.edu

February 2 | 11 AM - 3 PM: Hybrid Illinois Dairy Summit

Highland College, Freeport, and Online

The summit, Opportunities Learned in Managing Dairy Cows During COVID, will include presentations by Mike Hutjens, Phil Cardoso, and Derek Nolan. Extension is joined by the Illinois Milk Producers Association as sponsors. In-person seating is limited. 

February 10 | 9:30 AM: 2022 Dudley Smith Farm Winter Meeting

Christian County Extension Office, 1120 N. Webster St., Taylorville

The Dudley Smith Farm Winter Meeting covers a range of topics related to sustainable agriculture practices and the adoption of technological advances used to assist rural farms across Illinois. Winter meeting topics include beef cattle management, grazing management, soil health, nutrient management, and water quality.

If you have questions or need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact: Cassie O'Connell. 217-287-7246. coconne@illinois.edu

February 24: Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale

Illinois Beef Expo, Springfield

The Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale is a leader in introducing Illinois seedstock breeders and commercial cow-calf producers to the latest evaluation technologies and practices. The sale offers the best performance-based genetics of the beef industry.

If you have questions or need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact: Travis Meteer. 217-236-4961. wmeteer2@illinois.edu

In 2022, The University of Illinois Extension is hosting 10 Certified Livestock Manager Training Workshops throughout the state. The workshops will begin on January 18 in Effingham and conclude on February 23 at Illinois Pork Expo. Cannot attend a workshop? Online CLM training is open all year round. To register for a workshop or access the online training, visit go.illinois.edu/CLMT

• January 18 | 9 AM: CLMT: Effingham
• January 19 | 9 AM: CLMT: Nashville
• January 20 | 9 AM: CLMT: Breese
• February 1 | 9 AM: CLMT: Springfield
• February 2 | 9 AM: CLMT: Pittsfield
• February 3 | 9 AM: CLMT: Monmouth
• February 15 | 9 AM: CLMT: Pontiac
• February 16 | 9 AM: CLMT: Sycamore
• February 17 | 9 AM: CLMT: Freeport
• February 23 | Noon: CLMT: Pork Expo, Springfield

February 5 | 10:15 AM: Tree Pruning Tips | Gardening in the Air Online

Proper pruning allows good structural growth, protection from wind, and reduces the risk of tree failure. With this class, explore simple pruning tips you can implement this winter to lengthen the life of your tree. Show some love by making the right cut! Presenter: Kelly Allsup. If you have questions or need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact: Bruce Black. 815-632-3611. brucejb@illinois.edu

February 17: Five-Step Chainsaw Felling Plan Starved Rock Conference Center

This course teaches novice and seasoned saw operators in chainsaw safety and directional felling, including body position and sightline, open-face notch, hinge, bore cutting, back cut, trigger, and wedges. This training happens prior to the Illinois Association of Conservation Districts. If you have questions or need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact:Jay Hayek. 217-244-0534. jhayek@illinois.edu

PSEP Self-Study Publications

Training Manuals are available for general standards, private applicator, and each category of licensure. Fill-in-the-blank-style workbooks are also available to help guide you through the manual and prepare you for the associated exam. For more information about obtaining training materials please visit: https://extension.illinois.edu/psep/study-materials

The IL Department of Agriculture is offering in-person testing for all pesticide exams. 

In person testing locations can be seen at this link.

Here are some dates and locations near our service area that are offering all exams.

Rock Island, IL January 18

Stern Center 1713 3^rd Ave., Rock Island

AM Session - (8:30 am – 11:30 pm)

Sign Up: Rock Island AM Session

PM Session - (1 – 4 pm) Sign Up: Rock Island PM Session

Macomb, IL January 12

McDonough County Extension 3022 W. Jackson St., Macomb

(10 am – 2 pm) Sign Up: Macomb Session

Princeton, IL Feb 10 & March 17

U I Extension 850 Thompson St., Princeton

(9 am - noon) Sign Up: Princeton Session

IDOA is offering online pesticide exams utilizing an exam proctoring service. Directions for online testing registration is posted on PSEP and IDOA webpages. 

Exam length and time allotment for online tests are similar to that of in-person testing. Individuals will need to register for each exam through the PSEP website, schedule each exam with the proctoring service, and pay a small fee directly to the online proctoring company due at time of signup. Online proctoring allows for compliance with federal certification and licensing requirements. 

All online exams are NOW available.

For more information or to register for an online exam, please visit: Online Registration.

The 2022 Small Farms Winter 10-part webinar series starts on January 20 with weekly workshops on emerging topics such as agroforestry and regenerative agriculture.

All sessions are at noon on Thursdays from January 20 to March 24. Courses are free and open to the public. Learn more or sign up online at go.illinois.edu/SmFarmsWebinarSeries.

The series will cover:

• Jan 20, Practical Agroforestry for Illinois Small Farms
• Jan 27, Regenerative Agriculture: Techniques Toward Sustainable Vegetable Production
• Feb 3, Commercial Pumpkin Production
• Feb 10, Cottage food updates: 2022 Illinois Home to Market Law
• Feb 17, Pawpaws: Producing a Native ‘Tropical’ Fruit
• Feb 24, High Tunnel Winter Greens Research from Dixon Springs
• March 3, An Introduction to Vermicomposting
• March 10, Mushroom Production
• March 17, Getting Started with Backyard Swine
• March 24, Growing Great Grapes

Presentations will be recorded and the video will be sent to registered participants at a later date. If you will need an accommodation in order to participate, please contact Grant McCarty at gmccarty@illinois.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged.

January 14: Winter Hazards Training Online

Learn about agricultural employee safety during the winter months from skilled industry leaders. The training is in conjunction with the Grain Handling Safety Council. If you have questions or need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact: Salah Issa. salah01@illinois.edu

Jan 19 | 8 AM: Mental Health First Aid for the Agriculture Community Online

Farmers, ranchers, and agricultural workers have worse mental health than the general population. Give someone in your community a hand by learning how to recognize and respond when someone might need help. Gain skills to identify signs of mental health issues, learn how to communicate with someone experiencing them, and leave with resources to connect someone with help. If you have questions or need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact: Karla Belzer. 815-632-3611. kbelzer@illinois.edu

April 4-8: Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Online

Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week is a dedicated focus on the hazards our employees, contractors, and customers face every day. During the week, plan an event that focuses on a suggested topic area to find small changes at your workplace that can make big impacts in reducing hazards and improving safety. Register the event and receive recognition for your participation. A daily webinar covering each topic will also be held. Large companies, small facilities, producers, and related businesses are encouraged to participate. If you have questions or need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact: Salah Issa. salah01@illinois.edu

For more information contact University of Illinois Extension serving Henry, Mercer, Rock Island & Stark Counties WEBSITE (309) 756-9978.