Calendar: Intro to Fruit Tree Pruning

ELIZABETH, Ill. —The program Intro to Fruit Tree Pruning will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 1 at the Elizabeth Community Building, 402 West St., Elizabeth.

Participants will learn the basics of pruning, which tools to use, and strategies to consider for their trees.

An in-person program also will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 8 at the Freeport Public Library, 100 E. Douglas St., Freeport. A Zoom webinar will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Feb. 11.

Cost is $5. Register at tinyurl.com/2p9dxrpz.

Extension Council meeting

MONMOUTH, Ill. —The Extension Council meeting for Henderson, Knox, McDonough and Warren counties will be at 6 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Warren-Henderson Farm Bureau, 1000 N. Main St., Monmouth.

For more information, visit tinyurl.com/yfbwatdt.

4-H Day at the Statehouse

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. —Youth in seventh through 12th grades will learn about their state government at 4-H Day at the Statehouse from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST Feb. 1.

Participants will tour the Indiana Statehouse, 200 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, and meet representatives. Students also will have the opportunity to serve as student pages.

For more information, visit tinyurl.com/48urucdy.

Dining with Diabetes

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — The Dining with Diabetes program will be from 5 to 7 p.m. EST Tuesdays, Feb. 1 through Feb. 22, at the 4-H Building on the Fairgrounds, 400 Parke Ave., Crawfordsville.

Cost is for $40 per person, or $65 for a couple. Dinner is included.

PASTA program

SALEM, Ind. — Parenting the Second Time Around (PASTA) is an eight-session program designed for grandparents and other kinship caregivers who are in a parenting role. The program will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. EST Tuesdays, Feb. 1 through March 22, at the Washington County Family YMCA, 1709 N. Shelby St., Salem, Ind.

This is a free class, with meal and child care included. Register online at tinyurl.com/25jmwe8f.

Lambing 101 Workshop

WATERLOO, Ill. —The Lambing 101 Workshop will be at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 1 at Lutman’s Farm, 4960 Rock Road, Waterloo. This free, on-farm program will cover the basics sheep producers need to know to be prepared for lambing season on their farm and a review of the supplies and equipment you should have on hand.

To RSVP, call 618-939-3434 or email njohann@illinois.edu. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/47tzwnyw.

Annie’s Project

CARTHAGE, Ill. — Annie’s Project — a six-week, discussion-based workshop bringing women together to learn from experts in production, financial management, human resources, marketing and the legal field — will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Feb. 3-March 10, at the Marine Bank, 410 Buchanan St., Carthage.

There’s plenty of time for questions, sharing, reacting and connecting with presenters and fellow participants. It’s a relaxed, fun and dynamic way to learn, grow and meet other women in agriculture.

Cost is $50; a light supper will be served. Register at tinyurl.com/38dma6pp. For more information on Annie’s Project, visit www.anniesproject.org.

Urban Farming Program

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Learn how to cultivate food safely from planting to harvest in an urban setting with Purdue Extension’s Urban Farming Signature Program.

The program is scheduled for Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST Feb. 3 through March 17 at the Allen County Extension office, 4001 Crescent Ave., Fort Wayne.

Purdue Extension specialists and educators will lead the course on how to:

• Identify urban farming challenges and opportunities

• Form goals specific to your operation

• Understand and manage urban soil health

• Create a comprehensive site design

• Develop a crop plan

• Manage pests

• Grow food safely from planting to harvest

Cost is $75 and includes a workbook. Register at cvent.me/gm2aOw. For more information, contact Terri Theisen at ttheisen@purdue.edu.

Terrarium workshop

CLINTON, Ill. — A terrarium workshop with DeWitt County master gardeners will be from 2 to 3 p.m. Feb. 4 at the DeWitt County Extension office, 8425 Katie Road, Clinton.

Make and take home your own terrarium in this workshop led by University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator Sarah Vogel. You will learn about terrarium construction, plant selection and terrarium maintenance and care.

Cost is $8. Register at tinyurl.com/2s3mn6yu.

Kendall County Seed Swap

YORKVILLE, Ill. — The 2022 Kendall County Master Gardener Seed Swap will be from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 5 at the Kendall County Extension office, 7775B IL Route 47, Yorkville.

Seed Swap participants can choose from a wide variety of free vegetable, flower, herb, and native plant seeds. All seeds collected pre-event will be labeled and come with care instructions.

If gardeners would like to bring seeds to share, they should be fresh and labeled, and not from F1 hybrids, so they grow true to type. Master gardeners will be available for questions.

For more information, visit go.illinois.edu/2022KendallSeedSwap.

Beekeeping 101 Workshop

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Beekeeping 101 Workshop will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 5 at the McLean County Extension office, 1615 Commerce Pkwy., Bloomington. Learn about hive management, harvesting honey, tools and equipment, and bee health.

Cost is $120 and includes hive tool, smoker and drawings; “First Year in Beekeeping” book; lunch; and annual membership in Central Illinois Beekeepers Association and Illinois State Beekeepers Association.

For registration information, visit tinyurl.com/2p96p9n5. For more information, call 309-826-0089.

Gardening in the Air

Native Shrubs and Wildlife Benefits will kick off the Gardening in the Air virtual series from 9 to 10 a.m. Feb. 5.

This presentation will review a number of characteristics of desirable native shrubs, their site preferences, and their relative importance compared to non-native species for enhancing wildlife value. Several species of native shrubs and small trees and their use by insects, birds, and other wildlife will be discussed along with non-native invasive species to avoid or remove.

This program is part of Gardening in the Air, a virtual series on Feb. 5 co-hosted by University of Illinois Extension and Iowa State University Extension. Other topics in the 9, 10:15 and 11:30 a.m. sessions include:

• Small Scale Prairie Restorations for Pollinators and Other Wildlife

• Taking Action for Native Bees

• Plant Propagation Techniques for the Home

• Diagnosing Indoor Plant Problems

• Troubleshooting Common Issues with Houseplants

• Kokedama String Gardening

• Trees that Pop in the Spring

• Tree Pruning Tips

• 2022 Cool Kid in the Garden

Sign up for one session or the entire series. Sessions are free to attend, but a donation is appreciated. Access links and handouts will be provided upon registration.