According to Illinois Law, landlords and tenants who have a "year to year" cash or crop share farm lease on property need to make any changes in the agreement by October 31^st of each year. This applies to changing the amount on a cash lease, changing the type of lease agreement, terminating a lease due to sale of property, change in the farming enterprise, etc.

In most regions of Illinois, a year to year lease of farmland is presumed to begin on March 1^st and end on the last day of February. Therefore, notification of changes in the terms of the lease needs to be given by October 31^st—4 months prior to the beginning of the farming year.

There are suggestions for wording the written notice to the tenant or landlord, and there is also a procedure for delivering the notification.

A program to share additional insight concerning this process as well as information on current leasing practices in Franklin County will be held at the University of Illinois Extension Building in Benton on Monday, September 29^th at 7:00 p.m. Ruth Hambleton, U of I Extension Farm Business Management Educator, will lead the discussion. Her presentation will be followed by a panel of area farmers and Ag. Industry representatives who will discuss local practices.

There is no fee for this important meeting, but please call the Franklin Office at 618-439-3178 by September 23^rd to confirm your attendance. Also use that same number if you need a reasonable accommodation to participate or would like additional information.

Bell Peppers—Using Fresh or Freezing at Home

One of the most popular peppers in the United States is the bell pepper. According to Jananne Finck, nutrition and wellness educator with University of Illinois Extension, peppers are available in a variety of colors. They can be green, red, yellow, orange, brown or purple, depending on the variety and ripeness.

When analyzing the nutrient content, one large green bell pepper is only 22 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrate, has no fat or cholesterol and contains only 13 milligrams of sodium. The Vitamin C content is high too.

If you have an abundance of peppers from your garden, store them unwashed in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator. Keeping time in the refrigerator is up to one week. Rinse peppers with cold water just before using.

Use sweet peppers in salads, as a holder for a variety of fillings, or add to other cooked vegetables such as green beans, zucchini, squash, corn or asparagus.

If desired, peppers may be frozen. To freeze, select crisp, tender, green or bright red pods. Wash, cut out stem, cut in half and remove seeds. Peppers may be cut into 1/2-inch strips or rings. If the peppers are to be used in cooked dishes, water-blanch halves 3 minutes, strips or rings 2 minutes. Cool promptly, drain and package, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Seal, label and freeze. If the peppers are to be used in uncooked foods, package them raw, leaving no headspace. Seal, label and freeze.