University of Illinois Piatt County Extension is offering a special program for middle school aged youth to discover the world of herbs, insects and tasty treats in this six week after-school program.

Tuesdays, February 2—March 9, 2010

3:30—5:00 p.m.

Cost: $30

Location: Monticello Middle School

During the program, you will plant, grow and harvest your own herbs in the AeroGarden©. Learn how to care for your herbs, what to do and what not to do. The last two weeks of class, you will learn to cook healthy snacks with the herbs we have grown.

As part of this program, you will take home your own herb plants to care for and harvest, a cookbook of great recipes, and lots of great tips for successful herb gardening all year long! Call the Piatt County Extension at 762-2191 to register by January 18, 2010.

Holiday Craft & Food Workshop

Presented by:

Jennifer Schultz-Nelson &

Mindy L. Peterson

December 10th

10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Cost: $10

Piatt County Extension office

210 S. Market Street—Monticello, IL

More information on this program will be available soon on the Piatt County Extension website:

http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/piatt/

Call the Piatt County Extension office at 217-762-2191 for information or to register.

Poinsettias are traditional Christmas plants that will last through the Christmas season and beyond. It is important to select the best plant for your home environment. The following are a few selection pointers:

· Choose a plant with dark green foliage down to the soil line.

· Choose bracts (modified leaves) that are completely colored.

· Do not purchase poinsettias with a lot of green around the bract edges.

· Do not choose plants with fallen or yellowed leaves.

· The poinsettia should look full, balanced and attractive from all sides.

· The plant should be 2 1/2 times taller than the diameter of the container.

· Choose plants that are not drooping or wilting.

· Do not purchase plants that are displayed in paper or plastic sleeves — they will deteriorate quickly.

· Do not purchase plants that have been displayed or crowded close together. Crowding can cause premature bract loss.

· Check the plant's soil. If it's wet and the plant is wilted, this could be an indication of root rot.

· Check the poinsettia's maturity by checking the true flowers located at the base of the colored bracts. If the flowers are green or red-tipped and fresh looking, the bloom will "hold" longer than if yellow pollen is covering the flowers.

· When you take the poinsettia home, be sure to have it covered when outdoor temperatures are below 50°F.

The length of time your poinsettia will give you pleasure in your home is dependent on the maturity of the plant, when you buy it and how you treat the plant. With care, the poinsettias should retain their beauty for weeks.

· Unwrap your poinsettias carefully and place in indirect light. Six hours of light daily is ideal.

· Keep the plant from touching cold windows.

· Keep poinsettias away from warm or cold drafts from radiators, air registers or open doors and windows.

· Ideally, poinsettias require daytime temperatures of 60 to 70°F and night time temperatures around 55°F. High temperatures will shorten the plant's life. Move the plant to a cooler room at night, if possible.

· Check the soil daily. Be sure to punch holes in foil so water can drain into a saucer. Water when soil is dry and allow water to drain into the saucer. Discard excess water.

· Wilted plants will tend to drop bracts sooner.

· Fertilize the poinsettia if you keep it past the holiday season. Apply a houseplant fertilizer once a month. Do not fertilize when in bloom.

New Regional Ag Marketing Club —November 17

This is the start date for a new Ag Marketing Club at 7:00 pm in our office. The purpose of this group will be to present the best agricultural marketing advice that is available in the Midwest. To that end, each month a well-known marketing expert will present their view of the current agricultural markets and advice on how to profit from it. This club is the cooperative effort of Extension units in Lee, Macon, Montgomery and Piatt counties. Call or e-mail our office.

Illinois Farm Economic Summit — December 14

Illinois agriculture has been on an incredible roller coaster ride these past two years. Crop prices zoomed to unheard of heights and then dropped with stunning quickness. It is already clear that this is having a large impact on the profitability of Illinois producers. Speakers will explore the farm profitability outlook from several perspectives, including the direction of prices, long-term fundamental value of commodities, credit availability, production costs, new farm program provisions, crop insurance alternatives, and farm lease trends. The closest meeting to us will be in Champaign on the above date and the next day in Bloomington.

Ag Masters Conference — December 1 & 2

On December 1 and 2, the first AG Masters Conference will be conducted at the University of Illinois I Conference Center on St. Mary's Road, just across the street from Assembly Hall. The program will consist of two distinct parts, each with its own registration. The first day will provide many speakers in a large general session atmosphere. The program on December 2 will feature eight different 2-hour advanced sessions, with participants able to sign up for four of these classroom-style intensive instruction options.

Corn and Soybean Classics — January 8

As harvest of the 2009 crop progresses, we would like to take this opportunity to announce the upcoming University of Illinois Corn & Soybean Classics. This will be the 13^th year of this great program aimed at corn and soybean pro

ducers. The closest meeting to us will be in Champaign on the above date and on Jan. 12 in Bloomington.

Private Pesticide Applicator Training — February 22

This will be the training and certification date for us here in Piatt County. The training will be held at the Monticello Community building from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. More information will be coming in the future.

Managing Your Land — March 20

With a new spring season upon us, this meeting will focus on helping landowners manage their land in better ways. We will focus on trees, wildlife, landscaping and ponds.

Horse and Pasture Care — March 27

The aim of this meeting is to help horse owners to prepare for the upcoming grazing and riding season with useful information on managing their pastures, and the care and feeding of their horses. Presenters will include a local veterinarian and University of Illinois Horse specialists.

- Doug Gucker, Academic Hourly, Agriculture

When trying to decide whether to store or sell your crops. Dr. Darrel Good, University of Illinois Extension Specialist, says, "A look at current new crop basis levels can give some insight into the potential return to storage from basis appreciation."

Using East Central Illinois elevators, he says the market is offering nearly 42¢ to store corn from harvest to next June. The time span from harvest to June would consume about 11¢ per bushel in interest cost, leaving 30¢ to cover the cost of storage, which would be sufficient for on-farm storage costs if the crop is forward priced at this time. A delay in pricing the crop means a risk of lower futures prices and the loss of the return to storage that is now offered for corn.

Beans are a different story says Good, with the market offering about 21¢ to store soybeans from harvest to next June. Good says the basis appreciation would not cover the cost of storage and interest, so storing beans is not as attractive as it is for corn.

- Doug Gucker, Academic Hourly, Agriculture