Know How, Know More

CSA Week 11 had green beans, sweet corn, green bell peppers, yellow summer squash, orange tomatoes, watermelon, and a variety of small, flat onions. The Piatt County "Teen Cuisine" 4-Hers - partnering with Bergie's Place in Monticello - had the CSA box this week. They got a chance to work on their knif...

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Give a big hat's off to school foodservice. They are the front line of a wave of students crashing into a cafeteria or classroom looking for food. They are the ones serving food as quick as possible. They are the ones encouraging food choices. During October 10-14 this year, it is National School Lunch Week. As parents and guardians, this is a great time to talk with your kids and your...

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If you are an amusement park enthusiast you are familiar with the feeling of great anticipation as you are fastened into your roller coaster car. With your shoulder harness securely fastened, the anticipation builds with click, click, click, as you ever so slowly climb to the top of one of the coaster peaks. Eak! Will you be met with an accelerated descent, a loop-the-loop or a sharp curve? Garden...

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Can you figure out what the words above have in common? Take your time, I don't have anywhere to be. Did you come up with footprints? We are familiar with muddy footprints as we return from a soggy garden. You may think about your carbon footprint as you drive to and fro and when you figure out how far a given product has traveled to reach the store shelf. A water footprint? Is that...

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The morning now greets us with a crisp chill and the darkness of the evening comes sooner than many would like this time of year.  For some, fall is a much anticipated time while others skip this season already dreading what follows - winter. As we bring in the final garden harvest for the season, decorate with corn stalks & pumpkins, and begin planning for fall activities there is...

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Wheat is growing here in Piatt County! A group of 4-H kids joined UI Extension on a farm tour all about wheat. For all the different products wheat is used in, the visit to a wheat field and elevator was a great opportunity to explore local wheat....

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Did you hear that? It was a very faint buzz but it's there. The gardening bug has officially emerged! A few days of sunshine and 50 degree weather after a cold winter is all it takes for this very special bug to emerge and enter its human host. Once infected, the host may suffer excessive bounce in their step, unexplained trips down the seed aisle, fingers twitching, new gardening books appeari...

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As the snow and cold continue, I find myself dreaming about ways to stay connected to the outdoors, the garden & living things! I know plant life outside is just dormant but tending to a worm farm in the winter can be a fun activity for all ages. Besides, they don't require the attention of other household pets – no walking or training required or risk of household destruction. Did you kno...

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How About Visiting Your Local Pumpkin Patch!! We have a new pumpkin patch in our area - Sheffer Farms Pumpkin Patch. They are open Thursday through Sunday, this fall. The Patch has over 75 varieties of pumpkins, squash and gourds, a corn maze and activities including a pumpkin carving and decorating area. Check out their...

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This was the name of a 4-H Special Interest club that gave children the opportunity to visit several local farms to see: greenhouse (high tunnel) vegetables, dairy cows, beef cows, chickens and fruit orchards. All these farms were within a 20 minute drive of our office. Take a look at the pictures. The children were so excited to see everything at these farms. The farms we visited inclu...

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