Education

University of Illinois Agriculture Events

New programs are being confirmed every day. Keep in touch with your Extension Office for programs addressing the topics that interest you and are offered in your County. To find your counties website go to: http://web.aces.uiuc.edu/ve/

Statewide University of Illinois Extension Calendar Website

http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/cie2/offices/calendar.cfm

To search for programs throughout the state, check out Extension’s searchable calendar. Search by location, topic or date to find a program of you interest.

Small Grains Twilight Field Day, June 24, Northern Illinois Agronomy Research Station, Shabbona, IL
Ellen Phillips, Crop Systems Educator, Countryside Extension Center, 708-352-0109, ephillps@uiuc.edu

Growing and marketing small grains will be the focus of the Small Grains Twilight Field Day on June 24 at the Northern Illinois Agronomy Research Station, Shabbona, IL. The evening will begin with a light supper while Jim Quinton, Director, Illinois Wheat Association provides a Small Grains Market Outlook. Other topics will Include “Fitting Small Grains into the Farm Bill Details” and Niche Markets for Small Grains” Dr. Fred Kolb will round out the evening at the small grains research plots discussing “Small grain varieties and diseases.” For more information or to register, please contact the University of Illinois DeKalb Extension Unit at 815-758-8194.

2003 Illinois Forage Expo, July 1, 2003, Macomb, Illinois

The 2003 Illinois Forage Expo will be held on July 1, 2003 at the north edge of Macomb Illinois. The center of operations will be the Western Illinois University Livestock Center, located one mile west of Route 67 on Tower Road (N1400) at the intersection of Tower Road and Wigwam Hollow. The event’s theme is “Forages + Livestock = Profitability.”

Forage Expo 2003 will focus on both forages for grazing and harvesting systems. There will be field demonstrations of forage harvesting equipment and commercial displays of forage related products and equipment. Also, educational programs focusing on pasture and alfalfa production will be offered. The Expo will start at 9 am and conclude at 4 pm. There is no admission charge. Expo hosts are Western Illinois University, City of Macomb, and Tim Sullivan.

Forage Expo 2003 is sponsored by Western Illinois University, University of Illinois Extension, Illinois Forage and Grassland Council, Western Illinois Forage and Grassland Council, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and Grazing Land Conservation Initiative. For information about Forage Expo 2003 or if interested in exhibiting contact by Dean Oswald, Animal Systems Educator at the Macomb Extension Center (309) 836-3366 or e-mail oswaldd@uiuc.edu.

Research Field Days, July 9 and August 4, University of Illinois, Northern Illinois Agronomy Research Center, Shabbona, Illinois. The annual Weed Control Field Day will be held on July 9 with a tour beginning at 5 pm.U of I weed scientists and graduate students will discuss some of the more than 30 weed control research studies currently being conducted at the Center. The 1_ hour tour will give participants the opportunity to view results of numerous research projects evaluating herbicide effectiveness, crop tolerance and management practices. A meal will be available on site at the conclusion of the tour.

The annual Agronomy Field Tour will be held on August 4. Tours will depart from the farmstead every 15 minutes from 4pm to 5:30pm and last about 2 hours.

The U of I Northern Illinois Agronomy Research Center, located in DeKalb County can be reached by going 1 mile east of Shabbona on Route 30, then 5 1/2 miles north on University Road. Continuing education units for Certified Crop Advisers will be available for both field days.

Summer Tax Seminars Set

Bob Sampson, Extension Communications Specialist, (217) 244-0225; rsampson@uiuc.edu

Reservations are now being accepted for a series of University of Illinois Extension Tax Seminars. The seminars are designed for experienced income tax practitioners who assist taxpayers in preparing and filing income tax returns.

“ Each seminar will cover the latest changes to tax law and discuss complex issues associated with the seminar topic,” explained Terri Kobel, program director for Extension’s Farm Income Tax School.

A two-day seminar, LLC’s Taxed as Partnership, will attempt to simply many of the Internal Revenue Code sections. Presenters include Myron “Mike” Kelsey, a professor emeritus at Michigan State University, and Gary Hoff, a U of I Extension tax specialist. The seminar is scheduled for June 17-18 in Bloomington, June 19-20 in Collinsville, July 8-9 in Hoffman Estates, and July 10-11 in Tinley Park.

A one-day program will be offered on Farm Entity Selection. It will review the various entity alternatives that farmers can use and provide recommendations based upon specific situations. Presenters include Hoff and Roger McEowen, an Extension specialist at Kansas State University. The seminar is scheduled for July 16 in Bloomington and July 17 in Collinsville. Only persons who have registered will be able to attend the seminars. Prior to the June 2 registration deadline, the fee for the LLC seminar is $300. After June 2, the charge is $330. Prior to July 3, the Farm Entity seminar registration is $150 and $180 after that date.

Registration can be completed online at: http://www.ace.uiuc.edu/TaxSchool . Telephone registrations will not be accepted but information is available at (217) 333-1829.