U of I Extension Carroll-Lee-Whiteside Unit

09/02/2026

Ticket sales end TOMORROW (Sept 3) for Sauk Valley Grown: Farm Tours & Dinner. We invite you to join us in supporting and learning about our local agricultural industry on September 10, 2026! Seats are $50 per person. Free onsite childcare for ages 6mo+ is provided during dinner by the WACC Early Childhood Education Class.

The students of the WACC Culinary Arts Program will be curating, planning, preparing, and presenting our delicious dinner on September 10 at 5 PM. The meal will feature a main course of prime rib and dishes made with local ingredients, such as organically grown mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, apples, and other fresh garden produce.

Tours are included in the ticket price and are optional. Tours begin at 9 AM and run throughout the day, visiting farms in and around Sterling, Amboy, and Dixon. You are welcome to pick and choose which tours to attend after registration, as long as seats remain. You must be registered to attend farm tours. Register at https://bit.ly/4c70Ci5 today!

09/01/2026

08/27/2026

Don't forget, the Illinois Extension and Sauk Valley Community College Field Day is this Saturday, August 29 from 8 AM - Noon!

7:30 a.m. Registration in the East parking lot;
(People movers to transport to fields for first two sessions)

8:00-8:05 a.m. Welcome- Kevin Larsen, Sauk Valley Community College

8:05-8:45 a.m. Drone demonstration- Kole Kellen, Sublette Aerial Service LLC; North Ag Fields

8:45-9:30 a.m. Corn – High/Low Density- Steve Brand, University of Illinois Extension; North Ag Fields

9:30-9:45 a.m. BREAK (water available)
(People mover transportation back to building)

9:45-10:15 a.m. SVCC & Agri-King Partnership: Corn growing in the Greenhouse- Dave Spangler & Lucas Koester, Agri-King; Hellmich Riverview Conference Center

10:15-11 a.m. Cover Crops- Meagan Diss, University of Illinois Extension

11-11:45 a.m. Improving Weather Forecasting Discussion- Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist

11:45 a.m.-Noon Wrap-up / Questions- Bruce Black, University of Illinois Extension and Kevin Larsen, Sauk Valley Community

This event is free! We also want to thank Agri-King for sponsoring coffee and donuts!

08/27/2026

🚜🥩 What if your next dinner started with a farm tour?

Sauk Valley Grown is back for 2026, offering a full day of local farm tours followed by a farm-to-table feast featuring locally sourced ingredients prepared by students at the Whiteside Area Career Center.

In this episode of Along the Rock, host Kierstyn Long talks with Molly Johnson of Illinois Extension about the farms you'll visit, the community partnerships behind the event, and why this experience has become one of the Sauk Valley's most unique celebrations of local agriculture.

Watch or listen now:
https://theradar.online/along-the-rock-s3-ep-165-from-farm-tours-to-a-farm-to-table-feast-sauk-valley-grown-returns-in-2026/

Would you spend a day touring local farms before sitting down to a prime rib dinner? Tell us in the comments! 👇

08/26/2026

Make the most of tomato season! Whether you're preserving salsa, sauces, tomato juice, or whole tomatoes, learn safe and effective methods for canning, freezing, and dehydrating tomatoes so you can enjoy their fresh flavor year-round.

🍅Explore the resource: https://extension.illinois.edu/food-preservation/tomatoes

08/25/2026

We are looking forward to meeting members of our community in Carroll County at the Davis Community Center in Mt. Carroll tomorrow morning!

08/24/2026

Carroll, Lee, and Whiteside County Master Gardener Trainees and a few Master Naturalists made a visit to the Bickelhaupt Arboretum on Friday, August 21, in Clinton, IA for an educational tour of the many varieties and species of trees that can be found throughout the arboretum’s 15 acres.

“The Heartland Collection: Garden Conifers” was of particular interest to the group and Dave Horst with Bickelhaupt Arboretum did an excellent job of sharing the history of not only the plantings, but of the building, “Marvin” the troll, and the tree species we encountered. It was great to see familiar faces and learn about the incredible legacy of the Bickelhaupt family.

08/21/2026

As our summer staff is heading back to school we want to recognize them for all of their help with our programs this summer! Both Madison and Hannah led summer programs and assisted with our 4-H shows. Having them work for us has felt like a full-circle moment as both are former Whiteside County 4-H'ers. They were heavily involved during their years as members, including serving in officer positions. Madison is also a member of the State 4-H Leadership Team, and Hannah was a 4-H camp counselor for multiple years. We have enjoyed watching them grow and having them on our staff team!

Madison will be attending the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to major in Statistics. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and playing cards. Her favorite program that she led this summer was Hydraulic Hand. Madison was a 13-year member of 4-H, and her favorite project area is Scrapbooking.

Hannah will be a senior at Illinois State University, majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders with minors in Cognitive Science and Children's Studies. In her free time, she enjoys going on hikes and to estate sales. Her favorite program that she led this summer was Nature's Paint Box. Hannah was an 11-year member of 4-H, and her favorite project area is Dairy Cattle.

We also want to thank our summer intern, Elisabeth, for her work in our Horticulture and Natural Resources programs! We wish all three of our summer staff the best of luck in their future endeavors and greatly appreciate the work they did for us!

08/20/2026

We’re excited to share that the Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce is partnering with U of I Extension Carroll-Lee-Whiteside Unit and Whiteside Area Career Center for the second year of Sauk Valley Grown on September 10!

Sauk Valley Grown is more than farm tours; it’s an opportunity to get out into our community, learn directly from local producers, and better understand the agriculture and food systems that play such an important role in our region.

Join us on Thursday, September 10 for a day of exploring local farms and businesses, asking questions, gaining a behind-the-scenes look at agriculture in the Sauk Valley, and building a greater appreciation for where our food comes from and the people who produce it. We will conclude the day with locally sourced dinner prepared by Whiteside Area Career Center's Culinary Arts Program.

Tours run 9 a.m.–5 p.m., with limited spots available. Details on location and timing can be found at https://bit.ly/4c70Ci5. Pick and choose the tours that work with your schedule, and then join us for dinner at 5 p.m. at WACC. Registration is required by September 3. Reserve your seat at https://bit.ly/4c70Ci5

Come curious. Leave with a whole new appreciation for agriculture in the Sauk Valley!

08/20/2026

Join the pollinator production plot committee for a native planting day on Saturday, September 5th from 9am to noon at French Creek Park in Morrison, IL. Friends, family, guests, and students looking for Impact hours are welcome and encouraged to attend!

No experience needed, just a desire to help our local pollinator populations!

If you aren't able to commit to the whole morning, that's ok!
Native plants, instruction, and a selection of tools will be provided to attendees for the morning. Feel free to bring your own tools to use if you have a favorite.