Purdue Extension Farm Stress Team

🍉🌞 Happy National Watermelon Day — August 3! 🌞🍉
Sweet, juicy, and downright refreshing—watermelon is one of summer’s all time favorites, and here in Indiana agriculture, it’s a big deal! Hoosier farmers grow thousands of acres of watermelon every year, helping bring this delicious fruit from the field to your table. 🌾🚜

🍉 Indiana Watermelon by the Numbers:
• Indiana ranks among the top watermelon producing states in the U.S. (often #5 nationally) 🌎
• Indiana farmers plant about 7,000+ acres of watermelon each year 🌱
• More than 70% of this crop is grown around Knox County in southwest Indiana—true Hoosier “Watermelon Country” 🍉🌻
• Watermelon is about 90% water, making it a perfect hydrating summertime snack 💧

🌾 Celebrate with Farm Fresh Flavor:
🍉 Slice up a juicy Hoosier watermelon
🥗 Add it to a summer salad or smoothie
📸 Share your favorite watermelon moment and thank the farmers who grow it

Here’s to sweet summer days, delicious farm grown fruit, and the growers who make it all possible! 🌞💛




🍉🌾

📚🌾 Happy National Back to School Month – August! 🌾📚
As students head back to the classroom, let’s celebrate the farm-fresh foods that fuel learning, growth, and healthy minds. From fruits and veggies to milk, eggs, and whole grains, agriculture plays a big role in keeping students energized and ready to learn! 🥛🍎🥚

Farm-to-School Fun Facts:
• Milk and dairy products provide protein and calcium for growing bodies 🥛
• Fruits and vegetables supply essential vitamins for energy and focus 🍓🥕
• Whole grains from farms help power long school days 🌾
• Local farms often supply schools, connecting students to agriculture and healthy eating 🚜

Ways to Celebrate:
🍎 Pack a healthy, farm-fresh lunch or snack
📚 Learn about where your food comes from and thank the farmers
🌱 Try a new fruit, veggie, or whole grain this month

Let’s fuel students with healthy foods and celebrate the farmers who make it all possible! 🌾💛

🍗 Happy National Chicken Wing Day! 🎉

Whether you like them sweet, smoky, spicy, or extra saucy, today is the perfect excuse to enjoy one of America's favorite appetizers!

Did you know? Chickens are an important part of American agriculture. Poultry farmers work year-round to provide safe, nutritious, and affordable food while caring for their flocks and continually improving animal care, biosecurity, and sustainability. Every basket of wings represents the dedication of farmers, veterinarians, nutritionists, processors, and truck drivers who help bring food from the farm to your table.

🔥 Try These Honey Garlic Grilled Wings

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken wings
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
¼ cup honey
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions:

Toss wings with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Grill over medium heat for 20–25 minutes, turning occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
While the wings cook, whisk together the honey, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and smoked paprika.
Brush the sauce on the wings during the last few minutes of grilling, allowing it to caramelize.
Serve with your favorite vegetables, ranch or blue cheese dressing, and enjoy!

🍗 What's your favorite wing flavor—Buffalo, BBQ, Garlic Parmesan, Honey BBQ, or something unique? Let us know in the comments!

Join us for the Indiana Homesteading Conference on Saturday, October 17, 2026, for a day filled with practical workshops, expert speakers, and valuable resources for anyone interested in homesteading, sustainable living, gardening, livestock, food preservation, and small farm management. Whether you're just getting started or looking to expand your knowledge, you'll leave with ideas and skills you can put to use at home.



Event Details
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
Check-In: Doors open at 8:30 a.m.
Location: Monroe County Fairgrounds 5700 Airport Road Bloomington, IN 47403



Registration Options



Full-Day Conference
Attend all conference sessions throughout the day.
Lunch is included with full-day registration.
Early Bird: $20.00 (payment received by September 1, 2026)
Regular Registration: $25.00 (after September 1, 2026)



Half-Day Conference
Attend one educational track consisting of 2 consecutive sessions.
Early Bird: $10.00 (payment received by September 1, 2026)
Regular Registration: $15.00 (after September 1, 2026)



How to Register
Complete this registration form: https://bit.ly/HomesteadingConference2026 and submit your payment (cash or check payable to Purdue University) to Purdue Extension–Monroe County. 3400 South Walnut St Bloomington, Indiana. Office is open Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm. Closed Holidays.

Registration Deadline: October 9, 2026
Payment is nonrefundable.



We look forward to welcoming you for a day of learning, connecting with fellow homesteaders, and gaining practical knowledge to help you grow, preserve, and sustain your homestead!

Once you have completed registration and payment, a welcome packet will be sent to you via email!



Questions? Contact Purdue Extension-Monroe County at 812-349-2575. Office hours are Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm. Closed Holidays.

🤠 Happy National Day of the Cowboy! 🌾

Today we celebrate the hardworking cowboys and cowgirls whose grit, resilience, and dedication helped shape the rich agricultural heritage of our country.

While the image of a cowboy often brings to mind horses and cattle drives, today's livestock producers continue that same tradition of stewardship every day. From caring for livestock before sunrise to maintaining healthy pastures, protecting natural resources, and providing safe, wholesome food for our families, agriculture is built on hard work, responsibility, and a deep respect for the land and animals.

Whether you're raising cattle, sheep, goats, horses, or simply appreciate the people who make our food system possible, today is a great reminder to recognize the generations of producers who have kept agriculture moving forward.

So here's to the cowboys and cowgirls—past and present—who embody perseverance, integrity, and a love for the land. Thank you for all you do!

🤠🌱 Happy National Day of the Cowboy!

🍦🎉 Happy National Ice Cream Day – July 19! 🎉🍦
Today we celebrate one of the sweetest farm-to-table treats! Ice cream wouldn’t be possible without dairy farmers and their hardworking cows, plus the farmers growing ingredients like strawberries, cocoa, and vanilla. 🌾🐄🍓

Fun Ice Cream Facts:
• It takes milk from cows to make the creamy base 🥛
• Farmers grow many flavors’ ingredients—fruits, nuts, and cocoa 🌱
• Supporting local dairy farms helps keep your ice cream farm-fresh 🍨

Ways to Celebrate:
🍦 Enjoy your favorite ice cream flavor
📸 Snap a photo of your scoop and share it with friends
🚜 Learn about the farm-fresh ingredients that go into your treat
Let’s give a sweet shout-out to dairy farmers and all the folks who make ice cream possible! 💛

💙 Today is Toss Away the "Could Haves" and "Should Haves" Day! 💙

We all have moments where we think, "I should have..." or "If only I had..." But living in the past can keep us from appreciating the opportunities in front of us today.

Take a few minutes to write down the regrets, "could haves," and "should haves" you've been carrying around. Then tear up the paper or toss it in the trash as a reminder to let them go.

Instead, choose to focus on what you can do today. Every new day is a chance to learn, grow, and make choices that move you forward.

✨ The past is a lesson—not a life sentence. Live in the present, embrace today, and give yourself the grace to keep moving forward.

During the Dog Days of summer, you should protect you and your family from the sun whether farming or enjoying the outdoors. Learn how to select sunscreen.
https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/shade-clothing-sunscreen/how-to-select-sunscreen

🐄🧀 Happy July 14! It’s National Cow Appreciation Day AND National Mac & Cheese Day! 💛

Today we celebrated the cows that give us the milk, cheese, and creamy goodness that makes mac & cheese so irresistible. From happy pastures to your plate, these farm-fresh treats wouldn’t be possible without hardworking farmers and healthy cows! 🌾🥛🍲

Ways to celebrate:
• Snap a fun cow selfie 🐄📸
• Make or enjoy a big bowl of cheesy mac & cheese 🧀🍴
• Thank a farmer for caring for these amazing animals 🌱

Let’s give a big moo-velous thank you to cows and farmers while enjoying some cheesy comfort food! 🐄💚

What kind of tired are you really? Learn about the seven different types of rest from internal medicine physician and rest expert, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith.