Livingston, McLean and Woodford County Master Gardeners

11/04/2026

Thanks for attending the Pumpkin Smash! Don't forget it's not too late to drop off your pumpkins.

🎃 Pumpkin Drop-Off Week at Rader Family Farms! 🎃
Don't toss those pumpkins, drop them off and give them a second purpose!

📅 Monday through Thursday
📍 Rader Farms
🚜 Drop-Off Location: Southwest corner of the parking lot
🕙 Gate Open: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
✅ Easy drive-up drop off
✅ Farm Store may be open during your visit
✅ Pumpkins will be picked up by the Town of Normal - Government first thing Friday morning.

Help keep pumpkins out of the landfill and support a more sustainable community. Bring your pumpkins by this week!
🎃🍂

11/03/2026

🍂✨ Looking for a unique way to enjoy a fall evening? Join us for the 4th Annual Stargazing Party at Humiston Woods on Saturday, November 21, from 6:30-8:00 PM!

🌟 Discover the wonders of the night sky with local astronomer Paul Pouliot as we explore constellations, view celestial objects through telescopes, and learn about Ta**us, the Pleiades, and more.

📍 Humiston Woods, Pontiac, IL
🪑 Bring a lawn chair or blanket
🧥 Dress for the weather
✅ Free and open to everyone ages 5 and up

Register today: 🍂✨ Looking for a unique way to enjoy a fall evening? Join us for the 4th Annual Stargazing Party at Humiston Woods on Saturday, November 21, from 6:30-8:00 PM!

🌟 Discover the wonders of the night sky with local astronomer Paul Pouliot as we explore constellations, view celestial objects through telescopes, and learn about Ta**us, the Pleiades, and more.

📍 Humiston Woods, Pontiac, IL
🪑 Bring a lawn chair or blanket
🧥 Dress for the weather
✅ Free and open to everyone ages 5 and up

Register today: https://registration.extension.illinois.edu/start/stargazing-party-2026

Come experience an evening of stars, science, and outdoor fun with family and friends! 🌙🔭🍁

10/29/2026

Come see us this weekend at Rader Family Farm from 1 to 4 pm! Don’t trash it, Smash it 🎃

Like the changing leaves, fall can feel fleeting. The porch pumpkins will decay.

Then what? Where do the pumpkins go? Think recycling and composting.

The reality is pumpkins are organic waste that, when included in the trash, fill landfills, release the greenhouse gas methane as they decompose, and leach water into nearby waterways.

Add in some fun, de-stress, and recycling while smashing pumpkins with Illinois Extension at a Pumpkin Smash community composting event in early November.

🔗 Find a smash event site near you this November by checking out the calendar at https://go.illinois.edu/PumpkinSmash or https://scarce.org/pumpkins

🔗 Read more at Recycle Pumpkin Season with a Smash at Illinois Extension Composting Events: https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/recycle-pumpkin-season-smash-illinois-extension-composting-events

Illinois Extension’s smash events are in collaboration with SCARCE, an Illinois environmental nonprofit that started Pumpkin Smashes in 2014.

10/27/2026

Join us for the 4th Annual Stargazing Party on Saturday, November 21, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Humiston Woods in Pontiac. Enjoy telescope viewing with local astronomer Paul Pouliot and learn about Ta**us, the Pleiades, and other celestial wonders.
🔭 Free and open to all ages 5+
🪑 Bring a lawn chair or blanket
📍 Humiston Woods, Pontiac, IL

Register now at https://registration.extension.illinois.edu/start/stargazing-party-2026

10/26/2026

🍂 Grab your notebook and join us for Nature Journaling Through the Seasons: Migratory Birds on November 7 from 2:00-3:45 p.m. at Humiston Woods in Pontiac!

Explore the Deer Loop Trail, observe bird behavior, and learn how to capture your discoveries through words, sketches, and numbers. Perfect for curious nature lovers ages 8 to 80+, and no artistic experience is required!

📍 Humiston Woods, 2100 North Road, Pontiac, IL
✏️ Materials provided
🌧️ Indoor location available if needed

🔗 Register today: go.illinois.edu/NatureJournaling2026

10/21/2026

Join us for the 4th Annual Stargazing Party at Humiston Woods on November 21 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Local astronomer Paul Pouliot will guide guests through telescope viewing and share stories and science behind constellations, the Pleiades, Ta**us, and more.

🌙 Free event | Ages 5+
📍 Humiston Woods, Pontiac, IL
🪑 Bring a lawn chair or blanket
🧥 Dress for the weather

Register at https://registration.extension.illinois.edu/start/stargazing-party-2026

10/19/2026

Stay in the loop on specialty crops statewide and beyond with Illinois Fruit and Vegetable News.

🔗 Read the October newsletter and previous editions at https://go.illinois.edu/IFVN
Photos by Zack Grant, Nathan Johanning, and Bronwyn Aly, Illinois Extension

10/08/2026

Master Gardeners recently hosted another workshop at the McLean County Extension office: Fall Gardening for Pollinators!🐝 Participants learned that leaving garden material, such as perennial plants, can create habitat for beneficial insects.

For more information on how you can prepare your garden this fall, visit: https://go.illinois.edu/FallGardenInformation

10/06/2026

Pollen is in the air! 🤧 But don't blame goldenrod!
If you're sneezing, ragweed and its airborne pollen are likely the culprit, but the flashy blooms of native goldenrod plants (pictured), often get the blame. Only 12% of the world's plants rely on the wind to disperse pollen, and ragweed is one of them.
• Learn more with Good Growing: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-10-21-autumn-allergies-dont-blame-goldenrod?fbclid=IwY2xjawUx7ChleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMUpieHBiRUdseGJwUWRETDlzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeMrDwScXksR0EqwxFTlsiwj7TlJhm8GclTkC-J_2M3LfuhVh4QphvkX0qwNM_aem_BIDVypIJ7NqRp6fR4_P1bA
• Explore more about goldenrod and other native fall-blooming plants at https://illinoispollinators.org

Pollen is in the air! 🤧 But don't blame goldenrod!

If you're sneezing, ragweed and its airborne pollen are likely the culprit, but the flashy blooms of native goldenrod plants (pictured), often get the blame. Only 12% of the world's plants rely on the wind to disperse pollen, and ragweed is one of them.

• Learn more with Good Growing: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-10-21-autumn-allergies-dont-blame-goldenrod

• Explore more about goldenrod and other native fall-blooming plants at https://illinoispollinators.org

10/06/2026

Creatures of the Night has reached maximum registration capacity. The registration is now closed. Thank you for your understanding, and be on the lookout for more fun educational events to come!