Agriculture and Natural Resources

Phillip Cox is the Agriculture & Natural Resources Educator in Vermillion County. He is on the Indiana Small Farm Conference team and has served on the Trade Show subcommittee for the past several years. He also coordinates programming that includes such topics as pesticide safety, native plants, invasive species, gardening, natural resources, farming, wildlife management, and forestry.
Contact Us
Purdue Extension
Extension Educator - Vermillion County
cox119@purdue.edu
765-492-5330
SOIL TESTING AVAILABLE
Soil testing is recommended every 3 – 5 years. The Purdue Extension Vermillion County Office will take your garden soil samples (they must be dry) for nutrient & pH analysis and send them to a soils lab for fertilizer recommendations for $12. For $5 more an organic matter analysis will be completed. Soil sample bags, sample forms, and instructions can be picked up at the Office. For details, call 765-492-5330 or email cox119@purdue.edu .
Wednesdays in the Wild, July – Oct
FREE (mostly) See the attached flier for details.
VIRTUAL Exotic Pest Monitoring Programs in Indiana, October 28, 10:00am
FREE Alicia Kelley, Purdue University, CAPS State Survey Coordinator and Vince Burkle, Indiana DNR Division of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Assistant Director and Survey Coordinator.
Register at https://www.emeraldashborer.info/eab-u
Wabash Valley Audubon Society Free Movie Night @ The Historic Rockville Ritz Theater, October 28, 7:00pm
FREE In celebration of Halloween, the Wabash Valley Audubon Society is sponsoring a free screening of Alfred Hitchcock's classic 1963 natural horror-thriller The Birds (PG-13). Join us for a chilling evening at the historic Ritz Theater in downtown Rockville on Tuesday, October 28th at 7:00 pm. No reservations are required and concessions will be available for purchase at menu price.
The Wabash Valley Audubon Society serves Clay, Parke, Sullivan, Vermillion, and Vigo counties. To learn more about the Wabash Valley Audubon Society like their Facebook page or visit their website at www.wabashvalleyaudubonsociety.org.
Forestry Education Seminar @ Vermillion Co. Fairgrounds 4-H Community Bldg., October 29, 6:00pm
FREE Purdue Extension and the Vermillion County Soil & Water Conservation District invite woodland owners to a Forestry Education Seminar on Wednesday, October 29 at 6:00 pm in the 4-H Community Building at the Vermillion County Fairgrounds, Cayuga. Lenny Farlee, Purdue Extension Forester, and Mike Warner, ArborTerra Consulting LLC, will discuss Marketing Your Timber and Managing Your Woods for Recreation. No reservations are required for this free event. For more information contact the Purdue Extension Vermillion Co. Office at 765-492-5330 or cox119@purdue.edu .
Last Chance Fall Foliage Walk @ Cayuga Park, October 30, 5:30 – 7:00pm
FREE Everyone is invited to a free fall foliage walk at Cayuga Park, home of the Vermillion County Fairgrounds, on Thursday, October 30, 5:30 – 7:00 pm starting at the 4-H Community Bldg., Fairgrounds Rd., Cayuga, IN. Purdue Extension Educator, Phil Cox, will lead the walk while teaching participants how to identify the diverse species of trees in this beautiful park. In addition, up to 14 copies of the 2024 edition of “101 Trees of Indiana: A Field Guide” (by Dr. Marion Jackson) will be given away randomly to those who attend. Preregistration is not required. In case of rain, an alternative tree identification event will be held inside the 4-H Community Bldg. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
2025 Indiana Woodland Owner Conference @ Putnam Co. Forests (Oct. 31) & Turkey Run State Park Inn (Nov.1)
COST VARIES For detailed information visit https://www.ifwoa.org/resources/annual-woodland-owner-conference/
Fall Foliage Hike @ Jackson-Schnyder Nature Preserve, November 1, 1:00 – 2:30pm
FREE For details see: https://ouabachelandconservancy.org/events
VIRTUAL Techniques for Controlling Woody Invasive Plants, November 4, 10:00am
FREE Lenny Farlee, Purdue University, Hardwood Improvement and Regeneration Center, Purdue Forester
Register at https://www.emeraldashborer.info/eab-u
Prairie Seed Cleaning @ Sportland Park (Clinton), November 15, 10:00 - Noon
FREE For details see: https://ouabachelandconservancy.org/events
VIRTUAL Diseases on the horizon: Invasive Plant Pathogens, November 17, 10:00am
FREE John Bonkowski, Purdue University, Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory
Register at https://www.emeraldashborer.info/eab-u
Wabash River STEAM Training, Nov. 18 (Clinton) or Nov. 19 (Attica)
FREE This training is for teachers and youth education stakeholders in Fountain, Vermillion, Warren, Parke, Vigo, Benton, and Tippecanoe counties on Nov. 18 (Clinton) or Nov. 19 (Attica).
Here is the registration link: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSdEYY0XoMa.../viewform... See the attached flier for more details.

FREE The Wabash Valley Audubon Society will host Vicki May, East Central Illinois Bluebird Society Board of Directors member and newsletter editor, on Wednesday, November 19th at 6:30 pm in the Dobbs Park Nature Center, 5170 East Poplar St., Terre Haute. She will share, “All About Bluebirds”; discussing the basics about bluebird ecology, why we should help them, setting up and monitoring next boxes, potential problems, some good resources for more information and more.
Vicki has a wealth of experience as a retired biologist/environmental scientist with a trail of 23 nest boxes on her 35-acre property that she has converted to wildlife habitat, including a recently built 0.75-acre pond. She also specializes in native plants, organic gardening, and beekeeping.
All members and non-members are invited to this free program to learn all about one of everyone’s favorite birds! The Wabash Valley Audubon Society serves Clay, Parke, Sullivan, Vermillion, and Vigo counties. To learn more about the Wabash Valley Audubon Society like their Facebook page or visit their website at www.wabashvalleyaudubonsociety.org.
Vermillion County AG Breakfast @ Vermillion Co. Fairgrounds, December 2, 8:30am
FREE Purdue Extension - Vermillion County will host a free breakfast at 8:30 am on Tuesday, December 2nd at the Vermillion County Fairgrounds Community Building in Cayuga Park. Jeremiah Lemmons, Indiana Department of Natural Resources District Forester, will be discussing forest management and the Indiana Classified Forest & Wildlands program to assist landowners with maintaining healthy woodlands and understanding tax incentives. The minimum requirement for the Indiana Classified Forest & Wildlands program enrollment is 10 acres of forest, wetland, shrubland, and/or grassland. In addition, Senate Enrolled Act 246, that gives tax incentives for a minimum of 0.5 acres of wetlands, will be discussed. Everyone interested in learning about managing Indiana woodlands is invited to attend. RSVP is required by contacting the Vermillion County Extension Office at 765-492-5330 or cox119@purdue.edu by November 25th. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
VIRTUAL I Know What You Did Last Summer: Spread, impact, and management of elm zigzag sawfly, December 2, 10:00am
FREE Kelly Oten, NC State, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist
Register at https://www.emeraldashborer.info/eab-u
VIRTUAL Realistic expectations for invasive species management, December 11, 10:00am
FREE David Coyle, Clemson University, Associate Professor
Register at https://www.emeraldashborer.info/eab-u