Herb Day 2004 Slated For January 17, 2004      

[DEC. 31, 2003]  URBANA (herbana?)- It's time to blow away the winter gardening blues and reawaken your dormant herb gardening enthusiasm by attending Herb Day 2004, scheduled for Saturday, January 17, 2004, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center, 1001 Killarney Street, Urbana, Illinois, just off I-74 at exit 183 or Lincoln Avenue.

Whether you're a home gardener with an interest in herbs or small-scale herb producer with retail interests, Herb Day 2004 will tune up your herb growing skills.
 
"Herb Day has become an annual gathering place for herb enthusiasts from all over Illinois and surrounding states, and this year's event will be a day of educational and entertaining sessions, an abundant herbal lunch, and the chance to interact with other herb enthusiasts to renew a collective enthusiasm for herb gardening," said Chuck Voigt, U of I Extension specialist and event organizer.
 
This year's lineup includes Chester Aaron, from Occidental, California, who is a noted garlic grower, connoisseur, and author of several entertaining books. He will kick off the celebration of garlic as Herb of the Year for 2004 with his presentation "Garlic Is Life."
 
Stephen Lee, a chef, author, entertainer, and educator from Louisville, Kentucky, will present a cooking demonstration that will entertain as well as whet attendee's appetites for the herbal lunch buffet. The title of this demonstration is "Old Flavors, New Tastes; Using Herbs on the New American Dinner Plate."
 
John Enterline and Ron Short, herbal design partners from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, will team up in the morning to demonstrate "Topiary and Friends in the Garden," followed in the afternoon by the "Pleasure of Tea."
 
Greg Stack, long-time University of Illinois Extension Educator, will speak about hardy roses for the herb garden.
 
For members of the general public as well as Herb Day attendees, there will be a retail area opened from 8:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. with vendors of herbs, everlastings, equipment, books, and many other herbal products. There is no entrance fee for those attending only this retail event. Come early for the best selection of merchandise.
 
Herb Day 2004 is sponsored by U of I Extension and is open to professionals as well as members of the general public. Cost of registration, including lunch, is $44 per person. This includes seating in the lectures, an information packet, an herbal theme lunch buffet, and access to the retail area. There will be vegetarian options on this buffet, or a vegan plate can be arranged in advance.
 
Lunch reservations must be received no later than January 9, 2004. Those interested should mail checks, payable to the University of Illinois, to Herb Day 2004, Attention: Carol Preston, S-406 Turner Hall, 1102 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801.
 
In 2003, available space was filled a week before the event, so sign up early this year to avoid disappointment. If available, on-site registration will also cost $44, but will not include lunch. For more information, call [phone] and mention Herb Day 2004. Credit card orders cannot be accepted.
 

[Gary Beaumont
University of Illinois
College of ACES
1301 W. Gregory Dr.
Urbana, IL 61801
217-333-9440
FAX: [phone]
E-Mail: [e-mail]]

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