Conservation Commodity Field Day

Purdue Extension, Soil and Water Conservation District, Indiana Farm Bureau, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, and Diverse Corn Belt Project are partnering to hold a Farmer-to-Farmer Conservation Commodity Field Day from 8 a.m. to Noon on July 15. Participants will tour farms in Lake and Porter Counties. Bus transportation will be provided. Pickup will be at the Lake County Purdue Extension and Soil and Water Conservation District Office, 2291 N. Main St., Crown Point. Box lunches also will be provided. Topics to be covered include commodity conservation practices, adding a rotation (winter wheat), diversifying and building market channels for diversified crops. Register by Tuesday at https://tinyurl.com/CommodityFieldDay. For more information, contact Rebecca Koetz at 219-755-3240 or email busser@purdue.edu.

Valparaiso band to perform at 49er Drive-In

Marking its fifth annual appearance, the Valparaiso Community/University Concert Band, conducted by Jeffrey Scott Doebler, will perform at 7:15 p.m. on July 9 at the 49er Drive-In Theater, 675 N. Calumet Ave., Valparaiso. Box office opens at 7 p.m. The band will play a 45-minute concert before the start of the first feature of the evening. The band’s repertoire will include a variety of music to entertain audiences of all ages. The tentative program includes “Homeward Bound,” by John Philip Sousa; “Caribbean Beach,” by Michael Boo; “Vuelo,” by Salvador Jacobo; and “Popcorn,” by Gershon Kingsley. Tickets are $10 for ages 12 and older, $5 for ages 5 to 11 and free for children younger than 4. The Valparaiso Community/University Concert Band is open to musicians of all ages, without audition. Since its founding in 1993, the band has performed hundreds of concerts in northwest Indiana. In addition to their 49er Drive-In concert, they will make their annual appearance at the Porter County Fair on July 23. During the academic year, the band performs the Family Weekend concert at Valparaiso University, Veterans Day Dinner at the Porter County Expo Center, Julefest Christmas pops concert, Community Band Festival and Sousa Concert. More information can be found at https://49erdrivein.com/ or email Doebler at jeff.Doebler@valpo.edu.

Everybody Counts offering scholarships to training event

Everybody Counts is seeking area residents with disabilities who would like to become active and effective leaders in the fight to protect valuable programs and services. The local disability rights agency is offering free scholarships to “Nothing About Us Without Us: A Disability Empowerment Unconference,” a training event to be held Aug. 27 to 31 at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis. Individuals with minimal previous experience but a passion to work for positive change are encouraged to apply. For more information or to access an online application, contact Jeremy Warriner at 317-402-7255 or Teresa Torres at 219-769-5055.

Master Gardeners to host July education program with Chris Baran

Join the Lake County Master Gardeners for a free program on “Creating Curb Appeal with Native Plants in Existing Gardens” with Chris Baran at 10 a.m. July 12 at Purdue Cooperative Extension – Lake County, 2293 N. Main St., Crown Point (building adjacent to Lake County Government Center). Adding native plants to existing garden beds is a simple way to boost curb appeal while supporting pollinators and improving soil health. Baran, the founder and principal designer of Resilient Design LLC, a Chicago-based firm focused on sustainable and naturalistic landscapes, will lead the discussion. To reserve a space, contact lakecountymastergardeners@gmail.com or use the link to register, https://forms.gle/HsMX2JFBVhUYT15fA.

Program to help caregivers manage finances

Linda Curley, Purdue University Extension Educator, will present “Managing Money: A Caregivers Guide to Finances” in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association from 10:30 to Noon July 14 at Purdue Extension-Lake County, 2291 N. Main St., Crown Point. For those with a loved one facing Alzheimer’s disease, dementia or another chronic illness, the program will help participants better understand the costs of caregiving and the benefits of early planning. Register at https://tinyurl.com/14JulyALZMM or by calling Diana at 219-755-3240.

Camp Lakeside Summer Day Camp still has openings

Spots are still available for Camp Lakeside’s summer day camp, which runs daily through Aug. 8 at 36 S. Fish Lake St., Valparaiso. Hosted by Opportunity Enterprises, Camp Lakeside is an integrated summer camp for kids with and without disabilities. Each week of camp represents a unique theme in addition to art, STEM, archery, gardening and more. Upcoming weekly themes include Life of a Robot, Red Carpet Awaits, Life is a Beach, Edible Exploding Exciting Science and Rock n’ Roll Through the Ages. The weekly registration fee is $200. For more information, including sponsor-level information and registration, visit camplakeside.org.