Serving Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Moultrie and Shelby Counties

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Announcements and Highlights

TLC

Elevate your skills with Thinking, Learning, and Caring

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Get Savvy

Get an early start on managing your money.

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Spring Photo Contest

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Master Gardener Plant Sale

Looking to add to your garden? Head over to the Master Gardener Plant Sale at the City of Mattoon Garden Fest! This year's sale will feature a large variety of tomato plants, along with herbs, peppers, native plants, and houseplants. All plants will start at $2 and are grown by local Master Gardeners.

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Maintaining a strong relationship with your spouse or romantic partner can be a challenge.

This free online program will get you there.

Strong Couples

Free webinar series from the University of Illinois

No matter your age, learn valuable life lessons and gain relevant, easy-to-understand tips for living an inspiring, healthful, and rich life.

2024 Flyer

Resources

Online courses

We provide learning on your terms so you can be who you were meant to be.

Food Preservation

Enjoy garden-fresh foods all year long by preserving at home. We'll take you through the journey, from the equipment you'll need to the step-by-step-process.

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Keep these handy guides ready when problems emerge.

Maximize profit on your farm

All the tools you need to stay up-to-date on the markets and to make economical farm decisions.

Quarterly Companion

Check out the Spring Quarterly Companion newsletter.

Review the guidelines

Ensure you're following the new guidelines for selling homemade foods.

Upcoming Local Events

State 4-H Robotics Competition

May 4, 2024

A person holdin a credit card and a bill

Strategies for Debt Repayment

May 8, 2024

Strategies for Debt Repayment

May 8, 2024

Strategies for Debt Repayment

May 8, 2024

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News Releases

Person driving a tractor without a cab on a rural road.

May 3, 2024

Level up safety first thinking during the spring planting season
URBANA, Ill. — Current spring weather conditions have a lot of tractors parked for now, but when the weather clears and fields dry, it will be a fast-paced season for planting 2024 statewide. Although another Midwest farming season may seem routine, the agriculture industry is highly...

May 2, 2024

Extension’s dedication to environment grows with new campus natural resources expert
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The wild spaces of Illinois are smaller than what they once were, but the forests and prairies that remain are vital for wildlife and the ecosystem services they provide. Across the state, University of Illinois Extension’s network of natural resource experts connects...

Youth teams standing at a crop scouting station discussing plants with a researcher.

May 1, 2024

Illinois crop competition calls for youth scouting teams
URBANA, Ill. — The Illinois Youth Crop Scouting Competition is not just any competition. It is a unique opportunity for agriculture students to showcase skills and knowledge while working on a team competing for a prize...

a group of children stand at a table full of potted plants in a classroom

April 24, 2024

Plant positivity, learn how to grow a school or community garden
URBANA, Ill. — When green spaces fill schoolyards and neighborhoods with flowers and fresh produce, children and communities thrive. But the journey from the idea of starting a community or school-based garden to planting one that is built to last is long. What funding sources are available?...

Recent quarter-sized holes in the soil made by periodical cicadas

April 19, 2024

Enjoy the silence. Cicadas are coming
If you haven't heard the buzz, you will soon. Billions of periodical cicadas are coming, and University of Illinois Extension is sharing information to help track their moves before emergence. “Historically speaking, 2024 is a big year for...

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