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Get green: Explore funding opportunities for community environmental projects

URBANA, Ill. — Communities across Illinois are working to address legacy pollution and invest in clean energy technologies. Municipalities can explore grant opportunities to fund the installation of green infrastructure, the transition to clean energy, and the cleanup of polluted areas with a…

Learning and networking help volunteers, staff grow at Illinois Extension’s Master Gardener 2024 Conference

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Gardens across Illinois take many forms. Apartment dwellers embrace balcony potted plants, flowers fill fields on rural roads and front yards in the suburbs, and neighbors come together to grow vegetables and find fellowship among their harvests.

Illinois Extension’s…

Nancy Kuhajda

Bringing horticulture into focus, new educator serving northern Illinois

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — For over 100 years, University of Illinois Extension has been the single source of truth for millions of Illinois residents who need answers to gardening, planting, horticulture, and production questions. With changing food and urban landscapes, it can be hard for residents…

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Wollin wins state poultry contest
A Marion County 4-H member led all scores in the Illinois 4-H State Poultry Judging Contest held Aug. 7 in Springfield during the Illinois State Fair. Twenty youth from eight Illinois counties participated for the right to advance to national competition. Dennis Wollin was the high point...
Insect monitoring in soybeans: What to look for during pod fill
By Dr. Nicholas Seiter, Assistant Professor and Extension Entomologist   At this point in the season, most of our insect monitoring efforts are focused on soybean. There are several pests that can damage soybean during pod fill, and proper scouting is necessary to...
Contest prepares young dairy producers
It may be a contest, but the true benefit of the Illinois 4-H State Dairy Judging Contest is that it teaches youth what it takes to raise profitable dairy production herds. “It is important for young dairy breeders to understand the functional traits associated with high milk production...
Handing Off Your Business: A Planning Workshop
The aging of owners and leaders creates one of the most complex chapters in the life of a business. So complex that 60% opt to avoid all or some of the issues. Succession planning for the management of a business and the exit strategy of leaders are connected, but different. Estate planning is...
The Mosquito Mystery
BLOOMINGTON, IL – If you scooped a pond, you would find the infamous mosquito larvae but you would also find dragonfly and damselfly nymphs, tadpoles, and fish feeding on them. The larvae of these mosquitoes love cleaning stagnant water of bacteria, algae, and fungus. However, states University...
Orr Beef Research Center field day scheduled for September 25
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE URBANA, Ill. – The annual Orr Beef Research Center Field Day will take place at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. The meeting will be held at the John Wood Agricultural Education Center located on State Highway 104. Speakers from the University of Illinois will...
Start selecting 2020 Illinois Performance Tested bulls
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE URBANA, Ill. – Seedstock breeders should be identifying bulls they plan to consign to the 2020 Illinois Performance Tested (IPT) Bull Sale. The IPT Bull Sale is the leadoff event for the annual Illinois Beef Expo. The sale is scheduled for February 20, 2020, at the...
Plant your native garden this fall
URBANA, Ill. – If you missed the window for planting native plants in your garden this spring, don’t worry, you still have time to get them in the ground in the fall....
Requirements for Exempt Farms Under FSMA Produce Rule
Are you fully exempt or qualified exempt from the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Rule? Do you know how to figure this out? If not, you are not alone! Did you know that even if you are exempt, you still have guidelines and requirements that need to be followed? The Food and...
I-TICK Passive Surveillance
I-TICK, Illinois Tick Inventory Collaboration networK, is a passive surveillance program to gather information about ticks of public health concern in Illinois. The purpose is to develop a network...
Illinois' Sycamores Will Recover
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Have you noticed sycamores have had an unusual leaf-out this spring? You are seeing a symptom of a group of fungal diseases, anthracnose, which worsen when weather conditions are cool and moist and make the tree look like it is dying says...
Is Gardening Still Important to Humans?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE To be human is to be stressed. For our ancient ancestors, stress may have been encountering a predator. Today, modern stress can come in many forms, from simple disappointment or to tragic events. Unfortunately, our brains evolved to deal with fighting for our...
Living with Japanese Beetles
It's about that time of year, time for Japanese beetles... Japanese beetles are one of the most destructive ornamental pests we have in Illinois. They were first discovered in the United States in 1916 in New Jersey and have been making their way across the U.S. since then. The adults...
Scout and Control Bagworms
DECATUR – When the Japanese tree lilacs are in bloom, it's time to scout for and control bagworms, according to University of Illinois horticulture educator Kelly Allsup. This species flowers later than other lilacs, with large fluffy white blossoms on a 20- to 30-foot tree. Known for...
Four Seasons Gardening Program Offers Summer Series
The summer series of University of Illinois Extension’s Four Seasons Gardening Program, which focuses on environmental stewardship, home gardening, and backyard food production, gets underway the month of June. The public is invited to participate in this free webinar series. The first session...

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