Connect. Learn. Grow.

Get Winter Ready

Illinois winters are no joke. At Illinois Extension, we know that your winter wellbeing matters. Make the most out of the season with our collection of resources that answer your questions.

Boost Wellness at All Levels

Being the best you takes balance. Explore eight dimensions that work in harmony for optimal health and wellbeing. Register by Feb. 6 for the self-paced course.

Get the Latest Field Updates

Make the most informed decisions you can for your farm by getting the latest research updates to improve productivity and output from crop science experts in person or online this winter.

Improve Money Management

Discover tools, tips, and techniques for common money management topics that help you prepare for first-time financial decisions such as buying or renting, evaluating job benefits, and making financial plans.

Help the Environment

Small changes have positive impacts on the environment. This winter, explore climate, healthy waterways, and the return of big predators

Gardening in the Air

As the cold weather sets in, it's time to move gardening indoors. Learn how to take care of houseplants, protect wildlife, and prepare for spring gardening trends in the Gardening in the Air webinar series.

Master Gardener Training

Gain practical experience and horticulture knowledge straight from Extension educators so you can positively impact your community.

Budget-Friendly Nutrition Tips

Make healthier choices for your family on any budget. Find your healthy lifestyle with Eat. Move. Save.

Advocate for the Environment

Love nature? The Master Naturalist program works with adult volunteers to support natural spaces and wildlife around Illinois as environmental stewards.

Plant Seeds for Success

Dig in with confidence this spring with Growing Great Vegetables, a five-week webinar series starting February 15 that will cover how to grow a vegetable garden from seed to harvest.

Let Your Voice Be Heard

Farming is changing. Help us meet future challenges by filling out a 10-minute survey about your farm or agricultural business.

cardboard box full of large and small tomatoes and banana peppers
Central Illinois communities come together to feed families
By sharing a little, we can help a lot. Across Central Illinois, families are struggling with food insecurity, unsure where their next meal will come from. Starting in 2019, Illinois Extension staff partnered with local growers to donate more than 64,000 pounds through food pantries.
Rotting jack o' lantern
Don’t dump Halloween pumpkins, donate or compost them
Every year, come November billions of jack-o’-lanterns whose wilting faces are now past their prime need to find a new home. Instead of tossing them into the trash or dumping them in a natural area, compost them!
a group of youth stand around a computer and robotic equipment in a school cafeteria
Teen wins national 4-H award for local, global STEM education activism
When Dhruv Rebba first visited the Indian village his father grew up in, he saw a community struggling because it didn’t have access to the internet. The Illinois 4-H member knew he had the skills and drive to make a difference and he recently won a national 4-H award for his efforts.
three monarch butterflies rest on a tree branch in the early morning light
The Hunt for Orange October: Master Naturalists track monarchs
On their annual 3,000 mile migration to Mexico, monarch butterflies rest in select trees. A group of Illinois Extension volunteers, The Secret Society of Monarch Roost Hunters, scout for these roosts and report their findings as part of a community science research project to help this at-risk species.
Woman poses in garden
Master Gardener coordinator wins award for pandemic work
Tabitha Elder, Illinois Extension Champaign County horticulture program coordinator, was one of 16 civil service employees recognized for exceptional performance by the University of Illinois with the Chancellor's Distinguished Staff Award.
Back view of a man with a smoker in his hand approaching urban beehives
Urban beekeeper's planned expansion pays off during pandemic
Oscar Villa graduated the Cook County Master Urban Farmer program in 2018. With a plan in place, he expanded from a hobby to a business.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Response resources for COVID-19

The spread and mitigation of coronavirus (COVID-19) is an evolving concern for Illinois. This library of resources can help families, businesses, community leaders, and ag producers cope.

Find Local Food Resources

Find all food assistance sites closest to your Illinois zip code, including food pantries, school meal sites, and grocery stores and farmers markets that accept WIC/SNAP.

Economic and Functional Value

A new report finds that Extension provides more than $600 million annual benefit to Illinois, ten times its budget. Read the report.

En Espanol

La Extensión de la Universidad de Illinois es el principal alcance emblemático de la Universidad de Illinois en Urbana-Champaign, que ofrece programas educativos a los residentes de los 102 condados de Illinois, y mucho más.
Upcoming Events

  1. Regenerative Agriculture: Techniques Towards Sustainable Vegetable Production | Small Farms Winter Webinar
    Online
  2. Macon County 4-H Maroa-Forsyth STEAM CLUB
    Forsyth Public Library, 268 S. Elwood St., Forsyth (Macon County)

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  1. 2022 Driftless Region Beef Conference
    Grand River Convention Center, Dubuque, Iowa
  2. Certified Food Protection Managers Class & Exam (Hillsboro)
    Montgomery County Extension Office, #1 Industrial Park Dr., Hillsboro, IL 62049 (Montgomery County)

  1. National LEGO® Day Sharing Session & Virtual Factory Tour
    Online
More Events