Life provides challenges. Trust Extension to help. Families, businesses, communities, and organizations trust Illinois Extension to provide unbiased, research-based solutions to the challenges you face. Read our latest blog Connect. Learn. Grow. Let's Grow Together The popular Growing Great Vegetables 5-week webinar series is back starting this February. Topics include: Where will you garden Begin to Manage your Forest Own a forest, but not sure how to care for it? Apply for the Beginning Forest Landowner Program in Southern Illinois! Get hands-on experience in both the in-person and online course and explore forest ecology, tree identification, timber harvesting, pres Grow Your Green Stuff Learn how to make the most of your financial resources and explore techniques for investing, saving money, smart spending, handling price increases, starting a side hustle, or managing your student loans in this series. Be Prepared for Winter When temperatures plunge, don’t take chances. Weather whatever winter throws at you – your home, your family, your health – with confidence. Take a Pesticide Applicator Test The Pesticide Safety Education Program is offering in person and online training and certification now through March to help Applicators and Operators meet their goals. Help the Environment Small changes in your personal life can have positive impacts on the environment. Explore how prescribed burns work, how to build better soils, and more. Terrific Teachable Moments Looking for simple activities that reinforce positive youth behaviors, such as problem-solving and honesty? The Terrific Teachable Moments app is grounded in social emotional learning and puts 150+ lessons right at your fingertips. Take the Master Gardener Training Gain practical experience and horticulture knowledge straight from Extension educators so you can positively impact your community. 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. Illinois Extension helps provide nearly 25,000 meals through 12-county Deer Donation Program More than 24,500 plates in East Central Illinois were full this winter thanks to the Illinois Extension Deer Donation Program. The 12-county pilot program fights food insecurity by connecting hunters with meat processors and food pantries. 50 years of changing lives with 4-H When Joyce Smith’s children joined 4-H in the 1970s, little did she know it would be the start of a half-century journey. Now, Mercer County 4-H is celebrating the 50th year of Smith's work uplifting and helping to shape youth into leaders and community builders. Bring life to empty downtown buildings Communities big and small across Illinois struggle with vacant buildings. These properties can have a ripple effect that harms the local economy, lowers property values, and impacts the safety and quality of life for residents and visitors. Explore options for municipalities to recapture a property's value to build healthy, prosperous communities. 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! Pest Success: 4-H member starts business, wins national award for bio-pesticide After moving to the U.S. as a child, Matias Habib felt like an outsider. He struggled with language barriers and social anxiety and was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Through the University of Illinois Extension 4-H science program, Habib found community and confidence and now has a growing ag business. 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. Upcoming Events February 09, 2023 Hancock 4-H ArcheryCarthage (Hancock County) Tornado Trends | Everyday EnvironmentOnline 2023 Southwestern Illinois Commercial Tree Fruit SchoolKnights of Columbus Hall Candy Making WorkshopClay County Extension Office DIY Indoor Gardening Projects | Christian CountyChristian County Extension or Online (Christian County) More Events Recent News February 08, 2023 Tips for entering the cottage food business February 06, 2023 Flowers are a forgotten love language February 06, 2023 Cook County invests in the future of urban agriculture January 31, 2023 Illinois 4-H builds expertise in agriculture and career development with two new educators January 31, 2023 Sow seeds of change, learn how to save garden seeds More News Releases