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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.
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Connect. Learn. Grow.

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Preserve Homegrown Foods

Enjoy garden-fresh foods all year long by preserving at home! From freezing to canning, the art of food preservation is not as difficult as you might first believe. Explore recipes, safety tips, and what you’ll need to get started.

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You Can Help the Environment

Small changes in your personal live can have positive impacts on the environment. Explore how to manage stormwater, cover crops at home, and climate change effects on Lake Michigan.

Cottage food training course

Cottage Food Training

Starting a home-based food business? Get a head start on understanding the laws, certifications, processes, and practices required to safely and legally run a cottage food operation in Illinois.

Viola flower with graphic: 2022 Gardeners Corner summer

Your Summer Garden Checklist

Summer is a busy time – the garden To Do list is long and there are enough hours in the day. Save time and money with expert advice on everything from weed control to harvesting produce with our summer growing guide.

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Budget-Friendly Nutrition Tips

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

Illinois Master Gardener

Master Gardener Training

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

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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.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Find Food IL community food map

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.

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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.

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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.

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Find financial freedom, reach your money goals with guidance from Extension experts
Financial education and coaching can make a huge difference in people’s lives. That's why Illinois Extension consumer economic staff and volunteers make financial discussions easy to understand through workshops and webinars.
a young white girl and white boy hold baby chicks in front of a tub holding more chicks
Finding common ground: Extension connects public with agriculture

Whether large commercial agriculture operations, small farms, or community and backyard gardens, the future of our food supply relies on the use of practices that boost production and capacity.

Woman in hat and sunglasses stands in rain garden
Red Oak Rain Garden welcomes April showers
The Red Oak Rain Garden is a 10,000-square-foot demonstration site on the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana campus that is designed to soak up rainwater, provide wildlife habitat, and educate visitors about sustainable landscape design.
industrial hemp
Farmers, researchers break ground with new guidelines for budding hemp crop
By collecting data from more than 180 hemp growers over the past two years, Illinois Extension researchers now have a better understanding of how to produce hemp and are sharing that information directly with growers through the Midwestern Hemp Database.
map of soil lead concentration in Chicago area
Is there lead in your soil? New Chicago-area map tells you
Leftover from paint, gasoline, and other sources, lead lingers in urban environments where it can be a health risk for anyone in contact with the soil - from children playing in mud puddles to backyard gardeners. University researchers worked with communities to identify lead hotspots.
caucasian man in hat standing in field holding pink flowers
Fields of dreams: From 4-H to cut flower grower
Illinois cut flower grower uses 4-H background to builds community with his 'more than one person' approach.
Upcoming Events

August 08, 2022

  1. Building an Emergency Food and Water Supply | Be Prepared When Disaster Strikes
    Online
  2. Vaccine Clinic at Perry County Health Department
    Perry County Health Department, 907 S. Main St., Pinckneyville, IL 62274 (Perry County)
  3. Carroll County 4-H Fair
    Carroll County Fairgrounds (Carroll County)
  4. Fulton-Mason Master Gardener Meeting
    Black Sheep Farm (Fulton County), (Mason County)

August 09, 2022

  1. Yes, You Can! Dehydrating: From Grape to Raisin
    On-line
More Events
Recent News
August 08, 2022
Taking time to select plants for difficult growing conditions helps long-term success
August 02, 2022
Harlan's leadership expands to 48 counties
August 02, 2022
New leadership announced for Illinois Extension regions
August 02, 2022
Kemp selected to lead Extension outreach in northeast Illinois
August 02, 2022
McCoy's Extension leadership expanded with appointment as assistant director
More News Releases
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Illinois Extension

111 Mumford Hall (MC-710)

1301 W. Gregory Dr.

Urbana, IL 61801

Phone: 217-333-5900

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