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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.

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.

clusters of white flowers, poison hemlock

Be Wary of Poison Hemlock

Poison hemlock is a toxic plant found commonly in roadsides, near railroads, ditches, pastures, and other open areas. Populations in Illinois seem to be on the rise. Learn the risks, how to identify it, and how to manage it.

everyday environment webinar series

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.

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.

Eat. Move. Save. text logo

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.

TEConomy report

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.

Hispanic Family

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.

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.
ginger plant laying on a bed of straw
The spice is right? Researchers explore growing ginger in Illinois
Ginger is a tropical plant that may seem out of place in a state known for growing row crops, but its flavorful, golden root could be the solution to a plant disease problem for farmers who grow tomatoes in hoop houses.
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.
Upcoming Events

July 01, 2022

  1. Edwards County Tag-A-Longs Pick Your Project- West Salem
    Shelter on the West Salem Square (Edwards County)
  2. Tazewell 4-H Show Registration Due
  3. IL Junior Chefs Cooking School - Livingston County Week of June 27 - July 1 Session 5
    Livingston County Extension Office, 1412 S. Locust Street, Pontiac (Livingston County)

July 01, 2022 - September 30, 2022

  1. Food, Fun, 4-H At-Home Cooking Program for Families
    In your home

July 02, 2022

  1. 2022 4-H Horse Show | DeWitt, Macon and Piatt
    Dewitt County 4-H Fairgrounds
More Events
Recent News
July 01, 2022
Produce donation program improves health and nutrition at food pantries
June 27, 2022
Feed your community by safely donating homegrown fruits, vegetables
June 24, 2022
Midwestern hemp database applications open until July 24
June 24, 2022
Guide outlines steps to take when pesticide drift occurs
June 23, 2022
Livestock judging helps youth improve local herds
More News Releases
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Find an Office

Illinois Extension

111 Mumford Hall (MC-710)

1301 W. Gregory Dr.

Urbana, IL 61801

Phone: 217-333-5900

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