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. 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. Fall into Gardening As the seasons change, so does the garden routine. Soon we'll be moving from weeding and watering to cleaning up and harvesting. Save time and money with expert advice on everything from planting fall blooming flowers to prepping trees for severe weather. 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. Dealing with Rainfall Whether you have too much or too little, rain can be a challenge. A summer storm can flood washes away landscaping and flood streets while droughts stretch water resources. Explore tools to help you manage rainfall for your home or community. Budget-Friendly Nutrition Tips Make healthier choices for your family on any budget. Find your healthy lifestyle with Eat. Move. Save. 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. COMMUNITY RESOURCES 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. Community gardens fight food insecurity close to home Illinois is home to some of the most fertile soils in the world. No one should go hungry here. Every year, Illinois Extension staff and Master Gardener volunteers around the state fight food insecurity with fruits and vegetables fresh from the garden. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Upcoming Events September 01, 2022 Pumpkin Field DayEckert's Orchard (St. Clair County) Pumpkin Field Day 2022Eckert’s Orchard Solar Gardens and Farms: Understanding the Differences and OpportunitiesJo Daviess County Extension Office, 204 Vine St. Elizabeth, IL 61028 (JoDaviess County) 2022 Orr Beef Research Center Field DayJohn Wood Ag Center at the Orr Center September 01, 2022 - September 30, 2022 Hunger Action Month More Events Recent News August 30, 2022 Aerial applications going full speed ahead this season August 30, 2022 Central Illinois Unity Community Center cultivates healthy youth with new 4-H Educator August 29, 2022 Keep garden, plants hydrated going into fall August 29, 2022 Cook County grows horticulture team with new bilingual educator August 22, 2022 Grassy weeds becoming more common in lawns More News Releases