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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 12, 2022 Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame Recognition August 12Orr Building, Illinois State Fair Distributing | Cultivate & Contribute with 4-H at Crossing HealthcareCrossing Healthcare Garden (Macon County) Jasper County Hunter Safety Course August 12, 2022 - August 14, 2022 4-H Can Make a Difference Food Drive Illinois State Fair General Project ShowOrr Building, State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL More Events Recent News August 12, 2022 West Central Illinois invests in future of farming with new agricultural center August 10, 2022 Fall gardening is your time to plan for beautiful spring August 09, 2022 New translation specialist improves Extension’s outreach to multilingual communities August 08, 2022 New Watershed Outreach Associate aims for clear waters through community engagement August 08, 2022 Taking time to select plants for difficult growing conditions helps long-term success More News Releases