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Extension's New Director
Matthew Vann begins his role as Illinois Extension's new associate dean and director Sept. 22. A lifelong champion of agriculture and community engagement, Vann steps into this role with a bold vision for the future.
Preserve Fresh Food
Preserving food can make the most of a big harvest so you can enjoy homegrown, locally purchased, or seasonal foods throughout the year. Choose from a variety of safe food preservation methods, and use a tested recipe.
Wildlife is Everywhere
Learn how to support Illinois wildlife and navigate everyday wildlife encounters with research-based information you can trust.
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SNAP-Ed: Nutrition Education That Works
SNAP-Education transforms the health of our Illinois communities, providing evidence-based nutrition education, healthy messaging, and strategic partnerships to deliver services. In 2024, Illinois SNAP-Ed reached over 1 million residents through the Eat.Move.Save. program, which helps SNAP participants stretch their food dollars, shop for and prepare healthy meals, and adopt more physically active lifestyles.
- Illinois SNAP-Ed returns up to $9.54 for each dollar spent on programming by reducing obesity, food insecurity, and healthcare costs.
- Illinois SNAP-Ed is estimated to prevent 5,060 cases of obesity and 570 cases of food insecurity for Illinois adults and children in a single year.
- Illinois SNAP-Ed is estimated to generate discounted future societal benefits between $76.0 million and $135.3 million for one year of programming.
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A Strategic Path for Extension Impact
Throughout 2023 and early 2024, Illinois Extension, in partnership with Huron Consulting Group, engaged in a comprehensive planning process to refine and refresh its core priorities, goals, and paths to success through internal and external stakeholder surveys, focus groups, and listening sessions statewide. The research yielded vital findings around Extension’s engagement, services, partnerships, and impact and identified shifting trends, demographics, and needs that will impact Illinois residents.
Stormwater Leadership Summit unites Northern Illinois communities in search for regional solutions
GLENCOE, Ill. — On Sept. 25, more than 100 community leaders, engineers, planners, and stormwater experts gathered at the Chicago Botanic Garden for the first-of-its-kind Stormwater Leadership Summit to address one of Illinois' most pressing infrastructural and environmental challenges.
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Nature’s canvas highlighted in autumnal celebration, art exhibit at the Red Oak Rain Garden
URBANA, Ill. — When the sun sets late in October, something whimsical this way comes to the Red Oak Rain Garden. The “Illuminating Art in Nature” exhibit will return to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign garden in an autumnal celebration of art…
Start selecting 2026 Illinois Performance Tested Sale bulls
URBANA, Ill. — Seedstock breeders should be identifying bulls they plan to consign to the 2026 Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale. The IPT Bull Sale is the leadoff event for the annual Illinois Beef Expo in Springfield. The sale is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 19, in the Artisans Building at…
Roots & Shoots: A Beginner's Guide to Botany
Wellness Walk at Sauk Trail Woods
Lake Murphysboro Trash Blast
Sibley Burr Oak Grove Work Day