Take steps to address climate change at home with Everyday Environment
URBANA, Ill. — It’s easy to get overwhelmed thinking about the impacts of climate change. While there are many strategies to reduce risk and adapt at global and regional scales, individuals can also take action. Learn how you can address climate change in your home, landscape, and community in a...
Protect trees and their roots during construction projects
URBANA, Ill. — While essential for development, construction projects often damage trees and their intricate root systems. Even the beautiful trees that are sitting on a site and desired to be kept following construction can become damaged and later experience decline....
Get outside, get learning at fall 2024 Illinois Master Naturalist conference
URBANA, Ill. — The very nature of nature is that it is always changing. Seasons come and go, birds flit in and out of view, and water ebbs and flows constantly moving downstream. Master Naturalist volunteers are invited to stay up to date on nature’s news by attending the...
Pumpkin disease not evolving, could make a difference for management
URBANA, Ill. — The pathogen that causes bacterial spot is very good at what it does. Forming small lesions on the rinds of pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, and other cucurbits, it mars the fruits’ appearance and ushers in secondary pathogens that lead to rot and severe yield loss. The bacterium,...
Explore cutting-edge agricultural technology with I-FARM Learning Series
URBANA, Ill. — Identifying on-farm needs to increase efficiency, safety, practicality, and overall profitability is where ideas for adapting technology begin. From there, advancing technology for productivity and sustainability seems to be more within reach in a changing agricultural landscape....
Explore commercial pumpkin production at Extension field day
URBANA, Ill. — As Illinois ranks number one in both pumpkin production and processing, it provides a great opportunity to bring together growers, producers, and those who love talking pumpkins.University of Illinois Extension can help kick off...
Field day provides diverse avenues to resiliency, sustainability in agriculture
URBANA, Ill. — As the agriculture industry has grown and evolved over the centuries, numerous environmental and societal factors have constantly challenged its resilience. Today is no different. To achieve sustainable agricultural operations, farmers must continue to adopt new technologies and...
Community members are invited to support local youth at 4-H Regional Showcase
DUQUOIN, Ill. – 4-H encourages children to be themselves by exploring their interests and choosing a path that leads to happiness. For many youth, the highlight of their time in 4-H is showcasing projects during fair season. Through a partnership with Illinois Extension and the DuQuoin State...
Bring birds close to home by gardening for feathered friends
URBANA, Ill. — People plant gardens for food, flowers, and function, but planting for the birds can be beautiful and beneficial to the environment. What if instead of storebought bird seed in a feeder, gardens could include a buffet of different foods for birds while also being a beautiful...
New online agriculture course grows skills in identifying corn, soybean field insects
URBANA, Ill. — One thing is for sure, if there is a farm field, insects will visit it. Having the skills to identify insects inhabiting crop fields across the Midwest improves one’s ability to identify and effectively manage insect pests while avoiding unnecessary interventions that may...
Illinois clean energy transition excludes key constituents in energy justice equation
URBANA, Ill. — Illinois has made transitioning to clean energy a major priority in recent years with the passage of the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2016 and the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021. Both pieces of legislation prioritize an equitable transition, aiming to avoid and address...
Attend field day to learn how agrivoltaics boosts energy, resiliency in food production
URBANA, Ill. — Continuing to feed a growing world is the agriculture industry's future, and the demand for sustainability is here. One avenue of exploration includes agrivoltaics or solar energy within production agriculture.“The relatively recent idea combines solar panels for...
Head Start staff invited to learn about BMI measurement, communication best practices
URBANA, Ill. — Every year, Head Start programs collect children’s body mass index data and communicate results to families to address childhood obesity in enrolled children. In a recently published research article, Head Start staff across the country shared that there is a lack of guidance on...
Tips for getting landscape plants through summer
URBANA, Ill. — While much of the work done in the garden happens in the spring, that doesn’t mean growers can coast through summer. Supplemental watering, weeding, and managing pests will go a long way to keep landscapes growing through the summer.WaterAs the...
Take steps to reduce exposure to PFAS chemicals
URBANA, Ill. — PFAS are chemicals commonly found in consumer goods that are making their way into drinking water supplies where they are a risk to human health, but there are steps people can take to protect themselves.PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of more than 15...
Illinois 4-H teams shine at National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships
Grand Island, Neb – The National 4-H Shooting Sports Championships, held from June 23-28, 2024, saw over 700 4-H teenage youth from more than 40 states gather to compete in various shooting sports disciplines, including shotgun, archery, rifle, and pistol, in an Olympic-...
To survive the summer heat, choose plants built for the sizzle
URBANA, Ill. — Summer can be a scorcher, but by selecting the right plants, a landscape can still look sultry all summer long.Both trialed and native plants can tolerate the heat. Trial plants are evaluated throughout the season for heat tolerance and can be planted in the ground or...
Youth master essential skills through livestock judging competition
Urbana, Ill. -- Illinois 4-H members headed to the showring for the 2024 State Livestock Judging Contest held at the University of Illinois campus Jun. 17. Instead of leading animals, these young members were acting as judge, evaluating groupings of cattle, hogs, and sheep against a...
AgrAbility provides more resources, expands chronic disease webinar series through summer
URBANA, Ill. — Experiencing symptoms from chronic disease is a daily and often private occurrence for many. Illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, liver disease, bipolar disorder, or other chronic long-term conditions can cause symptoms such as fatigue, sleeplessness, anxiety,...
