DIY bottle terrariums make great holiday gifts
URBANA, Ill. – Winter is that time of year where gardeners rest and plan for spring. But with the holidays, why not make loved ones plant gifts?
Impossible bottles, or bottles with an object inside that doesn’t seem like it can fit through the bottle’s mouth, have been things of...
Youth hippology team show off their horse sense as national reserve champions
LOUISVILLE, KY -- The Illinois 4-H State Hippology team’s knowledge was tested at the Eastern National 4-H Roundup and they came away as reserve champions. The team fielded a wide range of questions, ranging from breed identification, anatomy, tack...
Watering trees, shrubs in the fall and winter is a balancing act
URBANA, Ill. – After this year’s summer drought in Illinois, it is more important than ever to monitor soil moisture conditions and water trees and shrubs going into winter. Drought conditions in the late fall, along with dry air and low soil moisture, can lead to plant damage if no supplemental...
Master Gardeners Host Make-and-Take Holiday Event
Gather your friends for a morning of holiday fun and decorating as University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners in Winnebago County host their annual ‘Horticulture for the Holidays’ workshop on Saturday, December 11 from 9 a.m. to noon at Lockwood Park in the Cookhouse (5201 Safford Rd.,...
Demographic changes result in increasing diversity in Illinois, new data presents
URBANA, Ill. — How do we determine the best ways for community and economic development in Illinois? How do you know what to vote for in the upcoming elections? The best place to start is in understanding demographic composition.
The 2020 decennial census revealed that...
Keep worms warm for winter vermicomposting
URBANA, Ill. – Vermicomposting or vermiculture, which is also known as worm farming, is the practice of keeping worms to produce worm castings or vermicompost. Vermicomposting is a natural process where worms digest organic matter and produce a waste product that is high in plant-available...
Grub attack could be just under the surface
URBANA, Ill. – Hundreds of dead and dying grubs littered the dirt Chicago sports field once covered in grass. Nancy Kreith, University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator...
4-H youth take the commander’s seat on space missions
Urbana, Ill. -- An interdisciplinary collaboration between Illinois 4-H and the Laboratory for Advanced Space Systems at Illinois (LASSI) makes it possible for middle and high school...
Bring homegrown foods to the table this Thanksgiving
Bring homegrown foods to the table this Thankgiving
URBANA, Ill. – Celebrating the year’s harvest with a Thanksgiving feast has been an American tradition for more than 400 years. Whether homegrown or from a farmers market, the demand for locally sourced foods is on the rise.
...
4-H teens earn new state leadership roles
URBANA, Ill. – Six Illinois teens take on new statewide leadership roles as they join the Illinois 4-H Youth Leadership Team Board through the University of Illinois Extension 4-H Program.
The...
Illinois 4-H Team takes 8th in national dairy contest
MADISON, Wis. – An Illinois 4-H team placed eighth in the National 4-H Dairy Judging Contest held Sept. 27 in Madison, Wis. as part of the World Dairy Expo. Members...
Getting the Scoop on Winter Squash
One of the fall's most popular vegetables is winter squash. Winter squash encompasses various squash, such as Acorn, Buttercup, Butternut, Hubbard, Sweet Dumpling, and Spaghetti squash. If you are wondering what to do with all of the winter squash your neighbors keep putting on your front steps...