Bureau County youth excels at 4-H State Public Speaking Contest
4-H shines in preparing youth to speak confidently. The Illinois State 4-H Public Presentation Contest, held on Saturday, June 5th, 2021 allowed youth to highlight their exceptional presentation abilities in a supportive environment.
Bureau County 4-H was well represented during the...
Community Garden in Toluca has vegetables ready to harvest!
The Community Garden in Toluca has lettuce, radishes, and onions available right now ready to harvest. Tomatoes, green beans, broccoli, carrots, and cucumbers are still growing for later harvest. Pictured: Ava...
Social equity is ethical priority for public administrations
URBANA, Ill. – Questions about social equity in public administrations have long been debated. Do today’s professional environments have greater challenges related to diversity, or have the tensions and struggles remained unanswered since before the country’s founding?
A free online...
When coal mines close: Help for transitioning communities
URBANA, Ill. – Illinois contains about 15% recoverable coal reserves and is the nation’s second-largest coal producer, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Five of the 11 remaining Illinois coal plants are scheduled...
Hackers attack US meat supply chain
URBANA, Ill. - Another international cyberattack may have a direct impact on your dinner table.
Over the weekend, hackers breached computer systems of JBS USA, the second-largest producer of beef, pork, and poultry in the country. Sunday, the company initiated a shutdown of many of its...
Keep an eye out for invasive jumping worms in the garden
URBANA, Ill. – After a long winter, Illinois gardeners are eager for the new growing season. While doing the usual preparations and tasks, home gardeners should be aware of an invasive species wriggling across the Midwest – the jumping worm.
Jumping worms are non-native earthworms that...
Tomorrow's leaders backed by new Southern Illinois 4-H educator
URBANA, Ill. – From empowering Illinois youth to dream big to preparing them to face tomorrow's challenges and become the next generation of leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs, University of Illinois Extension 4-H youth development staff are...
Four Seasons Gardening Program Offers Free Summer Series Webinars
Summer will soon be here, and the garden is calling! Get ready for summer with the University of Illinois Extension’s Four Seasons Gardening series starting in mid-June. The public is invited to participate in this free webinar series. The first session of the series titled “Top 9...
Smart Growth strategies take an intentional approach to community vitality
URBANA, Ill. – Rural communities facing economic challenges and population decline not only care about taxes, length of commutes, employment opportunities, and housing affordability but also seek to preserve the lifestyle and atmosphere that make their community special. Development in...
Eat more fruits and vegetables with the help of your local farmers market
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – For Illinois residents who fall within the one in 10 American adults who don’t eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, farmers markets offer the chance for consumers to up their fruit and vegetable intake while supporting local farmers....
Will you save a life? Register to support farm mental health efforts
URBANA, Ill. – America's farm families are paying a heavy mental toll as they deal with unpredictable weather, variable input costs, long work hours, and unpredictable commodity prices. A gap exists between farm families and the resources they need to keep them safe....