Building Entrepreneurial Communities

Streator is a forward thinking city. Successful incubation programs operate like the businesses they help launch, whether they’re located in rural areas or more urban areas. When budgets are tight, best practice programs identify efficiencies to conserve scarce resources. But they also develop new...

Local eateries, restaurants, cafes, pubs, and coffee shops are the social and economic lifeblood of many Illinois communities. Following the stretch of statewide shutdowns that began in late March, University of Illinois Extension, U of I Department of Food...

You have worked hard to stay in business and prepare to reopen during this pandemic. Now, you are challenged with the fact that many customers are nervous about returning to their favorite restaurants and retail stores. A...

The 2020 Census Shapes the Future for Our Youth The Census count serves as the basis for distributing federal assistance to schools, educational institutions,...

Illinois Extension Community and Economic Development Specialists Zach Kennedy and Susan Odum were interviewed about the 2020 Census on WOC 1420 radio. They shared an overview of Census 2020 as well as discussing why participation is so important. Listen to the interview here: ...

The 2020 Census Impacts Representation Census data determines how many representatives each state receives in the U.S. House of Representatives. Illinois is expected to lose one congressional seat, but...

The 2020 Census This blog post is the first in a series that will highlight the U.S. Census 2020. Participating in the U.S. Census is critically important for several reasons that will be addressed in...

In the last few months, there is a good chance you might have seen someone wearing a t-shirt with the phrase “farmers are my kinda people.” This is one of the latest designs from Rendleman Orchards of Alto Pass. Their locally-grown-and-farm-themed t-shirts are popular, but their latest...