Ready your agricultural operation for the changing climate
URBANA, Ill. – Weather trends are changing. Are you ready for how it will affect your agricultural operation or natural resources area?
The Bi-State Climate monthly webinar series brings together Illinois and Indiana Extension experts to highlight important climate-related topics for...
Boost gut health with a tangy treat: Make sauerkraut at home
URBANA, Ill. – Probiotic-rich foods can enhance digestion and improve overall gut health. All are produced through fermentation, a food preservation method that has been used for thousands of years to naturally reduce the risk of food spoilage and foodborne illness. Common foods include ...
Get the dirt on growing healthy plants
URBANA, Ill. – Become a better gardener and find success nurturing plants indoors and out. Learn best practices for home gardening from University of Illinois Extension horticulture educators in the Four Seasons Gardening webinar series that begins...
Give your green thumb a hand, join vegetable gardening workshop
URBANA, Ill. – Dig in with confidence this spring with Growing Great Vegetables, a five-week webinar series that will cover how to grow a vegetable garden from seed to harvest. Whether growers have several acres or a patio with a few containers, now is the time to start planning for a successful...
Beef up your 2023 beef herd management
URBANA, Ill – Producers can improve herd management by learning latest research on cover crop performance, grazing farms, soil health, and drainage practices during the 2023 Dudley Smith Farm Winter Meeting.
The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 7 at the...
Burning local firewood this winter can save forests
URBANA, Ill. – Nothing beats the warmth of a crackling fireplace on these coldest days of the year. Each winter, as my family enjoys the cozy warmth of our woodstove room, I’m always thankful for the firewood supply we’ve been fortunate enough to accumulate.
Most of the wood we burn...
What is driving the high suicide rate among farmers?
URBANA, Ill. — Josie Rudolphi is a professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign whose research examined suicide among farmers...
Former communications administrator for ACES and Illinois Extension passes away
William “Bill” Cupps’ contributions to the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) continue to be felt today through scholarships, college programs, and communication activities. Cupps passed away on December 2, 2022, at the age of 88.
During an 11-year tenure...
Take small steps to improve, support the environment this winter
URBANA, Ill. – Widespread environmental issues like changing weather patterns and habitat loss can feel overwhelming, but small everyday choices make a difference. Explore sustainable maple syrup harvesting, tornado trends in the U.S., and what research says about how to support pollinators in...
Agricultural Experiment Station's NIFA-funded research innovates for Illinois
To celebrate National Illinois Day on December 7, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture highlighted the innovative NIFA-funded research conducted by the University of Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station.
In the following...
Cover cropping up to 7.2% in U.S. Midwest, boosted by government programs
URBANA, Ill. – Cover crops, with their ability to reduce erosion and promote soil health, are being planted across more Midwestern land than ever. That’s according to new University of Illinois research showing cover crop adoption reached 7.2% in 2021, up from just 1.8% a decade prior. The...
Illinois receives $14.4M to create local food system for underserved populations
URBANA, Ill. - Illinois will use $14.4 million in USDA funding to buy locally-produced food and distribute it to those in need, according to state officials. The two-year program will involve direct purchases from eligible farmers and multiple aggregation sites where goods will be consolidated...
Give someone a green holiday season with the gift of plants
URBANA, Ill. – If picking the perfect holiday gift stresses you out, this year visit your local garden center for a natural gift that keeps on giving. Gardening and growing plants is an experiential gift that is both rewarding and fun.
If you are gifting a plant this season, remember to...
Gully erosion prediction tools can lead to better land management
URBANA, Ill. – Soil erosion is a significant problem for agricultural production, impacting soil quality and causing pollutants to enter waterways. Among all stages of soil erosion, gully erosion is the most severe phase, where large channels are carved through the field. Once gullies develop,...
Ensuring access for all, Extension adds DEIA leadership
URBANA, Ill. – A new leadership position will guide University of Illinois Extension’s efforts to ensure its programs are relevant, inclusive, and accessible to all of Illinois’ diverse residents and communities.
...
Emerging technology allows solar panels and agriculture to coexist, legal hurdles remain
URBANA, Ill. – Renewable energy technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels are gaining traction, but are sometimes met with local resistance because they take up valuable space that could otherwise be used for agricultural production. Agrivoltaics provides a way of creating dual land...
Protect your holiday baking traditions with 4 food safety tips
URBANA, Ill. – Holiday baking brings family and friends together and creates lasting memories as friends share recipes, stories, and meaningful time together. Amid the flurry of flour-covered countertops and mountains of messy mixing bowls, keep food safety in mind.
“Baking and...
4-H member learns life, career skills at national competition
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – 4-H member Elaina Smith of Adams County placed eighth in past production hens and 18th overall as she competed against 78 contestants from 19 states at the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference.
The...
Indoor gardening can brighten winter doldrums
URBANA, Ill. – Dreading the long cold months of winter? Create a green space indoors with plants.
Historically, plants have been used for their medicinal properties. Growing movements like horticulture therapy use plants for their healing properties, individual health, and well-being....
