Blogs

See the latest from our educators

Popular Blogs

Hear from educators across Extension on a variety of topics
A field of wild bergamot

The Garden Scoop

Featuring Seasonal tips and tricks from educator, Ryan Pankau

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A brown wallet with a $20 bill and some coins in front of a pair of glasses

Plan Well, Retire Well

Saving and investing your money

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Celery stalks and carrots in a market stall

Live Well. Eat Well.

Information by our Nutrition and Wellness Extension Educators from across Illinois.

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Red flower with a yellow center

Good Growing

Keeping you growing with good ideas from Katie ParkerChristopher Enroth, and Ken Johnson.

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Children's legs and muddy boots

Our Illinois 4-H Story

Telling the stories of Illinois 4-H members, volunteers, and alumni

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Several fruits and vegetables all sitting on a table

Simply Nutritious, Quick and Delicious

helpful tips to make meals easy, healthy, and tasty!

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Mushrooms on a moss-covered log in a forest

Naturalist News

Share your passion for nature and learn ways to protect our natural world.

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Latest Blogs From Illinois Extension
A golden Christmas ball on a dry branch of a Christmas tree without needles.
Read article: Help! What’s wrong with my Christmas tree?
Help! What’s wrong with my Christmas tree?
Maybe this is your first year with a farm-raised cut Christmas tree. Or perhaps you’ve used them for years, but something seems off. Drooping...
pile of ripe persimmon fruits close up
Read article: My Persimmon Journey Continues
My Persimmon Journey Continues
My Persimmon Journey ContinuesTwo years ago, I wrote a column about American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) to spread...
stalks of brussels sprouts laying out on display at a market
Read article: From St. Louis Metro East: Adding pizzazz to your produce display
From St. Louis Metro East: Adding pizzazz to your produce display
Whoever thought up harvesting the entire stalk of Brussels sprouts may be on to something.  Not only does it show consumers how brussels sprouts...
close up of young cover crop seedlings growing in a field
Read article: From Southwestern Illinois (Waterloo): December actually feels like December
From Southwestern Illinois (Waterloo): December actually feels like December
Our outdoor growing season has come to an end with a few subfreezing mornings, with the coldest I have seen so far being December 5, registering 16...
green seedlings next to black plastic irrigation tape growing in soil
Read article: From Dixon Springs Ag Center: Late seeded cover crops catching up in high tunnel
From Dixon Springs Ag Center: Late seeded cover crops catching up in high tunnel
Two of the three high tunnels are completely cleaned out and have been winterized. The other tunnel has been seeded and is overwintering cover crops...
gray plastic container stacked on top of each other filled with red ripe tomatoes
Read article: Review of yields and gross sales for high tunnel tomato and pepper crops in 2025
Review of yields and gross sales for high tunnel tomato and pepper crops in 2025
Yield data is collected every year from crops grown within the high tunnels at the Dixon Springs Agricultural Center in southern Illinois. Plots are...
adult and child using cookie cutters with dough
Read article: The power of holiday traditions and rituals
The power of holiday traditions and rituals
Growing up, I had two distinctive impressions of pumpkin pie. Both of my grandmothers made homemade pies each year, but each was a different...
Garden Scoop logo with hackberry leaves
Read article: Nature's power bank
Nature's power bank
Plants are amazing energy producers, creating the foundation for our natural ecosystems by capturing the sun’s energy and transforming it into...

See More Blogs From Illinois Extension

See these other blogs from around the state

Agriculture

Acres of Knowledge

All issues concerning Small Farms, Agriculture, Local Food Systems, and Natural Resources.

Hill & Furrow

News from the Northwestern Illinois Agricultural R&D Center.

Community and Economic Development

Building Entrepreneurial Communities

Strategies for strengthening local economies.

Consumer Economics

Be Centsible

Written by college students, for college students. Be Centsible features answers to personal finance questions.

Fearless Financial Future

Research-based financial information helps us develop and maintain thoughtful and effective financial behaviors.

Environment

All About Weather

Learn more about Illinois weather patterns.

Naturalist News

Share your passion for nature and learn ways to protect our natural world.

Naturalist's Notebook

Experience the natural world through reviews and journal entries with Master Naturalists.

Grasses at a Glance

Dig deep into the types of grasses and their uses in our world.

Family

Community Health: Education, Prevention, and Inspiration

Empowering people to make healthy, respectful, and responsible choices.

Family Files

Facts for all ages.

Refill Your Cup with Self-Care

Genuine, sustained self-care is an art.

Salud y Familia

Resources in Spanish.

Horticulture

Flowers, Fruits, and Frass

Local and statewide information on a variety of current topics for home gardeners and market growers.

Illinois River Hort

Helping new and experienced gardeners develop their skills and knowledge while encouraging everyone to enjoy the outdoors.

Know How, Know More

Connecting you with your food, farmers, and community.

Over the Garden Fence

Where gardeners come to find out what's happening out in the yard.

Raise, Grow, Harvest, Eat, Repeat

A blog for growers, consumers, and backyard gardeners to grow, eat, and connect in the local food system.

Nutrition and Wellness

Be Smart, Eat Well, Get Healthy

Nutrition information you can use.

Healthy Eats and Repeat

Highlighting food, recipes, and ideas for a healthy lifestyle.

Turnip the Beet! Nutrition and Wellness

Timely news, information, and innovative ideas to promote health and influence change.

Youth Development

Connection Corner

Timely information, activities, and resources to help you stay connected to loved ones, the world around you, and yourself.

Local Blog Authors

College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences Illinois Extension

101 Mumford Hall (MC-710)

1301 W. Gregory Dr.

Urbana, IL 61801

Email: extension@illinois.edu

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