News Releases

Youth teams standing at a crop scouting station discussing plants with a researcher.
Illinois crop competition calls for youth scouting teams
URBANA, Ill. — The Illinois Youth Crop Scouting Competition is not just any competition. It is a unique opportunity for agriculture students to showcase skills and knowledge while working on a team competing for a prize...
Horse by a gate
Youth gain self-confidence in horse speaking contest
Urbana, Ill. – The Illinois 4-H Horse Speaking contest helps youth gain self-confidence, courage and persuasiveness; share ideas with others; and develop the ability to speak in public to inform others about horse-related subjects and the 4-H Horse project. This year’s contest was held April 13...
a group of children stand at a table full of potted plants in a classroom
Plant positivity, learn how to grow a school or community garden
URBANA, Ill. — When green spaces fill schoolyards and neighborhoods with flowers and fresh produce, children and communities thrive. But the journey from the idea of starting a community or school-based garden to planting one that is built to last is long. What funding sources are available?...
A girl crouching near some pigs.
4-H showmanship clinic prepares young stars for fairs
GEORGETOWN, Ill. – Aspiring young livestock exhibitors can gain a competitive edge with the 4-H Showmanship Clinic held directly before the Swine and Beef Showdown in Georgetown. The clinic offers separate sessions for...
Recent quarter-sized holes in the soil made by periodical cicadas
Enjoy the silence. Cicadas are coming
If you haven't heard the buzz, you will soon. Billions of periodical cicadas are coming, and University of Illinois Extension is sharing information to help track their moves before emergence. “Historically speaking, 2024 is a big year for...
Some glass jars with medal lids in front of some burlap
Free Pressure Canner Lid Testing Available at Local Extension Offices
URBANA, Ill — Calling all home canners! The University of Illinois Extension is offering a helping hand to ensure your favorite jams, jellies, and vegetables are preserved safely this season with free pressure canner lid testing clinics throughout May. These open clinics are perfect...
pressure canner tested
Get your pressure canner tested for free by Illinois Extension
URBANA, Ill. — Spring is a great time to take inventory of your canning equipment to prepare for the summer canning season. If you have a dial gauge pressure canner, make it a habit to get it tested by Illinois Extension every year. Various...
Row of blooming Callery pear trees
Six replacement trees for invasive Callery pear
URBANA, Ill. — Now considered an invasive species, Callery pear is a widely used ornamental flowering tree with negative effects on native ecosystems. The tree is still bought, sold, and planted because it has not yet made the...
A pair of hands stirring a pot as a pan of sausages fries in the foreground.
Local high schools face off in Regional 4-H Food Challenge
URBANA, Ill — Teams from five local high schools gathered in Bevier Hall on the University of Illinois Campus for the Regional 4-H Food Challenge competition on April 12. The 4-H Food Challenge is a competition that promotes teamwork, gives youth experience in public speaking, and promotes...
Several flags hung up
Illinois Extension seeks volunteers for Cultural Day Celebration
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Get ready for a vibrant exploration of global cultures at Booker T. Washington STEM Academy! University of Illinois Extension is partnering with the school to host a spectacular Cultural Day on Friday, April 26th, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the school located at 606 E...
two morel mushrooms growing on the forest floor
Spring brings opportunity to forage wild mushrooms
URBANA, Ill. — Spring is a time of change. Migrating birds return. Ephemeral wildflowers start popping up. And morel mushrooms start appearing prompting enthusiastic mushroom hunters to scour forests across Illinois in search of the elusive and delectable fungi. Determined...
University of Illinois Extension Day at the Martens Center
Illinois Extension Day offers resources and fun for all
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – University of Illinois Extension and the Champaign Parks District are throwing open the doors to the Martens Center, Champaign's newest community hub, for a free event designed to connect residents with a wealth of resources and celebrate a sense of belonging. The event will...
Row of green evergreens and shrubs planted as a windbreak in a yard.
Discover added benefits to planting windbreaks
URBANA, Ill. — Windbreaks are utilized as critical components of agriculture worldwide and have been for centuries. Traditionally, windbreaks are linear plantings layered with trees and shrubs primarily designed to reduce wind speeds. Also known as shelterbelts, windbreaks have the potential to...
Up close view of a calculator laying next to corn kernels and soybeans.
Determining cash rent on Illinois farmland
URBANA, Ill. — One of the most consistently asked questions to University of Illinois Extension offices across the state is, what is the going rate for cash rent for farmland? Cash rent rates are a common yet recurring question that is...