Illinois Extension offers free dial-gauge pressure canner testing for home canners
URBANA, Ill. — With summer gardens gearing up, it’s time to take canning equipment out of storage. Illinois Extension offers free dial-gauge pressure canner testing to ensure the equipment works accurately.A variety of foods can be canned at home through boiling water bath canning and...
Keeping outside pests off indoor plants
URBANA, Ill. — Keeping houseplants is a hobby that has recently seen a huge resurgence. Now, nurseries that were all but shuttered for the winter are hosting houseplant parties and other events to help people keep their hands dirty all year.Tending to houseplants is a way to maintain our...
Illinois leads most rigorous agricultural greenhouse gas emissions study to date
URBANA, Ill. — Farmers apply nitrogen fertilizers to crops to boost yields, feeding more people and livestock. But when there’s more fertilizer than the crop can take up, some of the excess can be converted into gaseous forms, including nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that traps nearly 300 times...
Immeasurable impact gained through dedication of Illinois Extension volunteers
URBANA, Ill. — They are friends, neighbors, family members, or someone we run into at local community events. More than 5,000 of these individuals are University of Illinois Extension volunteers.These volunteers make a difference in their...
Sprout gardening skills at regional Master Gardener 50th Anniversary Celebrations
URBANA, Ill. — Seek out pollinators in native gardens, dive into the world of aquaponics, and see how cutting-edge technology is transforming garden design at upcoming statewide Golden Garden Day celebrations of the 50-year legacy of University...
Dust storms in Illinois: Examining roles of weather and farming practices
URBANA, Ill. — Recent dust storms in Illinois have raised the question of the cause of these events. In the last few years, these dust events have caused fatal accidents among traveling motorists. Another public concern is the drop in air quality during these storms.Some of the emerging...
A layered landscape provides space for wildlife all year
URBANA, Ill. — There are many ways to support pollinators and other wildlife in home landscapes, such as providing floral resources throughout the season, planting host plants, and planting native plants. In addition, consider creating a space for them to live out their life cycles by creating...
Illinois study: Extreme heat impacts dairy production, small farms most vulnerable
URBANA, Ill. — Livestock agriculture is bearing the cost of extreme weather events. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores how heat stress affects U.S. dairy production, finding that high heat and humidity lead to a 1% decline in...
Available prairie seed mixes may fall short for pollinators
URBANA, Ill. — As populations of bees and butterflies decline in the Midwest, native prairie restoration becomes crucial. A new Prairie Research Institute study found, however, that many commercial seed mixes used to conserve and restore prairies may not have enough diversity or spring flowering...
Illinois Extension to train new wave of community compost leaders
URBANA, Ill. — From reducing waste to enriching soil, composting plays a vital role in creating sustainable communities. This spring, learn to be a composting leader with University of Illinois Extension's Compost Ambassador program.The five-week training program, which began in Cook,...
From one to many: A beginner's guide to plant propagation
URBANA, Ill. — Many indoor gardeners quickly discover that one houseplant is rarely enough. What begins as an admiration for a charming or unique plant often evolves into a strong desire, or even a need, to fill every corner of a home or office with lush greenery. A simple and cost-effective way...
Tap into Illinois water resources, actions to take at home with Everyday Environment
URBANA, Ill. — With the quick twist of a handle, water is easily available whenever we need it for drinking, cooking, bathing, washing, and yard work. But do you know where your water comes from?Water is a vital resource that affects everyone. This spring, learn more about how water works...
Online weight loss program is effective way to reach rural populations, study shows
URBANA, Ill. — People living in rural areas are at greater risk for obesity than the general population, and they often have limited access to healthy, affordable food, physical activity facilities, public transportation, and healthcare institutions. Weight loss interventions are more successful...
New agroforestry maps plot environmental, social, and economic benefits of trees
URBANA, Ill. — There’s a longstanding attitude in many farming communities that trees and agriculture don’t mix. But agroforestry — the intentional integration of trees and shrubs in agricultural systems, such as planting trees as windbreaks, integrating trees on pastures, or growing tree crops...
