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 food...

Illinois 4-H Livestock Judging Team places seventh in the nation
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Illinois State 4-H Livestock Judging Team took seventh in the nation at the National 4-H Livestock Judging Contest. This contest is held in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky.  ...

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...

Whiteside County 4-H to offer Holiday STEAM Workshop
STERLING, Ill.-How fast can you make your mini-Christmas tree spin? Explore reactions while making some holiday “cloud dough.” Youth ages 5-12 can learn more about Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math at the University of Illinois Extension holiday workshop.  These workshops occur...

Illinois 4-H Skillathon Team Crowned National Champions
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Illinois 4-H Livestock Skillathon Team recently topped 20 teams from across U.S. to bring home the National 4-H Livestock Skillathon Champion title. The contest was held in conjunction with the North American International Livestock...

Illinois 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl Team named fourth in the nation
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Illinois State 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl Team was named fourth in the nation at the National 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl Contest held in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky.   ...

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....

Study: Canada geese beat humans in longstanding territory battle
URBANA, Ill. – Canada geese collide with aircraft, intimidate unassuming joggers, and leave lawns and sidewalks spattered with prodigious piles of poop. They’re widely considered nuisance birds, and municipalities invest considerable time and money harassing geese to relocate the feisty flocks....

Sweet corn sweltering in summer heat spells uncertainty for corn lovers
URBANA, Ill. – Few things say summer in America more than buttery corn on the cob, but as summer temperatures climb to unprecedented levels, the future of sweet corn may not be so sweet. New University of Illinois research shows sweet corn yields drop significantly with extreme heat during...

Holiday favorite gourd is good to go for 2022
Few of us stop to wonder how that slice of pumpkin pie made it onto our plate, but if it weren't for the Illinois pumpkin industry and plant pathologist and Extension specialist Mohammad Babadoost, the classic fall dessert...

Study shows the power of 'thank you' for couples
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Gratitude has been a trendy sentiment in recent years – sparking an industry of journals, knickknacks, and T-shirts touting thankfulness as a positive force in individuals’ lives. New research suggests that gratitude from one’s partner may be a powerful tool for couples...

Protect trees from winter’s wrath with a few preventive steps
URBANA, Ill. – Winter is hard on trees. Wind, ice, and cold temperatures can harm trees through sunscald, branch-breaking ice loads, or winter burn on evergreens. Taking preventative measures in the fall can help minimize winter injury to trees in the landscape. Boxwood, arborvitae, and...

Illinois report says native fish overlooked as invaders in U.S. waters
URBANA, Ill. – Rivers split across mountaintops and other geographic barriers may flow only a few miles from one another, but to the aquatic creatures in those waters, the separation could represent millions of years of evolutionary time. So, when an angler or a curious child moves a fish from...

Mountain lions on the move through Illinois, not here to stay
URBANA, Ill. – Mountain lions have been on the move this fall with two confirmed sightings of animals in northern and central Illinois. Large predators occasionally pass through Illinois but are not here to stay. The...

Fundraiser to benefit Ag in the Classroom will make holiday shopping easy
OREGON, Ill. – Do you have someone on your holiday list that is hard to buy for or has everything? Do you want an easy meal for yourself?  University of Illinois Extension has the solution for you. Individually proportioned meals prepared and frozen for convenience. Two sets of the...

Ag Career Exploration Fair is Nov. 17 giving opportunites for college and career
OREGON, Ill. –   Agriculture is everywhere, technology is advancing, and research says there is a high demand for graduates with a degree. Are you still wondering if this field of study is right for you? Come to the fair and find answers to your questions. There will be several colleges and...

Bats protect young trees from insect damage, with three times fewer bugs
URBANA, Ill. – Bats help keep forests growing. Without bats to hold their populations in check, insects that munch on tree seedlings go wild, doing three to nine times more damage than when bats are on the scene. That’s according to a groundbreaking ...

Agriculture in the Classroom in Ogle and Carroll counties receives grant funding
OREGON, Ill. — The Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC) program remains a trusted resource for Ogle and Carroll County children to learn about agriculture. This week the program received funding to continue classroom lessons thanks to IAA Foundation grants to local county coalitions....

Teens take on new challenges as statewide healthy living ambassadors
URBANA, Ill. – Nine Illinois teens stand ready to take on new challenges as they begin their work on the 4-H Healthy Living Ambassador (HLA) team. The HLA team is comprised of 4-H members ages 13-19 who were chosen for their ability to lead, mentor, and teach in order to inspire others...

Extension builds outreach efforts by growing communications leadership team
URBANA, Ill. – For more than 100 years, University of Illinois Extension has translated on-campus research into practical tools and information to help communities across the state solve problems. To help broaden outreach efforts, Illinois Extension recently welcomed ...