Cultivate farm success through Illinois Extension's Farm Business Foundations program
For Immediate Release LINCOLN, Ill. - University of Illinois Extension is proud to announce the launch of the Farm Business Foundations series, designed to support individuals who are starting new farm operations or taking over family farms. This three-session program provides...
Dust storms in Illinois: Identifying farm solutions
URBANA, Ill. — Dust storms have become an increasing concern in Illinois, prompting investigations into their causes and potential solutions. These weather events have resulted in fatalities, including a 2023...
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...
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...
Farmers share how to keep valuable soil in fields
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ill. — When it comes to farming, there is no substitute for experience. This March, producers and landowners can connect with local Illinois farmers and learn from others’ hands-on knowledge on preventing soil loss in their fields at the Cultivating Conversations: Preventing Soil...
Sign up open for statewide in-person pesticide applicator training clinics
URBANA, Ill. — Get ahead of an expired pesticide license by signing up for one of the in-person training and testing clinics happening across Illinois from January through April. The University of Illinois Pesticide Safety Education Program...
Dig deeper into local agriculture at one of Illinois Extension’s Agronomy Summits
URBANA, Ill. — With the Midwest harvest season in the books and spring 2025 coming into view, plan to attend one of six University of Illinois Extension Agronomy Summits across the state. Attendees will hear research updates from university experts...
Prioritize safety first approach of fast-paced technologies at SAFER AG two-day workshop
URBANA, Ill. — Autonomous equipment may seem like something from a movie or the future when, in reality, it is already in use throughout the agriculture industry. From robotic planting to driverless tractors and drones, these forms of technology are advancing quickly to find their place in today...
Study combines woodchips and biochar to clean water of pharmaceuticals, nutrients
URBANA, Ill. — What happens to ibuprofen after it eases your throbbing headache? Like many pharmaceuticals, it can remain in an active form when our bodies flush it out. That’s a problem, because although wastewater treatment plants are good at reducing nutrient pollutants in water,...
Wesclin and Pontiac FFA youth crop teams advance to represent Illinois at regionals in Minnesota
URBANA, Ill. — Before heading back for the new school year, teams of high school students from across Illinois traveled to Champaign to put their crop scouting knowledge to the test. A lot of dedication to learning goes into knowing how to scout a farm field, and these youth teams proved they...
The legacy of corn nitrogen fertilizer: Study shows lengthy impact in tile drained systems
URBANA, Ill. — Midwestern soils are among the most productive in the world, thanks in part to extensive tile drainage systems that remove excess water from crop fields. But water isn’t the only thing flowing through tile drains. Nitrogen moves along with soil water into drainage ditches, streams...
