Get the dirt on growing healthy plants
URBANA, Ill. – Become a better gardener and find success nurturing plants indoors and out. Learn best practices for home gardening from University of Illinois Extension horticulture educators in the Four Seasons Gardening webinar series that begins...
Give your green thumb a hand, join vegetable gardening workshop
URBANA, Ill. – Dig in with confidence this spring with Growing Great Vegetables, a five-week webinar series that will cover how to grow a vegetable garden from seed to harvest. Whether growers have several acres or a patio with a few containers, now is the time to start planning for a successful...
Committee brings youth voice, perspective on the future of agriculture
URBANA, Ill. – Four Illinois 4-H members will put their leadership skills into action while they build strong agricultural foundations for the future on the Youth Education in Agriculture (YEA) Committee through the Illinois Farm Bureau.
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Burning local firewood this winter can save forests
URBANA, Ill. – Nothing beats the warmth of a crackling fireplace on these coldest days of the year. Each winter, as my family enjoys the cozy warmth of our woodstove room, I’m always thankful for the firewood supply we’ve been fortunate enough to accumulate.
Most of the wood we burn...
What is driving the high suicide rate among farmers?
URBANA, Ill. — Josie Rudolphi is a professor of agricultural and biological engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign whose research examined suicide among farmers...
Take small steps to improve, support the environment this winter
URBANA, Ill. – Widespread environmental issues like changing weather patterns and habitat loss can feel overwhelming, but small everyday choices make a difference. Explore sustainable maple syrup harvesting, tornado trends in the U.S., and what research says about how to support pollinators in...
Agricultural Experiment Station's NIFA-funded research innovates for Illinois
To celebrate National Illinois Day on December 7, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture highlighted the innovative NIFA-funded research conducted by the University of Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station.
In the following...
Give someone a green holiday season with the gift of plants
URBANA, Ill. – If picking the perfect holiday gift stresses you out, this year visit your local garden center for a natural gift that keeps on giving. Gardening and growing plants is an experiential gift that is both rewarding and fun.
If you are gifting a plant this season, remember to...
Gully erosion prediction tools can lead to better land management
URBANA, Ill. – Soil erosion is a significant problem for agricultural production, impacting soil quality and causing pollutants to enter waterways. Among all stages of soil erosion, gully erosion is the most severe phase, where large channels are carved through the field. Once gullies develop,...
Ensuring access for all, Extension adds DEIA leadership
URBANA, Ill. – A new leadership position will guide University of Illinois Extension’s efforts to ensure its programs are relevant, inclusive, and accessible to all of Illinois’ diverse residents and communities.
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Emerging technology allows solar panels and agriculture to coexist, legal hurdles remain
URBANA, Ill. – Renewable energy technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels are gaining traction, but are sometimes met with local resistance because they take up valuable space that could otherwise be used for agricultural production. Agrivoltaics provides a way of creating dual land...
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...
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...
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...
Master Naturalists get out in the field to protect Illinois’ natural resources
URBANA, Ill. – On a chilly fall morning, amid a background of trees boasting autumnal colors and birds flying south overhead, Master Naturalists gathered for a day of hands-on learning about Illinois’ natural resources. By wading into cold creeks to survey for mussels, fish, and...
