Monthly Unit Impact Snapshots
Livestock showmanship clinic offered youth skill development for in the show ring and future careers
Raising and showing livestock may seem like a niche skill set, but in reality it offers a long list of life skills, character development, and networking opportunities for local 4-H youth. This past March, University of Illinois Extension staff worked with local partners, 4-H alumni, and area ag professionals to host a livestock showmanship clinic.
Using forestry tools was the core lesson at recent Extension workshop
During Forestry Skills 101: Using Forestry Tools, 13 participants plus four Extension staff got to step into the boots of a forester for the afternoon at Rice Lake, near Canton. Led by Karen Weigelt, ag and natural resources program coordinator, participants discovered that measuring a tree is about much more than numbers.
Tree pruning workshop took root beyond the orchard
A Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop continues to produce results months after participants left Christ Orchard in Elmwood. Twenty-one people attended the February 2026 program to learn how proper pruning can improve tree health, structure, and fruit production. Participants practiced pruning techniques under the guidance of orchard owner Kurt Christ.