News Releases

Pursuing excellence: Staff named Extension’s best
URBANA, Ill. – University of Illinois Extension serves as a statewide network with a presence in every Illinois county, linking communities, businesses, and the public to the intensive research and resources of the university and its partners. Extension’s 650 staff members live in the...

Help begins at Extension's front door
URBANA, Ill. – Office support staff in local Extension offices connect residents with resources to solve their problems. These staff are often the first people the public meets at the local office and the voice they hear on the phone. University of Illinois Extension recently...

Innovation drives performance for awardees
URBANA, Ill. – Having access to trusted, validated sources of reliable information and know-how is the driver of economic and societal progress. Such unbiased knowledge is the commodity of University of Illinois Extension. Extension programs help people and communities solve problems,...

Best medicine includes healthy veggies; Macon County garden wins top award
URBANA, Ill. – Healthy food can improve health outcomes. A team of University of Illinois Extension staff in Macon County combined efforts to improve food access for participants in Crossing Healthcare’s Prescription Produce Program. Their efforts earned the team Extension’s...

Extension is back to agribusiness with new farm business educator in Central Illinois
HAVANA, Ill. – After an 11-year hiatus, Kevin Brooks returned to University of Illinois Extension in December as the farm business management and marketing educator for Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell counties. He previously served in this role from 2000 to 2011 in...

Tips for entering the cottage food business
URBANA, Ill. — Last year, the Home-to-Market Act, a set of legislative updates to the Cottage Food Law, came into effect in Illinois. Before this legislation passed, food operators could only sell homemade foods...

Livingston County youth sets exciting goal for helping feed Illinois hungry families
BLOOMINGTON, Ill.— Illinois 4-H member Libby Larkin of Livingston County knows that hard work and dedication can make a lasting positive impact in local communities. The senior in high school is ready to take her advocacy work to the next level as she sets a goal to package 100,000 meals for...

Flowers are a forgotten love language
URBANA, Ill. – Love. Amor. Aimer. Liebe. Milovat. A red rose. Six different languages, all expressing the same emotion. Floriography is the forgotten language or secret language of flowers. Throughout history, including the Victorian Era and many cultures including the Persians have used flowers...

Cook County invests in the future of urban agriculture
URBANA, Ill. – From helping backyard gardeners provide locally grown foods to supporting the growing urban agriculture system, new University of Illinois Extension staff are dedicated to meeting the needs of diverse communities. ...

Teens named to take on statewide leadership role
Urbana, Ill. – Seven Illinois teens have a new way to make their voices heard on a statewide platform through the Illinois 4-H Youth Leadership Team. The team is comprised of 20...

Sow seeds of change, learn how to save garden seeds
URBANA, Ill. – As gardeners dream of spring and flip through catalogs looking for the best seeds, it makes you wonder where they come. Sure, seeds come from the fruit of a plant, but how does it happen? A good challenge for any gardener is to learn how to harvest and save seed. If you...

Tree bark adds visual bite to winter landscapes
URBANA, Ill. – With bright colors and interesting shapes, unusual tree and shrub bark can add visual interest to winter landscapes. Many types of bark become more distinctive and sought after during winter months. Selecting trees based on their bark can bring four seasons of visual interest to...

Planning a new perennial garden? Plant for the whole garden ecosystem
URBANA, Ill. - Welcome to winter. The days are short and cold, and if you enjoy plants, hopefully, you have a few indoors to boost your mood. However, there is already light on the horizon. Spring will be here before you know it, and now is a wonderful time to plan out your new perennial gardens...

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.  ...

Beef up your 2023 beef herd management
URBANA, Ill – Producers can improve herd management by learning latest research on cover crop performance, grazing farms, soil health, and drainage practices during the 2023 Dudley Smith Farm Winter Meeting. The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 7 at the...

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...

Former communications administrator for ACES and Illinois Extension passes away
William “Bill” Cupps’ contributions to the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) continue to be felt today through scholarships, college programs, and communication activities. Cupps passed away on December 2, 2022, at the age of 88. During an 11-year tenure...