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Refresh your grass identification skills

Spring is here and plants are greening up and leafing out almost 3 weeks ahead of schedule! My neighbors and I have already been out and about doing yard work and getting ready for the new season.  As we shake off the winter doldrums and welcome new spring life, it’s time to refresh your plant identification skills! I’ve already seen grasses in bloom (yes, you read that correctly!) so let’s...
Periodical cicadas in Illinois in 2024. A black cicada with orange wings and red eyes rests on a green leaf

The cicadas are coming! Periodical cicadas in Illinois in 2024

Can you hear them? Probably not yet, but soon, Illinois will be awash in the songs of periodical cicadas. This year (2024) is a big year for periodical cicadas in Illinois, where Broods XIII and XIX will be emerging throughout much of the state at the same time. This is the first time this has happened since 1803, and it won’t happen again until 2245! Despite some talk of an impending insect...
Recent Blog Articles

Expand your Market with Stockmanship

Classified ad, online sale, private treaty bid-off, live auction, and the list can go on and on. There are numerous ways to market your cattle, but have you thought about how to market yourself? Many times cattlemen are guilty of focusing on the cattle and not the other pieces of the puzzle. To set...
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Brussels Sprouts are Delicious!

Just the title of this blog post will have some people exclaiming "Yuck!" I absolutely love Brussels sprouts, but there are plenty of people out there who just as passionately hate them. I would argue that a lot of these haters have never eaten a properly prepared Brussels sprout. It makes a huge...
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Celebrating Extension staff's dedication to excellence

It speaks well of a state program when one of it's former longtime employees is honored for the magic they did for generations of 4-H members. Illinois can be proud. Errol G. Burns, a former University of Illinois Extension staff member, now of Vernal, Utah, was inducted into the National 4-H Hall...
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Program Helps Communities Prepare for Emerald Ash Borer

Written by Rhonda Ferree, retired horticulture educator Recent discoveries of Emerald Ash Borer in Peoria and Tazewell counties underscore the need for communities to be proactive against Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). University of Illinois Extension held an Emerald Ash Borer Community...
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Saving Milkweed for Monarch Butterfly caterpillars

University of Illinois Horticulture Educator, Kelly Allsup encourages gardeners to collect seeds from milkweeds to add this much needed plant to the landscape for Illinois monarchs. Kelly warns that you may see butterfly enthusiasts along roadsides collecting seeds from coveted weeds and prairie...
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Grain drying and storage

On rainy days this time of the year thoughts center around how quickly the rain will end and grain dry, how quickly soil will dry enough to be fit for harvest to get back into full swing. Other thoughts might be on grain drying, marketing and storage. It may be time well spent to check out "...
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How Hot is Your Jalapeno?

My husband and I grew jalapeno peppers in our garden this year and made bowl after bowl of fresh salsa. After making a perfectly medium salsa and then a "so fiery hot you want to dip your whole head in a glass of milk" salsa, it made me realize how one type of pepper can have quite a long range in...
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Developing Replacement Heifers

As feed and commodity prices fall and cattle prices continue to hold firm at record levels, the incentive to add pounds with "cheap" feeds is present. Proper heifer development hinges on achieving a desired weight before breeding…yet not over-developing heifers to the point they are not prepared to...
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Cover Crops Week: Day 1-Introduction

I apologize for the delay in getting back into the blogosphere. As most of you have dealt with this fall, there is unevenness. Some weeks are still allowing for tomatoes and peppers to cling on. Then the first very, very light snow mixture occurred in Freeport on Saturday, October 4. This week has...
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Pass the potatoes, please!

Potatoes are so versatile and there are so many delicious varieties. They can be dressed up, dressed down, eaten alone or as the base for a hearty stew or frittata (see recipe below). They have long been a staple in the American diet but are often shunned for the misconception...
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We Have Blogs on Many Different Topics

Personal Finances

Illinois Extension can guide your family through all of life's stages.
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Great retirements don't happen by accident. Tips for saving and investing your money.

Plan Well. Retire Well.

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Money talk by college students, for college students.

Be Centsible

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Develop and maintain thoughtful and effective financial behaviors using these trusted methods.

Fearless Financial Future

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Find the financial balance that fits your personal budget and financial planning goals.

Finding Financial Balance

Family

In today's hectic lives, families find themselves raising children, caring for elders, and working.
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Read these timely resources for wellness across the lifespan.

Family Files

Health

Living well means taking time for ourselves so we can be healthy for others who need us. 
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Take steps to living a healthier life.

To Your Health

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Genuine, sustained self-care is an art.

Refill Your Cup with Self-Care

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A journey of wellness dedicated to awareness and the power of knowledge to help you on your health and wellness journey.

Walking the Line to Wellness

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Empowering people to make healthy, respectful and responsible choices.

Community Health: Empowering People

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Working together to address social and structural health inequities

Health Insights Illinois

Nutrition and Wellness

Eating healthy shouldn't be this hard.
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Healthy information for better living

Live Well. Eat Well.

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Nutrition information you can use.

Be Smart, Eat Well, Get Healthy

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Highlighting food, recipes, and ideas for a healthy lifestyle.

Healthy Eats and Repeat

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Helpful tips to make meals easy, healthy and tasty!

Simply Nutritious, Quick and Delicious

Community and Economic Development

Illinois Extension helps communities develop strategies to thrive.
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Strategies for strengthening local economies.

Building Entrepreneurial Communities

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Participants in Illinois Extension Illini Science Scholars Program share their experiences in this unique opportunity. 

Scholars Speak

Natural Resources

We have one planet. Let's work together to ensure its future and ours.
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Dig deep into the types of grasses and their uses in our world.

Grasses at a Glance

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Read the latest news in natural resources.

Naturalist News

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The Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy guides efforts to improve water quality at home and downstream.

Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy

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Weather impacts food production, transportation, homes, and lives.

All About Weather

Horticulture

From the flowers you enjoy to the produce you eat to the plants that add value to our life, we offer help for growing strong.
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Keeping you (and your garden) growing with good ideas.

Good Growing

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Gardening in Illinois including everything from vegetable gardening to native plants.

The Garden Scoop

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Where northern Illinois gardeners come to find out what's happening out in the yard.

Over the Garden Fence

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Local and statewide information on a variety of current topics for home gardeners and market growers.

Flowers, Fruits, and Frass

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Helping new and experienced gardeners develop their skills and knowledge while encouraging everyone to enjoy the outdoors.

Illinois River Horticulture

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Archive of the most popular blog articles from Illinois Extension

Our Greatest Horticulture Hit Blogs

Local Food Systems and Specialty Crops

Growers are diverse, from urban agriculture and beginning small farmers to farmers markets and organic agriculture.
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Learn new resources for urban growers.

Local Foods | Local Farms | Local People

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The "Jungle" refers to Elizabeth Wahle's personal St. Louis Metro East garden and it provides the backdrop for her writings about building and sustaining viable food webs and ecosystems within the home landscape.

Welcome to My Jungle

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A blog for growers, consumers, and backyard gardeners to grow, eat, and connect in the local food system.

Raise, Grow, Harvest, Eat, Repeat

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Connecting you with your food, farmers and community.

Know How. Know More. Connecting Food, Farmers, and Community

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Ramping up local food production in the second-most populous county in the US.

Cultivate Cook County

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Conditions can change quickly. As a commercial fruit and vegetable grower, get the latest information as it is available.

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

 

Agriculture

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The cattlemen's connection to timely topics, current research, and profitable management strategies.

The Cattle Connection

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Whether you're a farmer or landowner, trust the advice from Extension's farm coach.

Farm Coach

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Emerging news and best practices for pesticide use and testing.

Pesticide News

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All issues concerning Small Farms, Agriculture, Local Food Systems, and the Natural Resources.

Acres of Knowledge

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Current topics about crop production in Western Illinois, including field crops research at the NWIARDC in Monmouth.

Hill and Furrow

Youth Development

We're the friend you've been looking for.
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4-H’s learning opportunities are intentionally designed around four essential concepts necessary for positive youth development: a sense of belonging with a positive group, independence and self-determination, a spirit of generosity toward others, and a wide variety of opportunities to master life challenges.

Our Stories from Illinois 4-H

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Timely information, activities, and resources to help you stay connected to loved ones, the world around you, and yourself.

Connection Corner: Activities for Families