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Person driving a tractor without a cab on a rural road.

Level up safety first thinking during the spring planting season

URBANA, Ill. — Current spring weather conditions have a lot of tractors parked for now, but when the weather clears and fields dry, it will be a fast-paced season for planting 2024 statewide.

Although another Midwest farming season may seem routine, the agriculture industry is highly…

Brodie Dunn in a forest

Extension’s dedication to environment grows with new campus natural resources expert

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The wild spaces of Illinois are smaller than what they once were, but the forests and prairies that remain are vital for wildlife and the ecosystem services they provide. Across the state, University of Illinois Extension’s network of natural resource experts connects…

Youth teams standing at a crop scouting station discussing plants with a researcher.

Illinois crop competition calls for youth scouting teams

URBANA, Ill. — The Illinois Youth Crop Scouting Competition is not just any competition. It is a unique opportunity for agriculture students to showcase skills and knowledge while working on a team competing for a prize. The team works together to explore and help solve today’s crop-related…

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Illinois plant pathologist reports good news for pumpkins, apples
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE URBANA, Ill. – Illinois specialty crop growers have reason to celebrate the end of the 2019 growing season, according to plant pathologist Mohammad Babadoost of the University of Illinois. After a questionable start, the Illinois pumpkin crop is looking good...
Fall house guests
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE URBANA, Ill. – As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, we often start seeing uninvited insect guests in our homes, according to University of Illinois Extension educator Ken Johnson.  Boxelder bugs are commonly found trying to enter houses,...
Selecting and harvesting melons
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE URBANA, Ill. – Selecting the most perfect ripe melon is not the easiest task. People often wonder how to select the best melon in the store, while home gardeners question when to pick melons off the vine. According to Nancy Kreith, University of Illinois Extension...
Breaking the fall garden clean-up habit 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE URBANA, Ill. – Are you ready to change the way you clean up your perennial garden in the fall? Kelly Allsup, a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator, says changing just a few garden habits can make a huge difference to butterflies, moths, bees, and...
Early fall color
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE URBANA, Ill. - Do you have a tree that is displaying fall color early this year? In Illinois, most trees do not begin to change colors for the season until October. Although some early color may be beautiful, this may be a sign of health issues.    “A branch...
Campus Rain Garden Receives Upgrades
The first-ever rain garden at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is receiving a complete makeover this fall. Illinois Extension and Facilities & Services (F&S) are renovating the Red Oak Rain Garden, located between Allen Hall and McKinley Health Center near Dorner Drive....
Wollin wins state poultry contest
A Marion County 4-H member led all scores in the Illinois 4-H State Poultry Judging Contest held Aug. 7 in Springfield during the Illinois State Fair. Twenty youth from eight Illinois counties participated for the right to advance to national competition. Dennis Wollin was the high point...
Insect monitoring in soybeans: What to look for during pod fill
By Dr. Nicholas Seiter, Assistant Professor and Extension Entomologist   At this point in the season, most of our insect monitoring efforts are focused on soybean. There are several pests that can damage soybean during pod fill, and proper scouting is necessary to...
Contest prepares young dairy producers
It may be a contest, but the true benefit of the Illinois 4-H State Dairy Judging Contest is that it teaches youth what it takes to raise profitable dairy production herds. “It is important for young dairy breeders to understand the functional traits associated with high milk production...
Handing Off Your Business: A Planning Workshop
The aging of owners and leaders creates one of the most complex chapters in the life of a business. So complex that 60% opt to avoid all or some of the issues. Succession planning for the management of a business and the exit strategy of leaders are connected, but different. Estate planning is...
The Mosquito Mystery
BLOOMINGTON, IL – If you scooped a pond, you would find the infamous mosquito larvae but you would also find dragonfly and damselfly nymphs, tadpoles, and fish feeding on them. The larvae of these mosquitoes love cleaning stagnant water of bacteria, algae, and fungus. However, states University...
Orr Beef Research Center field day scheduled for September 25
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE URBANA, Ill. – The annual Orr Beef Research Center Field Day will take place at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. The meeting will be held at the John Wood Agricultural Education Center located on State Highway 104. Speakers from the University of Illinois will...
Start selecting 2020 Illinois Performance Tested bulls
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE URBANA, Ill. – Seedstock breeders should be identifying bulls they plan to consign to the 2020 Illinois Performance Tested (IPT) Bull Sale. The IPT Bull Sale is the leadoff event for the annual Illinois Beef Expo. The sale is scheduled for February 20, 2020, at the...
Plant your native garden this fall
URBANA, Ill. – If you missed the window for planting native plants in your garden this spring, don’t worry, you still have time to get them in the ground in the fall....
Requirements for Exempt Farms Under FSMA Produce Rule
Are you fully exempt or qualified exempt from the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Rule? Do you know how to figure this out? If not, you are not alone! Did you know that even if you are exempt, you still have guidelines and requirements that need to be followed? The Food and...

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