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Hunters Feeding Illinois provides 97,000 meals to Illinois families
URBANA, Ill. — In the 2024-25 hunting season, Hunters Feeding Illinois distributed 25,794 pounds of frozen, ground venison to 54 food pantries across east-central and southern Illinois. This provided an estimated 97,000 meals, reaching nearly 49,800 families.Formerly the Illinois Deer...
March is Extension Living Well Month
URBANA, Ill. — This March, Illinois residents are invited to take advantage of educational opportunities provided by University of Illinois Extension’s Family and Consumer Sciences team. March 2025 is Extension Living Well Month as...
Online weight loss program is effective way to reach rural populations, study shows
URBANA, Ill. — People living in rural areas are at greater risk for obesity than the general population, and they often have limited access to healthy, affordable food, physical activity facilities, public transportation, and healthcare institutions. Weight loss interventions are more successful...
Learn tips for a healthy pregnancy, toddler nutrition
URBANA, Ill. — The 1,000 days between a person's pregnancy and their child's second birthday offer a unique opportunity to build a healthier and more prosperous future, so knowing how to care for mother and baby during this period is vital.
The University of Illinois Extension...
What is needed to create a long-term sustainable food system for Illinois?
URBANA, Ill. — Illinois food growers, distributors and activists voiced solutions for creating a more resilient and equitable food system in Illinois: support for growers and producers of all experience levels, investment in education and marketing strategies, and advocacy engagement to secure...
Extension offers certified food protection manager course at Heartland
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois regulations require food establishments to have at least one Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) on staff. University of Illinois Extension offers the Food Protection Manager Certification course and examination, which is required every 5 years. University of...
Illinois Extension shares expertise in congressional briefing on national nutrition and health
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator John Fetterman (PA) and U.S. Representative Glenn Thompson (PA-15) joined the Association of SNAP Nutrition Education Administrators and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics on Wednesday, July 19, in the Capital Visitor Center for a briefing on the role of U.S....
5% acidity vinegar is key to safe canning
URBANA, Ill. — There’s a long list of home canned foods that use vinegar as an ingredient, including salsa, pickled vegetables, barbeque sauce, and preserved fruits like apple butter and cantaloupe pickles, as well as canned tomatoes as an acidifier. The vinegar increases acidity, thus lowering...
Partnership and perseverance end food desert in Illinois’ southernmost city
CAIRO, Ill. — Illinois’ southernmost city, Cairo, is home to just over 1,700 people, and for the past seven years, those residents have been without a local grocery store, greatly limiting access to fresh, affordable, and nutritious food. On Friday, June 16, that all changed.
The new...
Promote child independence in the kitchen
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – “As a parent of two kids ages six and nine, I sometimes have to remind myself to stop doing everything for them. Rather it is my job to teach them the important life skills that will set them up for success as they get older and leave the family home,” says Jenna Smith,...
Creating healthier Illinoisans: SNAP-Ed generates up to $135 million in future benefits
URBANA, Ill. — Illinoisans receive between $5.36 and $9.54 in return for each dollar spent helping Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program participants make healthier choices through the state’s Eat.Move.Save. education programs. The benefits include healthcare cost savings, increased life...
Keep food safe during severe weather
URBANA, Ill. – Many communities across the Midwest have already begun experiencing severe weather as warm, humid...
Illinois SNAP-Ed: 3 years of positive impact in communities
URBANA, Ill. — University of Illinois SNAP-Education provides community-based nutrition education to individuals and families eligible for SNAP benefits and collaborates with communities and local partners to make...
Learn 3 ways to can with confidence
UBBANA, Ill. — One of the best ways to preserve food is canning, a home-based method of food preservation that helps people prolong garden harvests, save on food costs, participate in family traditions, and control the quality of the food they eat.
Discover how to can with confidence and...
Innovation, compassion at Dixon Springs ag center fuel food access
URBANA, Ill. – People in and around Pope County need access to free and for-sale fresh produce like never before.
High tunnels allow Dixon Springs Agricultural Center (DSAC) to grow fruits and vegetables for its neighbors all...
7 tips to reduce spread of norovirus during stomach flu season
The stomach flu is likely caused by norovirus, a group of related viruses affecting the gastrointestinal tract. This highly contagious virus has several strains and spreads quickly from person to person, causing mayhem...
Be part of a successful deer donation program
URBANA, Ill. – In response to rising food and meat prices and the challenges food pantries have in obtaining meat, University of Illinois Extension, along with key partners, launched the Illinois Deer Donation Program in 2022. This 12-county pilot program fought food insecurity by matching...
Addressing food insecurity and its impact on health
URBANA, Ill. – Hunger is a condition in which people do not get enough food to provide the necessary nutrients to lead active and productive lives. Food insecurity, on the other hand, refers to economic and social conditions that limit access to safe and nutritious food in sufficient quantities...
