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Blogs Written by Our Educators
A little girl with arms outstretched is sitting on her father's shoulders.

Family Files

 Two seedling emerging from the soil. Good growing logo.

Good Growing

 A young girl sitting against a tree in the woods is drawing in a journal.

Naturalist Notebook

 Looking up through some trees to a bright blue sky with white puffy clouds.

Naturalist News

Recent Blog Articles

Blog Articles
an established stand of summer cover crop plants creating a carpet of green on the soil
Plant Summer Cover Crops for Garden and Personal Well-Being
Plant Summer Cover Crops for Garden and Personal Well-Being Occasionally, even for the most experienced vegetable or cut flower...
Crop Conversations: Practical Management Advice
Cover crops and no-till can take some trial and error. In ...
poison ivy leaves
Leaves of Three: Identifying Poison Ivy
Among the plants that grow in the Illinois landscape, poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is perhaps the most notorious.  This plant is...
cows grazing a cover crop
Cattle and crops create synergy
Synergy describes two separate systems that when combined, yield more than the sum of the individual systems when they are alone. In my experience,...
clump of grass with pink seed heads
Add a wispy pink statement grass to your home garden
When thinking about adding a pop of color to your garden, grasses probably aren’t at the top of your list. But think again with Pink Muhly, ...
Look at the sky through an autumn forest
Back to school, back outside: Family fun for late summer and fall
Classes may have started, but keep up the outdoor adventures this fallWith the onslaught of back-to-school sales, the lazy days of summer are soon to...
A combine moves across a dusty harvested field with clouds & setting sun in background.
Farm Estate Planning Series: Are Your Heirs Ready for the Changes Your Death Will Cause?
Disclaimer - The following is meant only for educational purposes and not to be construed as legal or tax advice.Thinking about retiring...
Tree care
What's wrong with my tree? Nature-based approaches
Trees provide shade, ecosystem services, and economic value in both urban and rural landscapes. Because trees are dominant features, their health has...
More Blogs

Popular Blogs from across Illinois Extension

Agriculture

Acres of Knowledge

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

Hill & Furrow

News from the Northwestern Illinois Agricultural R&D Center.

Community & Economic Development 

Building Entrepreneurial Communities

Strategies for strengthening local economies.

Community Health

Community Health: Education, Prevention & Inspiration

Empowering people to make healthy, respectful, and responsible choices.

Consumer Economics 

Be Centsible

Written by college students, for college students. Be Centsible features answers to personal finance questions.

Fearless Financial Future

Research-based financial information to help us develop and maintain thoughtful and effective financial behaviors.

Plan Well, Retire Well

Great retirements don't happen by accident. Tips for saving and investing your money.

Environment

All About Weather

Learn more about Illinois weather patterns.

Naturalist News

Share your passion for nature and learn ways to protect our natural world.

Naturalist's Notebook

Experience the natural world through reviews and journal entries with Master Naturalist's.

Grasses at a Glance

Dig deep into the types of grasses and their uses in our world.

Family 

Community Health: Education, Prevention and Inspiration

Empowering people to make healthy, respectful and responsible choices.

Family Files

Facts for all ages.

Refill Your Cup with Self-Care

Genuine, sustained self-care is an art.

Salud y Familia

Resources in Spanish.

Horticulture 

Flowers, Fruits, and Frass

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

The Garden Scoop

Featuring seasonal tips and tricks from the horticulture team at Illinois Extension.

Good Growing

Keeping you growing with good ideas from Christopher Enroth, Ken Johnson, and Emily Swihart.

Illinois River Hort

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

Know How, Know More

Connecting you with your food, farmers, and community.

Over the Garden Fence

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

Raise, Grow, Harvest, Eat, Repeat

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

Nutrition and Wellness 

Be Smart, Eat Well, Get Healthy

Nutrition information you can use.

Healthy Eats and Repeat

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

Live Well, Eat Well

Information by our Nutrition and Wellness Extension Educators from across Illinois.

Simply Nutritious, Quick and Delicious

Helpful tips to make meals easy, healthy, and tasty!

Turnip the Beet! Nutrition and Wellness

Timely news, information, and innovative ideas to promote health and influence change.

Youth Development

Connection Corner

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

Our Illinois 4-H Story

Telling the amazing stories of Illinois 4-H members, volunteers, and alumni.