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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
insect challenges
Reduce insect conflicts with a naturalistic approach
While enjoying the outdoors, we often come into contact with insects, for better or worse. From buzzing mosquitoes to wasps interrupting outdoor...
red topaz pendant
From Rocks to Rings: How a Love of Art Became a Jewelry Design Career
What if something you loved as a kid could eventually become your career?For jewelry designer and metalsmith Mindy Diaz, it started...
queen anne's lace and chickory
A late-summer look at Illinois roadsides
In 2017, Illinois Extension horticulture educator Rhonda Ferree shared a roadside inventory of late-summer flowers in her blog post,...
woman arranging floral bouquet
What I Wish I had Known Before Starting My Business - Part 2
Owning a business is often seen as a path to freedom, and while that can be true, my experience has revealed a more complex reality marked by...
blue calculator and a notebook that says Expense Tracker
Try daily expense tracking
With consumer costs remaining high, now is a great time to start tracking your daily expenses. Research suggests that financial literacy, mental...
two rows of apple trees with red fruit hanging and the words illinois beginning orchard academy surrounded by a light yellow oval
Illinois Beginning Orchard Academy (IBOA)
I'm pleased to share that registration is now open for the Illinois Beginning Orchard Academy (IBOA), a six...
tiny yellowing shriveled up pumpkin fruit with brown flower still attached on pumpkin vine
Why are my pumpkin fruit dying after bloom?
Often, I get the question: “My pumpkins bloom, but then the female fruit just shrivel up and die. Why is this happening?”There is no one...
a field with strawberry plants set out in rows of black plastic mulch
From Dixon Springs Ag Center: Summer harvest might be slowing but your irrigation needs to stay steady
The determinate tomato crop from the high tunnels at DSAC was picked out by the second week of August, which is a bit earlier than normal. A few late...
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.