Your Partner Through Every Season.

Announcements and Highlights

Plants and Pollinators: A Perfect Pair

Join Horticulture Educator Emily Swihart on Sept. 28 at 10 a.m. for an educational program that explores the perfect pairing of plants and pollinators. Then create your own air plant terrarium to take home. Get all the details and register today!

Fall Harvest Prairie Tour

Join Illinois Extension and our Mercer County Master Gardeners on Sept. 15 at 5:30 PM for an evening prairie tour of the amazing Prairie Hills Farm in Aledo. The event includes an open hayrack ride led by homeowner Bill Joseph, who will talk about the plants and history. Get details and sign up.

Food Preservation Methods

Explore Preservation Methods with Illinois Extension. From canning to freezing, pickling to fermenting, to making jellies and jams, and much more. It's a great way to make your fresh produce last. See recipes, how-tos, safe canning, and more!

Events

2026 Pumpkin Field Day

September 3, 2026

MIND Diet

September 8, 2026

County

Rock Island

Gardening on a Budget

September 10, 2026

Bringing the Outside In: Overwintering Tender Perennial Plants

September 15, 2026

More Events

News Releases

Group of elderly friends smiling and sitting together

September 1, 2026

Feel Your Best at Any Age
September is Healthy Aging Month, a time to celebrate the many ways we can support our health and well-being as we grow older. Healthy aging isn’t about trying to stop the clock, it’s about making choices that help us stay active, connected, independent, and engaged in the things that get us up...

A person sitting on a park bench between two large trees, overseeing a small city in the far distance.

August 13, 2026

Welcome fall season with new Illinois Extension Four Seasons Gardening webinars
URBANA, Ill. — It is that time again when shifting seasons are near. Keep the gardening conversations growing with two new webinars from University of Illinois Extension’s free Four Seasons Gardening...

Playful Woman with Vegetables and Fruits, Healthy Diet and Fun Nutrition Concept. Redhead woman in kitchen holding yellow pepper rings over eyes with a variety of fresh produce on the counter.

July 31, 2026

See the World Clearly: Everyday Habits for Healthy Eyes
Did you know your eyes can distinguish millions of colors? Or that the muscles controlling your eyes are among the busiest in your body, making thousands of movements every day? From reading a favorite book to recognizing a familiar face, our eyes work tirelessly to help us experience the world...

woman in greenhouse porch making a phone call

July 22, 2026

Horticulture Helpline: Support for Your Gardening Questions
(MILAN, Ill.) The Horticulture Helpline is here to help you get your gardening questions answered throughout the gardening season.  Illinois Extension Master Gardeners are ready with trusted advice and the latest research‑based information and resources. If you live in the Illinois Counties...

A woman with a clipboard checks the food in an open refrigerator

July 14, 2026

Help shape solutions to food waste by taking the Illinois Household Food Waste Survey
URBANA, Ill. — From farm to table to trash can, what happens to food is bigger than leftovers. Producing food uses valuable resources like water and fuel, and when uneaten food ends up in landfills, it...

More News Releases