News Releases

Stephenson County Youth Nominated for State Public Speaking Contest
Three Stephenson County 4-H youth were nominated on Tuesday, April 20, to compete in the Illinois 4-H State Public Speaking Contest. Their quest to compete at the State Contest started back in January when the youth attended a Farm Bureau training for public speaking. The Tuesday evening...
Kitchen Scrap Gardening
  Join the University of Illinois Extension in learning about Kitchen Scrap Gardening. This will be in the form of a kit that you can come to pick up at your local Extension Office that will include all of the materials needed for you to get started on your kitchen scrap garden....
Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference
  Learn the latest information in dairy nutrition and management by attending the virtual 2021 Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference on June 9-10. The new format is designed to improve the participant experience. June 9 and 10 will feature live morning...
Winnebago County 4-H Kicks Off Summer Contests with Public Speaking
  Winnebago County 4-H held its first in-person 4-H contest on Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at Toni’s of Winnebago Event Center.  Seven area youth presented speeches on a wide variety of topics from Formal Speeches, Illustrated Speeches and including Oral Interpretations.  “...
Local Youth Participate in Mental Health Discussions
  With half of all mental disorders beginning by age 14, it’s imperative that teens learn about mental health. University of Illinois Extension 4-H and Youth Development Program Coordinators from Jo Daviess, Stephenson and Winnebago Counties recently held a six-part online series...
Choose Healthy Foods From Local Growers
Learn to eat healthy as you support local growers in a monthly Zoom series presented by University of Illinois Extension experts. Each webinar begins at 12:00 p.m. and is 30 minutes in length. To register or for more information please visit us online at go.illinois.edu/jsw or...
Living with Arthritis Can be a Challenge
  Arthritis is a condition in which one or more of your joints become inflamed, often leading to stiffness, soreness, and in some cases, swelling. This disease affects the lives of more than 54 million adults in the US, with more than 21 million having osteoarthritis. However,...
Northern Illinois 4-H Summer Day Camp – Change Your Child’s Life!
  Registration for 4-H Day Camp 2021 is open!  4-H Day Camp is set for June 15, 16, and 17, 2021 at Rock River Christian Camp, Polo, IL.  Sign up today to get your child in on all of the amazing fun! Youth may choose to participate in all three days of camp or attend...
Exploring Current Diet Trends: The Good, the Bad, and the Hard to Maintain
  An estimated 45 million Americans go on a diet each year. Yet, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 72% of adults aged 20 years and older are either overweight or obese. So how is it possible with so many people going on a diet each year that the rate...
Illinois Extension to Offer Get Growing Webinar Series
  Join Grant McCarty, Illinois Extension Local Foods and Small Farms Educator, for the Get Growing Webinar Series. The series will be held on Thursday evenings beginning April 22 and going through May 13. The presentations will be from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. each evening and will be held...
Emotional Eating: How Stress Impacts Hunger, Appetite
  Believe it or not, we do not always eat just to satisfy our physical hunger. In fact, many of us turn to food for a number of reasons. Perhaps we are looking for comfort, or we are feeling stressed and overwhelmed with life. Then again, we could be looking for a way to reward...
Midwestern Hemp Database 2021 Applications Open!
  Freeport, Ill. – Industrial hemp is one of the fasting growing crops across Midwestern fields and researchers are recruiting producers in the race to learn more.  University of Illinois Extension commercial agriculture educators are working with growers to...
Think Spring Gardening Series
The University of Illinois Extension is offering the virtual Think Spring Gardening Series in place of their annual in person gardening days which will not be held this year due to the ongoing pandemic. The series will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning March 16 and going through...
Virtual Grazing Conference
Planning for Grazing Success Identifying options to improve, supplement and extend the grazing season will be the major overarching focus on the 2021 Northwest Illinois Grazing Conference.  “Reinvigorating Pastures and Expanding Grazing” will be the theme of the University of...
National Nutrition Month
  March is National Nutrition Month, and the University of Illinois Extension and 4-H have a fun opportunity to enhance youth cooking skills. When it comes to nutrition and health, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. We are putting together educational cooking kits designed to...
Get your Certified Food Protection Manager Certificate now
Do you currently have a position handling food or are you looking to find a position in the food industry? If so, consider getting your Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certification. The Illinois Department of Public Health requires retail food establishment managers to obtain an...