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Oscar Villa, urban beekeeper, approaches his hives along the Metra tracks
Urban beekeeper's planned expansion pays off during pandemic
Approaching the hives along the Metra tracks on Chicago’s south side the smell of grass smoke intensifies as Oscar Villa, beekeeper and owner of...
Kevin Lindley in one of his high tunnels
Three types of investment set up a beginning urban farmer for success
 “I blame this on my Granny Flo,” Kevin Lindley, urban farmer and executive director Green Pastures Eco Community Farm, shakes his head and declares...
Streator Incubator Blog with business icons
Streator Incubator Feasibility Study
Streator is a forward thinking city. Successful incubation programs operate like the businesses they help launch, whether they’re located in rural...
Business owner wearing a mask with an open store sign
Business reopening tips help customers feel safe
You have worked hard to stay in business and prepare to reopen during this pandemic. Now, you are challenged with the fact that many customers are...
Path through prairie grass
Creating a vision for your urban agriculture project
Your vision is what you want your world to look like in the future. Businesses or projects are created to change the future by...
Illinois Extension CED Coronavirus-19 Survey Results
Community leaders across Illinois are working hard to adapt to and overcome challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey...
Be ready when your doors reopen
During the past several weeks, families and businesses around the country have endured tragic loss of human life, modified their way of life, and...
Getting Paid for Foreign Sales
Global business traditionally evolved from successful domestic ventures. Today, global strategies just might be the start of a business....

News Releases

Young farmers seek solutions to entry barriers
Young and beginning farmers face many challenges, including access to land, financial capital, technical knowledge and support, social networks, adequate labor, marketing experience, health insurance, and childcare. University of Illinois Extension is wading...
Extension webinar extols value of Illinois waterways
URBANA, Ill. – The value of waterborne commerce in the tri-state region of Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri in immense. The Heart of the Corn Belt handles enough freight tonnage to be ranked as the equivalent of the largest inland port in the nation.  In a free online webinar by University...

Staff