News Releases

4-H Foundation awards $45,000 in scholarships
Urbana, Ill. – The career achievements of Illinois 4-H members are being celebrated with $45,000 in scholarships awarded by the Illinois 4-H Foundation. The scholarships are awarded to five Illinois 4-H members in nine focus categories and are based on merit and a demonstrated standard...
4-H youth honored for career achievements
Urbana, Ill. – 4-H youth across the state have been honored for their career achievements in the 4-H program. The State 4-H Experience Award offers recognition for members who...
Get ready for spring with 20th annual Home, Lawn and Garden Day
URBANA, Ill. – Be inspired to grow cut flowers, learn how to properly care for your trees, or get a handle on the basics of everyday gardening at the 20th annual Home, Lawn and Garden Day. Enjoy live workshops, a Q&A with gardening experts and a keynote speech on sustainable...
Illinois Extension celebrates outstanding programs, staff
URBANA, Ill. – Across the state, local University of Illinois Extension staff members help families, businesses, and communities identify local issues and potential solutions to those issues. Extension professionals use research-based knowledge and translate that knowledge into actions and...
Plant seeds for success with beginner vegetable gardening workshop
URBANA, Ill. – Whether you have a multi-row backyard vegetable plot or a patio with room for a few containers, now is the time to start planning for a successful gardening season. Over the past several years, there has been a surge of gardeners taking up the trowel for the first time to try...
Uncover dimensions of wellness that enhance health, wealth, happiness
URBANA, Ill. – Personal wellness is more than just diet and exercise. Wellness is multi-dimensional, encompassing eight dimensions: physical, financial, emotional, social, spiritual, environmental, vocational, and intellectual. "These eight dimensions work in harmony to help you achieve...
Give houseplants new life with DIY kokedama moss balls
URBANA, Ill. – Free your houseplants’ roots this winter by creating organic art for your home through kokedama, a form of Japanese bonsai, where plants are grown in a special soil mix and wrapped in moss. Kokedama is a uniquely beautiful way to grow houseplants in a non-traditional way. ...
Make a big difference on small farms with winter workshops
URBANA, Ill. – Every small farm is different. Direct market farmers sending produce to local restaurants have different needs than homesteaders getting started with livestock for the first time. But small farmers, hobby operations, and backyard growers alike can always trust University of...
Low-maintenance, winter blooming holiday cacti are gift that keep on giving
URBANA, Ill. – With their vibrant, floral displays and low-maintenance needs, holiday cacti are a great holiday gift. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter cactus are each different species. They bloom reliably each year without much upkeep.  “Every December, one plant in my office comes...
Learn to grow with Master Gardener online training
URBANA, Ill. - From small farms and rural towns to the suburbs and inner-city, more than 2,600 trained Master Gardeners put their mission of “helping others learn to grow” into practice around Illinois through community service garden projects...
Mental health matters: Learn how to respond when someone needs aid
URBANA, Ill. – Mental health and substance use issues are common. Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults lives with a mental illness according to the National Institute of Mental Health. From 1999 to 2016, 630,000 people died from drug overdose according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....
Take the Local Thanksgiving Challenge
Written by: Kelly, Allsup, Jenna Smith, and Nick Frillman Celebrating the year’s crops with a Thanksgiving feast has been a tradition for over 400 years. Likely...
Bring homegrown foods to the table this Thanksgiving
Bring homegrown foods to the table this Thankgiving URBANA, Ill. – Celebrating the year’s harvest with a Thanksgiving feast has been an American tradition for more than 400 years. Whether homegrown or from a farmers market, the demand for locally sourced foods is on the rise. ...