At-home animal slaughter involves risk, challenges
URBANA, Ill. - Supply chain and distribution challenges are leaving producers stranded with animals ready for market but no place to go. Some may consider custom slaughter or butchering at-home as a way to relieve this pressure. While producers are able to slaughter their own animals, this...
Have a garden question? The answer is only a click away
URBANA, Ill. – Whether you’re ankle-deep in water in your yard or are trying to introduce children to gardening, you can trust University of Illinois Extension horticulture experts for the answer. In addition to dozens of blogs and workshops, one can now watch live webinars and join a new...
Know your health insurance options if you lose your job
URBANA, Ill. - With businesses shutting down temporarily or scaling back staff, employees should consider the impact of layoffs on their health insurance coverage before their existing coverage ends to ensure there are no gaps in your coverage.
"Health care coverage is critical...
Produce farms provided COVID-19 disinfecting guidelines
New FDA food safety guidelines require local farmers to review and adapt their current food safety practices.
"There has never been a more important time to review food contact surfaces and high touch surface cleaning, sanitization, and disinfection procedures," says Zach Grant,...
4-H Videos Offer Exciting Challenges
University of Illinois Extension 4-H Youth educators Katrina Galati and Rachel Hazen have created a series of exciting and fun challenges and experiments for youth to participate in.
The videos are 2 – 5 minutes long and...
How Can Parents Help Children Cope with COVID-19 Disruptions?
Parents often believe that children are either too young to be aware of what’s going on or that talking about the pandemic will upset them needlessly. Should parents initiate conversations or take cues from their children about whether to discuss the coronavirus and why...
Protecting Pollinators When Using Pesticides
Spring is a time for pollinators like honeybees, native bees, hummingbirds, butterflies and moths to begin to visit our landscape flowers. At the same time, we also have nuisance pests emerging. In order to allow pollinators to continue to do their job and to control pests we should consider a...
Are murder hornets here in Illinois; not likely
URBANA, Ill. - There has been a recent surge of interest in an invasive insect pest, the Asian Giant Hornet (AGH), or Vespa mandarinia. AGHs are the largest hornets in the world and are identifiable by their size and distinct bright yellow or orange heads. While well known for their large...
Extension Webinars Offered May 11 to May 22
Extension webinars offered May 11 to May 22
University of Illinois Extension helps individuals, families, farmers, businesses, and communities solve local...
Farmers struggle with processing plant closures; What COVID-19 means for your dinner table
URBANA, Ill. – Headlines about dairy farms dumping milk and livestock being euthanized are a sharp contrast to empty meat cases. The novel coronavirus outbreak has disrupted the nation’s food supply chain, resulting in increased prices for panicked shoppers and major losses for Illinois farmers...
Let's Talk Money webinars encourage financial dialogue
When it comes to talking about money, a lack of financial knowledge and the uneasiness of discussing sensitive issues keeps some people silent and risks the financial health of many families.
Let's Talk Money is a free 8-week online series offered by...
Beginning Vegetable Gardening Webinar - May 15
Are you interested in learning more about starting a vegetable garden? Join University of Illinois Extension Educator Grace Margherio on Friday, May 15 at 11:30 a.m. to discover how to have a productive home vegetable garden.
The program will discuss selecting a garden site...