Illinois Extension has recently welcomed Kathryn Seebruck to the staff in Jo Daviess, Stephenson and Winnebago Counties. As a Crop Sciences and Agronomy Educator, she will work with producers and agribusinesses in the area to support the production of row crops and forages. A native of Byron, IL, she is very familiar with the needs of farmers in Northern Illinois and looks forward to connecting with them and providing information and resources as needed.

Seebruck has a masters in Crop Sciences from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) and is pleased to be back as part of the University. She formerly taught in the Agriculture Department at Illinois Valley Community College and held a position at Thermo Fisher Scientific in Rockford. As an Extension Educator, she will work with local Extension staff to develop educational sessions, field days and other events to connect with local stakeholders. Her background in weed science and the research she has conducted related to that and other issues farmers face will allow her to be a resource to the local agriculture community.

“I am excited to introduce Kathryn to our many partners in the area and give her opportunities to get input and feedback from which to plan Extension programming and events,” stated Margaret Larson, County Extension Director for Jo Daviess, Stephenson and Winnebago Counties. “She is an important addition to our already robust agriculture programming and I know her expertise is a good fit for our area and the needs of producers.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting local producers and I’m ready to learn more about their needs and how to help them become more successful with their farming practices,” states Seebruck. “With my new position, I plan to utilize my connections with faculty from campus to help local producers. My background is in weed science, and I became passionate about herbicide resistance through the research projects I carried out in graduate school. I’m eager to share my knowledge with local producers to prevent and help mitigate this growing problem.”

Seebruck joined the 25-person local Extension staff in mid-July as one of seven Educators helping to connect university research with community needs. Program areas in Jo Daviess, Stephenson and Winnebago Counties include 4-H and Youth Development, Agriculture, Energy & Environment, Local Foods & Small Farms, Nutrition & Wellness, and Illinois Nutrition Education Programming. For more information about Extension, visit www.go.illinois.edu/jsw or call 815-235-4125 to learn more.