(MILAN, Ill) University of Illinois Extension has as put together a large array of resources to serve the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include online classes, websites, YouTube channels, blogs, and quick links to resources with topics of interest to serve families, farmers, small businesses and community leaders. The resources are compiled in the COVID-19 website go.illinois.edu/extensionCOVID19 Resources cover a broad range of helpful topics such as: Coping With Finances During Difficult Times, Outlook and Farm Policy Moving Forward, Ten Tips for Staying Active at Home, How to Make Your Own Bleach Sanitizer, Helping Children Cope in Times of Stress and many others.

In addition, Extension program teams are coming up with challenges the public can do while staying home including an upcoming fitness and wellness challenge, a cooking challenge, Stocking Up on Food: 30 Days of Food Rescue, a Virtual 4-H challenge and others. To get details on the challenges, learn about classes and stay connected, follow the Facebook page @uiextensionhmrs (University of Illinois Extension Henry, Mercer, Rock Island, Stark)  

Here are some of the upcoming FREE online learning opportunities. You can register for (click on the underlined class title to register).

• April 1, 10:30 AM: Don't Kill Your TomatoesTomatoes are garden favorites, but sometimes things just go wrong.  Join Bruce as he discusses the most trouble making disease and insect pests and how best to control them in the home garden.
• April 1, 12:15 PM: Nutrition, Wellness and the Brain Series: Childhood Nutrition Increase awareness and understanding of whole-food nutrient bioavailability, including understanding supplements and where they fall short and how to get the most of your vitamins?
• April 2, 2 PM: Caregiver Self-Care We all know someone who is providing care for someone else. It is a rewarding experience for most, but caregivers experience many difficult emotions and losses along their journey. This workshop will focus on overcoming the challenges of caregiving and will examine caregiver stress and burnout - how to recognize them and how to prevent it with techniques for self-care.
• April 3, 12 PM COVID-19 Update for Local Officials Local officials and agency staff in Illinois need to stay up to date with the legal challenges of COVID-19. Illinois Association of County Board members will partner with Illinois Extension, lending their legal partners at Heyl Royster to discuss the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, updates to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Open Meetings Act (OMA), impacts on employment issues, and worker compensation issues.
• April 3: 11 AM Farmdoc daily live: Coronavirus & Ag
• April 7: 11 AM Farmdoc daily live: Coronavirus & Ag
  The coronavirus is causing unprecedented disruption in the US and global economies. Agriculture has already and will continue to be impacted. The farmdoc team is offering a series of “live” webinar events to discuss the impact the coronavirus crisis on Corn Belt agriculture. The webinars are expected to be 30-minutes long but can be extended if necessary. Each webinar will begin with brief presentations, with the bulk of the time available to answer questions from attendees.  
• April 8, How to Plan a Community Garden Starting a community garden is a great and rewarding project, but one that must have a thorough plan to grow from. Join Bruce as he discusses the steps to build a solid foundation for planning and managing a community garden.
• April 9, 2 PM: Simplify Your Life by Clearing the Clutter Does the clutter in your house cause you stress?  Do you have at least one room that is off limits to company?  Is the clutter a cause for conflict with other family members?  Do you want less clutter but you are too overwhelmed to begin?  Many of us struggle to keep up with the clutter in our lives.  If this sounds like you or someone you know, come and learn ways to organize your life in order to de-clutter and reduce stress.
• April 9, 12 PM: Spring Thaw: Ticks, Disease, Public Health, and Landscaping Dr. Holly Tuten, Associate Scientist in Vector Ecology, from the Illinois Natural History Survey will cover research and surveillance on ticks in regard to climate change, and how to respond in practical and management-related ways.
• April 9, 1 PM: Everyday Environment Series: Sky Spectacles  Extension Educator Duane Friend will explain such things as why we see a blue sky, why twilight is longer near the poles, sun dogs, halos, mirages and other atmospheric optics
• April 10: 11 AM Farmdoc daily live: Coronavirus & Ag
• April 14, 1:30 PM: Four Seasons: Slow Flowers: Grow Your Own Cut Flowers We emphasize buying your food locally, but why not your flowers as well? Join University of Illinois State Master Gardener Specialist, Candice Hart, to learn how to grow a variety of cut flowers here in Illinois, the benefits of having cut flowers in the garden, and how to condition them to be long lasting. Hart will discuss her all-time favorite flowers to grow and share tips and tricks for success.
• April 15, 10:30 AM: Drought Tolerant Annuals and Perennials Rainfall amounts can vary from year to year. Drought tolerant plants are adapted to limited water conditions or prefer a quick drying location. Join Bruce Black to discuss different annual and perennial flowers for suggestions for your landscape.
• April 16, 2 PM: Who Gets Grandma's Pie Plate?  Almost all individuals have valued personal belongings. Have you ever considered how to pass along your important possessions? This session features information about the importance of making a plan for passing along your personal possessions. Explore ways to talk to family members about the difficult subject of distributing family items with emotional and sentimental value while still keeping relationships intact.
• April 22, 10:30 AM: Big Flavors in Small Spaces: Container Fruits Lacking a large landscape and love homegrown fruits? Look to container gardening: fruit edition! Join Bruce Black to discuss how dwarf cultivars of blueberries, strawberries, brambles (raspberries and blackberries), and even apple trees can be planted on your patios or small outdoor areas to provide those big fresh fruit flavors in small spaces!
• April 23, 2 PM: Being Mindful During Difficult Times  During difficult or stressful times, our mental, emotional and physical health can suffer from the disconnect that can happen between ourselves and life.  Mindfulness is the act of paying purposeful attention to the present moment.  It offers us a way to enjoy our lives more and reduce stress through a few simple practices.  This program will help participants explore benefits of mindfulness meditation and teach them techniques that reduce stress and increase life satisfaction. 
• April 29, 10:30 AM: Northern Illinois Berry School (Part One) Introduction and Management Fresh home grown berries are a summer treat. It can be rewarding to grow berries in your own garden for your own use or to sell at market.  Gardeners can learn about establishing berries in their garden at the U of I Extension Northern Berry School.  This program, which is focused strictly on berry production, will give an overview of production, weed and insect control, and general management suggestions and will focus on strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries.
• April 30, 2 PM: Someday is Today: Live Your Bucket List Are there things in your life that you’ve wanted to accomplish but haven’t?  Are there personal goals that would bring you joy and fulfillment, but are always put on the back burner because “life happens?”  Do you say things like, “I’ll get to that someday,” or “When things slow down I’d like to try that?”  If you’ve answered “yes” to these questions, then you need to work on your bucket list.  A bucket list is simply a list of things you’d like to do in your lifetime.  The point of a bucket list is to help you live your life to the fullest. Come and learn how to create your own bucket list and set exciting goals to pursue your interests and fulfill your dreams.
• May 6, 10:30 AM: Northern Illinois Berry School (Part Two) Introduction and Management Join Horticulture Educator Bruce J. Black as he continues presenting Successful Seasonal Management and Strategies and Small Farms and Local Foods Educator Grant McCarty will conclude the day presenting Keeping the Pests Away. Participants will learn how to identify these issues on their crops, methods of control that can be used, and how to use an integrated approach to managing pest and disease issues.
• May 13, 10:30 AM: Colorful Vegetables Join Bruce Black to discuss plant characteristics that cause changes in popular and new cultivars of unique vegetables.