MT. CARMEL, Ill. – Whether you’re a local business, farmer, backyard gardener, or community member, Illinois Extension may have a program, resource, or upcoming event for you. Learn more about Illinois Extension and local programs at the Wabash County Extension Office Open House on Oct. 30, followed by trick-or-treating for local youth at the office.
The Wabash County Extension Office, located at 738 N. Market St. in Mt. Carmel recently welcomed new staff, expanded its business hours, and added the neighboring office space to its operations. To celebrate, the community is invited to network with staff, explore Illinois Extension programs, and enjoy light refreshments at the Open House on Thursday, Oct. 30, from 3-5 p.m.
The office will have information about the following local programs:
Local Food Systems and Small Farms Program: Meet Extension Educator Katie Bell, local expert regarding small and medium-scale farm management, specialty crop production, backyard gardening, pasture management, and more. Bell also provides technical assistance to commercial farmers, specialty growers, and homeowners.
Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists: Get details about training opportunities to become a Master Gardener or Master Naturalist.
Hunters Feeding Illinois: Deer hunters, community members, and businesses can help bring fresh venison to local food pantries this year. Stop by to learn more about this program that has just launched in our five-county Extension unit.
4-H School Programs: Teachers and school administrators are invited to learn about adding 4-H school programs to their curriculum. 4-H school programs provide education on topics such as STEM, money management, career and interview preparation, and more.
Wabash County 4-H: Parents and youth are encouraged to learn more about 4-H workshops, local clubs, and joining 4-H or Cloverbuds. Youth ages 5-7 are eligible to join Cloverbuds, and youth ages 8-18 are eligible to join 4-H.
Real Colors® Training: A personal and professional development training facilitated by Extension staff that is ideal for businesses, volunteer groups, and organizations, big or small.
Following the open house, the office will participate in Mt. Carmel’s trick-or-treating hours from 5-8 p.m. Local youth are encouraged to stop by to trick-or-treat, participate in a small activity, and learn more about 4-H and Cloverbuds. 4-H leaders will be available with information about joining their clubs.
For questions, contact the Wabash County Extension office at 618-262-5725. For more information about Illinois Extension serving Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, and Wayne counties or local programs, visit extension.illinois.edu/elrww.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact Carrie Tennis at cmtennis@illinois.edu. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet access needs.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.