Emily Hansen is a Commercial Agriculture Educator serving Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, and Putnam counties.  In her role, Emily develops and delivers research-based programs to growers, collaborates with community partners, and extends University resources to address a wide range of agricultural topics.  Her areas of expertise include soil health, plant-microbe interactions, cover crops, and sustainable production practices.

Emily graduated with her master’s degree in biological sciences in the behavior, ecology, evolution, and systematics sequence from Illinois State University.  During her time at ISU, Emily engaged in impactful research exploring the influence of cover crops on soil microbial communities.  Emily comes from a farming family, having farmed in the Grundy County area for five generations.  Emily got her start in microbial ecology at Lewis University where she researched aquatic and soil microbial communities.  She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Lewis University in 2019.

In her free time Emily enjoys spending time in her garden, reading, and with her two dachshunds, Tuna and Pancake.

Emily is excited to share her expertise and knowledge with diverse audiences and help bridge the gap between research and practical application while empowering growers to make informed and sustainable choices.  Emily can be reached at the Illinois Extension office housed at Illinois Valley Community College, 815 N. Orlando Smith Rd., Room C223 in Oglesby or by calling (815) 224-0896.  Her email address is emhansen@illinois.edu.

Stay up to date on the latest trends, research, and topics in agriculture on Emily's blog Field Notes and the BLMP Facebook page.