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Blog Posts

close up of old jack o'lanterns in a pile
Read article: Don’t trash pumpkins this Halloween: Smash them!
Don’t trash pumpkins this Halloween: Smash them!
Apple cider and crisp fall air call for Halloween festivities and of course, you can’t forget about pumpkins! It would not be an Illinois Halloween...
carved jack-o-lantern pumpkins with scary faces
Read article: U of I Extension, Rader Family Farms to host 2nd McLean Co. Pumpkin Smash to combat climate change
U of I Extension, Rader Family Farms to host 2nd McLean Co. Pumpkin Smash to combat climate change
U of I Extension, Rader Family Farms to host 2nd McLean Co. Pumpkin Smash to combat climate changeHalloween night may be filled with...
Read article: Reduce methane generation with composting
Reduce methane generation with composting
The problem with food scraps in landfillsIn the U.S., food waste is a big problem. Nationally, landfills and trash incinerators receive 167 million...
daffodils
Read article: Spring Gardening: When is the best time to get started
Spring Gardening: When is the best time to get started
By Ella Maxwell, Extension Master Gardener serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell counties The temperatures this spring have been up...

News Releases

A person raking leaves in a yard
Recycle your leaves for a better garden and suprising environmental benifits
MATTESON, Ill. – After raking leaves this fall, consider recycling them on your property rather than bagging them for curbside pick-up. For the typical home gardener, fallen leaves are one of the most readily available forms of organic matter. Organic matter aids plant growth and can...
sign on white fence that says compost happens
Illinois Extension to train new wave of community compost leaders
OREGON, Ill. - Composting plays a vital role in creating sustainable communities, from reducing waste to enriching soil. This spring, learn to be a composting leader with University of Illinois Extension's Compost Ambassador program.The five-week training program, which began in Cook,...
Illinois Extension Compost Ambassador training
Illinois Extension to train new wave of community compost leaders
URBANA, Ill. — From reducing waste to enriching soil, composting plays a vital role in creating sustainable communities. This spring, learn to be a composting leader with University of Illinois Extension's Compost Ambassador program.The five-week training program, which began in Cook,...

Videos

Vermicomposting - Turning Leftovers into Soil

When we are asked to describe an ocean, forest, desert, or even our backyard we can give a pretty clear description about what one might find there. When asked what is under the ground, we tend to be unsure and it becomes clear how little we know about what is below our own backyards. Worms come...

Getting Started with Composting

Composting food scraps and yard waste is a positive alternative to sending the waste to the landfill or down your garbage disposal, and the results of composting provides a nutrient rich material that can be added to our gardens. Learn more about how to get started with composting by joining...