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Foundation honors exceptional 4-H youth at scholarship awards ceremony

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The career achievements of Illinois 4-H members were lauded at the Illinois 4-H Celebration of Excellence held April 1 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Champaign. The Illinois 4-H Foundation awarded $

rows of vegetables with tarp over soil grow behind garden building

Sustainable community gardens benefit local growers, ecosystems, and communities

URBANA, Ill. –  The concept of community gardens is not new. One of the most successful, sustainable, and thriving community gardens in the U.S. is the Historic Bethabara Park in North Carolina. It has been active since 1759 and is the oldest community garden in the nation.

There is

youth reps pose by a podium at the event

Youth leaders represent 4-H at Agriculture Legislative Day

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Members of the Youth Leadership Team represented Illinois 4-H at the Agriculture Legislative Day held in Springfield March 29. Agriculture Legislative Day allows farm and agricultural

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amaryllis
Give someone a green holiday season with the gift of plants
URBANA, Ill. – If picking the perfect holiday gift stresses you out, this year visit your local garden center for a natural gift that keeps on giving. Gardening and growing plants is an experiential gift that is both rewarding and fun. If you are gifting a plant this season, remember to...
chilly stream near home
Gully erosion prediction tools can lead to better land management
URBANA, Ill. – ­Soil erosion is a significant problem for agricultural production, impacting soil quality and causing pollutants to enter waterways. Among all stages of soil erosion, gully erosion is the most severe phase, where large channels are carved through the field. Once gullies develop,...
camaya wallace bechard
Ensuring access for all, Extension adds DEIA leadership
URBANA, Ill. – A new leadership position will guide University of Illinois Extension’s efforts to ensure its programs are relevant, inclusive, and accessible to all of Illinois’ diverse residents and communities. ...
mixing bowl with eggs and flour food safety
Protect your holiday baking traditions with 4 food safety tips
URBANA, Ill. – Holiday baking brings family and friends together and creates lasting memories as friends share recipes, stories, and meaningful time together.  Amid the flurry of flour-covered countertops and mountains of messy mixing bowls, keep food safety in mind. “Baking and food...
4-H livestock award winners
Illinois 4-H Livestock Judging Team places seventh in the nation
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Illinois State 4-H Livestock Judging Team took seventh in the nation at the National 4-H Livestock Judging Contest. This contest is held in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky.  ...
pigs with 4-H logo
Illinois 4-H Skillathon Team Crowned National Champions
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Illinois 4-H Livestock Skillathon Team recently topped 20 teams from across U.S. to bring home the National 4-H Livestock Skillathon Champion title. The contest was held in conjunction with the North American International Livestock...
trophy and 4H logo
Illinois 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl Team named fourth in the nation
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Illinois State 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl Team was named fourth in the nation at the National 4-H Livestock Quiz Bowl Contest held in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky.   ...
gardening tools and dirt
Indoor gardening can brighten winter doldrums
URBANA, Ill. – Dreading the long cold months of winter? Create a green space indoors with plants. Historically, plants have been used for their medicinal properties. Growing movements like horticulture therapy use plants for their healing properties, individual health, and well-being....
geese
Study: Canada geese beat humans in longstanding territory battle
URBANA, Ill. – Canada geese collide with aircraft, intimidate unassuming joggers, and leave lawns and sidewalks spattered with prodigious piles of poop. They’re widely considered nuisance birds, and municipalities invest considerable time and money harassing geese to relocate the feisty flocks....
sweet corn
Sweet corn sweltering in summer heat spells uncertainty for corn lovers
URBANA, Ill. – Few things say summer in America more than buttery corn on the cob, but as summer temperatures climb to unprecedented levels, the future of sweet corn may not be so sweet. New University of Illinois research shows sweet corn yields drop significantly with extreme heat during...
pumpkins and mums near wagon
Holiday favorite gourd is good to go for 2022
Few of us stop to wonder how that slice of pumpkin pie made it onto our plate, but if it weren't for the Illinois pumpkin industry and plant pathologist and Extension specialist Mohammad Babadoost, the classic fall dessert...
allen barton, professor Human Development and Family Studies Illinois
Study shows the power of 'thank you' for couples
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Gratitude has been a trendy sentiment in recent years – sparking an industry of journals, knickknacks, and T-shirts touting thankfulness as a positive force in individuals’ lives. New research suggests that gratitude from one’s partner may be a powerful tool for couples...
ice on trees
Protect trees from winter’s wrath with a few preventive steps
URBANA, Ill. – Winter is hard on trees. Wind, ice, and cold temperatures can harm trees through sunscald, branch-breaking ice loads, or winter burn on evergreens. Taking preventative measures in the fall can help minimize winter injury to trees in the landscape. Boxwood, arborvitae, and...
4-H logo
Illinois 4-H staff honored with national service awards
MADISON, Wis. – Three University of Illinois Extension 4-H Youth Development staff recently received national recognition from the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals (NAE4-HYDP). Amy Henschen, Shelby Carlson, and Myla...
Eastern (top) and Western (bottom) Banded Killifish. The Eastern subspecies may be edging out the Western fish in its native range.
Illinois report says native fish overlooked as invaders in U.S. waters
URBANA, Ill. – Rivers split across mountaintops and other geographic barriers may flow only a few miles from one another, but to the aquatic creatures in those waters, the separation could represent millions of years of evolutionary time. So, when an angler or a curious child moves a fish from...

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