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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 $

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

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.

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Heather Willis receives Extension award from Director Shelly Nickols-Richardson
Innovation drives performance for awardees
URBANA, Ill. – Having access to trusted, validated sources of reliable information and know-how is the driver of economic and societal progress. Such unbiased knowledge is the commodity of University of Illinois Extension. Extension programs help people and communities solve problems,...
cup cakes
Tips for entering the cottage food business
URBANA, Ill. — Last year, the Home-to-Market Act, a set of legislative updates to the Cottage Food Law, came into effect in Illinois. Before this legislation passed, food operators could only sell homemade foods...
bouquet of fresh flowers
Flowers are a forgotten love language
URBANA, Ill. – Love. Amor. Aimer. Liebe. Milovat. A red rose. Six different languages, all expressing the same emotion. Floriography is the forgotten language or secret language of flowers. Throughout history, including the Victorian Era and many cultures including the Persians have used flowers...
carolyn banks
Cook County invests in the future of urban agriculture
URBANA, Ill. – From helping backyard gardeners provide locally grown foods to supporting the growing urban agriculture system, new University of Illinois Extension staff are dedicated to meeting the needs of diverse communities. ...
young person jumping in air at dusk and 4-H logo
Teens named to take on statewide leadership role
Urbana, Ill. – Seven Illinois teens have a new way to make their voices heard on a statewide platform through the Illinois 4-H Youth Leadership Team. The team is comprised of 20...
putting seeds in pots of soil
Sow seeds of change, learn how to save garden seeds
URBANA, Ill. – As gardeners dream of spring and flip through catalogs looking for the best seeds, it makes you wonder where they come. Sure, seeds come from the fruit of a plant, but how does it happen? A good challenge for any gardener is to learn how to harvest and save seed. If you...
airplane
From ground to air to space: Tillage estimates get tech boost
URBANA, Ill. – According to national USDA statistics, no-till and conservation tillage are on the rise, with more than three-quarters of corn and soybean farmers opting for the practices to reduce soil erosion, maintain soil structure, and save on fuel. However, these estimates are based...
woodland path
New paper offers best practices for LGBTQ+ field scientists and mentors
URBANA, Ill. – People from marginalized gender and sexual identities can have safer experiences participating in ecological field research when leaders incorporate better field safety protocols and advocate for systemic changes, according to a new paper authored by scientists from Earlham...
aerial_view_of_mississippi_river_and_farmland_-_edited_from_ken_lund_on_flickr.jpg
All in the planning: State policies working to fix Gulf nutrient pollution
URBANA, Ill. – Tackling nutrient pollution in the Gulf of Mexico is a big job, requiring coordination between dozens of states whose waters flow into the Mississippi. Although a 2011 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency memo set a framework for each state to reduce its nutrient load, it was up...
robot in corn field
$5M USDA grant funds Illinois-led innovative cover cropping project
Urbana, Ill. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced that it is funding a new project led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that will address major obstacles to adoption of cover crops in the United States. Titled “iCOVER: Innovated Cover-crop Opportunity,...
tree bark
Tree bark adds visual bite to winter landscapes
URBANA, Ill. – With bright colors and interesting shapes, unusual tree and shrub bark can add visual interest to winter landscapes. Many types of bark become more distinctive and sought after during winter months. Selecting trees based on their bark can bring four seasons of visual interest to...

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