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Upcoming events

CONNECT. LEARN. GROW

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Grow Your Food Business

Learn about the laws, certifications, processes, and practices required to run a home-based cottage food operation safely and legally in Illinois.

Find Cottage Food Resources

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Certified Food Protection Managers Course

This program meets the coursework and examination requirements set by the Illinois Department of Public Health. We offer courses within our unit throughout the year.

Course Info

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Plan Your Garden

Growing your own food brings many rewards. Start planning your garden now to maximize both your garden space and the growing season.

Getting Started Gardening

Events

Master Gardener Help Desk

May 16, 2024

County

Christian

Native Garden Planning

May 16, 2024

County

Christian

4-H kids showing sheep in a livestock barn.

Livestock Show Clinic

May 18, 2024

County

Jersey

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4-H Flower Arranging

May 21, 2024

County

Christian

More Events

News Releases

A person holding out a large group of varied flowers and herbs

May 6, 2024

Add a dash of herbs to spice up floral bouquets
URBANA, Ill. — Cultivating a cut flower garden filled with favorites can be a fun family project that can become budget-friendly gifts for everyone. Adding herbs to a garden and bouquets will create a unique, personal touch to designs. Fresh herbs look and smell amazing and will be long-...

Person driving a tractor without a cab on a rural road.

May 3, 2024

Level up safety first thinking during the spring planting season
URBANA, Ill. — Current spring weather conditions have a lot of tractors parked for now, but when the weather clears and fields dry, it will be a fast-paced season for planting 2024 statewide. Although another Midwest farming season may seem routine, the agriculture industry is highly...

Youth teams standing at a crop scouting station discussing plants with a researcher.

May 1, 2024

Illinois crop competition calls for youth scouting teams
URBANA, Ill. — The Illinois Youth Crop Scouting Competition is not just any competition. It is a unique opportunity for agriculture students to showcase skills and knowledge while working on a team competing for a prize...

a group of children stand at a table full of potted plants in a classroom

April 24, 2024

Plant positivity, learn how to grow a school or community garden
URBANA, Ill. — When green spaces fill schoolyards and neighborhoods with flowers and fresh produce, children and communities thrive. But the journey from the idea of starting a community or school-based garden to planting one that is built to last is long. What funding sources are available?...

Recent quarter-sized holes in the soil made by periodical cicadas

April 19, 2024

Enjoy the silence. Cicadas are coming
If you haven't heard the buzz, you will soon. Billions of periodical cicadas are coming, and University of Illinois Extension is sharing information to help track their moves before emergence. “Historically speaking, 2024 is a big year for...

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