University of Illinois Extension

Staying informed about trends, global impacts, and what’s happening in our own backyards can help farmers make the best decisions for their operations today and tomorrow.

Check out Extension’s Farm Coach blog from Kevin Brooks, commercial agriculture educator, with two new blogs on Farmland Values in 2026 and Illinois Farm Cash Rent Trends.

Explore how farmland value outlooks are across the state for 2026/2027, buyer and seller trends, how steady cash rents are, what’s impacting those values, and more.

🔗 Read Illinois Farmland Values in 2026: Volatile Signs at https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/farm-coach/2026-05-21-illinois-farmland-values-2026-volatile-signals

🔗 Read Illinois Farm Cash Rent Trends in 2026 at https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/farm-coach/2026-05-22-illinois-farm-cash-rent-trends-2026

Check out more from Extension’s Farm Coach at https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/farm-coach

University of Illinois Extension Fulton Mason Peoria Tazewell Unit

Medical tests shouldn’t feel overwhelming — but for many, they do. A new blog explores why we often delay screenings, even when we know they’re important. From fear of results to anxiety about the procedure itself, these feelings are real and more common than you might think.

The post also offers practical ways to manage stress and take that first step toward prevention with more confidence and less worry.

✨ Your health matters — and so does your peace of mind. Read the full blog: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/family-files/2026-05-12-when-medical-tests-spark-anxiety

When it comes to adding native grasses to your landscape, these four options are tried and true:
• Prairie dropseed: Great for sunny areas with some moisture
• Little bluestem: Four-season interest with colorful foliage and fluffy seeds
• River oats: Good for containers, grows in sun and shade
• Side oats gramma: A delicate grass that works as groundcover in sunny, dry areas

Explore more in the latest Grasses at a Glance blog.

With: University of Illinois Extension - AJMPU Unit

Popular native grasses for the home landscape Grasses can help provide groundcover, increase root competition to keep other native plants shorter, improve soil health, and increase water capture. While there

Meet plant growth where it really begins – at soil level.

Use Extension’s Color Chart for Estimating Organic Matter in Mineral Soils in Illinois chart and information to estimate the amount of organic matter in the soil to help make tomorrow’s growing decisions.

🔗Purchase copy at https://pubsplus.illinois.edu/collections/best-selling/products/color-chart-for-estimating-organic-matter-in-mineral-soils-in-illinois
🔗Explore more Extension books at https://pubsplus.illinois.edu/

Summertime means visits to Lake Michigan, where the waters are cool, and the coastline is always changing. 🌊

Explore how the shoreline naturally shifts and how communities can protect their coast with structures that stabilize them in the Shaping the Shoreline three-part video series from Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant.

Shaping the Shoreline: Video Series The Great Lakes coast is dynamic—it constantly changes due to natural and human processes, including lake level changes, erosion, storms and high waves, ice, increased development, and coastal flooding hazards. Through visualizations and expert interviews, the "Shaping the Shoreline" video series ...

Summer heat is on its way. With energy costs on the rise, save energy to save money:

• Seal cracks around the house with weather stripping or caulk to keep warm air out.
• Change the air filter on your cooling unit. Wash your outdoor AC unit and have your HVAC unit inspected.
• Clear the air vents throughout your house.
• Install a programmable thermostate.
• Use ceiling and oscillating fans.
• Close curtains, blinds, and shades to reduce heat gain through windows.
• Check your insulation and update it if needed to keep the cool air in.

Find more energy conservation tips at https://extension.illinois.edu/energy/seasonal-savings

With: Safe Electricity

Who are the unsung pollinators visiting flowers and gardens at night? Moths!

June 5: Moth Gardening, Amazing Pollinators of the Night

Butterflies are one of the most popular garden themes, but what about their nighttime counterparts? Moths, the stunning, majestic insects of the evening, are important pollinators.

Join in for a lively discussion of moth identification, life cycle, and strategies to use to attract moths to a landscape.

Monthly webinars begin at 1:30 p.m. on select Tuesdays and are free to attend.

The Four Seasons Gardening series focuses on home gardening, environmental stewardship, and backyard food production and is led by Extension horticulture experts. Registration is required at the link below.

🔗 Get registered for Moth Gardening: Amazing Pollinators of the Night at https://go.illinois.edu/FourSeasons

Good sleep = a healthier brain.
Insomnia and sleep apnea are two common disorders that can leave you tired, moody, and mentally foggy.

🔹 Insomnia: Trouble falling or staying asleep
🔹 Sleep apnea: Repeated pauses in breathing that disrupt rest

Quality sleep supports focus, mood, and long‑term brain health.

✅Read the full post for simple ways to improve your sleep habits.
https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/family-files/2015-03-15-brain-awareness-why-you-need-good-nights-sleep

As farmers continue long hours to wrap up with spring planting and crops fields begin to grow, there’s no end in sight for the work on a farm.

Tune in to this Outstanding in Their Field podcast episode where Extension Commercial Agriculture Educator, Doug Gucker, emphasizes the importance of mental health for farmers and producers beyond May’s Mental Health Awareness Month.

Gucker explores resources and provides multiple contacts for individuals and families.

Additionally, he provides a crop report for east central Illinois and discusses the impact that recently passed legislation will have on farmers.

🎧 Listen to the podcast episode directly at https://extension.illinois.edu/podcasts/out-standing-field/weathering-stress-and-season

🔗 Read more and explore links at Weathering Stress in Farming and Your Life at: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/acres-knowledge/2026-05-18-weathering-stress-farming-and-your-life

🔗 Illinois Extension offers support for farmers experiencing economic stress at https://extension.illinois.edu/news-releases/illinois-extension-offers-support-farmers-experiencing-economic-stress

University of Illinois Extension DeWitt, Macon and Piatt Counties