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LaSalle County votes to raise Extension funding to $55,000; U of I Extension outlines program growth
Summary
The LaSalle County Finance and TIF Committee approved increasing the countys annual payment to University of Illinois Extension to $55,000 and heard program updates on 4-H, Master Naturalists, nutrition and school gardens.
LaSalle Countys finance committee voted May 6 to increase the countys annual payment to the University of Illinois Extension from $50,000 to $55,000 to help support local programming.
The move came after Erin Orwig, county director for University of Illinois Extension (covering Bureau, Marshall and Putnam counties), and unit staff described expansion of 4-H youth development, Master Gardener and Master Naturalist volunteers, and nutrition programming tied to school and community gardens in LaSalle County.
Orwig said the unit provided packets showing fiscal projections for 2026 and final figures for 2025 and summarized program highlights. "We do have your folders there, the fiscal part of it for the budget, the projected for '26, and then the final that we had for '25," she told the committee. She said Extension recently completed a strategic plan to guide programming for the next decade.
Emily Hanson, the unit's commercial agriculture educator who also oversees Master Gardener and Master Naturalist volunteers, said the units Farmland Owners Conference drew more than 220 people from seven states and 23 presenters. She added that natural-resources programs have expanded after a Master Naturalist training that produced 19 new volunteers; a March bird-watching hike drew 48 participants.
Shasta Holativak, the units new 4-H youth development educator, said LaSalle County ranks in the top 10 statewide for 4-H youth retention among 102 counties and that county members exhibited nearly 2,000 items at the county fair. Holativak outlined new programs funded by grants and partnerships, including a planned drone club and a food-challenge competition for youth.
County board member Loretta (surname not specified in the meeting record) reviewed county contributions to the unit: Bureau County $25,000, LaSalle County $50,000 and Marshall/Putnam $134,719 (noted as tax-based). Orwig told the committee that state matching funds multiply local dollars: "For every dollar you provide that goes to our general fund, right now the match is at 85 percent," she said.
Committee member Reina moved to increase LaSalle Countys contribution by $5,000, to $55,000, and Craig seconded. The committee voted unanimously to approve the added funding.
Background: Extension activity the committee heard about includes SNAP-Ed partnerships, nutrition education (including a Mediterranean diet pilot and cooking sessions), school and community gardens (Northwest Elementary in LaSalle harvested more than 320 pounds last year), Master Naturalist training and expanded 4-H offerings. The packet presented to the committee included strategic-plan materials and an impact report.
