University of Illinois Extension staff presented an annual report to the Union County Board of Commissioners on May 9 and said a budget/agreement copy is ready for the board to sign.

Christie Stout, who identified herself as representing 4‑H youth development for the Extension unit, said 4‑H enrollment across the unit of five counties is about 1,200 and that Union County’s membership is about 400. "We have taken 4‑H not just in the county with clubs, but we're also working within many of the schools," Stout said.

Ysay Atesoyi, who described himself as the county SNAP‑Ed (nutrition education) educator, said the SNAP‑Ed team grew from three to six staff during the past year, enabling more partnerships with food pantries, schools, churches and human‑services organizations. Atesoyi said SNAP‑Ed is federally funded and that county contributions support, rather than replace, federal dollars.

John Chaddellis, community economic development educator, said Extension work includes programs to help small grocery stores and fight food‑desert conditions and that the unit can provide research and partnership development for county economic initiatives.

Extension staff noted they have opened a larger office space in Union County and left the board copies of an annual report and the agreement; a staff member said one copy of the agreement remained for the county to sign. The board discussed its ongoing financial contribution; one commissioner said the county’s budget includes roughly $40,000 in support for Extension and voiced continued support for the partnership.

No formal vote on the agreement is recorded in the transcript; Extension staff said they provided the documents and that one copy awaited a signature. The presenters asked commissioners to use the annual report for further review and to contact Extension staff about partnerships and program needs.