Each Tuesday from 4-dusk State Street Market showcases locally grown produce and locally made artisan items. Below is a list of items which may be found at the market: peppers tomatoes, sweet corn, green beans, cucumber, squash, garlic, peaches, cantaloupe blackberries, jewelry, purses, lemonade, ice cream treats, cotton candy, wine, pottery, grass fed meats, herbs, flowers, baskets, music and more. Check back weekly for new arrivals.

This summer, I've been busy with 4-H shows, workshops, a 4-H exchange with Wisconsin, the 4-H Ambassadors Retreat and the Illinois State Fair. At times, although it's been hectic, it's also been a lot of fun. One of the most enjoyable things for me is working closely with our 4-H members and getting to know them better. It's truly been a rewarding experience, spending time with them, watching them make new friends and exploring new places.

The other day, as I was preparing to head to the Illinois State Fair, I realized something. As 4-H staff members, we can't make youth become friends, we can't make them learn new skills, we can't make them become leaders, all we can do is provide them with opportunities for these things to happen.

During the upcoming 4-H year, you'll probably see a lot of programs offered for youth. When you look at this list, I want you to think of this list not as events, but as opportunities for youth to learn and develop life skills. After all, the 4-H slogan is "Learn by Doing."

- Amy's youth beats

1) Tomatoes aren't ready in June but black raspberries are.

2) Sour cherries are great for baking but it takes 2 lbs. for a good sized pie.

3) Kettle corn isn't as fattening as it tastes.

4) The Farmers' Market opens at 4:00 but make sure you come early; sweet corn can sell out in ten minutes.

5) In 2007 River Road Red - a medium bodied, semi-dry, red wine made from a blend of grapes was awarded best red wine at the Illinois State Fair.

6) The best peaches in the world are grown in our area.

7) There are fantastic artists in our area who make designer-styled hand-bags, carved pens, pottery, jewelry & artwork.

8) Having a glass of lemonade, shopping for produce and getting to know your growers are great ways to spend a Tuesday night.

9) A cantaloupe can cost as little as $.80 and wow is it good.

10) Buying local supports local growers and allows food to be picked from the garden and on your plate the same night.

- Jennifer Russell, County Extension Director

September 1, 2008 will be the beginning of a new 4-H year. The most recognizable emblem of 4-H is the 4-H Clover. The four H's reflect the assets youth need to succeed in life: knowledge (Head), service to others and the community (Heart), life skills (Hands) and healthy (Health).

To be eligible for 4-H membership this year, youth must be 8 years old by September 1, 2008 or entering third grade and cannot be 19 years of age by Sept. 1. Youth between the ages of 5-7 may join a Cloverbud group.

If you are interested in enrolling your child in 4-H or have questions, please contact Judy Benz, 4-H community worker at 618-576-2293 or email benz@illinois.edu

Best wishes to all on the coming year!

- Judy Benz, 4-H Youth Community Worker

It is hard to believe it is BACK TO SCHOOL TIME already!!! Lunch often tops children's list of things they like most about school. However, for parents lunch can be a dreaded chore, especially if the children want to carry their lunch. Packing school lunches is time-consuming and can be frustrating because your child may not always like the foods you pack. One of the best ways to ensure kids will eat what you pack is toinclude then in the entire process. Work with your child to make a list of foods that they want to include in their lunch. When packing lunches keep the Food Guide Pyramid in mind. Pack foods from at least four of the five food groups.

Be sure to wash the container used for packing in hot soapy water each day. To keep a lunch cold until time to eat, freeze the sandwich or juice container or use a small commercial freezer pack. To avoid soggy bread, spread with a thin layer of softened butter. Be sure to wrap the sandwich well in plastic wrap, aluminum foil or plastic sandwich bag. If you will be packing soups, invest in a small thermos to keep it hot and safe.

Hope everyone has a great school year!!!!!!!

- Linda Eberlin and Joan Frazier, FNP

Two longtime 4-H leaders, Yvonne Nolte of Calhoun County and Jean Clanton of Jersey County, were inducted in the Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame on Saturday, Aug. 9 during the Illinois State Fair in Springfield.

Yvonne Nolte started in 4-H as a member of the Morgan County Alexander Girls 4-H Club. She was a co-leader in the Brussels Apple Jacks and Jill's until she branched out and started the Golden Eagle Clovers 4-H Club. Under her guidance this club has consistently developed members with outstanding leadership skills, with an emphasis on technology-based projects. She and her husband Cliff, who is also a leader and former 4-H member, worked to continue this tradition with their sons Kevin, Steven, Gregory and Brandon. Nolte has been a leader for 10 years in Calhoun County.

Jean Clanton has been one of Jersey County's most dedicated 4-H volunteers. She has served as a club leader for more than 30 years, horse superintendent and Extension Council Member. She is a friendly volunteer who is always willing to help and is passionate about helping 4-H members, especially with horses. Clanton's children and grandchildren also have been 4-H members and volunteers.

Nolte is the first 4-H volunteer from Calhoun County to be inducted into the Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame and Clanton is the second volunteer from Jersey County to receive the award.

The Illinois 4-H Foundation established the Hall of Fame in 2005 to honor extraordinary 4-H alumni, volunteers, and former 4-H staff. Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame inductees have demonstrated exemplary service to 4-H or outstanding career and community achievement and are nominated by either county University of Illinois Extension staff or by the Illinois 4-H Foundation Board.

For more information call the Calhoun-Jersey County Extension office at (618)576-2293 or (618)498-2913 or check out the web site at www.extension.uiuc.edu/calhounjersey

The Calhoun-Jersey Unit and the McCully Heritage Project in Kampsville have entered into a partnership to provide natural resources programming for county and area residents. Through this partnership Michelle Berg Vogel has joined the Calhoun-Jersey Unit staff as an Agriculture and Natural Resources program coordinator, working out of the McCully Heritage Project field office. Natural resources programming for the upcoming months will include a Student Forestry Day at the McCully site; a wetland management workshop to be held in October; air quality issues (particularly indoor air quality concerns such as mold and radon); and pond management.

The McCully Heritage Project is a non-profit environmental and cultural heritage center with a mission to provide facilities and programs for high quality environmental education and research for youth and adults and to provide the opportunity for the public to appreciate the cultural, historical and natural resources of the lower Illinois River valley.

Because this mission fits so well with that of Extension, a partnership was developed with the goal of enhancing the natural resources offerings in Calhoun, Jersey and the surrounding counties. The McCully Heritage Project is located about 1 mile south of Kampsville, encompassing 940 acres and providing an ideal field location for workshops and training opportunities for both youth and adults.

Berg Vogel worked as an archeologist in the Midwest and Southeast for 14 years before starting work at the McCully Heritage Project in 2006, where she has worked on environmental programming for the MHP. That work will continue and expand through the Extension / McCully Heritage Project partnership.

Physical activity should be a part of everyone's daily life. Current recommendations are that children and teens get 60 minutes of physical activity every day with the recommendation for adults being a minimum of 30 minutes a day.

In order for us to participate in physical activity, our bodies need fuel to work. Individuals who are involved in athletics need to fuel their bodies with a variety of foods that will provide the necessary energy and nutritional needs.

Just like athletes are members of a team, nutrients found in foods-proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water-are teammates that work together to provide good nutrition. Each of these nutrients performs specific functions in the body so you need to eat foods that will supply them every day.

Even if you do not feel hungry, that does not mean that you have provided your body with all of the nutrients it needs. Filling up on high-fat foods can make you feel full—but your body still needs proteins, minerals and vitamins in order to stay healthy.

Everyone's body needs all of the nutrients-just the amounts you need varies. How can you tell if you are eating the right foods? Nutritionists have developed a food guidance system that can be found at www.MyPyramid.gov This website has information about all the food groups you need and can be individualized to explain how much of a specific food group you need.

To get a personalized plan, go to My Pyramid Plan. Here you will type in your age, gender, weight, height, and choose a physical activity level. This will take you to a screen where you can select options including a food plan. In addition, it will give recommendations for physical activity, and places to go on the web for information about diseases, weight loss, etc.

Individuals who are more physically active may be able to eat more food than those who are less active. Age is also a factor-active teenagers may be allowed more food than active adults. When more food is recommended, the food should come from the grains and vegetable groups because these foods are easily converted by the body into energy.

Nutrition and conditioning are important for all of us—not just athletes. Eating like an athlete includes eating a variety of healthy foods. It also includes keeping hydrated. Water is a very important nutrient. Without water, dehydration can occur which causes us to get tired or experience muscle cramps. So be sure to drink water everyday—especially during exercising.

1 pound package pasta
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 baby zucchini squash
1 cup fresh carrots, shredded
3/4 cup fat free ranch dressing
1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
1 Tablespoon dried dill weed

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and cool.

2. Clean and cut fresh vegetables into bite size pieces.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the ranch dressing and plain yogurt. In a serving bowl, mix pasta, veggies and dressing. Add dill weed (to taste) and stir together.

Makes 12 servings.

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving) - Calories 180 ~ fat 1 g ~ calories from fat 10 ~ sodium 195 mg ~ total carbohydrate 36 g ~ fiber 2 g

The Mood Food Connection cooking class was held last month at the Jerseyville Public Library. Carol Schlitt, University of Illinois Extension nutrition and wellness educator, discussed how the foods you eat affect your mood. She also prepared a dish called Salad Nicoise, the French version of a cobb salad, which demonstrated a meal rich in foods with omega-3s. These foods can boost your brain's production of antidepressant hormones.

1/2 cup low-fat Vinaigrette dressing, divided

2 medium heads Boston or Bibb lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

2 cans white tuna*

8 ounces frozen green cut green beans, cooked, drained and chilled

1/2 lb. new potatoes, boiled, chilled and halved

3 medium tomatoes, quartered or 10 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup pitted ripe olives

4 hard-cooked eggs, chilled and quartered

3 tablespoons capers

Toss lettuce with 1/4 cup Vinaigrette dressing. Arrange lettuce on a large platter. Break tuna into chunks and mound in center of greens. Arrange green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, olives and egg quarters on the platter. Sprinkle capers over all. Drizzle with remaining Vinaigrette.

Yield: 4 main dish servings

Nutritional information per serving: 220 calories, 9 g fat, 230 mg cholesterol, 910 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrates, 19 g protein, 3 g dietary fiber

* An 8-ounce tuna steak, grilled or pan seared may be used in place of the canned tuna.

Staying active is key to good health. Try to work in about 30 minutes of moderate physical activity such as walking or riding a bike every day. Three or four times each week, challenge yourself to 15 to 20 minutes of more intense activities.

Here's how to tell if your body is getting a good workout. If you can talk while doing a physical activity, you're moving at a pace that's right for you. If you're too breathless to talk, slow down. And if you can sing, you may not be working hard enough-so get moving.

LIVE WELL BE WELL is an internationally recognized and evidence-based chronic disease self-management program developed by Stanford University's School of Medicine. It is designed to help you with:

· Dealing with frustration, fatigue, pain & isolation

· Appropriate use of medications

· Improving & maintaining strength, flexibility, and endurance

· Communicating effectively with family, friends, and health professionals

· Nutrition

· How to evaluate new treatments

The program will be facilitated by Les and Patti Sontag

The $20 registration fee includes all seven sessions and related materials. Contact the Wellness Center or University of Illinois Extension, (618)498-2913, by Friday, August 22 to register.

Classes will be held each Tuesday, starting August 26, 2008 from 1 pm - 3:30 pm at the Jersey Community Hospital Wellness Center in Jerseyville, Illinois and will run for 7 weeks, ending October 7, 2008.

Ask any worker over the age of 50—or any retiree—what worries them about retirement. The answer? Whether they will run out of money. "It's hard enough trying to figure out how much you need to save while you're working. But it's even harder to figure out whether your money will last long enough in retirement," says Karen Chan, a Certified Financial Planner and educator in Consumer and Family Economics with University of Illinois Extension.

Chan recommends first getting a sense of your overall financial picture. "List your assets and debts. Then list your expected income, such as Social Security, pension, rental income, and interest or investment income. Track your expenses in writing for at least one month."

Retirees may need to reduce expenses. Special offers available to any senior citizen include low- or no-cost bank accounts and restaurant specials. To find out about government programs for which you may qualify, visit the National Council on the Aging Benefits Checkup web Center site at http://www.benefitscheckup.org/ The site includes information about the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage program as well as others. Some programs are based on income and assets.

Insurance can also be a budgeting tool. It turns large, unpredictable expenses into premiums that are easier to plan for. Long term care insurance, Medicare supplement insurance and umbrella policies can remove the worry about potentially large financial surprises.

If you haven't yet retired, learning to live on less now pays double benefits. Not only will you get a sense of what you really need to spend in retirement, but you will also be able to save more for retirement.

If you're covered by a pension at work, ask exactly how your benefit will be determined. How are years of service calculated? Another few weeks or months on the job might make a difference in your retirement check.

When to start receiving Social Security benefits is another important decision. If you file to receive benefits before full retirement age (between 65 and 67, depending on your year of birth) your benefits will be permanently reduced. The younger you are when you claim Social Security, the greater the reduction. If you wait, you'll get a larger benefit but you reduce the number of years you'll receive it. Which choice is better depends on how long you live. Consider your current health and family history, whether your benefit will also determine how much your spouse receives, and whether you need the income right away to live on.

If you've reached full retirement age, you can earn as much as you like without affecting your Social Security check. But if you are younger, Social Security will reduce your benefit by $1 for every $2 you earn each year over a certain amount ($13,560 in 2008). You can earn more in the year you reach full retirement age.

An interactive net worth calculator and other tools to help with retirement planning can be found at the web site, Plan Well, Retire Well: Your how-to guide, at www.RetireWell.uiuc.edu in the Goal Setting Session.

- Making Your Money Last? Karen Chan, Extension Educator Consumer and Family Economics, Countryside Extension

In the Victorian era of the late 1800s, pressing flowers was the passion and common ground for the well-to-do as well as the common person. Those that could afford it had special presses made to dry the flowers. Those that didn't have the money resorted to bricks and books.

After flowers were dried, Victorian women would create two and three-dimensional pictures, bookmarks and even jewelry. Many of these pressings survive today. You might even find remnants of pressing in old books including family bibles.

Unglazed paper such as newsprint or an old telephone book is well suited for pressing. Paper towels can be used, but are more expensive compared to the newspaper.

Arrange the flowers so they do not overlap on the paper. Use several pages of thickness between each page of flowers. Many layers of flowers and paper can be built up. Place a board or a piece of cardboard on the bottom and top of the pile. Then weight the pile down with a heavy object or objects such as books, bricks, concrete blocks or heavy boards. Flower presses are also available for purchase.

The time required for pressing depends on flower size and substance, usually 2 - 4 weeks. Check the flowers after one or two days. If the papers are damp, carefully remove the flowers and place between dry layers. Discard the wet layers. Place the flower press in a warm, dark location with good air circulation.

Storing pressed flowers is relatively easy. The flowers can be left in the press until they are to be used or the flowers may be placed on paper, forming layers in a box. Keep the box in a warm, dry, dark place.

Recommended flowers for pressing include fall-blooming asters, bleeding heart, buttercups, cosmos, chrysanthemums, dahlia, dogwood, English daisy, geranium, lily of the valley, pansies, poppies, sweet peas, violets and zinnia. Thicker flowers take longer to dry and demand more frequent paper changes. Avoid heavy, fleshy flowers such as hybrid tea roses, lilies, peonies and marigolds. Don't forget to dry some foliage plants such as ferns and hostas to add foliage to your final product.

Identifying and preventing indoor air quality problems is the focus of a new University of Illinois Extension website. "Healthy Indoor Air" http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/healthyair/index.cfm addresses a number of indoor air problems.

"How can the air inside our homes be so bad for us? Over the years, buildings have been made more airtight to conserve energy," explained Debra Bartman, an Extension consumer and family economics educator who developed the website with colleagues Patricia A. Hildebrand and Lois E. Smith. "Unfortunately, when air is trapped inside the home, so are the pollutants."

U.S. EPA studies have found that pollutant levels inside the home can be two to five times higher than outdoors.

"After some activities, indoor air pollution levels can be 100 times higher than outdoors," Bartman added.

Many indoor pollutants cannot be detected by our senses and the symptoms they produce can be vague and sometimes similar to other illnesses, making it hard to attribute them to a specific cause.

The website offers information to help determine if the air in your home is healthy as well as several solutions to help you reduce your risks.

We are pleased to introduce a new website that will help people treat more than 230 different stains. This comprehensive site gives detailed instructions for removing stains from washable fabrics, upholstery, and carpeting. Check it out at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/stain/.

- Susan Taylor, Extension Educator,

Calhoun County's 2^nd Annual Quilt & Church Tour

Friday, October 24^th Saturday, October 25^th 10am to 4pm

Three historic Calhoun churches will present: beautiful quilt displays, exhibits & activities.Photo gallery, Quilt appraisals, Quilter's demonstration, Quilt supplies & sales, Tri-County Antique display

Advance tickets $10.00 $12.00 at the door For more information,contact: Robbie 618-232-1268, Jane 618-883-2728, Sue 618-576-9003

The 2nd Annual Jersey County Leadership Academy met last month at Pere Marquette State Park to discuss economic development and tourism in the area. Brent Thompson from Jersey County Business Association and Brett Stawar from Alton's Convention and Visitors' Bureau were the featured speakers.

The leadership academy which started in January, will continue to meet once a month until graduation in October, is designed to give local residents an overview of the issues and concerns affecting Jersey County. The participants of the class cover the following topics: emergency services, healthcare, information technology, local, state and county government, non-profits, agriculture, economic development and education. If you are interested in becoming more active in local government, local non-profit boards, school board or other leadership positions consider enrolling in the 3rd annual leadership academy. Classes for 2009 are scheduled to begin in January. For more information call Jennifer Russell at (618)498-2913 or (618)576-2293.

Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) has begun to appear in some area soybean fields. The wet weather we've had is ideal for this pathogen. Initial infections took place within 30-40 days of soybean germination. However, symptoms of the disease (the yellowing then browning of the tissue between the leaf veins) may or may not appear. Again, it depends mostly upon environment. And moisture during late flowering/early podfill, can trigger the symptoms to appear.

We began to see the first symptoms of SDS the first week in August. And more fields are showing it today. Usually SDS first appears in one area of the field, and then spreads out. Since the fusarium organism that causes SDS can survive quite well for multiple seasons, you might actually notice the SDS areas enlarging each year that the disease appears. For positive diagnosis, you'll need to split the stem and examine the tissue. If the pith (very center) of the stem remains white and the vascular tissue surrounding the pith is a light brown color, that would be indicative of SDS.

SDS usually appears on the best performing fields. And it's also likely that Soybean Cyst Nematode is also present in the field (although not necessary). SDS usually appears on the earliest planted, best producing fields. And there are some soybean varieties that have better "tolerance" to the disease.

There are no cures. Improving drainage, reducing compaction and maintaining adequate fertility can help reduce the losses somewhat. Those fields that SDS has occurred previously should be planted last.

While you're out scouting for SDS, look a little closer for soybean aphids on those plants as well. We're beginning to find low levels of aphids in some soybean fields. The threshold is 250 aphids per plant.

Don't forget about the Orr Research Center field day will be held on Monday August 25^th. Both research centers will host tours (beef and agronomy). This is the 30^th anniversary of the center. Tours start at 3:30pm with a meal provided at no cost. The center is located in northern Pike county.

- Mike Roegge, University of Illinois Extension, Adams/Brown Unit