Only one week left until we stuff ourselves with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole and pumpkin pie. With the approaching holiday you may be studying turkeys or Thanksgiving in your classroom.

University of Illinois Extension has a great website called "Turkey for the Holidays". This website if full of information including cooking techniques, turkey safety, turkey fun, Thanksgiving links, holiday hotlines and much more!!

Visit the website at http://urbanext.illinois.edu/turkey/.

Here are a few fun facts about Thanksgiving.

• Minnesota is the top turkey producing state.
• Thanksgiving was made an official national holiday by Congress in 1941.
• The largest pumpkin pie ever baked weighed 2,020 pounds and was a little over 12 feet long.
• The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade took place in 1924.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Last week a new website was unveiled that gives a lot of information on the history of Illinois Agriculture. This website allows you to see and hear the history by the people who lived it. Illinois State Museum launched the Audio-Video Barn website (http://avbarn.museum.state.il.us), featuring 300 hours of interviews with more than 130 people involved with agriculture in Illinois over the past 129 years. The website is the culmination of a two-year Oral History of Illinois Agriculture project led by the Illinois State Museum and Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

The interviews tell the story of Illinois agriculture from the people who know it best – grain farmers, beekeepers, elk ranchers, 4-H kids, college professors, broadcasters and pumpkin growers, among others, from every corner of the state.

Teachers can find lessons to go along with some of the stories on the website as well. I encourage you to visit the website and take a look around. There is a lot to see and learn.

The Ford-Iroquois Ag in the Classroom Partnership now has its own website. Check it out at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/fordiroquois/agclassroom/index.html. Here you will find a wealth of information. Here is a look at what you will find:

- A link to the this blog can be found on the left side.

- The AITC Usage Survey is also located on the left hand side to record the programs/resources you use.

- Under program links you will find links to the Illinois Ag in the Classroom page as well as other great website resources. This page will continue to change, so check back often!

- The Forms and Downloads section will contain the list of kits available as well as copies of the current and past Ag Awareness Express newsletters.

Now all the information you need for Ag in the Classroom is right at your fingertips. New information will be added to this site monthly, so check back for new things.

University of Illinois Extension offers some great online curricula through the Schools Online website. Take a look at the different programs available.

The Great Plant Escape - urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe - The Great Plant Escape helps students learn the mysteries of plant life. Students learn the basics of composting, germination, seeds, and soils. This site is also available in Spanish.

Out on a Limb - urbanext.illinois.edu/conflict - This site teaches youth how to better manage conflicts and challenges they face every day. Also available in Spanish.

The Adventures of Herman - urbanext.illinois.edu/worms - Learn about worm anatomy, the history of worms, and why worms are so important to us. Build a worm bin for recycling food scraps. Also in Spanish.

Shake, Rattle, and Slide - urbanext.illinois.edu/earth - Shake, Rattle, and Slide shows students how forces on and inside the earth work to shape our world. Learn about earthquakes, volcanoes, and glaciers.

The All-Star River Explorers - urbanext.illinois.edu/rivers - What's an oxbow lake and how do rivers form? That's what students will learn as well as the basics of hydrology. There is also a special section on our early river explorers.

Trees Are Terrific - urbanext.illinois.edu/trees1 - Students in K-2 can learn the low-down on trees and why we need them. In Exploring the Secret Life of Trees (urbanext.illinois.edu/trees2) 3-5 graders can learn about roots, parts of the trunk, and tree care. Also in Spanish. Dr. Arbor Talks Trees (urbanext.illiois.edu/trees3) is for 6-8 grades and helps students identify trees using a key.

Walk in the Woods - urbanext.illinois.edu/woods - Explore the environment and all the things you can find in the woods. Also in Spanish.

Riding the Winds with Kalani - urbanext.illinois.edu/kalani - Help 5-8 year olds learn about temperature, clouds, seasons, winds, precipitation and violent storms.

Let's Talk About Insects - urbanext.illinois.edu/insects - Learn ant anatomy, where to look for bugs, and why insects are so important to us. Also in Spanish.

The Great Corn Adventure - urbanext.illinois.edu/corn - Zea Mays introduces students to the history of corn and its many suprising uses. And we learn all about a year in the life of an ear. Also in Spanish.

My First Garden - urbanext.illinois.edu/firstgarden - Learn the basics of gardening. Also in Spanish.

Fresh From the World...Where Your Food Comes From - urbanext.illinois.edu/food - Explore 15 popular foods and see where in the world they come from.

This week is National Farm Safety and Health Week. Did you know that farming is ranked as one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. While I encourage farmers to use this week to reflect on their farm practices and review their emergency action plans, I also encourage the nonfarmer to review safety practices of sharing the road with this big equipment.

I would like to share with you an article written by Vera Bunting, Gibson Area Hospital and Health Services that is geared toward the motorist who is sharing the road with these farmers.

Be Alert, Be Aware, Be Alive

As we all know, spring and fall are very busy times for farmers. When driving down the rural roads of central Illinois, you will encounter farm equipment. Farmers are allowed to operate their equipment on public roadways, just as the public is allowed to drive their vehicles on the public roadways.

BE ALERT – Upon seeing farm equipment, SLOW DOWN. Most farm vehicles travel 25 mph or less, so it takes only 5 seconds to close a gap the length of a football field if the driver of the vehicle is traveling 55 mph. Even though farmers take safety precautions to ensure that their machinery is easily visible, motorists should take initiative and drive carefully, and not assume that they are visible to the farmer. If motorists are too close behind some of the farm vehicles, they are obscured from the farmer's view.

BE AWARE – Farmers use large pieces of equipment. As farmers continue to increase their size of farms, so does the equipment size as a rule. Most equipment is larger than the travel lanes, and drivers of vehicles cannot pass safely at fast speeds. Stop and let the equipment pass, then continue on your way. Do not assume if the farmer pulls to the right side of the road, that they are going to make a right-hand turn. Due to the size of equipment, the farmer must move to the right before making a wide left turn. When meeting farm vehicles at or on a bridge, the motorist needs to give the farmer enough room to completely exit the bridge before they begin to cross the bridge. There is not enough room for both.

BE ALIVE – Be patient! Farmers will attempt to pull off the side of the road at the first opportunity so you can pass. Steep ditches, soft shoulders or being wet could cause a farm vehicle to tip over when pulling over to the side to allow drivers to pass. So that the farmer is able to see your vehicle or if the farmer has come to a stop quickly, DO NOT FOLLOW TOO CLOSELY!

Remember farmers are not operating equipment on rural roads to slow you down intentionally. They also have a job to do and are working to provide a safe food supply for everyone. When possible, farmers will pull off the road at the first safe opportunity so you can pass. Rural Road Rage can be negated if everyone takes the responsibility to have extra patience, careful driving habits, and use high-visibility markings and lighting. A collision with a slow-moving vehicle versus a fast-moving vehicle will more than likely be a fatal accident. So please: BE ALERT, BE AWARE, and BE ALIVE.

Fall is upon us. Soon the farmers will be out in the fields harvesting the corn and soybeans. Fall is my favorite time of the year. Cool crisp air, warm apple cider, brightly colored leaves, and bumpy rides in the combine are among my favorites in the fall. Here are some wonderful books to help you celebrate the season of fall.

Corn Belt Harvest by Raymond Bial

Autumn Across America by Seymour Simon

Farming by Gail Gibbons

From Seed to Pumpkin by Jan Kottke

Harvest Year by Cris Peterson

Harvest by Kris Waldherr

Picking Apples and Pumpkins by Amy & Richard Hutchings

Happy Reading!!!

Still not sure what Agriculture in the Classroom is all about? Come find out more! We will be having an introductory workshop on Tuesday, September 29 from 4:30-6:30 at the Ford-Iroquois Extension office in Onarga. You will learn about the Ag in the Classroom program as well as experience some of the activities you can do with students and other youth. Come and check out the kits and resources that are available. There is no cost to attend. Two CPDUs will be offered teachers in attendance. Door prizes will be awarded. If you are interested in attending please register by e-mailing me at alchandl@illinois.edu or call 815-268-4051.

Weather can sometimes be difficult for youth to understand. This is now made a little easier with a new website from the University of Illinois.

The new Tree House Weather Kids website helps young people understand things like why the weather changes, how we predict the weather, and how weather can cause distruction (hurricanes, tornadoes, etc).

The website is geared towards youth in 5th-8th grades.

Visit the website at http://urbanext.illinois.edu/treehouse

We teach agriculture because it is essential for life. We need the food, fiber, and fuel from agriculture to survive. One of the biggest things I hear from teachers is "I teach geography, language arts, etc. How does Agriculture fit into that?" I would like to share with you something that I found on South Dakota Ag in the Classroom page. This illustrates that agriculture does fit into all of the different areas we teach. It is possible to make it part of our curriculum.

Why Educate About Agriculture?

You teach geography. Travel the world by discovering how climate, altitude, soil types and other elements influence the food and fiber systems that provide students with almost everything that they eat, wear, and use on a daily basis.

Your students are exploring careers. Agriculture is a world of opportunity. As one of the nation's largest employers, agriculture offers a vast and exciting selection of careers. There are approximately 22 million people who work in agricultural related fields.

You teach science and technology. Agriculture has changed science and technology in major ways over the past 100 years. Just think of the possibilities for science fair projects.

You teach business and economics. Agriculture is a significant industry in both national and international economies. Examine how agriculture effects supply and demand on pricing and products.

You teach history. Agriculture has had significant impact on the history and heritage of world civilizations. From ancient Egypt to colonial times, agriculture tells the story of how civilizations emerged.

You teach language arts. Explore creative writing by displaying some printed advertisements for nutritious foods. After the students read them, guide them in identifying and describing the features of the advertisements. Challenge each student to choose a food and create their own advertisement.

You teach mathematics. Agriculture provides an innovative and hands on twist to standard mathematical curriculum. Use agricultural statistics to help students solve mathematical problems.

The 2009-2010 school year will be starting soon. To learn more on how your student, classroom or school can become involved in Ag in the Classroom contact Aimee Chandler at 815-268-4051 or at alchandl@illinois.edu.