Welcome to the on-line version of Greene County Acres. It containsinformation about upcoming Extension activities in agriculture and natural resources. The newsletter and calendar for June lists additional upcoming activities and events. I encourage you to participate in one or more activities or events.

Special thanks to newsletter contributors:

o David Seibert, Extension Educator, Animal Systems, East Peoria Center

o Martha Smith, Extension Educator, Horticulture, Macomb Center

o Kevin Steffey, Extension Entomologist, Champaign-Urbana campus

o Susan Barron, Illinois Department of Agriculture

Also Thanks to Kim Dankoski, Extension Secretary III, for her assistance with the newsletter.

Anyone needing a reasonable accommodation to participate in our program should contact me, 217/942-6996.

Sincerely,

nty Extension Director

Greene County

This TeleNet is held each year to educate agency staff, landowners, producers, and others about the major federal and state farm conservation programs. Specifically, participants will receive updated information regarding the basic provisions, economic incentives, cost-share rates, technical support, and signup periods for the programs. Experts will be on-line to answer questions.

Invited speakers will include FSA, SWCD, IDNR, IDOA, IEPA, and NRCS. It will be held on January 29, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at various Extension offices including Greene County's.

The program is offered at no cost. Advance registration is needed. For more information or to register, contact the Extension office.

U of I Extension will be conducting training and testing programs this winter in various counties to assist growers in recertifying as private pesticide applicators. A clinic for the tri-county area will be held on January 31, 1:00 p.m. at the

Greene County Extension Building in Carrollton. This will be the only one in the

three county area.

Additional clinics will be held on January 16, 1:00 p.m., Macoupin Extension office in Carlinville, 217/254-9604; January 22, 1:00 p.m., Montgomery Extension office in Hillsboro, 217/532-3941; January 29, 1:00 p.m., Sangamon Extension Office in Springfield, 217/782-4617; and February 25, 1:00 p.m., Morgan Extension office in Jacksonville, 217/243-7424.

A testing only session will be held on February 28, 1:00 p.m. in the Macoupin Extension office in Carlinville, phone – 217/854-9604.

There will be no night time training - a directive from the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

The certification exam is based on information found in the training manual. Study materials are available from county Extension offices. Participants should bring a handheld calculator.

There will be a $30.00 registration fee. Seating will be limited so advance registration will be required. For the session in Greene County, call 217/942-6996.

University of Illinois Extension is offering five farm management programs available online beginning in the winter of 2008. These programs were created to assist farmers and landowners in making farm management decisions. The programs can be completed at home using a computer and an internet connection that is higher than standard dial-up. The programs will consist of lesson modules, email communication, and a message board for anonymous discussions. The programs can be completed during any time of the day or day of the week and run in length from five weeks to eight weeks.

The programs being offered beginning in February are:

· Grain Marketing Boot Camp - A basic course designed for the novice commodity marketer interested in learning how to sell their grain production.

· Farm Financial Management - Designed to assist producers and landowners in assessing their financial situation and planning for the future.

· Farmland Ownership 101 - Program is geared to assist the farm land owner in better managing their farm land and improve landowner/tenant relationships.

· Quicken® for Farm Producers - A course that instructs on using Quicken software to track and analyze farm financial records.

· Crop Insurance Decision Making - Aids producers in analyzing how the farm operation marketing plan can utilize various crop insurance products.

Enrollment is currently ongoing and class size is limited. Course fees are $75 per course. Quicken® for Farm Producers has an additional charge $20 for the textbook. Grain Marketing Boot Camp has an additional $10 fee for the workbook.

Registration can be done online after January 1^st at web.extension.uiuc.edu/champaigncenter/fbm.html.

Illinois Farm Account Books are available at the office. The cost is $11.00.

We have a few copies of U of I corn and soybean test result booklets are available at $2 each at the Extension office. The information and more is also available at http://www.cropsci.uiuc.edu/vt/index.html

The Farmer's Tax Guide is on-line at http://www.irs.gov/publications/p225/index.html

The office also has a good supply of USDA Pesticide Recordkeeping Manuals at no cost to producers. The manual simplifies recordkeeping by combining the requirements from the Worker Protection Standard (WPS) and Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) laws.

Educational activities are constantly being scheduled by Extension staff, both in Greene and other counties. Sometimes it's difficult to finalize all the details in time to get them into a newsletter. It is even more difficult when a newsletter is bi-monthly or quarterly.

One way you can learn about additional activities is the office's website at http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/greene/.

There is a calendar of upcoming activities and events. You can also search the calendar for activities being held outside of Greene County. Click on the "Search Stateside U of I Extension Calendar" button and search for events by specifying month or date, major topic area, by keywords, and by distance you are willing travel from your home. Then you can click on an event and get the date, time, location, and description of the event.

Dr. Tony Vyn, a nationally-recognized agronomist and researcher from Purdue University, will be the featured speaker at the West Central Illinois Tillage Seminar, scheduled for Wednesday, February 6, at Hamilton's in Jacksonville, Illinois.

Tony has received national acclaim for his applied research associated with strip-till and no-till farming systems. The program, featuring numerous state and nationally recognized speakers, runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. It is co-sponsored by University of Illinois Extension, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, NRCS, AISWCD, and the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Seed, chemical, machinery dealers and other agri-businesses will be featured as exhibitors. This Tillage Seminar will provide 5.0 CEU's for Certified Crop Advisers (4.5 Soil & Water Management and 0.5 IPM).

Pre-registration is necessary and the deadline is January 30. Seating is limited so registration will be taken on a first-come basis. A $15 per person fee will be charged to cover room rental and noon luncheon. To register, include the following information with your check: West Central Illinois Tillage Seminar, your name, address and county of residence. Please make your check payable to "University of Illinois Extension" and send to: Morgan County Extension Office, 104 North Westgate, Jacksonville, IL 62650.

For more information, contact Aaron Dufelmeier, (217)243-7424.

Area beef cattle producers will have the opportunity to attend the Area Beef Cattle Seminar scheduled for Tuesday, February 5, in Jerseyville at the Jersey County Administration Building Auditorium YMCA, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. General beef cattle topics will be covered, with emphasis being placed on the Feeding of Corn Co-Products and Producing a Quality Beef Product. Speakers will be specialists from University of Illinois Extension and industry representatives.

Co-sponsors of the seminar are University of Illinois Extension, Illinois Beef Association, and the local Cattlemen's Association.

Registration is $12 with late and at door costing $15. The deadline for registration is January 31^st by contacting Jennifer Russell, County Extension Director at the Calhoun-Jersey Extension Office in Jerseyville at 618/576-2293.

The most important decision made each year in the cow-calf enterprise is the selection, health and management of the herd sire. Not only does he contribute 50% of the genetic make up of the offspring, but also can have a major impact on the calf crop from birth through harvest. Cow-calf producers in Illinois will have the opportunity to attend a Beef Sire Selection and Management seminar

The seminar will be held on January 29 starting at 4:00 p.m. in Petersburg (Menard County), at the River Bank Lodge located at 522 South 6^th Street or along IL Rt. 123 toward the south end of town.

The speakers will include a local practitioner, industry and university representatives. A local veterinarian will cover the very important topic of "Breeding Soundness Evaluation." Speaking and serving as co-sponsor for the program will be Fort Dodge Animal Health and the Illinois Angus Association. Representing Fort Dodge Animal Health will be Brian Armendariz, Territory Manager discussing "BVD Testing and Control." Also, Jerry Cassady, Regional Manager with the American Angus Association, will cover the topic of "Adding Value through Information and Producing Quality Beef."

University of Illinois Extension representatives and topics covered at the seminars include: "EPDs – What They Are, What They Aren't and How Can I Use Them?"; "Understanding and Incorporating Physical Traits into Sire Selection"; and "Management of the Herd Bull with Emphasis on Yearling Bulls." These topics will be covered by Dr. Doug Parrett, University of Illinois Beef Cattle Specialist and Dave Seibert, Animal Systems Educator from the E. Peoria Extension Center.

University of Illinois Extension, Fort Dodge Animal Health, Illinois Angus Association and the local Cattlemen's Associations are co-sponsoring the seminars. Registration for the seminar is $10 that covers the meal along with the handouts. Late and at door registration will be $15. The deadline for reservations is Thursday, January 24.

Contact Diane Duewer, Menard County Extension Office at 217/632-7491. For additional information on the seminars contact Dave Seibert at the E. Peoria Extension Center, 309/694-7501, Ext 224.

The Greene County office of University of Illinois Extension will close at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, December 21, 2007 for the holidays and will reopen Wednesday, January 2, 2008, 8:00 a.m.

The office will also be closed on Monday, January 21 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The Extension staff and volunteers wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.