The 2009 4-H Fair will be held the week of July 6th-July 10th. Please mark your calendars and start thinking about projects that you would like to bring to the fair. Keep track of deadline dates as posted in the newsletters! We look forward to seeing you!

Sincerely,

Extension Staff

Leaders….Mark your calendar for the meeting to be held March 16th at 6:30 pm at the Extension building. Project manuals and 4-H Fairbooks will be handed out, along with discussing changes that will be implemented at this year's 4-H Fair. One leader from each club should be present. We will have food available, so please let us know by March 12 if you can attend so arrangements can be made.

If your club is looking for a one-day project...the 4-H Building & Grounds would like areas of the parking lot repainted (ie, curbs, poles, parking stops). Supplies will be furnished. Contact the office if your club is interested.

Open it up and look on the inside cover. Bambi has put a list of all the projects that you have enrolled in. Find those projects listed in the fairbook, check that it was what you thought it was, and decide if there are any projects that you would like to add or delete. You have until April 30th to make changes! If you have any questions about the schedule, project requirements, or where something you have done would fit...give us a call. We are always willing to help! Plan Ahead!

Woodworking I

April 18th 2009

9:00– 11:00 am

U of I Extension Building

This project day is for anyone interested in learning skills of sanding, nailing and finishing a woodworking project. Please bring a hammer, sandpaper, or other items that we will request (info will be sent out after you register). We will need a minimum of 5 to hold the workshop and a maximum of 12. It is important to register by the deadline of APRIL 3rd so that we can make a determination of supplies and to be sure we have enough registered participants.

If you are interested in Woodwoking I, make sure that you are signed up in that general project area.

4-H Cooking 201

May 16th (morning)

Save the date now to attend a 1 1/2—2 hour workshop on the 4-H cooking 201 project book. More details and specifics will be given at a later mailing. Please register by May 8th if you are interested in attending so that we can send the details. We will need a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 25 for the class.

Visual Arts Project Day

May 30th

9:00 am—11:00 am

This workshop will give you a jump start on some projects that you may exhibit at the fair. This will include opportunities to work with various Visual Arts projects. Make sure you are signed up for Visual Arts and let us know by May 8th if you are interested in attending our project day so that we can send you more details. We will need a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 25 for the class.

Positions Available:

Set Up Crew: 14 yrs old or older

Dorm Service Crew: 14 yrs old or older

Dorm Office Staff: 14 yrs or older

Livestock Crew: 14 yrs or older

General Project Assistant: 16 yrs or older

Bicycle Rodeo Project Assistant: 16 yrs or older

Fashion Revue Project Assistant: 16 yrs or older

Welcome/Info Booth Attendant: 16 yrs or older

4-H Activity Area Assistant: 16 yrs or older

There are other positions available for adults also. If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact the office for information and applications.

Check out the India Culture Kit in April. Reserve your kit by contacting our office. These are reserved on a first call first serve basis. These kits come with exciting activities and educational ideas!

Set your calendars for Saturday, May 23, 2009 at 12:10 p.m. in Busch Stadium. The Redbirds are playing Kansas City that evening, and yes--it is Memorial Weekend!

Although order forms and additional information are not available yet, please call the local Extension office at (217) 357-2150 so that we may send you the information as soon as it arrives.

Orders will need to be postmarked by April 13, and tickets and T-shirts will be sent to families on May 11.

If you are planning on going to any 4-H event, such as 4-H Camp, CCC Trip, conferences, Space Camp, etc., consider applying for the Foundation Scholarships available for up to half of the registration fee. The next round of deadline applications are due May 1. Application forms are available by calling us at (217) 357-2150 or on our website at : http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/hancock/4hyouth1472.html (under Foundation Scholarship)

When filling out scholarship applications, resumes, job applications, and other achievement recognition, don't forget to mention your experience and benefits learned from being a part of 4-H. This certainly helps highlight some of the skills you have developed! Send us a copy! We will keep a file and highlight some of the great things that our 4-H alumni are doing!!

If college plans are leading you to U of I, consider the 4-H House Cooperative Sorority or FarmHouse Fraternity as your home-away-from-home. Contacts include Erin Spaur at 4-H House at 217-344-4784 or espaur2@uiuc.edu orJason Buss at FarmHouse at 217-440-5375 or jcbuss2@uiuc.edu.

The Adolph Dahl Educational Scholarship is available to one Hancock County 4-H member who is either a current high school senior or a college student. Applications are available at the Extension Office and are due back completed no later than April 30th.

Whenever you have the opportunity, thank our legislators Senator John Sullivan, Representative Rich Myers, and Representative Jil Tracy for their continued support of Extension and 4-H.

Remember snickerdoodles, wheat bread, funny cake, or chocolate crinkles? Do you remember these goodies from your 4-H experience? These and many more recipes from 14 University of Illinois Extension 4-H foods project books can be found in a new "favorites" cookbook available through the Illinois 4-H Foundation.

More than 150 of your old favorites from 4-H food project books such as You Learn to Bake, ABC's of Food, Adventures in Cooking, It's Fun to Cook, Milk and Eggs, Meat in Your Meals, Pastry in Your Meals, and Yeast Breads in Your Meals are included in this 8 1/2" x 11' spiral bound cookbook. Recipes are listed by 4-H project book, alphabetically, and by food category for easy reference.

Watch for more information on this exciting cookbook coming this spring or go to http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/4hfoundation/.

Proceeds from the cookbook will support current 4-H foods project resources and training for 4-H volunteers.

This year's date will be Saturday, March 7th from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the Carthage Sale Barn.

· All steers that will be exhibited at the State Fair, and/or taken to Congerville must have Electronic ID Tags. Electronic ID Tags will be available after January 15th, 2009. It is the responsibility of the 4-H family to see that their livestock are electronically tagged. The tags are $3.00 a piece and checks should be made payable to the University of Illinois Extension the day of the weigh-in.

· Steers entering in the County 4-H Rate of Gate will need to be at the weigh-in.

· All steers must be dehorned.

· Please contact our office at (217) 357-2150 to let us how many steers you will bring for the weigh-in & tattoo in addition to how many Electronic ID tags you will need. Please also be prepared to give the following information:

4-H member name, Address, Birthday of 4-H member and Breed of Steer

Hancock Co Office, April 13th @ 5:30 pm

· The calendar year in which a youth becomes 8 years old (as of January 1st) is the first year he/she can be Youth PQA Certified.

· It is encouraged (not mandated) that youth 8-13 years of age be accompanied by a parent or guardian during the class.

· Youth 8-18 years of age must re-certify annually by attending a Youth PQA education class.

· Youth getting re-certified this year will not receive a card or number in the mail. They will use the same number forever so they are expected to keep it.

The training date for Hancock County will be April 13th at 5:30 at the Extension office. Call the office at 217-357-2150 to register by April 9th. Youth may take the training May 18th at 5:30 p.m. in McDonough County. If you have conflicts with these dates, contact the office and we can check availability in other counties.

The Quality Assurance & Ethics Certification (QAEC) must be taken by every 4-H member that is exhibiting any of the following at the Illinois State Fair: beef, sheep, swine, horse, dairy, meat goats, and poultry. This certification is done online. 4-H members are only required to take it only once. The QAEC website is now available and can be found at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/qaec. This is not a requirement to exhibit at the Hancock County 4-H Fair, but it is strongly recommended by Extension Staff and Livestock Superintendents. If you need to access a computer at our office to complete this, call us to make an appointment to make sure one will be available to you.

If you are interested in showing your sheep at the State Fair, you need to have them weighed and tattooed at WIU Livestock Pavilion on May 15th from 3:00-6:00 p.m. Exhibitors will need to pay for the electronic ID tags on sight. You should bring along a check made out to the University of Illinois or have correct change; the cost of the tags is $2.00 per lamb. For more info call Dean Oswald at 309-836-8705.

*For a more detailed listing, call the office or look in last month's newsletter

Heifers - Owned and personally cared for by exhibitor since June 1, 2009

Performance Cows – Owned and personally cared by exhibitor since January 1, 2009

Steers—Owned and personally cared for by exhibitor since February 1, 2009

Swine

Gilts—Owned by exhibitor since June 1, 2009

Barrows—Owned by exhibitor since June 1, 2009

Sheep

Ewes & Rams—Owned and personally cared for by exhibitor since June 25, 2009

Wethers—Owned and personally cared for by exhibitor since May 15, 2009

Dairy

Calves and Heifers – Owned since June 1, 2009

Cows – Owned since January 1, 2009

Horse and Pony:

May 1 – Place on file in Extension or FFA Office copies of ownership and/or lease papers for all animals that the member plans to exhibit at the ISF Junior Horse Show.

Dairy Goats:

Kids and Yearlings not in milk must be owned by exhibitor only by June 1, 2009.

Milking Does must be owned by exhibitor only by January 1, 2009.

MEAT GOATS:

Wethers – Born on or after October 1, 2008

Ownership dates for Kids & Yearlings not in milk – May 15, 2009

Rabbits, Pygmy Goats & Poultry:

Does -- By June 1, 2009
All others -- Out of stock owned by the exhibitor prior to June 1, 2009.

Plans are currently underway for a Fitting Clinic at the Hancock County Extension Office in Carthage. The clinic is for both youth and adults who want to improve their grooming and fitting skills. Chuck McCullough, club calf producer and professional fitter from Allerton, IA will conduct this hands-on workshop for all ages. Participants will need to bring their own calf and equipment. Estimated cost will be under $50 per participant. Class size will be limited, so call Brent Ufkes today at 217-430-8604 to register or for more info.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 4^th, 2009 to attend this annual event at the WIU Livestock Pavilion (Wigwam Hollow & Tower Road), in Macomb. This competition is open to teams or individuals. Jr. members (under 14 by 01/01/09) and Sr. members (Over 14 by 01/01/09). We will pick our Jr and Sr teams from the scores at this competition. Registration will begin at 8:15 am and the contest at 9:00 am. Pre-registration is required by calling our office by March 20th. The fee will be $7.00 per participant, which includes lunch, and must be paid in advance at our office. Parents are encouraged to attend and help with scoring, or just watch. Once we know who is going, we will arrange car-pooling so that all can attend. This is a great learning experience that will help you pick superior livestock in your future farming endeavors.

The Illinois Southdown Sheep Breeders Association is sponsoring its 16^th annual essay contest and will be awarding a Southdown ewe lamb to the winner. The contest is open to Illinois 4-H or FFA members under the age of 16 and not currently raising Southdown sheep. The lamb, registered in the winners' name, will come from one of the quality Southdown flocks maintained in Illinois and have a $150-$250 value. The lamb will be presented to the essay winner at the Annual Illinois Southdown Experience held in Eureka, Illinois in June.

Southdowns are a popular 4-H and FFA project because of their pleasant disposition and ability to be kept on small acreage. In recent years their increased size and leanness has made them attractive to the commercial breeder. They continue to be an ideal sheep for a youth project, small farm flock or hobby. In past contests lambs have been donated by Kurt Shattuck, Keith Carson, Kenneth Clayton, Mark & Amy Johnson, Mike & Shirley McElvain, Gale Cole, Jami Meisenheimer-Bowman, Dave Fruendt, Mike Miller, the Jim Davis family and Brad & Rhonda Baer.

The Harness Racing Youth League is a 5-day/4-night event in which participants are given the opportunity to learn about harness racing and caring for horses. The format includes daily barn activities including grooming, harnessing, hitching and driving the horses. Mixed in are games and hands-on experiences which allow for further understanding of the horse industry.

The camp applicants should be between the ages of 11 and 13 years.

No prior horse experience is required. To apply, an application and essay must be submitted.

A fee of $150 is charged; this fee covers all lodging and meals for the camp. Once accepted, the participant will be given additional and medical information to complete.

Check in will take place Friday morning, June 19 at 8:30AM at Odds On Racing. The camp will conclude after the exhibition of the HRYL participants during the races at Balmoral Park on June 23.

For additional information and to obtain an application, please call the HHYF office at 317-867-5877 or visit the website www.hhyf.org.

December: Federation got together and ate at Pizza Hut, bowled, and shopped for TOY SHARE which goes to youth in need for Christmas.

January: Hosted MOVIE MANIA!

February: Planned layout of the Hancock County 4-H Banner which will be displayed at the 2009 Illinois State Fair. Also discussed upcoming planning events, fundraisers, and social events.

March: Wednesday, March 11th will be our next meeting (notice the date change). We will be planning for some fun activities for the week of the Hancock county 4-H Fair.

April: April 13, 2009 @ 6:00 pm New Member night! Come and check out tips for good judging and 4-H record keeping.

March

Paige Bray

Alex Bundy

Brian Buss

Mary Carroll

Allison Dewald

Jaclyn Duffy

Lauren Glick

Matthew Greiner

Lynnea Janssen

Ethan Johnson

Ali Kerr

Kyra Koehler

Samuel McDowell

Alexis McIlmoil

Morgan Merritt

Katie Roskamp

Danielle Scheetz

John Tobias

April

Kyle Burling

Zack Burling

Aaron Carroll

Mackenzie Coulter

Sheena Flesner

Alicyn Gerhardt

Wyatt Johnson

Jordan Merritt

Marissa Newman

Austin Ufkes

March

7th Steer Weigh in at 9:00 am (Carthage Sale Barn)

4-H Night with the Rivermen, Peoria

11th Federation Meeting 6:00 pm

16th Leaders Meeting 6:30 pm

20-22nd Beef Fitting Clinic

April

4th WIU Livestock Judging Contest

3rd Register for Woodworking Workshop

9th Register for PQA

13th Federation New Member Night

PQA @ Extension office 5:30 pm

Last day to order 4-H Day w Cardinals tickets

18th Woodworking Workshop

30th Last Day to enroll in general projects

Dahl Scholarship applications due

May

1st Foundation Scholarship Applications are due!

Register for Cooking 201 and V.A. Workshops

16th 4-H Cooking 201 Workshop

23rd 4-H Day with the Cardinals

25th Office Closed—Memorial Day

30th Visual Arts Project Day

31st 4-H Fair Entry Post-marked Date