· Watch for Updates on Ag News Online

· 2009 Private Pesticide Applicator & Training dates

· 2009 Northwest Illinois Tillage Seminar

· Livestock Management Facilities Act/Certified Livestock Managers Training

· 2009 U of I Corn & Soybean Classics

· Alfalfa Teleconference

· Illinois Pork Expo

· Farm Conservation Programs TeleNet

· Soil & Water Management Workshop

· Horticulture Programs Winter 2009

· 2009 Northern IL Beef Cattle Seminar

· Annie's Project 2009

· Northern IL Beef Cattle Seminar

· Ag Law/Risk Management Update

· Goat Herd Health Management Update

Training and Testing Dates (Registration cost is $30)

-December 22 * Henry-Stark * Kewanee BHE * 12:00-4:00 * 309-853-1533

-January 8, 2009 * Peoria * ICC, East Peoria * 8:30-12:30 * 309-467-3789

-January 13 * Knox * Galesburg * 9:00-1:00 * 309-342-5108

-February 3 * Henry-Stark * Woodhull * 9:00-1:00 * 309-853-1533

-February 11 * Bureau * Princeton * 12:00-4:00 * 815-875-2878

-February 17 * Warren * Aledo * 9:00-1:00 * 309-734-5161

Testing ONLY dates in Henry and Stark Counties:

-March 12 * BHE Conference Center * 10:00 – 2:00

Call 309-853-1533 to register (space will be limited)

Online registration at henrystark.extension.uiuc.edu: Click on registration link in the upper right hand corner where you can choose to pay at the door, send a check, or use a major credit card.

Contact the Extension office or reference the online training schedule at

http://www.pesticidesafety.uiuc. edu/training/training.html, if you would like to find another location and time to fit your schedule.

Manuals and study guides will be available for $15 from the Henry-Stark Extension office located on the campus of Black Hawk East in Building 4. Direct mail of the manual via the Henry-Stark Extension office is also an option for an additional $4.80 per set.

This year's pesticide safety education testing manual is 39-7 (October 1999 red cover). If you already have these, there is no need to get another set. To order online, go to: https://pubsplus.uiuc.edu/agriculturepesticide.html.

Wednesday, January 28

Princeton / Galleria

"Tillage, Technology & Environmental Stewardship" is the theme for the 2009 Illinois Regional Tillage Seminars, scheduled for Wednesday, January 28, 2009 at The Galleria, Princeton, IL. Directions: The Galleria is located at 1659 N Main St., on the north edge of Princeton. From Interstate 80, take Exit 56 onto IL Rt. 26 and go one-half mile south into Princeton. The Galleria is on the east side of the highway, directly across the road from the Chevrolet dealership.

This year's Tillage Seminar features an outstanding line-up of state and nationally recognized speakers.

8:00 – 8:50 am Registration, Meet with Agri-business Exhibitors, Coffee & Rolls

8:50 – 9:00 am Opening Remarks and Welcome, Sherry Hockings, Ag Program Coordinator, Bureau County Extension

9:00 – 9:15 am 2008 Cropping/Tillage Season in Review, Bob Frazee, U of I Extension Natural Resources Educator

9:15 – 9:30 am State Cost-Share & Technical Assistance Programs, Marty McManus, IL Dept. of Agriculture Regional Representative

9:30 – 9:45 am What's in the 2008 Farm Bill for you? Conservation Payments, Steve Hollister, NRCS Regional Agronomist

9:45 – 10:30 am Role of Tillage on Carbon Sequestration, Jerry Hatfield, Director, National Soil Tilth Lab

10:30 – 10:45 am Break, Meet with Agri-business Exhibitors

10:45 – 11:25 am Impact of Climate on Crops, Jim Angel, State Climatologist, Illinois State Water Survey

11:25 – 12:15 am Soil Effects of Long-term No-till/Strip-till, Controlled-traffic, Aligned Farming Systems, Clay Mitchell, Iowa Farmer, National No-till Conference Speaker

12:15 – 1:15 pm Lunch and Visit with Exhibitors

1:15 – 2:10 pm No-till Planter Set-up & Equipment Modifications, No-till Management, Barry Fischer – IN State Agronomist, Natural Resources Conservation Service

2:10 – 3:00 pm Managing No-till/Strip-till: Weed shifts and Resistance, Clay Mitchell – Iowa Farmer, National No-till Conference Speaker

3:00 pm Seminar Adjourns, Meet with Exhibitors & Speakers

The 2009 Northwest Illinois Tillage Seminar is co-sponsored by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, University of Illinois Extension, AISWCD, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Seed, chemical, machinery dealers, soil testing, and other agri-businesses will be featured as exhibitors. This Tillage Seminar will provide 5.0 CEU's for Certified Crop Advisers (3.5 Soil & Water Management; 1:01PM; and .5 Crop Management).

Pre-registration is necessary and the deadline is January 21. Seating is limited, so registration will be taken on a first-come basis. A $20 per person fee will be charged to cover room rental and noon luncheon.

To register by mail, include the following information with your check: Northwest Tillage Seminar, your name, address and county of residence. Please make your check payable to "University of Illinois Extension" and send to: Bureau Extension, 850 Thompson St. Princeton IL 61356. On-line, credit card registrations can be made at: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/bureau/ For more information, contact Sherry Hockings, U of I Ag Program Coordinator at 815-885-2878 or Bob Frazee, U of I Natural Resources Educator at 309-694-7501, Ext. 226.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 – Galesburg

Tuesday, March 3, 2009 – Sycamore

The Livestock Management Facilities Act requires any livestock facility that has more than 300 animal units to have someone certified in manure-handling procedures. The certification has to be renewed every three years. To become certified, producers with 300 – 999 animal units can either attend a U of I Extension CLMT training workshop or take and pass the IDOA administered Certified Livestock Manager exam. Producers with over 1000 animal units are required to do both. The CLMT workshops have been approved by the Illinois Department of Agriculture as meeting and training certification requirements.

University of Illinois Extension also has an Internet quiz option that, if successfully passed, substitutes for the requirement of attending a workshop only. Contact Randy Fonner at refonner@uiuc.edu or visit http://www.livestocktraining.com for details.

To register for a workshop or purchase a manual or CD, call 800-345-6087. Prices are listed below and you can pay by phone or mail.

• CLMT manual only: $44 plus $7 shipping = $51
• CLMT manual CD only: $16 plus $4 shipping = $20
• CLMT manual and CD: $57 plus $7 shipping - $64
• CLMT workshop registration: $20 per person
• Workshop walk-ins: $75 per person (includes CLMT manual)

Workshop Dates:

January 14 * Galesburg * Knox County Extension Office, Conference Room* start time 8:50 a.m.

March 3 * Dekalb County Farm Bureau, Sycamore IL * start time 8:50 a.m.

A workshop brochure is available at www.livestocktraining.com. Please register at least three weeks before the workshop so that the manual or CD can be mailed to you ahead of time. If you have questions, contact Randy Fonner at 217-333-2611 or email him at refonner@uiuc.edu.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 – i wireless Center, Moline, Illinois

2009 Corn and Soybean Classics Program

• Managing Corn and Soybean Diseases with Fungicides, Carl Bradley
• Rotation Decisions in a Turbulent Price and Cost Environment, Gary Schnitkey
• Managing Expensive Nitrogen to Maximize Profitability, Fabian Fernandez
• Things are Changing Again in Corn and Soybean Nematode Management, Terry Niblack
• Seed Costs and Corn Plant Populations, Emerson Nafziger
• What Acreage Shifts are Needed in 2009? Darrel Good
• Maintaining Bt Durability with Cry Protein Stacks and Landscape/Seed Mixture Refuge – Is This Enough? Mike Gray
• Turn Out the Lights – The Party Is Over, Aaron Hager
• "New Age" Soybean Insect Management, Kevin Steffey

Registration for the 2009 Corn & Soybean Classics can be accomplished several ways:

• Online at: http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/conferences
• Mail your registration form and payment to Dept. of Crop Sciences, Attention—Sandy Osterbur, University of Illlinois, AW-101 Turner Hall, 1102 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801. (Make checks payable to University of Illinois.)
• Complete the registration form and fax to 217-333-5299 (available 24 hours a day).
• Call 800-321-1296 (toll-free) with credit card information.
• Preregistrations, at a cost of $50, are accepted through December 20. Registrations received December 21 through 31 and all on-site registrations are $65.

Feb 9, 9:30-12:15

BHE Conference Room, Bldg 1

Alfalfa production strategies for tight economic conditions will highlight the 2009 Alfalfa Workshop-Making Every $$ Count, hosted by University of Illinois Extension on February 9. The program is from 9:30am to 12:15pm and will be delivered via teleconference in the Henry-Stark Unit, provided there is a minimum of three preregistered participants.

"Alfalfa growers, dealers and consultants will hear about current production, fertilization, and pest management strategies that impact the profitability of growing alfalfa," reports Jim Morrison, Extension Educator, crop systems. "Information will be presented to help fine-tune management plans for the 2009 crop."

Mark Sulc, the Ohio State University Extension forage specialist, will discuss "Producing Alfalfa Competitively with Corn. "Fertilizing Alfalfa in Tight Times" will be presented by Fabian Fernandez, University of Illinois Extension soil fertility specialist.

Keven Steffey, Extension entomologist at the University of Illinois, will address "Leafhoppers and Weevils-Do Treatment Thresholds still Apply?", and Kevin Moore, agronomist at Iowa State University, will comment on "Forages as a Biomass Crop." Participants will be able to interact with the speakers.

Continuing education units for Certified Crop Advisers have been requested. The program is sponsored by University of Illinois Extension. Registration for the program will be $25 for CCA Credit or $15 each without CCA credit.

Contact Jeff West at the Henry-Stark County Extension, 309-853-1533, for more information, or to register for the program (by January 27, 2009).

Tuesday-Wednesday, February 3-4

Peoria Civic Center – Peoria

The Illinois Pork Producers Association will hold the Illinois Pork Expo on Tuesday through Wednesday, February 3 through 4 at the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois. Monday, February 2 will be the IPPA Annual Meeting with Tuesday and Wednesday to view commercial exhibits and educational seminars.

There are a number of educational seminars planned for Tuesday and Wednesday, February 3 and 4 for the Expo. The specific topics, speakers and times for the various seminars can be obtained from the Illinois Pork Producers office at: 217-529-3100.

Wednesday, February 11

(Location to be announced)

To help landowners and producers understand their options, a statewide Farm Conservation Programs Telenet has been scheduled from 9:00am to 12 noon on Wednesday, February 11, 2009. The Farm Con-servation Telenet program is being sponsored by the U of I Extension Natural Resources Management Team in cooperation with the NRCS, FSA, IL Dept. of Agriculture, IL Dept. of Natural Resources, IL EPA, and the AISWD.

The purpose of the Farm Conservation Programs TeleNet is to educate agency staff and landowners about the major programs, such as CRP, CREP, EQIP, Conservation Security Program, Wetland Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program and more. 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.

Contact the Extension office (309-853-1533) prior to January 29 to ensure availability and programming material registration. Cost of registration is $10 per person.

Wednesday, February 18

Regional Soil and Water Management Workshops are being scheduled throughout Illinois for Certified Crop Advisors. The workshops are designed to provide relevant information in soil and water management, along with Certified Crop Advisor continuing education units. The Soil & Water Workshops are being sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension, Henry-Stark Unit and will be held at the County Extension Office at Black Hawk College, provided a minimum of three participants are preregistered, on Wednesday, February 18, 2009. The workshop is planned to provide 4.5 hours of CEUs in Soil and Water Management.

This workshop will be a distance presentation, using Telenet and PowerPoint. Presenters will be University of Illinois Extension Specialists and Educators. Depending on the location, some locations may have a live presenter.

Registration for Certified Crop Advisors and others interested in the workshop will be $45 per person ($10 per CEU). The workshop is tentatively scheduled to run from 9am to 2:45pm.

Topics that will be covered include:

• Global Water Quality Impacts
• Carbon Trading and Cropping Systems
• Cover crop research
• Soil Quality research
• Sustainable Ag and cropping systems
• Flooding impacts on soils
• Water Quality and buffer strip research
• Surface and Ground Water Issues Impacting Farmers and Landowners

If you are interested in participating in the February 18 Soil & Water Management Workshop, please contact Jeff West, Henry-Stark County Director. If you have questions or need more information about the 2009 Soil & Water Management Workshops, contact the S&W Workshops Coordinator, Duane Friend, ph. 217-243-7424 or e-mail, friend@illinois.edu or the Henry-Stark Extension office at 309-853-1533. (Registration must be made by February 5^th to ensure this program's availability.)

Four Seasons Gardening Telenet

January 27, February 10, and February 24

Henry-Stark Unit will be offering the following afternoon telenets, which includes:

January 27 - 1:00pm * Cool Season Vegetable Gardening

In today's economy people are turning toward growing their own produce

or buying fresh locally. But what to grow and how to care for it and when is

the peak season? The need for vegetable gardening directives

is answered in this telenet.

February 10 - 1:00pm * Spring Flowering Shrubs for the Home Landscape

The second of three in the Winter Horticulture Series, this program will offer information on selection and care of spring flowering shrubs.

February 24 - 1:00pm * Ornamental Grasses

This program features colorful PowerPoint slides accompanied by the live voice of the instructor as people from all over the state participate at once. There will be a question and answer session and handouts.

If you would like more information, (or to register for one or more of these programs), contact the Extension office at 309-853-1533 or email jwest@illinois.edu.

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With Lady Landowners/Spouses/Female Family Members

Interested in Learning More About Basic Farm Management

Annie's Project 2009

Six Session Series in Kewanee 6:00-8:30 p.m.

Feb 23, 25 & March 2,4,9 (Sixth date is determined by the class)

Farm women and those who own farm land may now enroll in Annie's Project—Education for Farm Women for the Kewanee IL site located at Black Hawk East NEW Community Out Reach Center in Kewanee on E 3^rd Street. Extension & Farm Bureau in Henry-Stark will be offering these six classes on Monday and Wednesday evenings, Feb 23,25 & March 2, 4, 9 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Annie's Project is a series of educational programs for farm women learning about farm management and improving their overall management skills. Women are taught the basics of managing money, examining how property is titled, setting up farm leases, basic grain marketing, deciding on insurance products, and putting together a business plan which includes financial documents like balance sheets, income statements and cash flows. Computers can make decision making and record keeping much more manageable and effective. Annie's Project begins to teach farm women to use spreadsheets and internet websites for information organization and retrieval. Highly experienced farm women are encouraged to sign up for this program so they can serve as mentors for inexperienced farm women. Also women with computer skills are matched with women who need to learn this technology. Annie's Project is ideal for women who married into a farm family, or for women who have been away from the farm scene and need to get in touch with what is happening on their family farm property today. Since Annie's Project inception in 2003, more than 4,000 farm women from 20 states have graduated from Annie's Project and that number is expected to double in 2009 as farm women take on challenges for managing and operating farms.

The program is patterned after the life of a woman in northern Illinois who grew up in a small town and married a farmer. She learned everything about being a farm business partner by trial and error, and sheer desire to know more. Her legacy of keeping farm records, supplying information for management decisions, and keeping a family together under both trying and good times is found in this unique program. Program sponsors are University of Illinois Extension Henry-Stark Unit, Farm Bureau in Henry & Stark counties, Illinois Agri-Women, Farm Credit Services, and Illinois Risk Management Agency. Visit Annie's Project on line at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/annie/

The registration fee for this program is $50 which includes all 6 sessions, materials and presentation. For further information and a proposed agenda for each session, please call the Henry-Stark Extension office at: 309-853-1533 and ask for Jeff or contact your local Farm Bureau office in Stark or Henry County. This program is open to anyone interested in the topics offered. Anyone needing special accommodations to attend Annie's Project should make arrangements at the time of registration.

PS: If you would like, we can email this article along with a class syllabus and registration information – Just send their email address to me at: jwest@illinois.edu

Thursday, February 5, 2009

BHE Auditorium

1/4 mile South of Junction IL 78 & Rte 34 South of Kewanee, IL.

9:30am - 3:00pm

9:30 Registration

• 10:00 Identify the Hidden Costs of Feeding Your Cow

*Dr. Alan Miller University of Illinois Beef Cattle Specialist

• 10:40 Available Nutrient Pricing, & MN Cow Ration Balancing Program

*Dave Seibert, University of Illinois Livestock Educator

• 11:20 Patriot Renewable Fuels Annawan (Locally available Corn Gluten)

*Judd Hulting, Patriot Energy

• Noon Lunch **Move to Building 1 Conference Center

• 1:00 ID and Management of Recessive Gene Traits in Cattle

*Dr. Doug Parrett, University of Illinois Beef Specialist

• 2:00 Meeting Consumer Demand With an Illinois Raised Product

*Cimeron Frost, Director of Industry Programs, Illinois Beef Association

Registration cost is $18 per person (includes lunch) or $23 at the door. You may register through February 1 by calling 309-853-1533.

Ag Law/Risk Management Update (Tentative) Date: January 21 or 22

Location: Black Hawk East Kewanee Community Outreach Building

Time: 10:30-12:30 followed by soup and sandwich lunch

Topics: Illinois Farm Bureau General Council will be on hand to provide producers/landowners with an update on Liability Issues, Ag Contract Law including contracts with Ethanol Companies and Livestock site issues. Country Financial Insurance will also provide an update on risk management and liability as it relates to insurance products.

Goat Herd Health Management Update (Tentative)

Date: Saturday February 28

Location: Black Hawk East Campus AG Arena Bldg – JCT of RT 78/34

Time: 9:30-12:00 **** Famacha Certification Program session 1:00-2:30 PM

Topic: Topic will include a DVM who specializes in goat from Wisconsin on Whole Herd Goat Health Management, live hoof trimming demonstration, as well as the parasite control and management program cortication program called Famacha. Additional topics are being discussed.