March 22 - 4-H & FFA Livestock Judging Contest
March 29 - 4-H Skating Party, 3:30 - 5 p.m.
April 5 - Southern Region Horse Hippology Contest & Workshop
April 7 - 4-H Federation, 7 p.m.
April 11 - Wayne County 4-H Scholarship Deadline
April 12 - Swine, Sheep & Goat weigh-In at Wayne County Fairgrounds, 8-10 a.m.
April 12 - Here's How To Do It Day, White Co. Extension Office, 1-4 p.m.
April 12 - Regional Dairy Judging
April 18 - SIU Livestock Judging/Ag Industry Day
April 19 - State Hippology Contest
May 1 - Wayne County 4-H Enrollment Deadline
May 1 - 4-H Horse Ownership/Lease Papers Due
May 3 - 4-H Petting Zoo at Literacy Fest
May 5 - Dog Obedience Class -First session
May 17 - 4-H Day with the Cardinals
June 5-6 - So. IL 4-H Space & Aeronautics Camp
June 6 - Tractor Clinic
June 8-11 - So. IL 4-H Camp
June 26-28 - Illini Summer Academies
June 29 - July 1 - Jr. High 4-H Camp
August 8 - Wayne County Day at the IL State Fair

The April meeting of the Wayne County 4-H Federation will be Monday, April 7, at 7 p.m. All 4-H members are welcome.

Officers for the 2008 year are:

President - Dianna Hatfield
Vice President - Sara Buchanan
Secretary - Emily Hatfield
Asst. Secretary - Jentzi Schumm
Treasurer - Billy Hatfield
Asst. Treasurer - Hannah Etheridge
Reporter - Lian States
Asst. Reporter - Katie Hatfield
Historians - Noah West and Collin Koker

Illinois and Missouri 4-H members, parents, volunteers and alumni will gather at Busch Stadium on Saturday, May 17, for the seventh annual 4-H Day with the Cardinals. The Cardinals will be playing the Tampa Bay Rays in a 12:10 p.m. game. Tickets for the game will be $21.00 each which includes a specially designed t-shirt featuring the 4-H Clover on the back and the Cardinals logo on the front.

4-H members and leaders who purchase 4-H Day with the Cardinals tickets will have the opportunity to participate in a parade around the Busch Stadium outfield. Pre-game ceremonies will include a recitation of the 4-H pledge and ceremonial first pitches by an Illinois and Missouri 4-H member.

4-H Day with the Cardinals tickets must be ordered on the 4-H Day with the Cardinals order form that can be downloaded from our website at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/hww/. Ticket orders must be postmarked by April 7, 2008.

A 4-H & FFA Livestock Judging Contest sponsored by the Marion County 4-H Livestock Judging Team is scheduled for Saturday, March 22, 2008 at the Marion County Fairgrounds, Salem, IL. Registration will be held from 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. with the contest to start at 9:30 a.m.

Junior Division– 8th grade and under

Senior Division– H.S. Freshman to H.S. Senior

Teams will be 4, count 3 (or 3 count 3). Registration fee is $5 per person.

Contestants will judge classes of beef, sheep, swine and goats. There will be questions on each species. Awards will be given for the top 10 individuals overall in each division, 1st & 2nd place Junior team, and 1st-3rd place Senior team. Additional information is available from Steve Austin at (618) 755-4661, or the Marion County Extension Office at (618) 548-1446. Please call the Wayne County Extension Office at 842-3702 if you plan to attend.

Saturday, March 29, the Skateland Rollersport skating rink in Fairfield has been reserved exclusively for 4-H from 3:30 - 5 p.m. Join 4-H members from Hamilton, Wayne and White counties for an afternoon of skating fun. Cost is $4.50, which covers admission and quad skates. If you want inline skates, that will cost extra. Call the Extension Office at 842-3702 by March 26. You must call if you plan to attend or we'll be forced to cancel this event!

Want to know a secret? There are hidden prizes and awards some 4-H members never hear about. Well, the secret is out now. Join in at "Here's How to Do It Day" for Hamilton, Wayne and White County 4-H families. We'll unravel the mysteries of some of 4-H's best events and awards.

Get your questions about 4-H answered on Saturday, April 12, 1-4 p.m., at the White County Extension Office in Carmi

It's a "come and get what you want" kind of day. Families and leaders may come to whatever part of the day they want to learn about. Come for an hour or the entire day.

Please call in to register at 382-2662 by noon Friday, April 11. Pick and choose which sessions you want to attend. Stay for one or the whole day! The 1-2:30 sessions will be very appropriate for beginning 4-H families as you begin to learn all 4-H has to offer.

Sessions are scheduled as follows:

1:00 – 1:45
How to give a winning talk or demonstration

Have you been told you need to give a speech for your club meeting? Don't worry, giving a talk or demonstration is as easy as talking to your friends. Better yet, by the time you leave, you'll have your speech done. Learn the POWER of holding an audience's attention, and learn what prizes await those who know how to speak.

1:45-2:15
How to prepare county award applications

There are many awards which you can win in your county 4-H program. We'll have copies of those applications available and help you know what you need to do to win those awards.

2:15-2:30
What does it all mean? How to be involved in all 4-H has to offer

4-H has many, many events which happen outside your club and county–cool trips, special workshops, neat contests. Don't get left out of all the fun. Get informed. In this short session, we'll discuss what the events are, how much they cost and how to get signed up. Many of these trips also have scholarships to help pay your part of the cost.

2:30 – 3:15
How to prepare state award applications

You've done the work. Now, get the prize for that work by applying for state awards. The application process is much different than the awards we usually keep in 4-H. First, learn how to plan your projects so you have the leadership points you need. Then, learn how to organize your records and thoughts into a tidy award application. You will each walk out with an idea (let's even say a gimmick) that will make your application shine over all the others.

3:15 – 4:00
How to get ready for college scholarship applications

4-Hers do lots of community service activities over the years, more than most kids. Let your work shine in your college applications. We'll work on how to keep track of all those hours you've worked and how you translate that into college applications.

In addition to the 2008 Premises Identification Requirement for all animal exhibitors at county, 4-H, and state fairs, the State Fair Jr. Department Livestock Advisory Committee has announced the following requirements for the 2008 State Fair:

• Poultry has been added to the required species for the Quality Assurance & Ethics Certification. If a poultry exhibitor has not been certified on the website for another species, they must be certified before the July 1 deadline for poultry entries. The site will be open on February 1 for 2008 certification: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/qaec/
• Sheep wethers will have statewide required weigh-in and electronic tagging dates and locations, as in 2007. Dates and locations are still to be announced. Electronic tagging of beef steers will also be required. Contact your local Extension office for more information.
• All animal species will be charged an entry fee for the 2008 Illinois State Fair. The fee is established on a per animal basis and payment will be required before entries will be accepted this summer. Deadlines for entry will be June 9 for Horses; July 1 for Beef, Sheep, Dairy, Goats, Rabbits, Swine, and Poultry; August 1 for Dogs.
• Beef, Dairy, Horses -- $10.00 per animal
• Sheep, Swine, Goats -- $2.50 per animal
• Dogs -- $2.00 per dog
• Poultry, Rabbits -- $1.00 per animal
• The Jr. Market Lamb show is being moved to Friday, August 8. The Jr. Breeding Sheep show is scheduled for Sunday, August 10. The State 4-H Dog Show is scheduled for Sunday, August 24.

All exhibitors should read the general rules, regulations, and specific specie rules in the Junior Department Premium Book which will be available for download this spring on the State Fair website: http://www.illinoisstatefair.info/.

Travel Abroad with a Culture Kit
Are you running out of ideas for a program at your club meeting? Why not learn about a different country by using a Culture Kit? These kits contain articles, information, and insight to the country's lifestyle and geography. This year we have several kits available in our region. Call the office to reserve a kit and month. Kits available are: Argentina, Croatia, India, Japan #1, Korea and New Zealand.

4-H Foundation Scholarship
Applications are now available for the 4-H Foundation College Scholarship. Forms may be obtained from high school guidance offices in Wayne County or requested from the Extension Office. Application deadline is April 11.

College Scholarship for Ag Students
Farm Credit Services is offering twenty-three scholarships worth $750 each to the 60 southern most counties in Illinois. If you are interested in agriculture or related field contact Rod Stoll at 217-378-9974 or go to this website www.usfarmcredit.com/AboutUs/CEILWelcomePage.asp and select the "we understand" tab. Deadline is March 31, 2008.

4-H Petting Zoo Needs You
There will be a 4-H Petting Zoo at the Family Literacy Fest on Saturday, May 3. It will be held at Northside School in Fairfield. Geff Chatters 4-H Club is coordinating this activity and invites any 4-H'ers with small animals to participate. Call the Extension Office at 842-3702 to volunteer. Help is also needed to man the booth that day.

Bucket Calf Project Manual
If you are planning to show a bucket calf this summer at 4-H Fair, you will need your project manual/record. Please call or stop by the office to pick yours up. Remember, the judge will need to review this during judging.

The electricity skillathon, scheduled for June 17 on the U of I Campus, is designed to provide 4-H members enrolled in the 4-H electricity project an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of electricity: efficient use of electricity; care, maintenance, and safety of electrical equipment; and electrical tools found on the farm and in the home. The skillathon will cover information contained in 4-H electricity project manuals. 4-H members who are 14 years of age as of 1/1/2008 are eligible to participate in this event. Delegates to the 2008 National 4-H Engineering Competition will be selected from this state event.

Change can be fun and exciting... well get ready for both. Several changes are in store for this year's 4-H Show. Those changes will all be listed in the Wayne County 4-H Showbook, which will be available soon.

Be sure to read it carefully and check your newsletter every month to see updates and revisions. Great things can happen when we all work together!

Remember, you must be enrolled in all the projects you wish to take before May 1 ... No exceptions will be made this year.

The popular 8-week dog obedience class will be held on Monday evenings, 6-7:30 p.m., starting May 5 and running through June 30, except May 26, which is Memorial Day. It will take place in the 4-H arena of the Wayne County Fairgrounds. Interested individuals should call the Extension Office at 842-3702 to register or Mary Murphy, class instructor, at 599-5018.

Wayne County 4-H is in the process of forming a new Theatre Arts Club. This club will tentatively meet thesecond week of June and is open to students in the grades 6, 7 or 8.

The group will perform the play "Recess" to family and friends the final night. The script includes 20 speaking roles. Auditions will be held prior to the first club meeting. A registration fee of $30 - $35 is anticipated to cover expenses.

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, please call the office to sign up. More details will be available in the April newsletter.

June 26-28, 2008
University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana

The Illinois 4-H Leadership Convention has been replaced by the Illini Summer Academies. We have totally redesigned this 3-day event to provide Illinois teens new opportunities to explore the University of Illinois campus; study potential careers or leadership skills; and meet youth from across the state.

In general, Academies are open to ANY Illinois youth who will be an incoming high school freshman to senior this fall and who falls within the 14-18 age range as of September 1, 2008. (In other words, if you are graduating from high school this spring, even though you may fit into the age bracket, you will not be able to attend an academy.) In addition, some of the academies have restricted their attendance to incoming juniors and seniors (current sophomores and juniors) only. Those restrictions are listed below.

All academies will take place from June 26-28 on the University of Illinois campus in Champaign/Urbana. Delegates will live in college dormitories and have opportunities to tour the campus. This is a live-in academy; delegates will not be allowed to commute to the campus for daily activities. Joint activities for all delegates will be scheduled for each evening, as well as an opening and closing session, offering delegates a chance to meet and socialize with teens attending different academies and from across the state. A formal banquet is also scheduled for Friday evening at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel & Conference Center. Bus transportation will be provided for delegates to and from the banquet.

Academy Information

Five different academies are being offered – each providing 15 hours of interactive activities and study in a specific field of interest. Space is limited – each academy has set a maximum number of youth delegates they will accept. Some have also placed a high school level restriction on their academy. Spaces will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Academies will be held at locations throughout the campus, including classrooms, labs, and the residence halls. Some academies may also provide off-campus visits in their curriculum.

Academy	Limited to	Early Bird Discount Before April 15	Regular Registration No Later than May 23
Chaperones	Unlimited	N/A	$85
Aerospace Engineering	20	$225	$250
Applied Health Sciences	25, Incoming Jrs /Srs. only	$135	$160
Horticulture	12	$135	$160
Leadership	100	$160	$185
Veterinary Medicine	25, Incoming Jrs./Srs. only	$225	$250

Thursday, May 1 - Public Presentations, 7 p.m., Extension Office

Tuesday, July 8 ^- Clothing Show, 10 a.m., Methodist Church

Wednesday, July 9 ^- Fairgrounds Clean-up Day, 9 a.m., Fairgrounds

Thursday, July 10 ^- Foods Show, 1 p.m., Geff Ruritan Building

Thursday, July 10^- Dog Obedience and Dog and Cat Show, 6 p.m., Fairgrounds

Saturday, July 12 ^- Horse Show, 5 p.m., Wayne County Saddle Club

Monday, July 14 ^-

General Projects Show, 8 a.m., Fairgrounds
Bicycle Rodeo & Tractor Driving Contest, 2 p.m., Fairgrounds
Beef weigh-in, 4 p.m., Fairgrounds
Sheep & Goat weigh-in and check-in, 5 p.m., Fairgrounds
Swine weigh-in, 6 p.m., Fairgrounds

Tuesday, July 15

Bucket Calf Show, 8:30 a.m., Fairgrounds
Beef Show, 9 a.m., Fairgrounds
Chicken BBQ Contest, 3 p.m., Fairgrounds
Sheep Show, 5 p.m., Fairgrounds
Goat Show, 6:30 p.m., Fairgrounds

Wednesday, July 16

Swine Show, 8 a.m., Fairgrounds
Poultry Show, 5:30 p.m., Fairgrounds
Rabbit Show, 7 p.m., Fairgrounds

Thursday, July 17

Carcass Show, 10 a.m., Farmer's Packing in Albion
Round Robin Showmanship Contest, 1 p.m., Fairgrounds
Little Pig Drive, 4:30 p.m., Fairgrounds
Awards Presentation, 5:00 p.m., Fairgrounds
Livestock Auction, 5:30 p.m., Fairgrounds

You come home after school and your stomach is grumbling. You need some food . . . and fast!

But wait --- don't reach for the chips, candy or cookies. These foods might fill you up, but they don't give your body the nutrients it needs.

Instead, choose healthy foods from the food groups. Here are just a few snack ideas:

• Spread apple wedges with a thin coat of peanut butter and top with raisins.
• Have a glass of 100 percent fruit juice or low-fat milk.
• Try carrot sticks with low-fat ranch dip.
• Top a green pepper wedge with cheese spread and peanuts.
• Make instant pudding with low-fat milk.
• Have a couple of graham crackers with low-fat milk.
• Grab a low-fat yogurt.

Recipe of the Month

Chicken Fruit Salad
Makes 2 servings

½ cup fat-free or low fat mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 cup cubed cooked chicken
1/2cup seedless green grapes
1 large peach, chopped
1 medium stalk of celery, diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint (optional)
Combine all ingredients.Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until chilled.

Why not make plans to attend the Illinois State Fair this year. It will run from August 8 - 17 in Springfield. Wayne County's 4-H exhibit day is Saturday, August 11. Check out the State Fair website for information on coming attractions at http://www.agr.state.il.us/isf/.