Welcome to the new online version of the Macon County Extension's "Access Extension" newsletter. State budget shortfalls have caused numerous fiscal challenges for the Macon County Extension Unit. I am happy to report that the staff have adapted well to our ever changing fiscal climate. I can report that to date all educational programs have been presented as planned. However, the continued state budget shortfalls have caused us to stop printing and mailing our Unit newsletter. Because of the value we feel comes through the newsletter, the staff have opted to place it online. "Access Extension" will be placed online on the Unit's web site every two months. I hope that you will find the information contained within the newsletter both useful and timely. I also hope that you will tell your friends and family where to find this valuable tool.

I would like to remind you to visit the rest of Macon County Extension Unit's website at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/macon/. Our web site provides information about the programs offered within the Unit as well as Extension programs being offered in the region. Additionally, you can find the latest press releases on various topics such as crop production, crop storage, 4-H, horticulture, health and safety and nutrition. I believe that our website is one of the best in the state and chuck-full of valuable information. It is a great tool that you can use 24 hours a day to find out more about your Macon County Extension office and programs.

The Unit staff has a full line-up of fall educational programs and opportunities planned for your benefit. Information regarding some of those programs can be found within this newsletter or on our web site. Please call the Unit office if you have questions, concerns or suggestions regarding our programs.

Finally, I would like to remind everyone that we have entered the fall harvest season. Farmers will be in the fields soon harvesting their crops. With this comes an increase in the dangers on our rural roads. Please take a few extra minutes when traveling in rural areas. Arriving safely should be everyone's goal!

Enjoy your fall.

Doug

Rent and Lease

Historically during the month of October a large number of farm leases are signed. This is due in part to tradition and due in part that most leases are dated March 1 to February 28. Under Illinois law, unless stated in the lease, termination of the lease for the next year must come four months before the end of the lease. This makes October 31, the last day to terminate the lease for the next year (unless it is stated differently in the written lease). This holds true for verbal leases in Illinois also.

If you currently have a verbal lease you should strongly consider going to an annual written lease. A written lease protects the tenant and the landlord, as well as their heirs. The annual written lease encourages the parties involved to talk to each other at least once a year to discuss the terms of the lease and to achieve some understanding of the expectation of the other party. The other major achievement of a written lease is that if tragedy strikes, the heirs of the parties have a reasonable expectation of what was intended at the time the tenant and the landlord signed the lease.

All terms in a lease can be negotiated from how the crop is put in, to an annual painting of an out building. However, there are certain issues that need to be put in a lease for everyone's protection and understanding.

· The length and the date of the lease. In Illinois most crop leases are one year and run from March 1 to February 28.

· Soil testing and soil mapping. Soil testing is an important issue by taking soil test and having the parties share the results. The tenant and the landlord have a starting point showing the potential of the farm. Ongoing shared soil tests show the landlord what a good steward of the land the tenant is.

· Insurance and liability. A requirement for liability insurance or building insurance should be written in the lease. Also if more is none required, that should be stated.

· Access rights to property. Hunting, trail rides and snowmobile access rights by the tenant or by a third party should be listed. This is a simple thing to write down so there is not a misunderstanding in the future.

· Special issues of the farm. This would include mowing road sides; uses of buildings or grain drying facilities; or maintaining of driveways. These are simple issues that lead to large misunderstandings.

The one most important duty of a tenant and a landlord is to communicate in an ongoing basis. When you communicate on a monthly basis there is less misunderstanding. This makes for a much better lease discussion.

In Macon County, cropland leases are generally one of two types; first, a share lease in which the tenant and the landlord share in the expenses and the crop; or, a cash rent lease where the tenant pays a rent fee provides the inputs and receives the entire crop. In the last few year a Variable Cash Rent Lease has been used allowing the landlord to take some of the risk. The Variable Cash Rent Lease takes into consideration the average production of the farm, the current year's yield and the price variation during the year. It is a more complicated lease than a Fixed Cash Lease requiring both the tenant and the landlord to examine the history of the farm and the current and projected price conditions.

If you have any question regarding these leases, please contact our office at (217) 877-6042 or you can email your question to Paul Mariman at pmariman@illinois.edu.

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Land Values and Cash Rents

The value of land and equipment is the basis of most farm equity in Illinois. Historically Crop Share Rents are in the process of being changed to Cash Rents and the Cash Rents have increase, however less that the percentage of land value increase. In August, the USDA Released "Land Values and Cash Rents 2009 Summary." The report looks at the value of land in the United Sates from 2000 to 2009.

US Average Cropland Value

Year	US Value	% + or -	Illinois Value	% + or -
2000	$1,460		$2,260
2001	$1,510	+3.4%	$2,290	+1.33%
2002	$1,660	+5.2%	$2,350	+2.62%
2003	$1,750	+4.4%	$2,430	+3.40%
2004	$2,060	+5.4%	$2,610	+7.41%
2005	$2,300	+17%	$3,330	+27.59%
2006	$2,530	+11.6%	$3,800	+14.11%
2007	$2,530	+10%	$4,330	+13.95%
2008	$2,760	+8.6%	$5,000	+15.48%
2009	$2,650	(-4%)	$4,670	(-3.7%)

Us Average Cropland Rent

Year	US Value	% + or -	Illinois Value	% + or -
2000	$70.00		$119
2001	$71.00	+1.4%	$119	+0.0%
2002	$71.60	+0.8%	$122	+2.52%
2003	$73.00	+1.9%	$123	+0.82%
2004	$76.60	+4.7%	$126	+2.44%
2005	$78.00	+1.9%	$129	+2.38%
2006	$79.50	+1.9%	$132	+2.33%
2007	$77.50	(-2.6%)	$141	+6.82%
2008	$85.50	+10.32%	$160	+13.48%
2009	$90.00	+5.2%	$170	+6.25%

Please keep in mind these are an average of all Cropland sales and rents. The issue to keep in focus is the % increase over time. Macon County Rent average for 2008 was $211 as reported by the USDA in May of 2009.

Each fall, it's hard not to notice them—little wooly worms crawling across roads, sidewalks, and paths everywhere. Where ever they're going, they seem very determined. More than one person in recent weeks has asked me what they actually are. Do they stay as they are, or morph into something entirely different in time? And how does a wooly worm forecast the winter weather?

Different species of wooly worms are found all over the world. The ancient Romans used the Latin term catta pilosa, literally "hairy cat" to describe them. The term caterpillar traces back to these early descriptions.

The creatures we call wooly worms are in fact caterpillars, so their time spent as a wooly worm is limited. The U.S. is home to at least eight species of hairy caterpillars that are commonly called wooly worms. In central Illinois we are most familiar with the banded wooly bear (or worm), Pyrrharctia Isabella. Following the pupal stage, the banded wooly bear emerges in its adult form, the Isabella tiger moth.

Experts estimate around 260 species of tiger moths in North America. Their caterpillars share some degree of hairiness—from a few hairs to being completely covered in hairs, like the wooly worms. Tiger moths get their name from their bright coloration. Their colors are typically some spotted or striped combination of gold and black. Some species also have red, white, and gray colors interspersed as well. The Isabella tiger moth is a dull yellow-orange with some black spotting, and its first pair of legs have bright red-orange segments.

There are two generations of banded wooly bears, or Isabella tiger moths, each year. One is typically hatched in May, the other in August. Most people don't notice wooly worms in the spring and early summer, but they're around, feeding on various plants and growing. One reason we probably don't notice them is that essentially they're hermits, preferring solitude over socializing. Another tiger moth larva, fall webworm, is far more friendly, and tends to congregate in large populations on their host plants.

It is only in the early autumn that most people notice wooly worms, and they're usually in a big hurry to get somewhere. What's the rush? Each wooly worm is scrambling to find a warm nook or cranny in which to overwinter. Unlike other butterflies or moths, the wooly worm spends the winter as a caterpillar, not a pupa or chrysalis. The hairs covering their bodies are thought to offer some degree of insulation from cold winter temperatures.

When the weather warms in the spring, the banded wooly worm becomes active again. They feed for a short time, then pupate and emerge a few weeks later as adult Isabella tiger moths.

There is a lot of folklore surrounding the banded wooly worm, particularly related to its supposed power to predict upcoming winter weather each fall. The typical banded wooly worm has sections of black hairs at each end, and a section of orange-brown hairs in the center. Legend says that the more black on a banded wooly worm, the more severe the winter will be. Some folks have taken this to an extreme, and noting that there are thirteen segments in a typical banded wooly worm, they argue that each segment represents one week of winter. Orange segments predict mild weeks, and black ones foretell bad winter weather.

Some also insist that the thickness of the hairs is the predictor—thick hair equals a bad winter, sparse hair a mild one. Another legend says that the direction a wooly worm is found traveling is a hint about the coming winter. If the wooly worm is traveling north, count on a mild winter. If he's headed south, get ready for a long cold winter.

Research has shown repeatedly that the colors or hairs of wooly worms have no bearing on weather the following winter. Larvae hatched from the same clutch of eggs reared under one set of environmental conditions will show a range of hair thickness and colorations, from fully orange to fully black. This variation in a constant environment is a strong argument against wooly worms being able to predict the weather. There is genetic segregation for color and hair thickness present in the wooly worm population. This segregation would make it nearly impossible to visually sort out any environmental influence if it did exist.

Despite the scientific evidence that discredits any super weather predicting power of the wooly worm, people are very passionate about their wooly worms. Several towns in the U.S. have their own wooly worm festivals. Camargo, Illinois hosted its first woolly worm festival in 2006. They have a wooly worm race-- it is BYOW (bring your own worm).

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If you enjoy gardening, learning, meeting great people and giving back to the community, the Master Gardening Training course may be something you should consider.

New classes begin in January, 2010, and meet once a week on Thursdays thru the beginning of April, 2010. Classes are taught by the University of Illinois Extension educators and cover a wide range of horticultural topics, Annuals, Perennials, Fruits and Vegetables, Woody Ornamentals, Turf and Wildlife control.

Upon course completion, you will be asked to complete 60 hours of volunteer time over a two year period. Volunteer opportunities include:

• helping with Master Gardener events.
• working Master Gardener sustained community gardens.
• working at the Extension office Help Desk to address homeowner questions.

Upon completion of the volunteer time you will be given the title of "University of Illinois Master Gardener."

If you are interested in becoming part of the Master Gardener organization, contact Cheryl Brown at (217) 877-6042 or ccbrwn@uiuc.edu for more information.

Master Gardener State Conference Nets Awards for Macon County Master Gardeners

The Illinois 2009 Master Gardener State Conference was held in Effingham this year.
When it came to Macon County , our dedicated hardworking Master Gardeners fared very well.

We had three Outstanding Master Gardener award winners: Venneta Joliff, Diana Kirby and
Marie Luchetti. Less than 2% of Master Gardeners receive this award.

Sustained Excellence Award: Richard Zerfowski

The Team Award went to Macon County Master Gardeners for the Rain Barrel Team project. The team members are: Pam Buttz, Sharon Gessaman, Frank Grgurich, Dale Holtscher, Diana Kirby, Sherry Martin, Sandy Shriver, Joan Whitacre and Richard Zerfowski.

Congratulations Master Gardeners!

You Should Have Seen The One That Got Away !!

Although this is not your typical 13 1/2 pound catch, Master Gardener, Nancy Myatt, was shocked to find this huge zucchini in her garden.

Mark Your Calendars Now…

Master Gardeners are busy checking out new gardens, looking for new plant varieties and meeting with their respective committees to begin work on next year's events. With all the planning and work going into our next Master Gardener calendar year, 2010 promises to offer our community many wonderful opportunities related to gardening.

These are dates and events you might want to mark on your new calendar.

March 27, 2010 Gardening Insights Keynote Speaker and Seminars

May 1, 2010 Plant Sale at the Fairgrounds Annuals, Perennials ,Vegetables and more

June 13, 2010 Garden Walk Features tours of local gardens

New 4-H Year Begins Don't Miss Out!

The Macon County 4-H program is gearing up for another year of fun and is looking for new members. 4-H is open to youth who have turned eight years old but were not 19 years old by September 1, 2009. Macon County has active 4-H clubs located both within the city of Decatur and in the surrounding communities. Right now 4-H clubs are reorganizing and enrolling new members.

In 4-H, members learn new things, develop new skills, travel to new places, experience new situations, make new friends and most importantly, have lots of fun! Each 4-H member chooses a project or projects to work on in the coming year. In working with their projects, 4-H members will learn to set goals, develop new life skills and evaluate their progress, all in a challenging and fun format. Just a sampling of the projects available to 4-H members include: food and nutrition, photography, arts and crafts, rocketry, dog and cat care, gardening, leadership and communication.

Each 4-H club gets involved in unique events and opportunities. Most participate in service learning activities designed to improve the circumstances in their communities. Through activities like cleaning up neighborhoods or assisting with local food pantries, 4-H members learn citizenship and leadership skills.

To find a 4-H club near you, call the Macon County, U of I Extension office at 877-6042.

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County Youth Celebrate National 4-H Week October 4-10

In Macon County, more than 5,000 youth and adults are reached by 4‑H programming. The fundamental 4-H ideal of practical, "learn by doing" experiences encourage youth to experiment, innovate and think independently. 4-H programs are offered through school-based, after-school and camp settings and within community clubs.

You can join the 4-H community today. To learn how to become a 4-H member or volunteer leader in Macon County, contact Myla, program coordinator, at University of Illinois Extension, Macon County at 217-877-6042 or mgmunro@illinois.edu.

4-H is a community of six million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of National 4-H Headquarters (USDA). The 4-H programs are implemented by the 106 Land Grant Universities and the Cooperative Extension System through their 3,100 local Extension offices across the country. Learn more about the 4‑H adventure at

http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/state4h/.

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Biofuels are renewable sources of energy obtained from recently harvested plant materials, and they are at the forefront in the discussion of alternative energy sources. Currently our nation relies mainly on fossil fuels, which are non-renewable energy sources that take millions of years to form and release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. There are various new biofuel options in addition to corn and soybeans which are being researched in each region of the country (find which are being researched in your region on the map to the right). In each state, land-grant colleges and universities and the Cooperative Extension System are helping youth learn about the wide variety of possible ingredients to expand the types of biofuels available now and in the future. To participate in 4-H National Youth Science Day on October 7, 2009 or to learn more about biofuels and biofuel research go to: https://www.4-h.org/NYSD/learn_more.php

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4-H Achievement Celebration Parfait Party
Tuesday, October 20
6:00 – 7:30 pm
Macon County Extension office

Come and recognize your fellow Macon County 4-Her's for their accomplishments during the 2008-2009 4-H year.

This year's Achievement Celebration will recognize all 4-Hers who received awards for their 4-H Records. 4-H Leaders will also receive special recognition. Other awards include: Passport to the World Club Award, Citizenship Club Award, I Dare You Award, Secretary Award and Club Scrapbook Award.

All award recipients will receive an invitation by mail, but any 4-H members and families are invited to the Achievement Celebration.

Come on Tuesday, October 20, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. You don't want to miss the parfaits!!

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Pizza

Macon County 4-H and Extension Foundation is partnering with Monical's Pizza at all three of the Decatur area Monical's for a Community Day fundraiser on Tuesday, November 17, 2009. The event is good from open to close at the participating locations. Monical's Pizza will then donate 20% of each bill to the Macon County 4-H and Extension Foundation. Bring your family and friends out to enjoy a delicious dinner, including their famous thin crust pizzas, mouth-watering pastas and garden-fresh salads.

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THANK YOU!

On behalf of the Macon County 4-H and Extension Foundation, we would like to send a gracious THANK YOU to all the volunteers who donated their time, energy and talents for the 2009 Farm Progress Show food court. They filled 329 volunteer slots, helping to make our food court an overwhelming success!

With their help, we served over 17,000 sandwiches in three days – including more pork BBQ sandwiches then the Pork Producers sold in the ten days of the Illinois State Fair!

No one makes it happen more than Extension volunteers. Their work has brought in money to support 4-H, Master Gardeners, HCE, local churches and other groups. We appreciate all they did to make it happen!

At this time, we still have not received all of our bills, so we are still waiting to release our net profit or to know how much will be given to each volunteer group. We hope to have that information in the next couple of weeks.

Please mark your calendars for August 30-September 1, 2011 for the next Farm Progress Show in Decatur.

Thanks again to the volunteers who helped support Macon County 4-H and Extension. With their help this event was an outstanding success!

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Boo at the Zoo

On Friday, October 16, 2009 the 4-H Federation will be attending Boo at the Zoo at Scovill Zoo. Costumes optional! Look for more information in the coming weeks.

4-H Federation is open to all high school aged 4-H members.

Fall Local Government Telenet Series

Would you like to join us for the Fall Local Government Telenet Series? To help elected officials deal with decisions regarding policy and delivery of services, University of Illinois Extension offers educational programs to local government officials in Illinois.

This educational series addresses issues impacting counties and communities in Illinois. The Tele-Institute qualifies for 2 hours of general Certified County Officials (CCO) credit. Each telenet is hosted at the Macon County Extension office and is a cost of $5.00. To sign-up for future telenets, please call 877.6042.

Energy Conservation — It's All in the Details

October 22, 2009 from 3-5 p.m.

Energy Conservation will focus on how local governments can conserve energy, decrease energy costs and reduce the negative impacts on the environment.

Legislative Updates 2009

November 19, 2009 from 3-5 p.m.

The Legislative Updates Telenet will provide a review of current State and Federal legislative issues. Officials will learn how these issues may impact the local governments and communities they serve. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss new legislation with professionals who specialize in State and Federal legislative issues.

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Are You Interested in Becoming a Certified County Official?

The purpose of this program is to strengthen the skills and leadership capacity of county officials. The CCO program will recognize those officials who demonstrate professionalism and dedication to enhancing their knowledge through advanced education. This career-long learning program is a powerful strategy for increasing effectiveness in public office.

The CCO program is a voluntary program available to all elected county officials and certain appointed officials in Illinois. The program is based on participation and recognizes individual credits that officials accumulate. For additional information please the Macon County Extension office at 877.6042.

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Macon County 8th Grade Career Fair Date Set for 2010

Would you like the opportunity to share your knowledge with 8th graders in Macon County?

The 2010, Macon County 8th Grade Career Fair will be held January 6, 7, 8 & 11, 2010. This four-day event is once again being hosted by Partners In Education, Heartland Region, Richland Community College and University of Illinois Extension.

Over 1500 students from throughout Macon County participate in this event, each having the opportunity to learn about 5 to 6 different careers in their area of interest.

If you are interested in sharing your career with students from Macon County, please contact Mindy at 877.6042 for additional information.

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Getting Through Tough Times 10 Tips for Low-Cost Gifts

If a birthday, baby shower or anniversary is fast approaching and you're short on funds, here are some suggestions for low-cost gifts that have the potential of pleasing both the giver and the recipient. "Often it doesn't take much imagination to go to the store and quickly buy something. People appreciate a gift that's taken thought and effort on the part of the giver," said Evelyn Prasse, University of Illinois Extension, family and consumer economics educator.

Here are 10 suggestions for giving and wrapping a good gift without breaking your budget:

1. Bake special treats and include the recipe. Cookies, quick breads, cakes and pies make wonderful gifts.

2. Give a little girl a dress-up box of your old clothes, jewelry and hats.

3. Give a special treasure that you own to someone else to cherish and then pass on to someone else.

4. Take pictures and create a photo album of special times.

5. A gift certificate sharing your time or talent is always appreciated. Try coupons for babysitting, massages, house cleaning, meal preparation; whatever talent you can share.

6. Encourage a budding artist with a decorated box of art supplies or items from which to make puppets and masks.

7. For group gift exchanges, suggest drawing names so you will only need to buy one gift.

8. Or have a white-elephant exchange. Someone may treasure the item you don't want.

9. Instead of spending a lot on wrapping your gift, sew special one-of-a-kind fabric gift bags.

10. Or fashion beautifully wrapped gifts out of recycled newspapers, Sunday comics or brown paper bags.

For other good advice on getting through tough financial times, including which bill to pay first, how to talk to your creditors, how to save food dollars, how to talk to your children about your financial situation, and more, visit University of Illinois Extension's "Getting Through Tough Financial Times" website at: http://www.ToughTimes.illinois.edu .

Source: Evelyn Prasse, email her at eprasse@illinois.edu

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Senior Center Computer Classes

Are you interested in learning the basics about a computer? Please join us for computer classes at the Decatur-Macon County Senior Center. Each two hour class has a cost of $5.00, and is limited to 4 (four) individuals. The small class size allows participants to have one-on-one interaction with the instructor. To learn more about these classes please contact the extension office.

October 2009 Classes

October 8 & 20 How do you turn this thing on?

October 22 Basic E-Mail

October 27 Surfing the Web I

October 29 Surfing the Web II

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2009 Macon County HCE Week
October 12-18, 2009

The 2009 Macon County HCE Week is fast approaching. Check out their events for 2009! All events are open to the public, so please sign up to attend.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Linus Blanket Tying from 10am-2pm.

There is no cost for this event. A soup and sandwich lunch will be provided for interested individuals for a $5.00 donation.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Holiday Homemade Scrapbook/Recipe Book
Workshop from 9:00 - 11:30 am

A cost of $5.00 will be assessed for materials needed for the workshop.

11:30-1:00 pm - Pizza Lunch - $5.00

1:00 pm - Making Items Out of Recycled Products - $2.00 for this workshop

Friday, October 16, 2009

Join us for a fun filled day trip to Arthur, Illinois. Stops along the way will be to the Pumpkin Patch,

Beachy's, Country Salvage, and of course lunch at Yoder's. Please call the office for more

information.

Wash Your Hands!

September was national food safety month, and one of the more important actions you can take to prevent food borne illness is the simple task of washing your hands. Also due to the occurrence of the H1N1 virus, we know good hand washing is your best defense to prevent developing colds and flu. Research has shown that doing a good job of washing hands can reduce food borne illness by as much as 40%. Another research project involving school children demonstrated that when children do a good job of washing their hands at least four times during the school day, their chances of developing colds and flu are reduced.

How to Wash Hands

1. Use warm water to moisten hands.

2. Apply soap and rub vigorously.

3. Rub and scrub at least 20-30 seconds. Tell children to wash their hands for as long as it takes to sing their "ABC's", "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" or "Happy Birthday".

4. Be sure to wash back of the hands, wrists, under nails and between fingers.

5. Rinse hands under warm running water.

6. Dry hands with a clean towel.

What About Hand Sanitizers?

If soap and water are not available alcohol gel hand sanitizers are the next best way to destroy germs on your hands.

• Apply hand sanitizer to one hand.
• Rub hands together to cover all surfaces of hands and fingers with hand sanitizer.
• Rub until hand sanitizer is absorbed.
• Germs hide in the dirt and oils on your hands. Hand sanitizers do nothing to remove the dirt and oils. Washing with soap and water is still the preferred way to wash hands.
• Adults should help young children use hand sanitizers properly. Store hand sanitizers out of the reach of young children.

Hand Washing

GERMS ON YOUR HANDS CAN MAKE YOU SICK. WASH THOSE GERMS AWAY.

Hands should be washed………

• before and after preparing food, especially raw meats, poultry or fish/seafood.
• before eating
• before and after touching wounds and cuts.
• before and after touching a sick or injured person.
• before inserting or removing contact lenses.
• after handling pets or their waste.
• after handling garbage.
• after sneezing or coughing into hands.
• after blowing your nose.
• after using home or public bathrooms.
• after changing a diaper.

Teach Children Hand Washing!

Adults need to…….

• teach by example.
• help children wash their hands.
• have soap available at all times.
• make sure children can easily reach the sink. Provide a stool if needed.

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Recipes

Spinach Apple Salad

1 bag (8 to 10 oz) fresh spinach
1 unpeeled apple, sliced
1/4 cup cooked bacon pieces
1/2 cup of fat free mayonnaise or fat free salad dressing
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrated, thawed

1. Wash spinach and tear into bite-sized pieces.
2. Place spinach, apple slices and bacon bits in a large bowl.
3. Add to spinach mixture and gently mix.

Makes 3 servings. Nutrition facts per serving—Calories 145 ~ fat 3 g ~ calories from fat 30 ~ sodium 700 mg ~ total carbohydrate 25 g ~fiber 4 g

Apple-Acorn Squash

2 acorn squash
1 apple, chopped
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tables soft margarine, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash squash. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out seeds.
3. Place squash halves cut side down on a cookie sheet or in a baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes.
4. Mix the remaining ingredients.
5. Turn the squash cut side up. Fill squash with apple mixture. Bake 20 minutes longer or until squash is soft.

Makes 4 servings. Nutrition facts per serving—Calories 260 ~ fat 6g ~ calories from fat 50 ~ sodium 70 mg ~ total carbohydrate 55 g ~ fiber 5 g

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Quick Pumpkin Bread

2 cups reduce-fat pancake mix
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup egg substitute or 4 egg whites
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a large stainless steel mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin and egg substitute.
4. Add the dry ingredients along with the Craisins and nuts, and stir just until combined.
5. Pour batter into the loaf pan and place in preheated oven for 50 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes 12 servings. Nutrition facts per servings— Calories194~ fat 4g ~ calories from fat 40 ~ sodium 30 mg ~ total carbohydrates 37 g ~ fiber 2 g

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Food Preservation Workshop for Canned Pie Filling

Here's an opportunity to learn some basic food preservation skills and take home a great home canned product. Phyllis Herring, Extension educator, EFNEP/FNP from the Macon County Extension office will be leading two classes on Thursday, October 22, 2009. The first class will be from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and the second will be from 5:00 to 7:30 p.mp. During these classes, participants will learn how to use a boiling water bath canner while preparing a basic apple pie filling. Each class is limited to ten students and there will be a $5 participation fee. You may register by calling our office at 877-6042. The deadline for registration is October 16.