In this report...

Home lawn and garden enthusiasts enjoyed many opportunities to increase their knowledge about caring for their home landscape. The Four Seasons Gardening program series featured: Spring Lawn Care, Aggressive Thugs in the Flower Garden, Diseases of Herbaceous Perennials, Herbs, Using Tropical Plants to Add WOW to your Garden, Landscape Maintenance, Rain Gardens, A Wise Way to Use Runoff, Controlling Garden Weeds, Vegetable Insect Pests, Growing Backyard Grapes & Household Insect Pests.

64 individuals toured a new garden nursery in the county and learned about plant size, placement, and care from U of I Extension Horticulture Educator, David Robson.

Six beautiful home landscapes were enjoyed by nearly 200 individuals on the 4^th annual Garden Tour hosted by U of I Extension Master Gardeners with assistance from Waterloo Garden Club and Columbia Women's Club members.

The Master Gardeners answer home horticulture questions throughout the spring, summer and fall through the U of I Extension Office. Approximately 200 questions ranging from tree, insect and weed identification, pest problems, lawn care, rose care, transplanting, pruning and more are researched for home owners. Pest and plant problems are often identified by the digital diagnostic identification method. A digital photo is taken of the pest/plant problem and electronically sent to an Extension Specialist who responds with information for the client.

The Master Gardeners help maintain the landscape around the County Annex Building. They designed and planted a new area at the Annex in addition to areas at the County Courthouse.

The recipes in "Extreme Cuisine for Family Fitness", the 2007 summer youth cooking school cookbook---begin with the same first step: Wash your hands! Kitchen safety, knife safety, hand washing and sanitary practices are taught the first day before food preparation begins. The educational program has made its mark on the community since it started in the summer of 1997. Over 2,000 youth have learned important life skills such as safe use of small appliances, how to prepare healthy foods, working cooperatively with others in making group decisions and understanding the importance of daily exercise. As youth participate in the week-long session, you can hear such comments as, "It's about everybody working together and learning how to cook and having fun." A past youth cooking school participant who is now a local restaurant employee indicated how "awesome" the session was and how much he had learned. He is proof that the program does make a positive difference in the lives of young people and how they continue to use the knowledge and skills gained from the program in their lives and careers. Fall and winter bowling and roller skating opportunities have been conducted in order to encourage family exercise time. The 2007 program was made possible through the support of an educational grant from the Illinois 4-H Foundation along with support from local businesses, organizations and individuals.

Partnering with the Illinois Department of Public Health, University of Illinois Extension, Educators, Carol Schlitt and Martha Winter teach the Illinois Food Handlers Refresher Course. This 5-hour course is required every 5 years for those certified food handlers who which to maintain their certification. Every six months, the local Extension Office offers a refresher course for those individuals who license will soon expire. Brochures of training dates can be obtained by contacting the Extension Office.

Local dieticians receive in-service through a five month series of Nutrition Update teleconference seminars presented by University of Illinois professors.

A registered dietician/nutritionist helped 18 individuals better understand portion control and serving sizes at the Healthy Woman program sponsored by University of Illinois Extension and Red Bud Regional Hospital.

The Dining with Diabetes program series continues to be a popular educational program, teaching the importance of understanding diabetes and how to prepare healthy meals as well as portion control when eating out. Individuals have successfully applied the information and recipes resulting in better control of their diabetes situation, weight loss and increased exercise habits.

Participants learned about a variety of consumer & family topics at the educational seminars: Retirement Realities; Protecting Yourself from Schemes & Scams; Home Energy Conservation; and Forgiveness-An Important Gift to Yourself.

In addition, children and family news letters are provided to the local Child Care Centers and local libraries. U of I Extension also partners with Children's Home + Aid to provide in-service training to child care providers.

The local Extension Office also handled questions on food preservation, food safety, and tested several pressure canner gauges.

Youth can participate in the 4-H Youth Development program in Illinois through a variety of program delivery or access systems. Youth ages 5 - 7 are eligible to participate in the Cloverbud Program. Youth ages 8 - 19 can become members of Community-based 4-H Clubs. In addition youth can access the 4-H Youth Development program through participation in Special Interest Groups such as Youth Cooking School, or Junior Master Gardeners, or they can participate in Short Term Group events such as Babysitter Workshops, 4-H & Friends Craft Day or Bowling. 4-H Camps and Conferences like Discover Chicago, Southern Illinois 4-H Youth Camp, Southern Illinois 4-H Junior High Camp, etc., are other ways youth can access the 4-H Youth Development Program.

During the 2006 - 2007 4-H Program Year in Monroe County;

37 - Youth Participated in the Cloverbud Program

219 Youth were members of Community-based 4-H Clubs

2 - New Community 4-H Clubs were started

470 Youth Participated in School-based Special Interest Groups through the Outdoor Education & Environmental Stewardship Program which includes 2 Conservation Day Field Trips

19 - Youth Participated in the Babysitter Workshop Short-term Group

206 Youth participated in Youth Cooking School Special Interest Groups

4 - Youth Participated in GIS/GPS Camp

5 - Youth Participated in the Junior Master Gardener Special Interest Group

3 - Youth Participated in Illinois 4-H Leadership Convention

5 - Youth Participated in the Southern Illinois Leadership Conference

1 - Youth Participated in Southern Illinois 4-H Junior High Camp

968 Monroe County Youth were reached through the various 4-H Youth Development programs offered through University of Illinois Extension.

University of Illinois Extension partners with the Illinois Department of Agriculture to provide the training for agriculture producers to be licensed to purchase and correctly apply certain chemicals for crop production. 90 local producers successfully participated in the training and testing.

Other educational opportunities conducted for local agriculture producers included: Sheep, Swine, Dairy and Beef Production & Management seminars, Agriculture Legislation Update, Alfalfa Production Workshop, Computer program training, Farm & Woodland Assessment, Agronomy Day, Soybean, Wheat & Corn Production Seminars and individual assistance regarding lease questions, custom machinery rates, cash rent rates and more.

Individuals also participated in a variety of programs to learn more about the environment and natural resources. Those programs included: drainage law update, aquatic weed and pond management seminar, and private land forest management update.

Individuals enjoyed hearing from Mac Condill, owner & operator of the Great Pumpkin Patch in Arthur, Illinois, about how their family expanded their farm into a successful agritourism operation. John Pike, Extension Educator provided information on successful marketing techniques at the Agritourism seminar.

Monroe County's involvement with GIS and GPS grew out of interest in incorporating the technology into the county's Conservation Day Outdoor Education Field Trip which is part of a larger Outdoor Education and Environmental Stewardship Program for fifth grade students in Monroe County.

Three years ago, Monroe County Extension partnered with Paul Kremmel, GIS Specialist with Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) & Laura Henry, Monroe County GIS Coordinator and developed a plan for incorporating GPS & GIS technology into the above mentioned program. Initially, Monroe County Extension purchased four GPS units, and worked with the local Wal-Mart to have each unit purchased matched by a unit donated. Monroe County Extension, NRCS, and Monroe County GIS worked together to provide GPS training to 450 fifth grade students which enabled them to complete a mapping exercise during their conservation day field trip. Maps of the data collected were provided by the county GIS coordinator to the fifth grade classes.

In the spring of 2006, Monroe County Extension submitted a grant application to the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) to acquire GIS software which would enable the fifth grade students to conduct their own mapping projects, and produce their own maps. The grant was funded, and launched the Monroe County 4-H GIS Club. In 2006, the mapping software received from the grant was installed on 17 computers, in 6 different schools and two Extension offices. An additional 450 students were trained not only to use GPS units for collecting data, but also on how to use the mapping software.

Other mapping projects that groups outside of the schools have completed since receiving the grant are:

• Kid Friendly restaurants in the county
• Sample collection site locations during a marine science field trip to Dauphin Island, Alabama
• Walking trails & interpretive sites at the Stemler Cave Nature Preserve
• Locations of tour sites for the 2007 Monroe County Garden Tour
• Locations and identification of types of trees for a 4-H club forestry project
• Sample collection site locations Waterloo High School Summer Ecology Class
• Waterloo Parks & Recreation Facilities

In addition, Monroe County 4-H GIS Club held their first annual GIS Day. The public was invited to view displays of the above mentioned projects, as well as participate in hands on activities using both the GPS units, and the GIS software. The group completed a Community Atlas project which is available for viewing on the ESRI website. A week long GIS & GPS Camp was conducted in June, and several schools have expressed interest in learning the technology.

The group was awarded an intermediate grant to continue to expand the GIS and GPS activities they have begun. A GIS Day for 2008 is being planned as well as another community atlas project that will hopefully include maps produced by fifth grade students in the county.

Check out Schools Online at www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/schools. The website is packed full of imaginative curricula and teaching ideas.

University of Illinois Extension Monroe County Staff

Pamela Jacobs............................................. County Extension Director

Susan Hayden............................................................ Extension Educator, Youth Development

Kelly Brandt...................................................Program Coordinator, Agriculture, Horticulture, & Natural Resources

Julie Washausen............................................................................ Secretary

University of Illinois Extension

Monroe County Unit

901 Illinois Avenue

P.O. Box 117

Waterloo, IL 62298

Telephone: 618-939-3434

Fax: 618-939-7708

monroe_co@extension.uiuc.edu

www.extension.uiuc.edu/monroe

Monroe County

Extension Council

Erich Albers

Kimberly Barbeau

Sharon Bartosik

Laura Henry

Chris Howell

David Krebel

Kelly Lerch

Kevin Koenigstein

Jascon McNiel

Becky Mosbacher

Elden Niemeyer

Lucille Ohms

Cindy Ruemker

Adam Schneider

Kevin Schreder

Sarah Sparwasser

Paul Straub

Income:

Local funds $163,546

County Board (Tax Referenda generated dollars), Ext. & 4-H Foundation, Home & Community Education & 4-H Federation contributions

State Match $164,240

Total $327,786

Expenses:

Salaries $180,556

County Extension Director, Youth Development Educator, Program Coordinator, Secretary, 4 Youth Cooking School summer staff, 2 part time summer college students & 2 part time office extra help staff

Education programs, office supplies & 4-H premiums $25,840

Office Rent $34,702

General Services $29,326

travel, equipment & repair telephone, postage, advertising, staff in-service, judges & presenters

U of I Adm. Support & Separation Pool $9,397

Total $279,821

Barnstormers...................................................... Carrie Magill

Bushy Prairie...................................................... Tina & Errol Johanning & Lionel Mund

Clover Friends..................................................... Bernadette Gregson

Crusading Eagles.................................................. Paul & Rachel Straub, Rich Hollis

Golden Eagles...................................................... Kathy Reifschneider, Tom & Connie Naber, Connie Vogt

Hoofbeats........................................................... Carol Kaiping, Amanda Byer, Susan Kosydor, Diane Williams

Lucky 4-H........................................................... Debbie Eckart, Randy Gummersheimer, Heidi Ruwald

Maeystown Clovers............................................... Lisa Schwarze, Dorothy Schilling, Kelly Brandt,

......................................................................... Maribeth Eschmann, Dawn Burns

Moonlight 4-H....................................................... Angela Heck, Amanda Marquardt

Moonlight Wolves.................................................. Edith Laufer

Rough Riders........................................................ David Baum, Kenton May, Tina Henry

Shooting Stars..................................................... Karen Eschmann, Karen Matzenbacher

Sunset............................................................... Dee Dee London, Lisa Arnold

Sunshine 4-H...................................................... Sharon & Kimberly Barbeau

4-H Federation..................................................... Curt Sondag, Debbie Eckart

University of Illinois Extension, Monroe County staff have been honored with the 2007 County Award of Excellence. The County staff include: Pamela Jacobs, County Extension Director, Susan Hayden, 4-H Youth Development Educator, Kelly Brandt, Program Coordinator, Agriculture, Horticulture & Natural Resources and Julie Washausen, Secretary. In addition the staff recognizes individuals who provide part-time and summer program assistance in addition to the many great volunteers. A colleague writes, "A true cooperative spirit is exemplified by each member of the office. The staff and volunteers are dedicated to the mission of Helping You Put Knowledge to Work. These staff members have exemplified the true essence of Extension-outreach education, professionalism and leadership in community based programming. Monroe County is truly a unit worthy of this recognition."

Pam and Susan have been recently recognized by the Illinois Extension Professionals for Youth Education Association, being awarded the 2007 Specialty Award: Programming using Innovative Educational Technology. Susan also received the Excellence in Team Work Award for her leadership to the Discover Chicago regional Junior High teen event. Pam has been selected as a member of the Academy of Extension Excellence and was recently honored by the Epsilon Sigma Phi Association for her 30 years of dedicated service to University of Illinois Extension.