4-H–"Your Bridge to Reality" is the 2007 Winnebago County 4-H Theme. This theme will be used in the Club Banner Contest and Window Display & Bulletin Board Contest this year.

All clubs are invited to create banners which will be judged at Fashion Revue at Cherryvale Mall on Thursday, July 19th. After judging, these banners will be on display in the 4-H Building at the Winnebago County Fair.

Banners will be judged based on the following criteria: Size (large & easy to see), Appeal (eye & attention catching), Originality (be creative), and 4-H Information (clear message about 4-H in a positive manner). Banners will be due at the Extension Office by July 1, 2007.

Winnebago County Fair–August 14-19, 2007

Illinois State Fair–August 10-19, 2007

Meat goat production has been rapidly expanding in Illinois, as well as throughout the entire United States, driven by a growing ethnic market with a taste for goat meat. With this growth comes an increased number of questions from traditional livestock producers, as well as new producers, concerning production and management of the meat goat.

With this in mind, University of Illinois Extension Henry-Stark unit has put together a workshop to be held on Saturday, March 10 at the East Campus of Black Hawk College, located just south of Kewanee, Illinois. The program is scheduled to start at 8:45 a.m. with registration and the first session getting underway at 9:10 a.m. and the last session ending by 2 p.m.

Topics for this Saturday workshop will include: Meat Goat Nutrition by Richard Cobb, University of Illinois Extension Specialist; Grazing for Profit by Dean Oswald, Extension Grazing Specialist; Live Meat Goat Evaluation by Michael Crum, ABGA Region 10 Director, and Michael Earles of Thornridge Farm.

An optional lunch break will be available on site at 12:40 p.m. for an additional $6.50 per person for those who plan to stay for the last session. The last session of the day is entitled "Show Ring Tips and Tricks" by Rick Childress of Tangletree Farm and will run from 1:20 to 2 p.m.

Registration for the program is $4 for youth and $8 for adults with a deadline of March 5. An additional pre-registration fee of $6.50 per person will be charged for those who want to eat lunch on site and stay for the last session.

For more information or to register for this program, contact the Henry-Stark Extension office at 853-1533 or email Jeff West at jwest@uiuc.edu. You can also send your check and registration information to Henry-Stark Extension, PO Box 74, Galva, IL 61434.

Nasco will be presenting their annual Showing & Grooming Clinic on Saturday, May 12th starting at 8:30 a.m. in Fort Atkinson, WI.

Sheep, beef and dairy demonstrations will be held. Lunch will also be provided by Nasco, but you need to sign up in advance. Please call Nasco direct at 920-568-5600. They are located at 901 Janesville Avenue, Fort Atkinson, WI.

All 4-H'ers intending to exhibit horses, beef, dairy, sheep, swine and goats are required to complete an online certification program. This program is now available at:

http://qaec.extension.uiuc.edu/

Listed below are the final locations for the 2007 Illinois State Fair weigh-in dates for lambs. These are the ONLY locations that 4-H and FFA members can weigh sheep that will possibly be shown at this year's state fair. Extension staff, Vocational Agricultural instructions and local volunteers will be manning each location.

Exhibitors will need to pay for the electronic ID tags on site. They should plan to bring along a check made out to the University of Illinois; cost of the tags are $2.00 each.

For information on directions to the sites, contact the individual listed below for each specific location.

Locations

Contact Person Date(s) & Time

Interstate Center, Bloomington

Don Meyer 309-663-8306 April 21, 9 a.m. – Noon

Terry Bocker Farm, Lanark

Leanne Rahn 815-244-9444 April 21, 9 a.m. - Noon

Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield

Dick Cobb 217-333-7351 April 28, 9 a.m. - Noon

Coles County Fairgrounds, Charleston

Linda Foster 217-345-7034 May 5, 10:30 a.m.-Noon

Jefferson-Franklin Co Fairgrounds, Ina

Justin Sexten 618-242-9310 May 5, 9 a.m. - Noon

Hugh Moore, Jr. Farm, Jerseyville

Amy Roady 618-576-2293 May 5, 9 a.m. - Noon

Monroe County Fairgrounds, Waterloo

Susan Hayden 618-939-3434 May 5, 11 a.m. – Noon

Black Hawk East College, Kewanee

Rich Knipe 309-792-2500 May 12, 9 a.m. - Noon

Bond County Fairgrounds, Greenville

Jen Jenne 618-664-3665 May 12, 10 a.m. - Noon

Grundy County Fairgrounds, Morris

Dan Jennings 815-397-7714 May 12, 9 a.m. - Noon

Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield

Chris Anderson 217-782-4617 May 12, 9 a.m. - Noon

Interstate Center, Bloomington

Don Meyer 309-663-8306 May 12, 9 a.m. - Noon

Western Illinois University, Macomb

Dean Oswald 309-836-3366 May 12, 9 a.m. - Noon

Mr. Dave Lombardo (4-H photography judge) would like to invite all 4-H members who are enrolled in the Photography project to a special photography workshop on Saturday, March 31st at the Extension Office. This workshop will begin at 2:00 p.m. and last for approximately 2 hours. There is no cost for this workshop, but pre-registration is required. Please call the Extension Office at (815) 986-4357 to sign up. Please bring your camera and any photographs you would like to have reviewed. We will be discussing various photography topics and going over judges expectations for your 4-H photography project.

In order to promote 4-H and let the public see how much fun 4-H is, we are again offering each Winnebago County 4-H Club the opportunity to have a club booth in the 4-H Building during the County Fair this year. This is a great time to show pride in your club and demonstrate the fun activities and events in 4-H. If your club is interested, please contact Stacy at the Extension Office for more information 986-4357.

A 4-H Bowling event is scheduled for April 15, 2007 at Viking Lanes in South Beloit, IL. There will be prizes, trophies and tons of fun. Price of $12/team includes 3 games and shoe rental. The event starts at 1:00 p.m. Sign up deadline is April 1st. Must be one 4-H member per team–partners do not need to be 4-H members.

4-H BOWLING TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION FORM

4-H'ers Name: 4-H Age (as of 9/1/06):

4-H'ers Partner: 4-H'ers Phone #:

Club: Fee = $12/ Team of 2

Payable to 4-H Federation–4311 West State Street, Rockford, IL 61102–Deadline April 1, 2007

Questions? Contact Tammy Wakeley at 969-0866 or 218-5513

Share Your Harvest With The Hungry

Donate your extra produce to the hungry. Donations are collected at the following times and locations:

U of I Extension Office–4311 West State Street Mon-Fri 9 am - 4 pm

Rock River Valley Pantry–1080 Short Elm Mon-Fri 9 am - 4 pm

July – September

OSF St. Anthony (Roxbury Rd. across the St. from Rockford Gastroenterology)

Starting July 17 Tuesdays 5 pm - 7 pm

Edgebrook Farmers Market

Starting July 18 Wednesdays 10 am - Noon

Main Street Square Roscoe Farmers Market

Starting July 19 Thursdays 10 am - Noon

? (815) 986-4357 Donations Benefit: Local Pantries & Soup Kitchens

Volunteers are encouraged to "Spring into Action" and attend the 2007 Illinois 4-H Volunteer Forum. Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn from and share with fellow 4-H Leaders, gain new ideas and tips to take back to their clubs, renew themselves as energetic role models for youth and strengthen their relationships with youth as caring adults. The forum promotes learning and sharing on all aspects of 4-H. Registration fee of $15/person

Date: Saturday–April 14, 2007

Location: DeKalb Center for Agriculture, Sycamore, IL

Registration Deadline: April 3, 2007

Please call the Winnebago County Extension Office for more information and registration form if interested. Opportunity to carpool from the Winnebago Co. Extension Office is possible. Please inquire with Stacy at (815) 986-4357.

The 2007 Illinois 4-H Leadership Convention (ILC) is scheduled for June 28-30 at the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana campus. This convention runs from Thursday–Saturday. High school aged 4-H delegates will stay in college dormitories and experience a portion of college life during the event. Workshops for this year's event will focus on leadership skills that youth need to excel in their local community and school activities.

This event is open to ALL Illinois high school teens, including incoming freshmen for the fall of 2007. Youth must be 14-18 years of age (inclusive) by September 1, 2007 in order to participate. 4-H membership is NOT required–4-H members can invite other friends to come along. Adult chaperones must be age 21 or over and are required to be screened by the University of Illinois Extension's Volunteer Screening Procedures.

Registration materials will be available online in March at: http://www.4-h.uiuc.edu/events/annual004.html. The Extension Office should have registration information by the end of February. Scholarships for first-time attendees may be available through the Illinois 4-H Foundation.

Announcing a Health Careers Camp–June 8-10, 2007 at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL. The purpose of this camp is to provide current freshmen, sophomores and juniors with up-to-date information about the broad array of careers available in the health profession, especially in Northern Illinois. Students must be nominated by an adult leader, teacher or counselor to participate in this program. There is no cost for the program, but each nominee will be asked to send a $15 deposit that will be refunded upon camp attendance.

This year's camp will highlight a very special and exciting event. The DeKalb Fire Department's Rescue Squad will stage an emergency response to a simulated car wreck. This "rescue" will require emergency medical responders to extract the trapped accident victims from their car and evacuate them in a real, live helicopter airlift. Please see attached flyer for more information. An application form is available by calling the Extension Office at (815) 986-4357.

On Sunday, May 20, 2007 all judging will be done for your Public Presentation and Performing Arts projects. Public Presentation Judging will begin at 2:00 p.m. and Performing Arts will begin immediately after or at 4:00 p.m. (whichever is later). Check-in times are 15 minutes before.

You must be enrolled in the Communications Project of Public Presentation or Performing Arts Project to participate. A description of both the public presentation and performing arts projects are below:

Public Presentation

Formal Speech–Formal Speeches (without props or aids) must be 4-6 minutes in length and done by an individual member. Formal speeches provide information to the audience.

Illustrated Speech–Illustrated Speeches (with visual aids) must be 4-6 minutes in length and done by an individual.

Extempore Speaking–Exhibitors must be present 45 minutes before their assigned time to select their topics. Topics will relate to events of state, national or international importance. Exhibitors will draw three topic options for their speech from a large number of topics. They will immediately select one of these three topics for their speech. Participants will have 45 minutes to prepare a 4-6 minute speech. Resource materials are the responsibility of the exhibitor.

Demonstration–Demonstrations may pertain to any topic except Food/Nutrition (which will be done at the Food Demo judging in July). Demonstrations may be presented by an individual or a team of 2. Exhibitors are responsible for furnishing all equipment and supplies needed. Demonstrations must be 8-10 minutes in length.

Oral Interpretation–May be humorous or dramatic interpretation, oratorical declamation, prose reading or verse reading. Material may be read or memorized. May be done by an individual or a team of no more than 3 members. Interpretation must be 4-6 minutes in length.

Original Works–Member may present any type of original works (i.e. comedy, storytelling, original poetry, radio segment, etc.) May be done by an individual or a team of no more than 3 members. Works must have been written by one of the team members. Segment must be between 4-6 minutes in length. Original work presentations are designed to entertain an audience.

Performing Arts

Theater Arts I, Play the Role–Exhibit one of the following items: Portfolio of activities completed during the current year, OR a Display illustrating a drawing/photograph of a clown character created by the exhibitor, OR a Display illustrating a picture story developed by the exhibitor.

Theater Arts II, Become a Puppeteer–Exhibit one of the following items: Portfolio of activities completed during the current year, OR a Display on the history of puppets or puppetry in different cultures, OR display a puppet created by the exhibitor, OR display a story wheel and play adapted or written for puppets.

Theater Arts III, Set the Stage–Exhibit one of the following items: Portfolio of activities completed during the current year, OR a Display that includes sound, props and costume charts appropriate for a selected scene from a story or play (limit of 8 items), OR display a scenic design model to depict a scene from a script, OR a Display illustrating a character with make-up drawn or colored in. Include a photograph of a person wearing the make-up and information on the character's personality or part in the play.

LIVE Performance (Theater Arts I, II, or III)

(No State Fair Opportunity for Live Performance)

Exhibitor will perform a live performance (song, skit, musical instrument, etc.). All performances must be "G" rated. All live performance members will be required to sign up for a performance time on stage during the County Fair in August–(Not be judged–just to entertain and have fun!).

REGISTRATION FORMS FOR BOTH PUBLIC PRESENTATION AND PERFORMING ARTS MUST BE TURNED INTO THE EXTENSION OFFICE BY MAY 1ST. PLEASE CALL THE EXTENSION OFFICE AT (815) 986-4357 TO GET A REGISTRATION FORM.

The 4-H Cat Show date is set for Saturday, July 28, 2007 at the Winnebago County Fairgrounds in the St. Mary's Building.

All 4-H'ers intending to show a cat at the fair this year must attend at least one of the cat clinics being offered at the Extension Office.

CAT CLINICS will be held at the Extension Office – Please bring your cat with you to these clinics. Vaccinations will NOT be available at the clinics, but your cat does need to be current on all shots by the time of the Cat Show on July 28, 2007.

CAT CLINICS at Winnebago County Extension:

April 24th at 7:30 p.m.

June 21st at 7:30 p.m.

Please call the Extension Office at 986-4357 to sign up.

All youth intending on showing swine at the Winnebago County 4-H Fair must attend a PQA Clinic by June 1st to become Youth PQA Certified. Re-certification is required every year. All exhibitors with Jr. Barrows, Open Barrows and/or Jr. Premiere Barrows must be Pork Quality Certification Level III certified. This applies to each individual exhibitor–"farm" certifications are not acceptable.

PQA certification is required EVERY year!

2007 PQA Training offered in our area:

BOONE County Clinics

Saturday–March 24, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Tuesday–April 10, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Saturday–April 28, 10 a.m.–Noon

Pre-registration is required for Boone Co. PQA Clinics–Please call 544-3710.

WINNEBAGO County Clinic

Sunday–March 18–1:30 p.m. at Ext. Office

Please call (815) 986-4357 to register.

Each 4-H member taking the training will be Youth PQA Certified. Parents are encouraged to attend. This program is for all youth age 8-18 years of age as of September 1, 2006.

The 4-H Dog Show is set for Sunday, July 29, 2007 at the Winnebago County Fairgrounds–Building 2.

All dog enrollment, leases and pictures are due into the Extension Office by May 1, 2007.

Dog Clinics and practice times will begin in June and be held at Machesney School on Mondays from 6-8 p.m. Exact starting dates will be published in next newsletter. For questions regarding the dog project, please contact the Extension Office.

DOG CLASSES AT MACHESNEY ELEMENTARY PARKING LOT

6:00–7:00 P.M.–OBEDIENCE

7:00–8:00 P.M.–SHOWMANSHIP

JUNE 4, JUNE 11, JUNE 18, JUNE 25, JULY 2, JULY 9, JULY 16 AND JULY 23, 2007

DOG SHOW REHEARSAL DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED

4-H Dog Class Informational Meeting

Monday–May 21, 2007

6:00 p.m.

Machesney Elementary School

WINNEBAGO COUNTY 4-H HORSE SHOW is scheduled for Saturday, August 4, 2007 at the Winnebago County Fairgrounds. If your horse is leased, you must turn in your lease agreement and 3 photos to participate in the Winnebago County 4-H Horse Show. Deadline is May 1, 2007. Helpers will be needed on the day of the show to assist with trophies, ringmaster and setup. Please contact Lori Campbell at 335-7027 if you can help.

If you are planning to show at the State 4-H Horse Show, all members must turn in their registration forms, lease agreements and 3 photos (one from each side and the front) to the Extension Office by May 1, 2007.

ETHICS TRAINING MUST BE COMPLETED FOR HORSE PROJECT MEMBERS BY JUNE1ST (DEADLINE FOR QUALIFYING FOR STATE FAIR JR. HORSE SHOW).

TRAINING SITE: http://qaec.extension.uiuc.edu/

NEEDED FOR 4-H SHOW–COGGINS TEST FOR HORSES: All Illinois equine 12 months and older participating in an advertised equine event–a show, rodeo, exhibition, trail ride or horse fair that is posted or media promoted, shall be accompanied by a negative test for equine infectious anemia/E.I.A. (Coggins/Elisa) conducted within one year. This includes all horses being sold, traded or leased within Illinois.

Also remember that any horse taken over a state line must have a valid veterinarian health certificate as well as the above papers. This permit is available by calling the Illinois Department of Ag at (217) 782-4944 and are issued at no charge 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please visit www.horsemenscouncil.org for more information.

4-H HORSE COMMITTEE is looking for ideas for possible clinics, trail rides and other fun activities to do with a horse. Please contact Lori Campbell at 335-7027 if you are interested in being a member of the 4-H Horse Committee and if you have any ideas for horse activities you'd like to do in Winnebago County.

If your club has been doing something fun, exciting or new, I'd love to hear about it! Any club wishing to share what they have been doing, please submit your articles and photos to the Extension Office by the 15th of every month to be included in future Clover Newsletters. You can email your news and photos to me at cwiklo@uiuc.edu. I can't wait to hear about what you have been up to! - Stacy (815) 986-4357

Come cheer on your fellow 4-H basketball players at Seward Grade School on March 17th. Practice will be held in the morning and games will be played in the afternoon. A concession stand will be available for snacks and lunch items. Please contact Lisa Mitchell (335-7450) of Seward Determination for more details.

MARCH 3 All-Youth Horse Judging Trials at Illinois Horse Fair – Springfield, IL

10-11 Northern Illinois Leadership Conference

(Sponsored by Boone Co. 4-H - 544-3710)

17 4-H Basketball "Fun For All" – Seward, IL (Sponsored by Seward Determination 4-H Club)

18 Pork Quality Assurance (PQA) Clinic at Extension Office

APRIL 15 4-H Bowling Event–Viking Lanes, South Beloit, IL–1:00 p.m.

24 Cat Clinic at Extension Office–7:30 pm

23-29 National Volunteer Week

MAY 1 Deadline for New Member Enrollment

1 Deadline for Add/Drop Projects

1 Horse & Dog Papers (Pictures) due in Extension Office

20 Public Presentation & Theatre Arts Judging at Farm Bureau

JUNE 9 Last day to complete Ethics Training for Horses

21 Cat Clinic at Extension Office–7:30 pm

Dairy Month

JULY 1 Last Day to complete Ethics Training for Beef, Dairy, Sheep, Swine & Goats

10 Food Demo & Cake Decorating Judging – 3 pm Ext. Office

10-15 2007 State Fair Jr. Horse Show

19 Clothing Judging & Fashion Revue

22 4-H Building Setup (Volunteers needed to assist)

27 General Projects Day (Non-Livestock Judging) – 1–7 pm

28 Cat Show – St. Marys Building at Fairgrounds

29 Dog Show – Building 2 at Fairgrounds

AUGUST 1 Club Award Applications Due to Extension Office

4 4-H Horse Show at Fairgrounds

13 4-H Building Tidy-Up

10-19 Illinois State Fair

14-19 Winnebago County Fair

18 4-H Fur & Feather/Livestock Auction at Fairgrounds

19 Last Day of Fair – Teardown of 4-H Building

(Volunteers needed)

25 State Fair Dog Show – Springfield, IL

SEPTEMBER 1 4-H Records & Club Reports Due

1 Individual Illinois Award Applications Due

OCTOBER 1-7 4-H Week – Bulletin Board & Window Display Contest

NOVEMBER 10 Annual 4-H Recognition & Awards Night