Letter From Janis

Dear 4-H Families:

The busiest time of the 4-H year is almost here! Have you spent much time working on your projects yet? If you have livestock, are you spending time getting them used to being led, handled, etc.? The summer 4-H Shows and Fairs will be here before we know it.

Congratulations to all the 4-Hers who are graduating from high school or junior high this spring. Our very best wishes to you as you enter a new phase of your life.

Busy or not, take time to do something nice for someone else.

Join the Fulton County 4-H facebook group!

New 4-H Show Books

By now most 4-H families should have a copy of the new 4-H Show Book. The cover says 2013 on it. If you do not have one of these new 4-H Show Books yet, please call your 4-H leader or the Extension Office, 547-3711. Discard old 4-H Show Books so there is no confusion in knowing what to exhibit for your projects. The new 4-H Show Book can also be found at this link —

http://web.extension.illinois.edu/fmpt/downloads/47727.pdf

4-H Federation Meeting

The next meeting of the Fulton County 4-H Federation will be Tuesday, May 28th, at 6 p.m. at the Extension Office in Lewistown.

4-H Award Applications Are Due August 26

Don't let Award Application time sneak up on you this year. Award applications are due August 26 in the Extension Office by 4:30 p.m., and late applications will not be judged at all. The deadline is always the last Monday in August.

Check with your leader or the Extension Office if you have questions about these forms. Award Application forms may be picked up at the Extension Office at any time. A packet of sample forms will be sent to key leaders in early July, but anyone may come and pick up forms before that time if you wish. They are also on our website.

Rules and guidelines for completing Award Applications are found in the back section of the 4-H Show Book.

Award winners from these applications will receive awards at the Achievement Program in November.

Farm Safety Day Camp

The Spoon River Valley Chapter of Farm Safety For Just Kids will hold its annual Farm Safety Day Camp on Friday, June 21st, at the Fulton County Fairgrounds in Lewistown, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This is jointly sponsored by University of Illinois Extension in Fulton and Mason Counties, Fulton County and Mason County Farm Bureaus, Sunrise Ag, and Cargill. There is no charge to attend, but pre-registration is required, by June 1st.

All kids need to know about farm safety. Topics covered will include Chemical Safety, Livestock Safety, Farm Equipment Safety, Fire Safety, Heat Safety, Water Safety, Firearm Safety, and ATV Safety. There will be a presentation by Brown's Oakridge Zoo as the finale.

Farm Safety Day Camp is for kids ages 6 and up. Parents are also encouraged to attend.

Lunch is provided. For a copy of the registration form, call the Fulton County Extension Office at 309-547-3711 or the Mason County Extension Office at 309-543-3308. It is also posted on the Extension website, fulton.extension.uiuc.edu (Click on 4-H In Fulton County). Registrations are due by June 1st, and can be mailed or brought to the Fulton County Extension Office, 15411 N IL 100 Hwy, Lewistown IL 61542, or the Mason County Extension Office, 127 South High, Havana IL 62644. You may not register by phone; however, you may fax to 309-547-3713. A parent signature is required on all registrations. Youth who are pre-registered by June 1st will receive a free T-Shirt at the conclusion of the event.

For more information on Farm Safety Day Camp, call 309-547-3711 or 309-543-3308.

If you are a person who needs a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, contact the University of Illinois Extension Office in Fulton County at 309-547-3711.

Most of the funds for this free educational program are raised at an Annual Golf Tournament, to be held this year on July 19th at Lakewood Golf Course, near Bath. For more information on the tournament, call committee members Donna Miller at 309-338-4789 or Alison Ruth at 217-430-4952.

University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.

4-H Club Pictures Needed

Please send or email the Extension Office some pictures of your club (or individual members) doing 4-H-related activities -- funny things, unusual things, and normal things! These pictures will be returned to you after we are done with them. Please send these by September 1. They will be included in the end-of-year slide show. There is a prize for the person or family that sends in the most "interesting" picture. Last year the prize was a gift card!!! Pictures can be emailed to jblout@illinois.edu .

Livestock Show Clinic to Be Held

The Fulton County Farm Bureau Young Leader Committee will hold a Showmanship Clinic on Saturday, June 1^st, at 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Farm Bureau Building, Lewistown.

Learn showmanship techniques and pointers on showing swine, cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry. Some animals will be on site for demonstration purposes, and some classroom instruction will take place in the Farm Bureau Board room.

Everyone is welcome, regardless of age and/or experience. No rsvp is necessary. Questions can be directed to the Farm Bureau office at 547-3011 or fultonfb@att.net .

Summer 4-H Show News

In the front of your 4-H Show Book is a copy of our 4-H Show Schedule for this year.

•Club leaders will be given a supply of 4-H entry tags. Your leaders will distribute them at your 4-H club meeting. Call your leader if you are needing tags before your next meeting. Members or parents should fill in the information and secure the entry tag to the project for the day of judging.

•All 4-H members enrolled in a project by May 1st are automatically entered in the appropriate 4-H Show. The only shows you have to actually "enter" are the Livestock and Horse Shows, and the Public Speaking and Demonstration Contest.

Show Helpers Needed

Adults, please call the Extension Office (547-3711) if you would like to help as a superintendent on General Show Day. Also, older 4-H members are needed to be 4-H Helpers that day. 4-H Helpers must be able to accurately and carefully assist the 4-H Superintendents with recording ratings, preparing ribbons, etc.

4-H Newsletters Live Online

If you want to look at something in the last 4-H newsletter, or the one before that, or the one before that — can you find it? If you have internet access, you can find the last entire year's worth of 4-H newsletters at —

http://web.extension.illinois.edu/fmpt/fulton4hnews/

4-H Facebook Group

Fulton County 4-H has a Facebook group page. Type in "Fulton County 4-H" in the search area, then click on "ask to join." Reminders, up-to-date information, links, and lots more things are posted.

Conference Judging

Conference judging is designed to increase the value of the 4-H exhibit experience for 4-H members. The judge may ask you questions about your project, such as:

1. Tell me how you made this exhibit.

2. What was the most difficult part of making this exhibit?

3. Did you learn anything new? What?

4. What would you do differently next time?

5. Did you enjoy working on this project?

6. What interested you in this project?

Feel free to call us at the Extension Office day or night (we have an answering machine), and let us know how we can help you as the busy 4-H show season begins — 547-3711.

Leader Reminders -- Important!

4-H Program Fee statements will be sent out soon, and fees are due back to the Extension Office by June 1st. The fee is $20 per member, with a maximum of $50 per family household. We have some funds to cover those who cannot afford to pay.

The 4-H Secretary and Treasurer books are due at the Extension Office by September 30th, or if they want to be considered for an award, by August 26th. Your officers should be working on these on their computers, and print out the complete documents later. They need to be signed, including several signatures (audit committee) on the Treasurer book. These are state 4-H rules which must be followed

Help Needed At Fine Arts Festival

The public is invited to attend the 2013 "Art On Main" event on June 1-2 at Jones Park in Canton. There will be local art exhibits and pieces for sale; food and other vendors; free hands-on art activities; and more. Event times on Saturday, June 1^st, are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Sunday, June 2^nd, the time frame is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fulton County 4-H has been asked to provide a few volunteers for the kids' art activities tent, and also for some general assistance on the days of the event and the evening prior. If you or your club would be willing to help, please call the Extension Office, 547-3711, or email jblout@illinois.edu .

State Fair Books Online

The State Fair Junior Department premium books are online. Our office will print off the sections that you need, if you are unable to access this information from your home. The website is:

http://agr.state.il.us/isf/premium/index.html

Entries are due at the Fulton County Extension Office by June 28^th.

For State Junior Horse Show, entry deadline is June 7th.

State Fair Livestock Exhibitors -- Please remember that the rule of "Only one fan per three animals will be allowed," will be strictly enforced by the Illinois Fire Marshall's Office.

State Fair Junior Show age eligibility:

4-H members must be 10 by September 1, 2012, in order to participate in the State Fair Junior Show in 2013, for both livestock and non-livestock exhibits.

4-H Shooting Sports

The Fulton County 4-H Shooting Sports Program has begun, and is going well. Twenty youth are participating, 11 in shotgun and nine in air rifle. The six week session is taught by three certified instructors, with the assistance of one certified coordinator and eight trained assistants.

We hope to offer these two disciplines again in the fall, so watch the newsletter for registration information in a few months.

We do not currently have a certified instructor in Archery. Certified instructors must attend a three day training in Monticello, which is usually offered in May and September. We cannot offer Archery until we have a certified instructor. If you know of an adult who would be interested in being a certified instructor in Archery, please contact the Extension Office at 547-3711.

Pork Quality Assurance – PQA

Please refer to the March/April newsletter for more information on PQA. Basically, you have to attend a certification session EVERY YEAR if you show barrows at the State Fair Junior Show, or take a test (which sometimes covers several years). You must do this before the State Fair entry deadline of June 28th. Otherwise, you may not enter barrows at State Fair Junior Show.

There will be a Youth PQA certification session at the Fulton County Extension Office in Lewistown on June 4th at 6 p.m.

Superior Young Producer Awards at the Illinois State Fair

Beef - Dairy - Horses - Sheep - Swine

The Superior Young Producer Award contest is open to any youth 14 or older (16 or older for horses) who is a bonafide exhibitor at the State Fair Junior Show in the species for which he/she is entering. This is a skill-a-thon competition, with various stations of quizzes, judging, etc. There is a chance to win one of 25 $1,000 college scholarships that will be awarded. For an entry form, contact the Extension Office, or go to the State Fair website.

Area Livestock Entry Forms

Whenever possible, we will post entry forms for area livestock shows on our website. At the present time, entry forms for Cuba are available on our website. You cannot submit them online, but you can print them off at your home, rather than coming to our office or another location to pick up copies.

Dog Obedience Classes

4-H members enrolled in a Dog project were sent information about the Dog Obedience classes that will start May 20th. These are optional, but a great way to learn more about handling your dog. If you lost your papers, they can be found on our website, or call the Extension Office at 547-3711 for another set.

Do not ignore this if you have livestock –

Important — If you are enrolled in Beef, Sheep, Swine, Dairy Goat, Meat Goat, Horse, Poultry, Dairy Cattle —

Attention: All Livestock Members — Quality Assurance and Ethics

Beginning this 4-H year, all 4-H members who enroll in ANY livestock project must complete the online Quality Assurance and Ethics training, unless they have already done this in the past. This even applies to those who plan to do a poster at General Show Day about their livestock project. The online training is easy to do, and does not take very much time. This must be done by July 1st, or before you enter or show a project, whichever comes first.

Any 4-H livestock members who do not have the training done by the deadline will have their name removed from the livestock project they had enrolled in. This would mean they could not show for 4-H or receive 4-H premiums or awards. Anyone who does not have internet access at home to do this may come to the Extension Office and do it here — call 547-3711 to make an appointment. Once you have completed it, your name appears on a register that Extension Offices can refer to. This is a one-time training, good for all your 4-H years. You must complete the basic training plus choose one species, and complete that. You do not have to do more than one species, no matter how many you show. Here is the website —

http://web.extension.illinois.edu/qaec/

Go ahead and get it done soon, so you won't forget!

Bottom line — If you do not do this, you will not be able to show your project for 4-H, no matter what you show — no premiums, no awards, etc.

Out of approximately 160 Fulton County 4-H members with one of these projects, there are still 47 of you who have not done this yet. If you did it, but did not complete one specie, too, it does not count.

New Youth Educator In Our Four-County Unit

Hello!!

My name is Ginger Schnecker, and I am the new Youth Educator for Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell Counties!! I wanted to take a minute and introduce myself. I am not only new to this position, but I am new to Illinois. I recently moved here from a small farming community in Ohio. I spend a lot of time outdoors. I enjoy hiking, biking, gardening, and running with my dog. I come with a background in education, agriculture, and 4-H.

As a 4-H member, I was involved with cattle, rabbits, photography, cooking, and a handful of other projects. I was part of Junior Fair board and Sale Committee. I was also a camp counselor and a 4-H State of Ohio Ambassador. As an adult, I have been involved with the Camp Counselor Program!!

I am excited to join an amazing staff, and unit that is filled with passionate volunteers and 4-Hers. I look forward to meeting all of the club leaders, volunteers, and 4-Hers over the next few months at various meetings and programs.

I am located in the Tazewell Extension Office, in Pekin, but I do visit the other offices as well. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at gschneck@illinois.edu or 309-347-6614. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by so I can meet you!!

Hummingbird Banding

Fulton County 4-H members and the general public are again invited to three Hummingbird Banding days at Lois White's Hummingbird Haven, near Bernadotte. There will be information presented on hummingbirds and how to attract them, followed by banding of the birds. There is no cost to attend, but for a $5 donation that day to the Audubon Society, you can "adopt" a hummingbird. This means you would be the one to turn it loose, and would be notified if it is captured again. The dates are —

May 31st, 10 a.m.

July 5th, 10 a.m.

August 25th, 2 p.m.

Children must be accompanied by adults at these events. Pre-registration is not necessary.

Directions to Hummingbird Haven:

The address is 16411 N Co Hwy 2, Smithfield. To get there from Lewistown, turn west at the stoplights (by the grocery store). The street is Avenue E, but the country road is called Highway 14, and is also known as the Bernadotte Blacktop. From the stoplight, follow that road for about 11 miles, until you come to a "T." Turn right, and go about another 1 1/2 miles. Hummingbird Haven will be on your right, and there is a sign.

Public Speaking and Demonstration Contest

The County Public Speaking and Demonstration Contest will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 15th, at the Extension Office. Entries are due June 7th. See pages 31, 32, and 50 in the 2013 4-H Show Book for more information. This is open to all 4-H members. For those enrolled in the 4-H project Public Presentations, this is your exhibit opportunity. To enter the contest, send in the form below.

ENTRY FORM — 4-H PUBLIC SPEAKING & DEMONSTRATION CONTEST

NAME________________________PHONE_________________AGE AS OF 9/1/12_______________

Please check the one(s) in which you plan to participate, and give your title.

______Food Demonstration Title________________________________

______Project Demonstration Title________________________________

______Formal Speech Title________________________________

______Illustrated Speech Title________________________________

______Oral Interpretation Title________________________________

______Original Works Title________________________________

Mail to: Fulton County Extension Office, 15411 N IL 100 Hwy, Lewistown IL 61542. Entries due by June 7.

County Fair Books Available In June

The 4-H Livestock Shows are held in conjunction with the County Fair. County Fair Books will be available at the Extension Office some time in June. (Call us at 547-3711 before driving to Lewistown to pick them up, just in case they're not here yet.) To enter livestock in the County Fair, you must complete the entry blank found in the back of the fair book and turn it and the appropriate fees in to the Extension Office by July 1.

Do NOT send them to the Fair Office. All exhibitor, entry, and stall fees are due with the fair entry blank. Checks should be made payable to the "Fulton County Fair." We process the entries here first, then we send them on to the Fair Office.

If you are going to complete a non-livestock project for the 4-H Show, you are also encouraged to enter it in the County Fair Junior Show. Just pick up a Fair Book, and check all rules, procedures, and entry deadline.

Showing your non-livestock 4-H project in the County Fair does not qualify you for a 4-H premium. You must show in the 4-H Show to receive a 4-H premium.

Boys Staying Overnight At the Fulton County Fair

Boys exhibiting livestock at the County Fair have been allowed to spend the night in the livestock barns. The Fair Board requires that their chaperones be parents of the boys.

If a 4-H club has boys who stay overnight at the fairgrounds, they must be supervised by a parent. Families in the club should work together to make sure there is at least one parent who will stay with the boys on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights, or whichever nights the boys will be staying. If the club does not provide these parents, its members cannot stay overnight.

4-H key leaders will be contacted in June, requesting the names of the parents who will be chaperoning. Also, the Fulton County Fair entry form requests this information, and the forms will be closely scrutinized before and during Fair Week.

If the club has no parents willing to stay with the members, the youth will not be allowed to stay. Any questions may be directed to a Fair Board member or to the Extension Office.

Master Showmanship Contest

For most of the last several years, Fulton County 4-H has sent a representative to the Master Showmanship Contest held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, a few days before the State Fair officially begins.

The County Competition will be held on Tuesday of the Fulton County Fair, July 23, in the afternoon, time to be announced later. Only those entered by July 1^st on the official form will be allowed to participate. Entrants must be Fulton County 4-H members who are at least 14 years old by July 23, 2013. Entrants must provide his or her own livestock for the competition. Entrants must own OR borrow each: a steer or heifer; a market or breeding lamb; and a market hog or breeding gilt.

We will award prizes for first and second places in the County Competition, plus participation awards. The winner of the County Competition will go on to participate in the State Event. Every person who participates in the State Event receives $50. The first three places in the State Event were awarded $1000, $750, and $500 scholarships last year.

Those 4-H members who are at least 14 years old, and are enrolled in Beef, Sheep, or Swine, will be mailed an entry form. If you lose it, or do not receive one, please call 547-3711 and ask to have one sent. The entry forms are due AT the Extension Office by July 1, 2013. You will not be allowed to enter after that date. If you have any questions, call 547-3711.

4-H General Show Day, July 13th

4-H General Show Day, July 13th

Living Springs Camp Gym,

off of Route 97, between Lewistown & Cuba

The 4-H General Show will be held on Saturday, July 13, at the air-conditioned gym at Living Springs Camp. This is located off of Route 97 just north of Lewistown. There is a large sign on the road that shows where to turn. After you turn off the highway, follow the road until you reach the campgrounds. The gym will be on your left. Call us at 547-3711 if you need more details.

All projects will be judged in the afternoon. The projects must arrive by 12:45 p.m. (You can bring them beginning at 10:30 a.m.) Judging will begin at 1 p.m.

Projects will be released as soon as the judging in that area is completed. No projects can be released until the Best of Show and State Fair Delegates are selected for that project area.

Projects shown on General Show Day are:

All Foods Projects

Woodworking, Electricity, Small Engines, Tractor Care, Robotics, Welding, Aerospace

Visual Arts, Photography

Theater Arts (Performing Arts) -- if exhibiting the non-performance option

Vegetable Gardening, Crops, Plants and Soils, Floriculture

Natural Resources, Forestry, Entomology, Geology, Outdoor Adventures, Sportfishing, Wildlife, Geospatial, Exploring Your Environment

Animal Science, Veterinary Science

Child Development, Interior Design, Walk In My Shoes, Health, Bicycle

Citizenship, Service Learning, Passport To the World, Journalism, Communications, Financial Champions, Consumer Savvy, Entrepreneurship, Computer, Leadership

If you cannot be with your project at General Show Day, you may have someone else bring it. If so, it is a good idea to write a paragraph and attach it to your project. Tell how you did your project, and what you learned from completing it.

If you are a person who needs a reasonable accommodation to participate in any of the listed events, contact University of Illinois Extension, Fulton County Office, phone 309-547-3711.

Call the Extension Office at 547-3711 if you have any questions about your project show days.

4-H Horse Project News

•All horses or ponies that will be brought to any Horse Show or Horse Clinic must have proof of a negative Coggins (Equine Infectious Anemia) test. Health papers will be checked. The Illinois Department of Agriculture rule states, "All Illinois horses more than 12 months of age participating in advertised equine events are required to have a negative test for EIA within the last 12 months." This will be required for our 4-H Horse Shows and all other area Horse Shows.

•If you need some help getting your horse or pony ready before show day, call the Extension Office at 547-3711. Someone from the 4-H Horse Committee will be glad to help you if you ask.

•Fulton County 4-H Official Horse Show entries are due at the Extension Office July 1. The entry forms are being sent in the mail to those who returned their Horse Description and/or Lease forms.

• 4-H Fun Horse Show

On Thursday, July 25th, at 10:00 a.m., the 4-H Horse Committee will have a 4-H Fun Horse Show, during the County Fair, in front of the grandstand. Entries for this show will be made that day. Complete information will be sent to Horse Project members who submit Horse Description and/or Lease forms. This show will be for fun and to gain experience. It is open ONLY to Fulton County 4-H members and FFA members from a Fulton County school.

Also coming up —

Horse Shows at Horse Creek Trails, Summum — They have horse shows there in the spring and summer — call 309-759-4892 for more information. Watch area newspapers for show dates, or call for information.

There will be Fun Horse Shows at the Pekin Riding Club over the next several months. See their website for more information, or call 309-477-2664. www.pekinridingclub.com

Thank you for helping flood victims

Thank you to the 4-H clubs and families who have helped flood victims during the past few weeks.

Community service is a wonderful part of 4-H, and it's great that you saw a need and acted on it quickly.

Way to go!

4-H Calendar

May

1 4-H enrollment deadline to exhibit at shows this year

1 Horse Ownership and Horse Lease Forms due to Extension Office

5 Big Ten 4-H Club Radio Program, 6:03 a.m.

20 Dog Obedience class begins

26 Canton Luckettes 4-H Club Radio Program, 6:03 a.m.

28 4-H Federation Meeting

31 Hummingbird Banding, 10 a.m., at Hummingbird Haven

June

1 Livestock Showmanship Clinic, 9 a.m., Farm Bureau Building

1-2 Art On Main event in Canton (see article)

4 Youth PQA Training, 6 p.m., Extension Office

7 Entries due for State Junior Horse Show

7 Cuba Livestock Show

15 4-H Public Speaking & Demonstration Contest; Filmmaking projects -- 11 a.m., Extension Office

15 4-H Sewing and Textiles Show -- 1 p.m., Extension Office

16 Summum Handy Helpers 4-H Club Radio program, 6:03 a.m.

17 State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest, Champaign

21 Farm Safety Day Camp — at the Fulton County Fairgrounds

21 4-H Dairy Cattle Show — 3:30 p.m., at the Fulton County Fairgrounds, Lewistown

27 4-H Performing Arts Night -- 7 p.m., Presbyterian Church, Lewistown

28 State Fair Junior Show livestock entries are due at the Extension Office.

28-29 Farmington Livestock Show

July

1 4-H Livestock Entries and 4-H Horse Show entries due at the Extension Office

13 4-H General Show – 1 p.m., Living Springs Gym, rural Lewistown, projects in place by 12:45 p.m.

17 4-H Pet Show, 6 p.m., at the Extension Office

22 Dog Care (9:00) and Obedience (10:30) judging, Fairgrounds (near the cattle arena)

22-27 Fulton County Fair -- 4-H Livestock Shows; Clubs Working at Foodstand

(See Fulton County Fair Book for schedule of livestock shows.)

23-28 State Junior Horse Show -- Entry deadline is June 7th

25 4-H Fun Horse Show at the County Fair, 10 a.m.

August

3 4-H Horse Show -- 9 a.m., at Pee Wee Lynch's arena, near Fiatt (call Ext.Ofc. for directions.)

9-18 Illinois State Fair (Our non-livestock exhibit day is August 10th.)

26 4-H award applications due at the Extension Office by 4:30 p.m.

Extension Office Hours and Accommodation Statement

Extension Office Hours

The Fulton County Extension Office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is closed during the lunch hour, 12 noon to 1 p.m. The answering machine is left on when we are out of the office, or when we are away from the phone. Our office is located in the lower level of the Farm Bureau Building, on the north edge of Lewistown.

If you are a person who needs a reasonable accommodation to participate in any of the listed programs or events, contact Janis Blout at University of Illinois Extension, Fulton County Office, phone 309-547-3711.

Illinois Leader

http://my.extension.uiuc.edu/documents/2274131403130313/April-May%202013.pdf