New Year Begins!

I want to send out a thank you to everyone who has been supportive over the past year as we worked through the reorganization. I feel that McDonough County can move forward to building our 4-H program. Many of the 4-H Clubs should have turned in their Secretary and Treasurer Books but, if you haven't please do as soon as possible.

The new 4-H Year begins September 1^st. For all of you that were enrolled in 4-H last year you must have one project selected and enrolled again by December 1^st to be eligible to participate in the fair. You have until January 3rd to add any livestock projects and March 30^th to add the general show projects or Foundation Foods. Keep in mind that when entries are sent out in the Spring you will still need to mark your entry forms correctly to exhibit in the specific class(es).

New members can enroll in 4-H at anytime throughout the 4-H year. However, to participate in the 4-H Show you will need to have enrolled and selected your projects by March 30^th. Also, if a youth transfers from a different town/state to McDonough and has already been a 4-H member then they can enroll in a club and participate in the 4-H Fair.

Remember! All McDonough County 4-H Youth are eligible to enroll in the Foundation Foods projects. You need to select the project enrollment sheet for Foundation Foods and in the Spring complete your entries for the class.

If at any time you have questions please call the office. Let's all work together this year "To Make the Best Better". I ran across a quote this week and thought I would share it with all of you: "Good Plans Shape Good Decisions", Lester Robert Bittel. Let's all plan ahead for our 4-H year.

Best Wishes,

Tessa

National 4-H Week

National 4-H Week is October 2-8! This year, the theme is "Join the Revolution of Responsibility". Clubs can do special activities to recognize the members, clubs, or even do community service projects that week to recruit members. A window display contest is offered to clubs. Please contact our office by September 30^th if your club is planning on a window or display for National 4-H Week.

Reminder - Cash Premium Checks

Reminder: Please cash your premium checks promptly to help with our bookkeeping!

Corn and Soybean Comsumption Coming Up Short

The high price of row crop commodities has slowed the pace of consumption. As the 2010-11 marketing year enters the final month, there are indications that both soybean and corn consumption will fall short of the most recent USDA projections according to University of Illinois Ag Economist Darrel Good.

The Census Bureau's July 28, 2011 crush report showed this year's month of June soybean crush was 4.85 million bushels. That number is 3.8 percent smaller than the crush in June 2010. Darrel Good said the smaller number is a good example of the crush pace for the marketing year.

"The crush this marketing year has been below that of last year every month except for the first month of the year-September 2010. To reach the USDA projection of 1.65 billion bushels for the year, the total crush in July and August needs to just about equal that of last year. That does not seem likely."

The Census Bureau also provides the official estimate of soybean exports. Good noted that those estimates are currently only available through May 2011. The June estimate will be released August 11. Through May, cumulative Census Bureau export estimates for the marketing year that began in September 2010 were almost identical to the cumulative USDA export inspection estimates. Assuming that relationship continues through August, the agricultural economist believes, export inspection estimates can be used to gauge official export progress. Through July 28, those estimates showed cumulative exports of 1.447 billion bushels. With just under five weeks left in the marketing year, additional shipments of 73 million bushels, or about 15 million per week, will be needed to reach the USDA projection of 1.52 billion bushels for the year.

As of July 21, unshipped export sales for the current marketing year totaled 124 million bushels. Sales are large enough to meet the USDA projection, but actual shipments have averaged only about 6.2 million bushels per week for the last eight weeks. A continuation of that pace would result in exports falling short of the USDA projection by about 43 million bushels.

"It now appears total consumption of soybeans during the current marketing year will result in year ending stocks above the current USDA projection of 200 million bushels," Good said. "Those stocks, however, will not be known until the release of the USDA Grain Stocks report on September 30."

The Census Bureau's cumulative marketing year corn export estimates through May 2011 exceeded USDA export inspection estimates by about 36 million bushels. Assuming that difference is maintained through August, the Illinois number cruncher said cumulative export inspections of 1.63 billion bushels through July 28 means that exports in August need to total 209 million bushels, or 43 million per week, to reach the USDA forecast of 1.875 billion bushels. Unshipped sales as of July 21 were reported at 264 million bushels, but weekly export inspections have averaged only 36 million bushels per week "A continuation of that pace would leave exports about 36 million bushels short of the USDA projection," Good said.

Weekly ethanol production continues to exceed the levels of last year, but the pace of production has slowed. Production in the March to May quarter exceeded that of a year ago by 5.9 percent, production in June was up 4.7 percent, and production in July was up only 1.8 percent. To reach the USDA's projection of 5.05 billion bushels of corn used for ethanol production during the current marketing year, ethanol production in August needs to exceed that of last year by 10.5 percent.

Feed and residual use of corn during the June to August quarter will remain a mystery until the release of the September 1, 2011 Grain Stocks report on September 30. By most accounts, a large amount of wheat has been or will be substituted for corn this summer due to the low price of wheat relative to corn.

The slowdown in corn consumption and prospects for larger year-end inventories has resulted in some weakness in price levels, basis, and the September-December futures spread. In mid-June, Darrel Goods says September 2011 futures were still more than $.45 higher than December futures. December futures are now about $.03 higher than September futures. A rapidly maturing crop and prospects for more corn harvested in September has contributed to the weakness in September futures. However, the heat that has pushed the maturity of the crop also raises concerns about yield losses, particularly in those areas that received less than normal precipitation in July.

"While the magnitude of year ending stocks will influence the supply of corn and soybeans for the 2011-12 marketing year, that impact will be dwarfed by the size of the 2011 crops," Good said. "The extreme variability in planting date and weather conditions to date make it difficult to anticipate crop size. Increasingly, yield expectations are falling below projections in the USDA's July WASDE report."

The USDA's first survey-based production forecasts were released on August 11.

Some Facts About Organic Gardening

People who are investigating organic gardening often do so because they wish to garden while providing healthier food for their family and protecting the environment and their communities, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.

"There is a lot of confusion about what it means to garden organically," Nancy Pollard said. "The term organic gardening was first used in the United States by J.I. Rodale about 1940. The foundation of organic gardening is the use of composted organic matter to keep soil healthy and productive. There are many additional principles. Organic production allows the use of hybrid plants with desirable traits. It generally disallows genetic engineering methods for recombining DNA into genetically modified organisms (GMOs)."

What is organic matter? "When once living material thoroughly decomposes under healthy conditions, it is called compost," Pollard explained. "Some examples of compost are decomposed grass clippings and cow manure. Naturally decomposed material like sphagnum peat moss is also organic matter."

How does organic matter help? "organic matter helps the soil act like a sponge to retain moisture in a way that is usable for plant growth," Pollard said. "It also improves drainage, allowing the soil spaces to hold some oxygen for healthy root growth." Various sources of compost contain different kinds and amounts of nutrients, depending on what organic matter decomposed.

"As a result, different composts have different values as fertilizer," Pollard said. "Well-composted organic materials build soil quality wile adding nutrients that are not easily washed away. Choosing organic fertilizers over synthetic ones can reduce pollution in streams and lakes and other sources of drinking water."

Certified Organic is a legal term. The Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 governs the use of the term certified organic when the sales of products are involved. Its rules usually exclude the use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, but allow for pesticides and fertilizers derived from naturally occurring materials, with some exceptions to both rules. For more information, visit http://www.ams.usda.gov.

Illinois State Fair Project Winners

Following are the results of entries in the 2011 Illinois State Fair

General Projects:

Collin Anderson—Walk in My Shoes—Individual—Superior

Philip Barnett-Citizenship III—Award of Excellence

Zach Barnett—Natural Resources II—Award of Excellence

Matthew Blackledge—Woodworking II—Superior

Rebekah Eden—Photography 2—Superior

Cora English—3-D Design/Mixed Media—Superior

Maddie English—Photography 1—Award of Excellence

Stellera English—Clothing Decisions II—Superior

Sarah Gruidl—Photography 3—Award of Excellence

Paris Hamm—Keeping Fit III—Superior

Rome Hamm—Computer-Generated Art—Award of Excellence

Jordyn Hare—Child Dev II—Award of Excellence

Josie John—Food Preservation Award of Excellence

Hope Kirwan—Oral Interpretation—Superior

Natalie Kirwan—Fashion Revue—Award of Excellence

Lauren Knicl—Clay—Award of Excellence

Erice Lenardt—Glass/Plastic—Award of Excellence

Nicole Lester—4-H Cooking 201—Award of Excellence

Blake Lowderman—Chalk/Carbon/Pigment—Superior

Renee McGrew—4-H Cooking 401—Award of Excellence

Matthew Norton—Model Rocketry—Award of Excellence

Paige Sargeant—Natural Resources II—Award of Excellence

Blake Sullivan—Heritage Arts—Superior

Gabrielle Torrance—Animal Science—Award of Excellence

Nathaniel Welch –Entomology II—Award of Excellence

Emma Wohlstadter—Forestry 1-Follow the Path—Award of Excellence

Isabel Wohlstadter—Woodworking I—Superior

State Fair Junior Livestock Winners

Many of our 4-H members participated in the Junior Livestock Show at the State Fair as well. They are: Taylor Beguelin, Hannah Bengtson, Kody Bowman, Megan Bowman, Peyton Bowman, Dyllan Bucher, Whitney Bucher, Alex Creasey, Payton Creasey, Sydni Hare, Josie John, Blake Lowderman, Morgan Lowderman, Rhett Lowderman, Ashley McEwen, John McEwen, Chance Miller, Sidney Riden, Riley Smith, Cory Thorman, Jordan Thorman, Gabrielle Torrance, Nick Torrance, Trevor Torrance, Carson Welsh and Kayla Widerman. Livestock Jr Show highlights are:

Champion Ewe & Champion Ram Lamb-Sydni Hare

Grand Champion Young Performance Cows & LL-Grand Champion Performance Cow-John McEwen

Grand Champion Stock Horse Gelding-Sydney Riden

LL-Grand Champion Female Brown Swiss & LL-Sr Champion Female-Cory Thorman

Reserve Champion Charlois Heifer-Payton Creasey

Congratulations to all the State Fair participants and winners! If anyone has pictures of State Fair they would like to share, please email them to Beth Chatterton chattert@illinois.edu or Brenda Smith bsmith3@illinois.edu

Horse Superior Young Producer Contest Results

Congratulations to Taylor Beguelin from McDonough County, who earned 193 points out of a possible 200 points in the judging phase of the Horse Superior Young Producer Contest held on July 28th! This gave her 1st place in the judging area and she received a plaque. Good job Taylor!

Beef Superior Young Producer Contest Results

Congratulations to Ashley McEwen from McDonough County, who received 13th place in the Beef Superior Young Producer Contest held during the State Fair. Way to go Ashley!

State Fair Master Showmanship Video

Here is a web video of the Master Showmanship competition at the Illinois State Fair for your viewing pleasure:

http://youtu.be/qoZupZdSegs

State Fair Jr Horse Show Scholarship

The State Fair Jr Horse Show Scholarship is available to youth who are completing their LAST ELIGIBLE year as a horse project member in either 4-H or FFA. The applicant must have exhibited at the State Fair Jr Horse Show at least once in the past three years. The application is available for download on the State 4-H website:

http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/state4h/members/recognition_scholarships.cfm

and is due in the State 4-H office by September 15. If you want a letter of reference to be sent with it, you must contact our office by September 1^st!

Speaking for Illinois 4-H

The two fall Speaking for Illinois 4-H training sessions have been set and materials are available for older 4-H members! The trainings will be held Saturday, October 22 in Galesburg and Saturday, November 5 in Effingham. All materials and online registration are now available. Those items include the following:

Updated SFI4-H Application (new address for State 4-H Office listed)

Revised SFI4-H promotional brochure

Updated SFI4-H promotional flyer (includes both training dates)

Updated SFI4-H fact sheet (includes both training dates)

Agreement to Assume Risk Forms (1 for each date)

Media Release (required with registration – generic for use with both sessions)

On-line registration link for October 22^nd session

On-line registration link for November 5^th session

This information will also be posted on the SFI4-H page of the 4-H website as soon as possible. (http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/members/leadership_sfi4h.cfm)

Farmers Grow Communities

The Monsanto Fund is launching their 2nd America's Farmers Grow Communities program in which farmers may select their favorite non-profit
organization to receive $2,500 within their county.
To refresh you about the program:All Illinois counties are eligible. The grants are randomly selected per county and the program will run from August 1 through November 30, 2011. The process is very simple where farmers spend 2-3 minutes on www.growcommunities.com website and enter their name and preferred organization. No purchase is required and it's simply
a way for them to give back to local communities. A random drawing of one registered farmer from each county will result in $2,500 going to that farmer's
designated organization.
This program has opened again and Monsanto will be reaching out to the eligible counties in your state with information to help them recruit farmers to enroll. In addition, the National
4-H Council has prepared talking points to help; these are available at http://www.4-h.org/Resource-Library/Promotional-Toolkits/Toolkits/Monsanto-Collatoral-Toolkit/

More than 10 counties in Illinois received the $2,500 of funding last year!!!

If you have questions, the contact at Monsanto is Anne Kayser, Customer Outreach Advocacy Coordinator. Her email address is anne.m.kayser@monsanto.com.

Basic Dog Obedience Class

There will be a Fall Basic Dog Obedience Class conducted by Danette Phelps every Thursday night from 6:00 pm—7:00 pm for six weeks, beginning September 8, 2011 and ending October 13, 2011. To register, call Danette at: (309) 458-6484 or email her at: DL-Phelps@wiu.edu

Certified Livestock Manager Training

There will be a Certified Livestock Manager training held at the Knox County Extension office on January 25, 2012. For more information, please call their office: (309) 342-5108.

Shooting Sports

The upcoming Shooting Sports Trainings are as follows:

Shotgun: September 10th & October 15th

Archery & Rifle: September 17th

We remind parents to check their email reminders to be sure they know the schedules and special notes for the sessions. Youth need sack lunches for full-day trainings & suitable clothing. We ask that all cell phones be turned off during the sessions, and we need parent volunteers to stay to help if possible.

North Central Volunteer e-Forum

Save-the -Dates! 2011 North Central Region Volunteer e-Forum will be held Nov, 7, 17, and 22, 2011 via distance technology. There will be three theme categories: Positive Youth Development, 4-H Program Management, and New and Emerging Curriculum. Two hour sessions will be offered from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. CST. All 4-H volunteers in the 12 North Central states are welcome to attend. 4-H leaders will go to their local Extension office to participate. More information coming soon about this first time ever e-forum event!

Helping Others While Helping Yourself

People volunteer for many reasons, most often because they want to help others or make a difference in their community. But volunteers often gain from the experience as well. Here are a few reasons you might consider volunteering:

Personal Health: Volunteering can be energizing. Volunteering around a personal interest or hobby can be fun, relaxing and rewarding. The health benefits of volunteering are documented in many studies showing that volunteers report feeling better and are more content with life when they volunteer. In fact, the term "philantherapy" was coined to describe the therapeutic benefit volunteers receive from the act of volunteering. These benefits may include reduced stress, lower levels of depression, and reduced heart rate and blood pressure. Active tasks, such as refurbishing a nature trail, building a playground or planting a garden, can be an enjoyable way to stay physically fit.

Learn New Skills: Volunteering is a planning, budgeting and goal setting skills. Serving as a "middle management" volunteer can enhance supervisory and training skills. Assisting an organization with a recruitment campaign could help improve marketing and communication skills. Serving on a committee or board is a good way to learn group dynamics and teamwork. Volunteering for a youth group may help you discover a love for working with children.

Increase Career Possibilities: Whether learning new skills or making new contacts, volunteering can boost your employment possibilities. Volunteering demonstrates many skills that can be documented on a résumé. With or without a paycheck, it's a great way to get a reference or fill gaps in your work experience. Ninety percent of executives in a national survey of Fortune 500 companies believed volunteering built teamwork and provided valuable professional development opportunities. Perhaps you are considering a new career. Why not explore new fields through volunteer work to see if it's a good fit?

Meet New People: If you are new to a community, volunteering can be a great way to meet new people while getting to know the community. Even if you are a long time resident, volunteering can be a good way to meet new people outside of your regular circle of family and friends. Volunteer work brings together people from many different backgrounds while focusing on a common interest, the volunteer work to be done. Networking is an exciting benefit of volunteering. You never know who you might meet and what impact it could have on your life.

Be Involved in Your Community: Volunteering can give you the satisfaction of knowing that you are doing good and making a difference in your community. You feel connected. There are many options for being involved in your community through neighborhood organizations, professional associations, and social service agencies.

For more information on volunteering with University of Illinois Extension or for information on other University of Illinois 4-H Youth Development programs, visit http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h.

Why Childhood Obestity? It's So Much More Than What Kids Eat

University of Illinois scientists from a variety of disciplines have teamed up to examine the factors that contribute to childhood obesity. Why? Because individual researchers have found that the problem is too complicated for any of them to tackle alone.

"Our Strong kids team members are looking at such diverse factors as genetic predisposition, the effect of breastfeeding, how much TV a child watches, and the neighborhood he lives in, among many others," said Kristen Harrison of the U of I's Division of Nutritional Science. "It seems like the answer should be simple, just eat less and exercise more, but when you look at the reasons that kids overeat and burn fewer calories, it turns out there are a lot of them."

Harrison and other Strong Kids team members received funding for a three-year longitudinal study and are applying for support to keep the research going. The scientists have collected and analyzed two generations of data on approximately 400 families, and they are beginning a third wave of data collection. Individual studies, including communication professor Harrison's own examination of preschoolers' television viewing and eating habits, are ongoing.

But the first step was developing a model for studying the problem. The team's Six Cs model will examine the problem of childhood obesity from the following angles: cell, child, clan (family), community, country and culture. A paper detailing their approach in a recent issue of Child Development Perspectives.

"From 30 to 40 percent of the population has a variety of genetic markers that puts them at greater risk for obesity," said professor of nutrition Margarita Teran-Garcia, who is approaching the problem at the cellular level. As a starting point, she is taking saliva samples from preschoolers in the study group to map their genetic susceptibility to obesity.

Child development professor Kelly Bost is looking at the quality of parent-child attachment.

"There's evidence that insecure attachment predicts more TV exposure, more consumption of unhealthful foods, and other factors leading to greater obesity," she said.

Another Kinesiology and community health professor, Diana Grigsby-Toussaint, is geomapping retail environments in the neighborhoods where the participating families live, looking in detail at what foods are available there. "She's also mapping how much green space is available and how that relates to outdoor play and activity," Harrison said.

Later work will add more puzzle pieces relating to the community and culture components. For example, what's the community BMI and do participants in the study believe that BMI is normal? What's the usual portion size in this culture? Are children urged to take second and third helpings at mealtime?

"Southern U.S. culture, Latin American culture, and the Sam's Club bulk-buying phenomenon are all elements of what we're trying to capture when we talk about culture," Harrison said.

And professor of applied family studies Angela Wiley is collecting data relating to childhood obesity prevention among Mexican immigrant families in the Abriendos-Caminos program so the researchers can compare parallel populations across countries.

"childhood obesity is a puzzle, and at different stages, certain variables drop in or out of the picture. Breastfeeding versus formula feeding is predictor, but it drops out of the model entirely when you get past babyhood. Vending machines in schools are important later in a child's life, but they weren't important before," she added.

There has been very little transdisciplinary effort to map out how all these factors work together, although research shows that no single factor is the most important, Harrison noted.

"We're each looking at different spheres in the model, but we're also looking at potential interactions. That's one of the exciting things we'll get to do as we move forward," she said.

Co-authors of the paper are Harrison, Kelly K. Bost, Brent A McBride, Sharon M. Donovan, Diana S. Grigsby-Toussaint, Janet M. Liechty, Angela Wiley, Margarita Teran-Garcia, and Gwen Costa-Jacobson, all of the U of I.

Funding was provided by the State of Illinois Council fro Food and Agricultural Research and the Illinois Department of Human Services via grants supporting the U of I Strong Kids program.

Peanut Butter & Banana Pancakes Recipe

Peanut Butter & Banana Pancakes

4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour 1/4 cup peanut butter cooking spray

2 Tablespoons sugar 1 banana, chopped 1 egg

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups skim milk

Instructions:

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix milk, egg, and peanut butter and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredient and stir until well moistened. Gently stir banana into batter. Grease pan/skillet with cooking spray. Spoon pancake batter onto pan and cook until golden brown on both sides.

Nutrient analysis per serving (4servings): 329 calories, 10 grams fat, 50 grams carbohydrate, 360 milligrams sodium, 2 grams fiber

Federation News

The next Federation meeting will be Sunday, September 11th from 1:00—2:00 pm at the 4-H office

September Calendar

8 - Dog Obedience Class 6:00pm-7:00pm

10 - Shooting Sports - Shotgun - Argyle Shooting Range

11 - Federation Meeting - McDonough County Extension Office

15 - Dog Obedience Class 6:00pm-7:00pm

17 - Shooting Sports - Archery & Air Rifle - 4-H Fairgrounds

18 - Dog Obedience Class 6:00pm-7:00pm

29 - Dog Obedience Class 6:00pm-7:00pm