The State Fair Jr. Livestock Committee faced a number of challenges this fall. Here is a quick summary of their decisions for the 2005 Illinois State Fair.

Horses – 1) For safety reasons, NO LOCKS are allowed on stall doors at any time unless the stall contains tack. 2) (Revision to 2nd paragraph of #7, under Additional Information for Exhibitors.) In the Land of Lincoln classes, only animals which are Illinois bred, born, and owned and exhibited by Illinois 4-H and FFA members shall be eligible to participate in classes 69301, 69302, 69401, 69601, 69602, 69607, and 69500. Please refer to the complete Land of Lincoln rules in the Jr. Department Premium Book. 3) Dressage will have an additional level. Information will be forthcoming in the Illinois State Fair Jr. Premium Book. 4) As of the 2006 Illinois State Fair, HELMETS WILL BE REQUIRED BY ALL RIDERS WHENEVER MOUNTED. (Helmets must meet ASTM/SEI standards.)

Rabbits – The Jr. Rabbit Show will be WEDNESDAY Aug. 10, 2005.

Beef – 1) Classes will no longer be divided by hip heights rather by breeds and weights. 2) Any animals displaying repeated unruly behavior will be dismissed from the class at the discretion of the superintendent.

Sheep – A new Ewe Lamb Market Class will be established. Jr. Market ewes must be tattooed and nominated at the same time as the lamb weigh and will not be eligible for the Grand Champion Drive.

Swine – 1) Barrows that weigh-out during the original weigh will be allowed to re-weigh ONE time. The re-weigh request must be made immediately; the animal may not leave the ring/weigh area; and the weigh-back must occur within 15 minutes of the original weigh time. 2) The upper limit for barrow weight has been raised to 275 pounds.

Dogs – SPECIAL NOTE: There is a strong possibility of a date/location change for the 2005 Illinois State Fair 4-H Dog Show due to State Fair programming changes. Information will be forwarded to counties when available. (03/05)

McLean County Timeless Clovers 4-H Alumni association will host its second annual Green and White Night on March 5. The event will be held at the McLean County Extension Office, located at 402 N. Hershey Road, Bloomington at 7 p.m.

At this year's event attendees will have a chance to say "Goodbye to Winter" doldrums and "Hello" to a new port of call under this year's Cruise Ship theme. Those in attendance will be whisked away on an "open sea of fun" beginning with the official U.S.S. Timeless Clover "Welcome Aboard" photo session. Once on deck – the evening will be a non-stop cruise into fun – complete with mock cocktails, door prizes, music and fun for all games. Evening festivities will close with a chocolate buffet served by Timeless Clover deck hands.

As part of the program, ship captain Nancy Messamore and Cruise Director Chris Milliman will incorporate a special 4-H volunteerism message to all guests in attendance.

Green and White Night is open to 4-H alumni, parents of local 4-Hers and adult 4-H volunteers.

Snow date is March 13. For more information, call Chris Milliman at 726-1826 or Diane Logsdon at 309-663-2741.

Attention all clubs! Mark your calendars, call your local businesses: the Canned Food Drive is Feb. 19. This will be our ninth year of collecting non-perishable food items for local food pantries. Please ask your organizational leader for more information as packets will be out in mid-January.

Kathy Schmitt is another 4-H transplant we have welcomed to the board of the Timeless Clovers 4-H Alumni Association. Her 4-H years were spent in Tazewell County in the 1970s as a member of Morton Labor and Laugh 4-H Club. Kathy's projects included veterinary science, specialty crops such as popcorn and squash, forestry and beef cattle.

She said raising Angus beef for show was her most memorable project. Her parents Duane and Carol Schmitt farmed near Morton and she helped her dad on the farm until he retired last year. Her grandfather and dad raised crossbred cattle. When her dad sold the herd, she wanted to get an Angus heifer but she decided on a pair of heifers that she purchased from Homer Brecker. Until last year, she still raised a small herd of Angus cows and worked for three years in southern Illinois on an Angus farm.

She showed her cattle at fairs in Tazewell County, Fulton County and the Heart of Illinois Fair. The highlight of her 4-H years was showing Angus in the junior and open show at the Illinois State Fair. She won senior showmanship in her second year of showing. She also showed at the National Angus Heifer shows and the Central Illinois Preview show.

She misses raising cattle and hopes one day she may be able to live on a farm again. However, she laughs and said that she does not miss taking care of animals in sub-zero cold or in the rain and mud in the spring. However, she adds wistfully that there is something very enjoyable about watching cows and their calves grazing on the green grass.

Kathy has taken Agricultural Business Management classes at Illinois Central College in East Peoria. She just became the Dairy/Frozen Foods manager at Toms Parkway Foods in Bloomington after being the night manager. She has lived in Bloomington-Normal since August 2003.

Other interests include taking an active role in White County Young Farmers association and the Illinois Angus Association.

Kathy was interested in working with Timeless Clovers because she gained so much from her 4-H experiences and wanted the opportunity to contribute as an adult. "I still use things I learned in 4-H each day whether it is being responsible or taking pride in everything I do from the small to large things in my life.

Kathy is already active in the Timeless Clovers and is on the committee planning Green and White Night.

Put Saturday March 5 on your 2005 calendar right now for a Green and White night you will not want to miss. As 4-H alumni and friends enter the McLean County Farm Bureau Building, they will be whisked away to the cruise ship U.S.S. Timeless Clovers for an evening of fun and entertainment. The evening will start with the customary welcome aboard photo. Those attending are encouraged to dress in cruise or formal attire. Once on board the evening will be a non-stop cruise into fun complete with mock cocktails, great door prizes, music and hilarious games. The committee plans to end the evening with a fabulous chocolate buffet.

Ship captain Nancy Messamore will get the 4-H volunteerism message out to all hands on deck.

Planning the event in addition to Kathy Schmitt are Chris Crowell, Rose Rutledge, Diane Logsdon, Linda Fink and Kathy. Heading the event is cruise director Chris Miller Milliman. The 4-H federation will also be on hand to assist with the festivities.

As the Timeless Clover sets sail to adventure, we will have a chance to say goodbye to winter doldrums and hello to a new port-of-call with all our 4-H friends. Look for more information coming soon in newsletters and special invitations.

- Diane Donelson Logsdon

Does your club need an easy community service project? The number ONE request at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC is phone cards. The government doesn't pay long distance phone charges and these wounded soldiers are rationing their calls home. Send phone cards of any amount to:

Medical Family Assistance Center
Walter Reed Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001

OR

Walter Reed Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue NW
Building 2, Third Floor, Room 3E01
Washington DC 20307-5001

They need an "endless" supply of these – any amount even $5 is greatly appreciated. Wal-mart has good prices on AT&T cards; Sam's Club is even better, if you are a member. What a great opportunity for 4-Hers to really "Support Our Troops"!!

Japanese Exchange Programs: The summer 4-H exchange program involves Japanese youth (ages 12-16) living with a family for a month beginning July 24. Families have opportunities to learn about Japanese life and culture and share their own culture. The Japanese High School Exchange program provides an opportunity for Japanese students to spend a year attending a U.S. high school. Two host families are needed for the 2005-06 school year. Japanese students arrive in late July and return mid-June For more information about these opportunities, contact your local Extension office.

Feb. 26-27
Chancellor Hotel Conference Center, Champaign

This weekend to challenge junior high minds has been planned by young people not too much older than the delegates- the Illinois State 4-H Youth Leadership Team. Exciting, hands-on workshops will be taught by YLT members, University of Illinois Extension staff and others! No choices to be made - delegates will get to attend seven workshops offered. Saturday evening will include dinner and entertainment. Follow all that with a dance, pool party, or games to complete the night's activities. Delegates will be on their way home by 11:30 a.m., ready to share what they've learned with 4-H clubs and friends! Call for a registration form. Only 125 delegates get to attend and are filled on a first come first served basis!

CHICK IT OUT is right around the corner. Plans are being made for the 2005 edition of this popular embryology project co-sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension, McLean County and the McLean County Farm Bureau.

The 2004 project, which was the 12th year in McLean County schools, saw more than 2,000 children taking care of their classroom incubators and learning about embryology, the life cycle and production agriculture. This record could easily be eclipsed this year.

Informational letters and registration materials will be sent to last year's participating teachers in early January. Here are the details in brief.

• Teachers are to register their classes through mail or on-line by 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4.
• Workshop for teachers will be held Monday, Feb. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the University of Illinois Extension, McLean County auditorium.
• Eggs and other supplies for the first session will be available on Tuesday, Feb. 15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Chicks will hatch during the week of March 7.
• Chicks needing homes are to be returned to U of I Extension on Friday, March 11.
• Eggs and supplies for the second session will be available on Thursday, April 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Chicks will hatch during the week of April 28.
• Chicks needing homes are to be returned to U of I Extension on Wednesday, May 4.

Classroom teachers and home school families receive training, a dozen fertilized eggs, an incubator, lesson materials and chick feed at no charge.

The training workshop is informative, entertaining and aimed at producing a successful hatch. As part of the workshop, teachers are taught how to candle eggs. This is a fascinating, simple-to-do process involving two pieces of cardboard and an overhead projector. Students can actually see the developing chick in the egg and are able to make predictions about hatch rates. Last year two kindergarten classes predicted their hatch rates with 100% accuracy.

If readers know of teachers or home school families who wish to be involved, please refer them to the University of Illinois Extension office, 309-663-8306, ask for Randy or contact through e-mail: lloyd1@uiuc.edu . Contact your teacher with this early information, since this newsletter will be in reader's hands before the letters go to teachers.

AG FACT: Giant pumpkins can gain five pounds of weight a day.

Some interesting facts about McLean County corn production that were calculated during a snow storm:

Yes, it was snowing, and since corn production is so important to the economy of McLean County, it was only natural to spend some time that day crunching some big numbers. Having trouble making that connection? It's a teacher thing!

Start with the fact that McLean County farmers harvested 57,985,200 bushels of corn in 2003. Given the fact that the average kernel of corn is 0.38 inch long, and there are 87,000 kernels in each bushel of corn, it was a logical step to determine that McLean County harvested 5,044,712,400,000 kernels of corn that year. Laid end to end, these kernels make a line 29,857,436 miles long, enough kernels to circle the earth almost 1200 times!

Seen another way, consider the Sears Tower in Chicago. A bushel of corn equals 1.25 cubic feet. That being the case, McLean County produced 72,481,500 cubic feet of corn, enough to fill Chicago's Sears Tower 2.25 times, with all the floors removed, or more than 4 times with the floors intact! That is a tremendous amount of corn, just from our own county.

It is no wonder that Illinois is among the leading states in food production and does lead the nation in Ethanol production. We have a vast, renewable resource growing all around us – a resource that feeds our nation and world and is also helping our country reduce its dependence on foreign oil. Thank you, McLean County farmers!

AG FACT: A bushel of corn makes enough syrup to sweeten 324 cans of soda pop.

New alternative fuel lesson materials for teachers are now available from the Agriculture Awareness Resource Center. Attending a NEED (National Energy Education Development) Project turned out to be a fantastic materials and lesson resource for classroom teachers.

Lessons are hands-on, group oriented, energy related and student involved. In addition to Ethanol and Bio-diesel, the students study the science of energy and energy transformation as well as a variety of energy alternatives. Students explore hybrid electric, hydrogen, propane, methanol, compressed natural gas and wind turbine generation as alternatives to petroleum fuels and electric power.

Lesson materials are available for primary through high school teachers to use free of charge. Teachers can access the materials by contacting the University of Illinois Extension, McLean County at 663-8306 – ask for Randy or by e-mail to: lloyd1@uiuc.edu.

AG FACT: One bushel of corn produces 2.7 gallons of ethanol.

Here is some food for thought at this holiday season, but don't just think of it now – it is true every day!

Research has shown that Americans eat almost five (5) pounds of food each day. Think of all we throw away, if that is what we eat!

However, if we were to join the ranks of the 1.5 billion people in the world who are hungry, half of them children, our daily diet would be the equivalent of two ounces of rice. So, just how much is two ounces of rice? Four tablespoons of rice is pretty close to two ounces. That is all the food that 750 million children eat EVERY DAY!

Again, we are blessed with the safest, most abundant and most affordable food source in the world, thanks to America's farmers. Put another way, only two labor hours and one acre of land are required for a farmer to produce 100 bushels of corn using a tractor, a five-bottom-25-foot plow, a 25-foot tandem disk, a planter, a 25-foot herbicide applicator, a 15-foot self-propelled combine and several trucks (AFBF 2002). Given the fact that the farm population is only 1.9% of the total U. S. population, this is a remarkable performance by American farmers. Put another way, two percent of the nation's population feeds all the rest of us!

AG FACT: Approximately 1,400 food companies are located in Illinois while almost 1 million Illinois workers are employed in the food and fiber industry.

And finally, an agricultural joke: When is the vet the busiest? Answer: When it is raining cats and dogs! How about one more? What would we have if everyone in America bought a pink car? Give up?? We'd have a pink car-nation!

- Randall Lloyd

Plan now to enjoy the fourth 4-H Day With the Cardinals, Saturday, May 7 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. The National League Champion Cardinals will be playing the San Diego Padres; game time will be 1:15 p.m. We will not be able to have a parade around the outfield this year, but instead, 4-Hers and any adult who is with them will be able to go onto the field, and can even have their picture taken in the Cardinal dugout. What a great memory to have of Busch Stadium before it comes down in 2006! This makes a great club field trip, or just a nice family day. Watch for more details in future newsletters.

Who? Parents, leaders, superintendents = 4-H VOLUNTEERS

What? Volunteer Screening

When? Wed., Jan. 26 7-9 p.m.

Where? Extension Office

Why? To ensure that all 4-H youth in McLean County are with caring screened adults who are concerned about their safety. The U of I Extension State 4-H Office requires youth to be with screened volunteers at ALL times at 4-H events. Please help us protect our 4-H youth. You cannot be recognized as a 4-H leader if you have not gone through screening. This process involves CANTS screening (child abuse and neglect), criminal background check, and personal reference checks. If you have any questions regarding this process or your role as a volunteer, please feel free to contact Theresa Chambers at the Extension Office, 309-663-8306 or techamb@uiuc.edu .