Lisa Straub, Katie Mosbacher, Aaron Rusterberg and Kody Schwarze were the 2009 recipients of the Monroe County Extension & 4-H Education Foundation scholarships. Jim Etherton, Chairman of the Foundation, awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Lisa Straub, senior graduate of Columbia High School. George Obernagel, Foundation director awarded $1,000 scholarships to Aaron Rusteberg, Katie Mosbacher and Kody Schwarze, senior graduates of Valmeyer High School. The scholarships are based on the student's academic scholarship along with 4-H, community and school leadership and achievements.

Lisa will be attending University of Illinois, Katie will be attending Murray State University, Kody will be attending Rend Lake College and Aaron will be attending Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Congratulations to the recipients!!

The scholarship fund was established in 2002 through memorial donations from the family of Wilbert Sensel. Special thanks to the many additional families who have made contributions in honor of and in memory of individuals in support of the fund. Great news: The scholarship began as a $250 award and has grown to $1,000 award. The Monroe County Extension & 4-H Foundation is a 501c(3) status organization. All donations are tax deductible.

University of Illinois Extension, Monroe County is pleased to recognize two local 4-H members who have chosen to participate in the International 4-H Youth Exchange Program.

ˇ Kaitlyn Vogt is in Australia. She is living on a farm and helping the host family with their milking business.

ˇ Zoe Vlastos is in Costa Rica. She has enjoyed a rain forest Canopy tour & is riding the bus through mountains to attend school with the host family children.

These two young ladies are actively involved in the County and State 4-H program, school organizations and community activities. They have committed to the leadership to prepare for this educational opportunity through financial responsibility, extensive self study and planning with the county and state University of Illinois Extension staff.

Upon their return in July, they will enjoy reliving their experience through presentations to groups.

Help Amanda dip ice cream in the 4-H Concession Stand at the County Fair, July 19-26th!

It is a great way to connect with other 4-H Alumni, visit with customers, have fun dipping ice cream & making sno-cones.

The schedule is as follows*:

Sunday, July 19

Crusading Eagles 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Monday, July 20

Bushy Prairie 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Shooting Stars 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Federation 7:00 p.m. – Close

Tuesday, July 21

Sunshine 4-H 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Clover Friends 4:00 p.m. – Close

Wednesday, July 22

Lucky 4-H 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Hoofbeats 4:00 p.m. – Close

Thursday, July 23

Golden Eagles 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Barnstormers 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

4-H Alumni 7:00 p.m. – Close

Friday, July 24

Moonlight Boys & Girls 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Extension Council 6:00 p.m. – Close

Saturday, July 25

Maeystown Clovers 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

4-H Alumni 7:00 p.m. – Close

Sunday, July 26

Rough Riders 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sunset 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

*If a 4-H member cannot work during their scheduled club time due to livestock show or work commitment, please connect with another club to work a shift.

4-H Alumni are really needed to work shifts on Thursday and Saturday night.

Thursday, July 23

7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Saturday, July 25

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Livestock Entry Dates: July 6 & 7, 2009, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. @ County Fairgrounds

Illinois State Fair: August 14 -23, 2009

• Lois Smith, Extension Educator, Consumer & Family Economics, helped individuals learn more about being prepared for potential disasters at the Disaster Preparedness Program held in March. The proram was co-sponsored with the Monroe County Citizen Corp Council with the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency.
• 4-H'ers discuss their projects with judges at shows. 4-H'ers increase their self confidence & speaking skills through the conference judging experience.
• 64 individuals learned about the best locations and care for plants, trees and shrubs at the Twilight Nursery Tour held in May. David Robson, Extension Educator was the instructor. Special thanks to Elizabeth & John Schaefer of Schaefer Farms & Nursery for hosting the program.
• 34 individuals from community organizations and churches increased their knowledge of safe food preparation and serving at community festivals and events at the Serve It Safely program held in May. Carol Schlitt, Extension Educator Nutrition & Wellness provided instruction.
• 464, Fifth grade students learned tree identification, different soil types, recycling, wildlife, insects, GPS & GIS and birds of prey, at the annual Conservation Days, held in April at the Waterloo Sportsman's Club. The program is sponsored with Monroe County Farm Bureau and Monroe County Soil & Water Conservation District. Special thanks to the Monroe County Longbeards for the $250 educational donation.
• 19 youth learned important safety information to increase their knowledge & skills at the Babysitters Workshop, held in May. Susan Hayden, Extension Educator, Youth Development coordinated and taught sessions along with Ambulance and Fire Department personal.
• 27 youth participated in Junior Master Gardener Camp taught by Kelly Brandt, Program Coordinator, with assistance provided by Master Gardeners, Agnes Dougherty, Kim Reiter, and Lisa Dean, and summer intern, Sarah Vogt. The students made their own compost, planted pumpkins, dissected flowers, and learned how to identify plants and trees. Special thanks goes to Dr. Susan Barker and Gail Hollis for their great presentations to the group in invasive plants and Illinois ecology.

SAVE THE DATE AND PLAN TO ATTEND!

The 2009 Harvest Night committee has met and is excited to announce the event date for 2009 – Saturday, November 21 at the Hecker Community Center.

The committee asks for your help & support in the following ways:

• Invite family & friends
• Help promote the event to others
• Help identify and secure unique silent or live auction items. Please consider donating gift certificates, unique handcrafted items, etc.

New addition!!

ˇ 100 tickets are being sold for $25 each between now & Harvest Night.

ˇ 2 names will be drawn and each will receive a $500 prize.

ˇ Drawing will be at the Harvest Night – do not have to be present to win.

ˇ Tickets are available from Karen Eschmann (home: 939-7992) and Mary Dell (home: 939-3988 or work: 939-5050)

The local Extension budget is generated through locally generated funds which have included the County Board approved contribution, 4-H Federation contribution, Monroe County & 4-H Extension Foundation contribution, and the Home & Community Education Association contribution. The local portion is then matched with state funding to establish the total County Extension budget. The 2009 State funding for Extension budgets has only amounted to 58%. Therefore, additional support through program fees and the Harvest Night fundraising event is greatly appreciated to help maintain a strong county Extension program.

Please consider supporting the

2009 Harvest Night

November 21, 2009

Hecker Community Center

• Reservations are $20 @ person.
• Reservations can be made via e-mail: harvestnights@hotmail.com or suffolk@htc.net.
• Checks are made payable to Monroe County Ext. & 4-H Foundation and sent to: Tricia Lutman, 4960 Rock Road, Waterloo, IL 62298.

Committee members:

Kevin Schreder

Ron & Ruth Ann Mueller

Karen Eschmann

Tina Johanning

Lisa Schwarze

Mary Dell

Richard & Carol Woodcock

Ross Mueller

Don Schrader

Raeleen Neary

Bill & Lucille Ohms

Wilma Mehrtens

Tricia Lutman

Karen Matzenbacher

Curt & Ericha Sondag

Debi Schneider

Janese Mehrtens

Lisa Haubrich

Lisa Mormann

Laura Henry

Jean Woodcock

Mr. Edmund Kueker is truly a treasured 4-H clover in Monroe County! His devotion of keeping youth excited and learning about the horse industry has spanned 60 years. It began with his leadership to the first 4-H horse club in Illinois and continues today through his magnificent collection of saddles and other horse related items displayed in the local museum and at his farm which he opens to school and many other youth organizations. Ed has been an inspiration to hundreds of youth; teaching classes and workshops, judging shows and many one-to-one sessions. As an auctioneer, he donated his services for many years to auction the 4-H livestock sale at the Monroe County Fair. Congratulations to Ed Kueker on being the Monroe County inductee to the Illinois 4-H Foundation Hall of Fame! Ed will be recognized at the IL 4-H Family Event at the State Fair on Saturday, August 15.

Most of the Monroe County 4-H projects will be conference judged at the Illinois State Fair on Sunday, August 16. 4-H members will be receiving letters with information about the schedule and judging locations. Those 4-H members selected in more than one project area must notify the Extension office of the decision on which project you plan to exhibit. Please make this notification prior to the County Fair.

4-H members who are exhibiting livestock at the IL State Fair include: Bethany Dell--Rabbits Amanda Hartman--Rabbits & Dairy Alexis Hartman--Rabbits Abbey Kern--Dairy Ashley Scheibe--Rabbits

Remember making funny cake, jackpot drop cookies, lucky clover rolls and many other recipes from the 4-H manuals. These and many more recipes from past 4-H foods project books can be found in a new "favorites" cookbook. The Illinois 4-H Foundation provided leadership to this project. Proceeds from the sale of the cookbook support 4-H Food project resources and training. More than 150 favorite recipes are included in this spiral bound cookbook available for $15 each at the U of I Extension office in Monroe County.

Sunday, October 4

3 – 5 p.m., County Annex Building

We plan to kick off 4-H Week 2009 with a spectacular International Night coupled with our annual Volunteer Recognition Program. 4-H and Youth Cooking School families should mark their calendars NOW! You won't want to miss this event.

Those attending our International Program will have the pleasure of hearing the personal accounts of our International 4-H Youth Exchange participants, Zoe Vlastos who will share memories of her trip to Costa Rica, and Kaitlyn Vogt who will entertain us with stories of her trip to Australia.

Following their presentations, we will recognize and thank the many volunteers who assist with Extension programs throughout the year, as well as a number of special volunteers.

The recognition program will be followed by an international dessert buffet where youth participants in the advanced summer Youth Cooking School program; Exquisito! Food from Around the World, will be invited to prepare and share several of the desserts they learned to make during their summer youth cooking school experience.

We hope you will plan to join us for this exciting event!

Make plans to attend the Third Annual Southern Illinois Leadership Convention! This special leadership development event is for all Illinois high school students or teens not yet 19 years of age by September 1, 2009. The dates are Saturday, October 10 through Monday, October 12, 2009, at Touch of Nature Environmental Center in Southern Illinois.

The theme of this year's event is:

"Step Up to Leadership: Learn, Adapt, Overcome, Succeed!"

Early Bird Registration Fee is $140 due no later than August 28^th.

Regular Registration Fee is $160 due no later than September 4^th.

Discover Chicago

October 10-12, 2009

Don't miss your chance to experience three jam-packed days in one of our largest cities!

Southern Illinois youth who are grades 5-7 during the 2009-2010 school year are eligible.

A $299 fee includes admission to all attractions, lodging at Embassy Suites Hotel, meals, charter bus transportation, and insurance. A commemorative t-shirt is available for an additional $10.

Deadline to register is September 1, 2009.

Contact the Extension office to find out more! 939-3434

Participants will visit:

ˇ A stop at the University of Illinois, Champaign

ˇ Shedd Aquarium

ˇ Sears Tower

ˇ Field Museum

ˇ Museum of Science & Industry

ˇ Dine at Medieval Times and Rain Forest Café

Monroe County Extension was a successful recipient of the Lisa Woessner Science & Technology grant. The grant supports workshops in the areas of robotics, geospatial, animal science, horticulture & welding. Teen 4-H members will teach a portion of the workshops.

Monroe County Extension also received an Illinois 4-H Foundation Grant which supports the Advanced Youth Cooking School with the international theme of Exquisitio! Food from Around the World. The participants will use GIS software to create a world map showing the location of various countries, they will prepare a sampling of traditional foods from each of the identified countries & they will participate in the County International Program sharing what they learned.

Susan Hayden wrote both grant applications. CONGRATULATIONS!

Refresher Course For Food Handlers

Friday, October 29

9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Monroe County Annex Building

If your Food Safety Manager Certificate expires this year, you'll want to attend this session!

This course focuses on sanitation, health, personal hygiene, and safe food handling practices. Presented by U of I Extension educators, this course meets the recertification standards required by the IL Department of Public Health.

Fee: $40/person

To register: call 939-3434

EATING WELL WITH DIABETES

October 5, 12, & 19^th

1 – 3 p.m.

Monroe Co. Annex Bldg, Waterloo

Eating Well with Diabetes is a three-part series designed to help individuals select foods appropriate for diabetes when eating out or shopping or food. There will be cooking demonstrations and a grocery store tour. Fee: $30 @person/family couple.

Call the Monroe County Extension Office at 939-3434 for more information or to register.

Master Naturalist Program: This new program provides individuals an opportunity to learn more about our rich natural history and then become more involved in education & service toward the benefial management of natural resources within the communities. The program offers volunteers 40 hours of combined field & classroom instruction. Individuals interested in the 2009 class, which begins in September, should contact the Extension office.

Master Gardener Program: The program teaches a wealth of home horticulture topics (Ornamental grasses, vegetables, woody ornamentals, insects, herbaceous ornaments, fruits, plant pathology, native trees & shrubs, soils/pesticides, composting, botany, turf and much more. Master Gardeners help answer home horticulture calls, help with Junior Master Gardener day camp, help with the Garden Tour, and many other projects. The 2010 class is offered for 14 weeks, January through April. Individuals should contact the Extension office for enrollment information.

4-H members must turn in completed 4-H records and award applications by Monday, August 31. In addition all club scrapbooks, secretary and treasurer books are to be submitted on this date. If you are completing award applications on a livestock project, you must submit your livestock record also. Remember to take time to write a report on the award application about the important life skills which, you have learned through your 4-H projects and experiences. These reports are often shared with state legislators, County Board Members, and other local and state officials.

Individuals interested in reviewing the records for award selection should contact the Extension office. This important assistance is greatly appreciated!

It has been another fantastic 4-H year! The 4-H members have been active club members as well as helping the community with many service projects! 4-H Clubs have and continue to promote 4-H leadership through working in the County Fair 4-H Concession Stand, presenting ribbons and awards at 4-H shows, sponsoring special 4-H Week activities, helping with Harvest Night, community parade participation, articles in the news, teaching workshops, participating in educational tours, promoting June Dairy Month, exhibiting creative 4-H projects and much more!

Congratulations on your achievements as well as the knowledge and skills you have gained! Special thanks to all the 4-H club leaders, volunteers and parents who help make this county program so great! It is great to be a part of the Monroe County 4-H program! You are the best!

Pam Susan Kelly

Youth of all ages are invited to explore the activities at the youth fun tent in the shady area between the sheep and poultry buildings on Saturday, July 25, beginning at 11 a.m. The popular pedal pull will be taking place in the poultry building and the youth fun tent will have activities for those waiting or finished with their pull.

Plan to stop by and enjoy some fun as well as a cool treat!

The tent of activities is sponsored by the Monroe County 4-H Teen Federation.

Monroe County 4-H Alumni Association:

Sarah Mueller – President

Tina (Woodcock) Johanning – Vice-President

Lori (Hoffmann) Murphy – Secretary

Tricia (Woodcock) Lutman – Treasurer

Wayne Dell

Jenny Krebel

Hank Marquardt

Jamie Schaefer

Paul Straub

Monroe County Extension & 4-H Education Foundation:

Jim Etherton – President

Judy (Riebeling) Garleb – Secretary

Richard Woodcock – Treasurer

George Obernagel

Don Schrader

Kevin Schreder

Jeff Urish

SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS!! WOW!! At the Monroe County Fair!

Think Monroe County First "Taste of Monroe County" Drawing

SUPER SIZED PRIZE

During the month of July, the Economic Development Council hopes to bolster the local economy by offering a "SUPER SIZED TASTE OF MONROE COUNTY" drawing. This drawing will be a grand prize made up of products and services donated by as many local businesses as participate. The council will be posting an ongoing list of the prize as it develops during the months of June and July.

Consumers will be awarded one chance for EVERY $100 of purchases made with Monroe County businesses during the month of July. To enter the drawing, consumers must present their receipts between 5:00 and 8:00 p.m. any evening during fair week (July 19^th-26^th) at the Think Monroe County First booth in the Commercial Building. Restrictions may apply.

WATCH YOUR LOCAL PAPERS FOR MORE INFORMATION!