Superior Young Dairy Producer Award – August 17

Eligibility: Any Illinois 4-H or FFA member who is a current dairy project member in their local
4-H club/FFA chapter and 14 years or older, as of September 1, 2012, is eligible to participate in the 2013 Illinois State Fair Superior Young Dairy Producer Award (SYDPA) program. Remember, you do not need to be a State Fair Jr. dairy exhibitor to participate.

Awards: The top five youth with the highest point scores in the total contest will receive a $1,000.00 scholarship and plaque. A plaque will also be presented to each of the "top three" phase winners in the individual phase competitions. All participants will be recognized and the overall winners will be announced on Saturday afternoon, August 17^th following the contest.

8:40 a.m. - Phase 1 - Management Test: A 25 question written test relating to any aspects of dairy management and related facts. Study resources include 4-H dairy project manuals and the dairy portions of Livestock E-Quiz (both dairy levels) located on the web site at: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/equiz/.

9:10 a.m. - Phase 2 - Skillathon: This will involve a series of three learning stations with specific tasks and questions for participants to answer, such as "identifying dairy feeds", "identifying dairy equipment", and "herd health" or "dairy management".

10:00 a.m. - Phase 3 - Dairy Judging: Six classes, of four animals each, will be placed by the participants based on type conformation. Oral reasons are not part of this contest.

This program is coordinated and conducted by Dave Fischer, U of I Extension Dairy Educator-Retired. Registration forms are available at your county Extension Office or your FFA Adviser or Dave Fischer via e-mail at dfischer@illinois.edu. Registrations are due to Dave Fischer, 901 Oak Hill St., Trenton, IL 62293 prior to the IL State Fair SYDPA contest

The Illinois 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest will be held on Saturday August 17, 2013 in the Livestock Center at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Illinois. (Please Note: this is the State 4-H Contest and any 4-H member is welcome to participate. There will be no dairy judging contest held in June at University of Illinois dairy farm).

State Fair Passes: Check with your local Extension office to purchase advance fair passes and parking permits for entry into the fairgrounds.

Participation: All contestants must be current 4-H members and a record of their enrollment

must be on file in the respective Extension office. There is no limit on the number of participants

per county. Contestants need not be enrolled in a dairy project, however, this state 4-H dairy

judging event is used to support the county/club 4-H dairy curriculum.

Contest Information:

1. Contestant registration is to be made on the day of the contest at the site of the contest.

2. Registration will be from 9:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. in the Livestock Center (open show ring) on the IL State Fairgrounds.

3. The contest will begin at 10:00 a.m. on August 17, 2013.

4. There will be six (6) classes of cows and heifers selected from various dairy breeds at the Illinois State Fair.

5. All 4-H contestants will be scored as a Jr. Division (13 years of age and younger as of January 1, 2013) or Sr. Division (14 years and older as of January 1, 2013) participant.

6. All participants will be invited to present oral reasons following the contest but it is not mandatory.

7. Contestants in the Jr. Division will be encouraged and offered the opportunity to give one set of written or oral reasons on a cow class. The Jr. contestants can read or recite from memory their reasons.

8. HOWEVER, contestants in the Sr. Division who will be considered for selection to the State 4-H Team will be required to give two sets of oral reasons on cow classes. Two (2) minutes will be allowed per class to give oral reasons to the judge.

9. Ten (10) minutes will be allowed for judging each class when no reasons are required; twenty (20) minutes will be allowed on reasons classes.

Illinois Team Selected for the National Contest

The state 4-H dairy cattle judging team will be selected from participants in this contest. To be eligible for selection, members must have been 14 years of age and not older than 18 years of age as of January 1, 2013. The selected 2013 Illinois 4-H Dairy Judging Team will participate at the National Contest in Madison, Wisconsin.

Results and Awards

The summary results from this dairy contest will be emailed within five (5) working days of the contest to the Unit/County Extension Office. Detailed results and ribbons will be mailed within 2 weeks of the contest. Individual contestants will be ranked in three groups with blue, red and white ribbons awarded. Team scores will not be a part of this contest and team ribbons will not be awarded.

Champion Senior Division - RoboStorms High School (Macon County) ($500 FIRST Scholarship)

Champion Junior Division - Power Surge (McLean County) ($350 FIRST scholarship)

Champion Junior Rookie Division - Thundercloud (Kane County) ($350 FIRST scholarship)

Most Creative Award - RoboStorms (Macon County)

Engineering Design Award - Insert Your Humorous Slogan Here (Macon County)

Teamwork Award - Robotic Rovers Junior 3 (McHenry County)

Judges Award - Monroe County Robotics Senior (Monroe County)

Local 4-H'ers Participate in State Contest

The Illinois 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl contest was held on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at the Chateau Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington, Illinois. Forty 4-H members from throughout Illinois participated in the contest. The dairy quiz bowl challenges the 4-H members' knowledge and quick recall of information relating to the various aspects of dairy cattle management and dairy products. Each competition round included 12 questions presented one-on-one followed by 16 toss-up questions with bonus point options. The 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl requires many hours of dedicated learning and a good understanding of the dairy industry.

The 4-H members selected for the 2013 IL 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Team are: Anna Folgate, Dakota; Emily Irwin, Belvidere; Nate Koester, Scales Mound; and Daniel Obert of Orangeville, IL. 1^st alternate is Morgan Olbrich, Harvard. The team will compete at the National 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Contest in Louisville, KY this fall.

Participants:

Total 4-H Youth = 40

Total Counties = 11; Boone, Carroll, Clinton, Fayette, Jo Daviess, Kane,

Livingston, McHenry, Randolph, Stephenson, and Winnebago.

Boone County – Bailey Hart, Emma Carlson, Kaitlyn Carlson, Brock Irwin, Emily Irwin

Carroll County – Conner Erbsen, Delana Erbsen, Nathan Erbsen, Nevin Erbsen, Payton

Erbsen

Clinton County – Brady Heinzmann, Lane Heinzmann, Taylor Huels

Fayette County – Dylan Reed

Jo Daviess County – Nicholas Girot, Brian Holland, Nate Koester

Kane County – Kristina Drendel, Briley Lenkaitis

Livingston County – Addison Raber, Rosalee Zehr, Wyatt Zehr

McHenry County – Ashtyn Martin, Adam Olbrich, Morgan Olbrich, Brianna Sheehan,

Emily Sheehan

Randolph County - Hadley Ehlers, Hannah Ehlers

Stephenson County – Megan Busker, Jared Dickman, Charlie Elliot, Anna Folgate, Bria

Koester, Kaylen Miller, Daniel Obert, Jordan Oellerich, Andrea Willing

Winnebago County – Julia Mitchell, Josh Wakeley

4-H'ers Selected for the 2013 IL 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Team – to National Contest:

Anna Folgate, Emily Irwin, Nate Koester, Dan Obert. 1^st alternate, Morgan Olbrich

InvenTeams - Introducing Students to the World of Invention

The InvenTeam initiative, created by the Lemelson-MIT Program, offers an unparalleled opportunity for high school age youth to cultivate their creativity and experience invention. InvenTeams are teams of high school youth/students, teachers, and mentors that receive grants up to $10,000 each to invent technological solutions to real-world problems. Each InvenTeam chooses its own problem to solve.

In 2012 the Essex and Clinton County's NY Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) group received an InvenTeam grant for their invention idea to develop small pre-filters to improve the operation of bio-sand filters to provide clean water to households in developing countries (learn more here). They are the first 4-H club to receive an InvenTeam grant.

You can visit the InvenTeams web site (http://web.mit.edu/inventeams/) to learn more about the InvenTeams program and how to apply. 4-H and Lemelson-MIT are working on resources to support and promote youth invention. We hope to see more 4-H clubs participate in InvenTeams. Applications must be completed online. The deadline date is April 5, 2013.

2013 Illinois 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl - March 2

The State 4-H Dairy Quiz bowl contest will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at the Chateau Hotel and Conference Center, 1601 Jumer Drive, Bloomington, Illinois 61704. The Chateau Hotel and Conference Center is located on the corner of Veteran's Parkway and Jumer Drive. Conference Center phone: (309) 662-2020.

The State 4-H contest will be held in conjunction with the IL Jr. Holstein Association "Spring Thing" workshop. Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. and the dairy bowl contest will begin at 9:00 a.m. with the test. All 4-H members interested in participating are invited to attend. Four-H members do not need to be a dairy project member to be eligible. Extension Units may register any number of 4-H'ers who are interested. Teams will be made-up of 4 individuals per team and can be from one unit or will be assigned to a team at the contest.

Contest registration deadline is February 15, 2013 and should be sent to: Dave Fischer, 901 Oak Hill St., Trenton, IL 62293 OR e-mail at: dfischer@illinois.edu. For further information or questions contact Dave Fischer via e-mail or call 618-224-7951.

It is that time of year again to order your electronic steer tags for the upcoming weighing, tagging, and tattooing of state fair steers in Jan and Feb.

This year I would ask that the 4-H Youth Development Educator in each unit email me with your tag number request for the counties you are responsible for.
We will mail them out to you for your distribution in your counties. This will prevent duplicate orders and mailings to individual counties. Please review the following check list before requesting EID tags:
In addition, there will be no charge for the EID tags this year. The State 4-H Office will be covering the cost of tags.

1 – I have attached an incomplete spreadsheet for you as a guideline as to what you have ordered and how many were used last year by unit and county. Click Here

2 – Please look for and use any tags left over from last year before figuring what you will request this year. Last year's tags can and should be used this year.

3 – Please coordinate your unit order between Youth Educator and Program Coordinators, and then place one order for your entire unit.

4 – Remember all state fair steers get weighed, tagged, and tattooed (with box K) this year.

5 – Send back any unused tags to the State 4-H Office immediately following your weigh ins.

6 – For nomination forms, rules, and procedures please review the attached documents in the portal. Click Here.

7 - When requesting tags via email please make sure your name and complete mailing address, and phone number are in your email as well as where you would like the tags sent if they are not going to the main office.

8 – Remember to make 3 copies of the nomination forms and keep one in your office, mail original to Dan Jennings, and mail one to the owner/exhibitor.

9 – Please give yourself plenty of time in making the request because tags can take up to a week or longer to receive in the mail due to bulk, weight, and postage delivery method (large padded envelopes or boxes).

10 – County steer weigh-ins this year need to take place from January 26^th to March 15^th (most usually occur the last weekend in Jan and the first two weekends in Feb).

11 – I plan to host a webinar on the procedures and paperwork of this as well as other livestock related items in January TBA.

12 – Return original copy of nomination forms to me at new address listed below:

Dan Jennings
University of Illinois Extension
1100 E. Warrenville Rd
Suite 170
Naperville, IL 60563

Thank You,

Dan Jennings
djjennin@illinois.edu
PH: 815-218-4358

Registration 8:00-8:45 A.M. – Contest 9:00 A.M. Saturday, March 23, 2013

The students and staff of the Lake Land College Agriculture Department are again making plans for our Annual Livestock Judging Contest and would like to invite you to participate. We feel confident that our contest will have quality classes for your students to evaluate.

The contest will consist of 9 classes; 3 beef, 3 swine, 2 sheep and 1 goat (does). Senior 4-H and FFA teams will answer 3 sets of 10 questions valued at 3 points a piece. Reasons teams will deliver 4 sets.

Please feel free to bring as many teams and alternates as you can. Once again, we will offer 4 competitive divisions:

4-H members of the same county or club

Age 13 and under

4 team members

Top 3 scores count

FFA members of the same chapter

4 team members

Top 3 scores count

4-H members of the same county or club

13 and over

4 team members

Top 3 scores count

If FFA, same chapter

If 4-H, same county

4 team members

Top 3 scores count

The contest will be held on the Lake Land College campus, located one-half mile south of I-57 at Exit 184. If you are planning to arrive in Mattoon on Friday evening, there are high-quality motels located just off I-57 at exit 190, just 6 miles north of Lake Land's campus.

Super 8 Motel – (217) 235-8888

Baymont Inn – (217) 234-2355

Hampton Inn – (217) 234-4267

Following the contest, the results will be announced and top teams and individuals will receive awards. In addition, the Lake Land Ag staff and students will be available to answer any questions you might have concerning the College.

If you have any questions, call Ryan Orrick at (217) 234-5360 or email me at sorrick@lakeland.cc.il.us. We look forward to seeing you on March 23th.

Source: Dan Jennings, University of Illinois, 4-H Livestock Specialist

November 28, 2012

Illinois 4-H Livestock Skillathon Team places 7^th at National Contest

The Illinois State 4-H Livestock Skillathon Team placed 7^th in the nation recently at the National 4-H Livestock Skillathon Contest. The contest was held in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville KY. Team members included Dan Ammann, Highland; Devin Ammann, Highland; Brandon Butcher, Blue Mound; and Dylon Sigrist, Farina, IL.

The National 4-H Livestock Skillathon Contest is a premier event of education and competition for youth involved in livestock production programs. The Illinois team placed 1^st in Evaluation, 3^rd in Quality Assurance, 12^th in Identification of meats, breeds, and equipment, and 7^th overall.

Individual honors went to Dan Ammann for placing 8^th in Evaluation and 10^th in Quality Assurance. Sigrist finished 2^nd in Evaluation and Butcher placed 11^th in Quality Assurance individually. The team was coached by Steve Austin. Thank you to the Illinois 4-H Foundation and the Illinois State 4-H program for their team sponsorship.

-30-

Source: Dan Jennings, University of Illinois, 4-H Livestock Specialist

December 3,, 2012

Illinois 4-H Meats Judging Team Competes at National Contest

The Illinois 4-H meat judging team competed at the American Royal National 4-H Meat Judging and Identification Contest in Kansas City as part of the National 4-H Meat Judging and Identification Contest.

The Illinois team placed 7^th in the nation among many competing states. Team members included Amy Loschen, Kempton; Kaylie Huizenga, Morrison; and Andrew Bradley, Urbana, IL.

The National 4-H Meats Judging Contest is the premier event of education and competition for youth involved in meat evaluation and retail identification 4-H programs. The Illinois team placed 5^th in oral reasons, 6^th in beef evaluation, 7^th in retail I.D., 8^th in pork carcass evaluation, and 7^th overall in the contest.

Individual honors went to Amy Loschen for 4^th in retail I.D., 9^th in pork, 10^th in beef, 12^th in reasons, and 12^th high individual overall in the contest. Kaylie Huizenga finished 14^th in reasons, and 23^rd overall in the contest. Andrew Bradley placed 19^th in beef, 24^th in I.D., and 26^th overall. The team was coached by University of Illinois meat science graduate student Katelyn Jones. Thank you to the Illinois 4-H Foundation and the Illinois State 4-H program for their team sponsorship.

Source: Dan Jennings, University of Illinois, 4-H Livestock Specialist

December 3,, 2012

Illinois 4-H Livestock Judging Team Gets High Marks in National Contest

The Illinois 4-H Livestock Judging Team placed 3^rd in the nation among 33 competing states at the National 4-H Livestock Judging contest. The contest was held in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville KY. Team members included Elizabeth Heaton, Toulon; Matthew Hahn, Minonk; Tyler Gradert, Geneseo; Caitlyn Bowyer, Sumner; Kane Austin, Mount Vernon; and Jennifer Livermore, Media, IL.

The National 4-H Livestock Judging Contest is the premier event of education and competition for youth involved in livestock evaluation programs. The Illinois team placed 2^nd in swine, 2^nd in oral reasons, 2^nd in sheep and goats, 5^th in cattle, and 3^rd overall. Individual honors went to Elizabeth Heaton for second high individual overall in the contest. Elizabeth was 1^st in sheep and goats, 6^th in swine, and 9^th in oral reasons. Tyler Gradert finished 5^th in beef, 7^th in oral reasons, 9^th in swine, and 7^th high overall individual. Kane Austin placed 10^th in swine, 13^th in sheep and goats, and 9^th overall. Matthew Hahn placed 2^nd in swine, 10^th oral reasons, and 26^th overall. The team was coached by University of Illinois students Chance Meteer and Blake Lehman. Thank you to the Illinois 4-H Foundation and the Illinois State 4-H program for their team sponsorship.

Click here for full article with team photo

Illinois 4-H Poultry Judging Team Places 11^th in National Contest

The Illinois 4-H Poultry Judging team placed 11^th out of 21 states in the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference held November 15, 2012 in Louisville, KY. The four 4-H'ers that made up the team were: Rhiannon Branch and Kelsey Littrell from Iuka, Tyler Pokojski from Centralia, and Kaycee Roberts from Bryant. In addition to the 11^th place overall, the team placed 10^th in Production Hens, and 5^th in Market Eggs. Individually, Kelsey Littrell placed 6^th in Production Hens out of 86 total 4-H'ers that competed in the Judging Contest. Ken Koelkebeck and Pam Utterback coached the team and financial support was provided by the Illinois 4-H Foundation, the Illinois State 4-H Office, and the Department of Animal Sciences.

MONTADALE SHEEP ESSAY CONTEST!

The Illinois Montadale Sheep Breeders Association is sponsoring its 2nd annual essay contest and will be awarding a Montadale ewe lamb to the winner. The contest is open to Illinois 4-H or FFA members under the age of 18 and not currently raising Montadale sheep. The lamb will be presented to the essay winner at the annual Illinois Montadale Breeders picnic held in June. The winning essay will also be published in the spring edition of the 2013 "Montadale Momentum" magazine.

The Essay should describe why the contestant would like a Montadale ewe lamb, future plans for the lamb, and how they will care for it. Essays will be judged on their content and age appropriateness. The winner will be expected to enroll in sheep as a 4-H project and exhibit the lamb at the 2013 Illinois State Fair Jr show.

Entries should be sent to John Coers, P.O. Box 78, New Holland, IL 62671 by February 1^st, 2013. Please include the entrants name, address, phone number, age and 4-H club or FFA chapter name. Contact John Coers (217) 737-5674 or via e-mail at: jcoers@mschsi.com if you have questions.

Dave Fischer, Coach and retired Extension Dairy Educator

November 6, 2012

Illinois 4-H Team at National Dairy Quiz Bowl

The Illinois 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Team participated in the 2012 National 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl competition held in Louisville, Kentucky on November 2^nd and 3^rd. Team members included: Dakota Grayling, Trenton; Todd Irwin, Beason; Becca Sprague, Roscoe; and Meredith Ziller of Huntley, IL. Meredith Ziller was recognized as "top ten" in the written test by placing 9^th overall out of 68 contestants. The Illinois team placed in the top 12 among the 19 states competing from throughout the United States.

The 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl has become a premier event of education and competition among young people involved with 4-H dairy project work. This was the 33^rd consecutive year for the Invitational 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl competition, held in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE). The 4-H dairy quiz bowl is one of the nation's most challenging contests for dairy youth as it tests the contestants' knowledge in various areas including; dairy production, dairy business management, dairy products and dairy science.

The competition includes each team member answering a 50-question test and then each team competes with other teams in the double elimination contest. Each round consists of a series of 5 team questions and 20 toss up questions.

2012 State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest Results

News
Aug. 25, 2012
Source: Dan Jennings – University of Illinois, State Livestock Specialist, 4-H
djjennin@illinois.edu

On August 18^th during the Illinois State Fair, the State 4-H Dairy Judging contest was held in the Junior Livestock Arena. This year's contest hosted thirty-eight individuals. Bond County took top honors in the senior team division compiling a score of 843 points. Team members include: Joshua Laesch, Brett Woker, and James Johnson. Second place senior team went to Logan County with a score of 817 points. Logan County team members are: Todd Irwin, Kaleb Hoerbert, and Jacob Stoll.

The Champion junior team this year was Stephenson County scoring 778 points. The high county junior team was comprised of: Andrea Willing, Bria Koester, and Jordan Oellerich.

The top 10 High Individuals in the senior division were:

1) Macy Wendling Effingham County
2) Joshua Laesch Bond County
3) Brett Woker Bond County
4) Andy Rice Iroquois County
5) Becca Spraque Boone County
6) Ashten Smithson Fayette County
7) Jessica Telgmann Shelby County
8) Ethan Gingerich Douglas County
9) Logan Kimmel McLean County
10) Todd Irwin Logan County

The top 10 Individuals in the junior division were:

1) Hadley Ehlers Randolph County
2) Andrea Willing Stephenson County
3) Olivia Telgmann Shelby County
4) Kristina Drendel Kane County
5) Lauren Robinson Bond County
6) Sadie Ropp Livingston County
7) Shana Lueking Clinton County
8) Brock Irwin Boone County
9) Bria Koester Stephenson County
10) Jordan Oellerich Stephenson County

Click here for full details and individual scores

Sixteenth Annual Horse Superior Young Producer Contest Results

Debra J. Hagstrom, M.S.

Youth Extension Specialist, horse

University of Illinois – Champaign/Urbana

On July 26, during the Illinois State Junior Horse Show, the sixteenth annual Superior Young Producer Award (SYPA) contest was held. Participants competed for five, $1,000 scholarships to the college or university of their choice. These scholarships have been generously sponsored this year by Archer-Daniel's-Midland (Decatur). The twenty-one youth horse enthusiasts who competed in this year's contest began the competition by judging two halter classes and two performance classes. Judging classes included Arabian halter, stock type mare conformation, saddleseat pleasure and stock type western pleasure. Contestants then took a written test and completed ten skillathon stations.

Plaques were given to the top three individuals in each event (judging, written exam, and stations). The top five individuals overall earned a $1,000 scholarship to the post-secondary education institution of their choice. To participate, these individuals were either a 4-H or FFA member in good standing, meeting all eligibility requirements. In addition, they were required to be between the ages of 14 and 19 according to 4-H or FFA rules.

The top 3 individuals earning plaques in the judging phase of the contest were:

1^st Andrew Mathis, Shelby County

2^nd Zoe Underwood, Knox County

3^rd Marissa Boster, Sangamon County

The top 3 individuals earning plaques in the written phase of the contest were:

1^st Rachael Webber, Monroe County

2^nd Zoe Underwood, Knox County

3^rd Laura Ganvik, McHenry County

The top 3 individuals earning plaques in the stations phase of the contest were:

1^st Marissa Boster, Sangamon County

2^nd Zoe Underwood, Knox County

3^rd Rachael Webber, Monroe County

The top 5 individuals overall who will receive a $1000 college scholarship in addition to a plaque were:

1^st Zoe Underwood, Knox County

2^nd Marissa Boster, Sangamon County

3^rd Rachael Webber, Monroe County

4^th Taylor Dashiell, Clark County

5^th Andrew Mathis, Shelby County

Congratulations to the scholarship recipients for doing an outstanding job of demonstrating their comprehensive horse knowledge. In addition, credit should be given to those who excelled in a particular phase of the contest. Furthermore, appreciate is extended to all of the Junior show exhibitors that volunteered to provide horses for the judging phase of the contest. This year we had some especially high quality judging classes. Finally, the scholarship sponsors are thanked for their generous support.

Click here for full article with color photo

August 24, 2012 Extension Dairy Educator, retired

618-224-7951

e-mail: dfischer@illinois.edu

2012 Superior Young Dairy Producer Award Winners

The 2012 Superior Young Dairy Producer Award (SYDPA) program was held August 18, at the Illinois State Fair. Twenty 4-H and FFA dairy project members from across Illinois took part in the event. The purpose of the contest is to create an educational activity that promotes youth development, career development, and personal growth through increased knowledge of the dairy industry. This three-phase competition, emphasizing the youth's knowledge of the dairy industry, awarded each of the top five overall participants with a $1,000 scholarship. The 2012 scholarship recipients were: Carol Baumann, Wyoming, IL (Stark County), Anna Folgate, Dakota, IL (Stephenson County), Kaleb Hoerbert, Delavan, IL (Logan County), Todd Irwin, Beason, IL (Logan County), and Daniel Obert, Orangeville, IL (Stephenson County).

The $5,000 in scholarships was sponsored by Archer Daniels Midland, Decatur, IL. Individual plaques were awarded to the "top 3" in each phase and the "top 5" overall winners. The Land of Lincoln Purebred Livestock Breeders Association and Illinois State Fair sponsored the plaques.

The first phase was a dairy management test relating to dairy nutrition, health, reproduction, milk marketing, and other dairy related information. Top three contestants for this phase were: Anna Folgate, Dakota, IL (Stephenson County), Daniel Obert, Orangeville, IL (Stephenson County), and Meredith Ziller, Huntley, IL (McHenry County).

The second phase was a three station skill-a-thon on various aspects of the dairy industry. Contestants had to identify dairy feeds, identify parts of the cow, and identify dairy equipment. The top three contestants in the skill-a-thon were: Carol Baumann, Wyoming, IL (Stark County), Kaleb Hoerbert, Delavan, IL (Logan County), and Joshua Laesch, Greenville, IL (Bond County).

The third phase of the Superior Young Dairy Producer Contest was a judging contest. The judging phase consisted of animal selection by placing four classes of dairy cows and two classes of heifers. The top three contestants for this phase were: Joshua Laesch, Greenville, IL (Bond County), Andrew Rice, Sheldon,IL (Iroquois, County), and Brett Woker, Greenville, IL (Bond County).

This year marked the 17^th consecutive year for the Superior Young Dairy Producer Award Program which has provided $85,000 in college scholarships to Illinois dairy youth since its inception. Participants must be 4-H or FFA dairy project members in Illinois. The program is developed and coordinated by Dave Fischer, University of Illinois Retired Extension Dairy Educator.

Click here for full article and color photo

August 22, 2012

Source: Dan Jennings

djjennin@illinois.edu

2012 Superior Young Sheep Producers Scholarship Winners

The 2012 Illinois Superior young Sheep Producers Award Contest was held on August 10^th in conjunction with the Illinois State Fair Junior Sheep Show. Twenty-five 4-H and FFA members from across Illinois competed in the event. This is a three phase competition challenging the young people's knowledge of sheep production. $1,000 scholarships are presented each year to the five, highest scoring individuals over all. The contest is sponsored by Archer Daniels Midland, Decatur, and the Illinois State fair. The land of Lincoln Purebred Livestock Breeders Association supplies the individual plaques presented to the scholarship and phase winners.

The five, $1,000 scholarship winners are: Aaron Wetzel of Franklin Grove; Amanda Wright of Eureka; Lori Woods of Baylis; Augusta Sandoval of Knoxville; and Sarah Deschepper of Altona, IL.

There are three phases involved in the contest. Plaques are given to the three highest scoring individuals in each. The three phases include a management test, Judging, and a skill-a-thon. The test phase was won by Wright, Sandoval, and Wetzel. Top honors in the skill-a-thon phase went to Wetzel, Woods, and Sandoval. The judging phase sorted out Wetzel, Mitch Holmes of Mohomet, and Jordan Schaal of Farina, IL.

This year marked the 16^th consecutive year for the Superior Young Sheep Producers Contest which has provided participating youth the opportunity to compete for $80,000 in college scholarships since its inception. The program is developed and coordinated by Richard Cobb, retired University of Illinois Extension Sheep and Meat Goat Specialist. The purpose of the contest is to create an educational activity that promotes youth development, career development, and personal growth through increased knowledge of the sheep industry.

Click here for full article with color photo

August 22, 2012

News Source: Daniel Jennings, 815-218-4358, djjennin@illinois.edu

2012 Superior Young Beef Producer Award winners announced

The 2012 Illinois Superior young Beef Producers Award Contest was held on August 8^th in conjunction with the Illinois State Fair. Twenty-four 4-H and FFA members from across Illinois competed in the event. This is a three phase competition challenging the young people's knowledge of beef production. $1,000 scholarships are presented each year to the five, highest scoring individuals over all. The contest is sponsored by Archer Daniels Midland, Decatur, and the Illinois State fair. The land of Lincoln Purebred Livestock Breeders Association supplies the individual plaques presented to the scholarship and phase winners.

The top five youth receiving $1,000 scholarships include: Joesph Ring of Oregon, Tyler Pokojski of Centralia, Kaylie Huizenga of Morrison, Rochelle Meteer of Blue Mound, and Sarah Moore of Jerseyville, IL

In the beef management test, Ring, Moore, and Pokojski sorted themselves to the top and received plaques for their achievements. In the skill-a-thon phase, Ring, Meteer, and Huizenga took home the highest honors. In the Judging competition, Kendi Sayre of Arenzville, Ring and Olivia Claire of Watseka made up the top three.

Dan Jennings, University of Illinois Extension Specialist 4-H Livestock, said, "This contest provides youth an opportunity to showcase their knowledge of the industry while competing for valuable scholarships to help them pursue their career goals."

This year marked the 16^th consecutive year for the Superior Young beef Producers Contest which has provided participating youth the opportunity to compete for $80,000 in college scholarships since its inception. The purpose of the contest is to create an educational activity that promotes youth development, career development, and personal growth through increased knowledge of the beef industry.

For full article and color photo click here.

August 22, 2012

News source: Daniel J. Jennings, 815-218-4358, djjennin@illinois.edu

2012 Illinois State Fair Pork Premiere Show Results

URBANA –Bryson Gottschalk of Tazewell County exhibited the Champion Junior Pork Premiere at the 2012 Illinois State Fair Pork Premiere Carcass Show. Gottschalk's pig was also named Champion Premiere barrow in the open show.

"Bryson's crossbred barrow had a hot carcass weight of 205.5 pounds with 0.60 inches of backfat and a 9.8 square-inch loineye," said Dan Jennings, University of Illinois Extension 4-H livestock specialist. "With 117 days on test, this barrow had 0.859 pounds of lean gain per day which is the ultimate figure used in ranking the premiere hogs. His 272-pound crossbred barrow also scored well on qualitative measures such as color, marbling, firmness and pH."

The champion Land of Lincoln and second place hog in the Junior Premiere Show was exhibited by Meg Meeker of Logan County. Her 281-pound Duroc pig had a hot carcass weight of 225 pounds, 0.60 inches backfat, and a 10.0 square-inch loineye.

"Meg's barrow came in with 139 days on test which gives him 0.83 pounds of lean gain per day," Jennings explained. Meg's barrow was also named champion Land of Lincoln in the open Premiere carcass show.

Robert Batson of Grundy County captured the Reserve Land of Lincoln title in both the junior and open Premiere show with a 264-pound Yorkshire barrow that charted 0.79 pounds of lean gain per day on test.

Reserve Champion honors in the Open Premiere Show went to Mike Zehr of Tazewell County with a 261-pound crossbred barrow that sported a 9.5 square-inch loineye area with 0.6 inches of backfat and 0.852 pounds of lean gain per day.

"The Junior and Open Premiere Carcass shows for swine, beef and sheep rank as one of the more complete and educational livestock programs that youth can enter," Jennings said. "They incorporate live evaluation with production performance and carcass merit, which should be the bottom line in evaluating market animals."

Jennings collected and tabulated the carcass data to ascertain the 2012 alignment for these shows. Pigs were nominated and tattooed in the spring. The live and carcass data collected included breed, initial weight, live weight, average daily gain, hot carcass weight, length, 10^th rib backfat, and loineye area. These figures were used to calculate the pounds of lean gain per day for rankings. In addition, qualitative measurements were taken for loin color, marbling, firmness, and pH.

Behrmann's Packing Company assisted and helped coordinate the harvesting of the pigs.

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2012 State 4-H Poultry Judging Contest Results

News
Aug. 22^nd, 2012
Source: Dan Jennings – University of Illinois, State Livestock Specialist, 4-H
djjennin@illinois.edu

On August 9^th during the Illinois State Fair, the State 4-H Poultry Judging contest was held in the Orr building. This year's contest hosted thirty individuals. Marion County took top honors in the senior team division compiling a score of 2,978 points. Team members include: Kelsey Littrell, Rhiannon Branch, and Tyler Pokojski. Second place senior team went to Will County with a score of 2,676 points. Will County team members are: Stephanie Zimmer, Toni Oypt, and Allison Simms.

The Champion junior team this year was Jo Daviess County scoring 2,836 points. The high county team was comprised of: Colton Koester, Drew Groezinger, Rhett Geisz, and Brady Haring. Reserve Champion team honors in the junior division went to Will County with a score of 2,807 points. Team members are: Grace Simms, Lorraine Selucky, Ester Simms, and Ben Mills.

The top 10 High Individuals in the senior division were:

1) Kelsey Littrell Marion County
2) Rhiannon Branch Marion County
3) Tyler Pokojski Marion County
4) Stephanie Zimmer Will County
5) Toni Oypt Will County
6) Kaycee Roberts Fulton County
7) Joshua DeDina Kane County
8) Randi Shimmin Warren County
9) Jacob Roberts Fulton County
10) Allison Simms Will County

The top 10 Individuals in the junior division were:

1) Colten Koester Jo Daviess County
2) Grace Simms Will County
3) Drew Groezinger Jo Daviess County
4) David Kloppe Sangamon County
5) Lorraine Selucky Will County
6) Ester Simms Will County
7) Jarod Woodward Marion County
8) Renae Spannagel Moultrie-Douglas County
9) Rhett Geisz Jo Daviess County
10) Brady Haring Jo Daviess County

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4-H members from across the state came to the University of Illinois Stock Pavilion on Monday, June 18 for the Illinois 4-H Livestock Judging Contest.

Participants judge eight classes of livestock, including three beef cattle classes, three swine classes, a sheep class and a boar goat class. Animals are judged based on performance data and visual appraisal, including the animals' structural correctness, balance, volume and muscle.

Dan Jennings, Extension specialist in 4-H Youth Development, Animal Systems, said, "This is an excellent opportunity for participants to develop communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, as they learn how to analyze data. Junior participants are just beginning to develop these skills, so we do questions with them, but they're not required to do oral reasons. Hopefully, they're working on that, because when they get to the senior level, we expect that of them."

The top 10 individuals in the junior division ages 8 to 14 were Adrian Austin of Marion County, 1^st; Carson Welsh of McDonough county, 2^nd; Alexa Harrison of Marion county, 3^rd ; Gabrielle Torrance of McDonough County, 4^th; Justin fox of Livingston County, 5^th; Derek Richie of Kankakee, 6^th; Case Hennenfent of Knox county, 7^th; Sydney Killey of Warren County, 8^th: Andy Williams of Knox County 9^th; and Katelyn Engel of Knox County 10^th.

Marion County won the junior division with team members Adrian Austin, Alexa Harrison, and Bailey Sigrist. Knox County and McDonough County took second and third places, respectively.

Jennings said, "The competition in the senior division is a little more intense. Participants have to prepare oral reasons in three classes – cattle, swine, and sheep or goats – and defend their placings in those classes.

"It can be kind of intimidating," he continued, "but it's probably the best thing we do in the contest. They learn great communication skills and they really have to develop a photographic memory."

The top ten individuals in the senior division ages 14 to 19 were Caitlyn Bowyer of Marion County, 1^st; Brenan Diesen of Madison County, 2^nd; Matthew Hahn of Marshall/Putnam County, 3^rd; Tyson Schulte of Rock Island County, 4^th; Elizabeth Heaton of Henry/Stark County, 5^th; Miranda Shafer of Jefferson County, 6^th; Rob Johnson of Sangamon county, 7^th; Kane Austin of Marion County, 8th; Tyler Gradert of Henry/Stark county, 9^th; and Jennifer Livermore of Henderson County, 10^th.

The top individuals will go on to compete at a second livestock judging competition. The next round will determine the top individuals who will compete at the National 4-H Livestock Judging contest during the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, KY.

The team from Henry/Stark Counties, Tyler Verbeck, Blake Roseile, Tyler Gradert and Elizabeth Heaton, finished first in the senior division. They will go on to compete at the American Royal Livestock Judging contest held in Kansas City. The teams from Rock Island County and Marion County finished second and third, respectively.

We hope that many of your 4-H members are excited about the opportunity to share what they've learned in their project(s) by creating a short video for State Fair Online. Submissions are accepted until August 1st and winners will be announced at the Aug. 11th 4-H Family Event at State Fair in Springfield.

All the details for this year can be found at:
https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/4hstatefaironline/index.cfm

Please share this website with your members and remind them about this exciting opportunity! Multiple $10, $25 and $50 gift certificates will be awarded to top-scoring entries.

For questions, please contact Lisa Diaz (lbdiaz@illinois.edu)

Please join the PQA and Quality Assurance and Ethics webinar planned for Thursday May 24th starting at 9:30 a.m. This presentation will outline both the PQA Plus and the Quality Assurance & Ethics programs. An introduction and overview of both programs will be shared as well as the requirements, logistics, and rules that pertain to each of these youth livestock programs. A question and answer session will follow each of the program overviews.

Click on the link below to register for this webinar.
https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=6575

Congratulations to all the teams for demonstrating 4-H mastery and excellence!

Award Winners for 2012:

Top scoring senior team: Got Robot (Kane County) ($500 FIRST scholarship)
Top scoring junior team: Brimfield HUB (Peoria County) ($350 FIRST scholarship)
Top scoring rookie junior team: L-Cubed (Macon County) ($350 FIRST scholarship)
Rookie Team Award: Crunchy Froggers (Kane County)
Best Teamwork Award - Sr Team: 4-H RoboStorms High School (Macon County)
Best Teamwork Award - Jr Team: SPN/Team Nova (Cook County)
Judge's Choice Award: 9-Volt Junkers (Kane County)

Local 4-H'ers Participate in State Dairy Quiz Bowl Contest

The 2012 Illinois 4-H Dairy Quiz bowl contest was held at the Chateau Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington, Illinois. Thirty-two 4-H members from throughout Illinois participated in the double-elimination contest which challenges the 4-H members' knowledge and quick recall of information relating to the various aspects of dairy cattle management and dairy products. Each competition round included 12 questions presented one-on-one followed by 16 toss-up questions with bonus point options. The 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl requires many hours of dedicated learning and a good understanding of the dairy industry.

"Top 5" Sr. Division Participants:

Nate Koester, JoDaviess County

Meredith Ziller, McHenry County

Becca Sprague, Boone County

Dakota Grayling, Clinton County

Todd Irwin, Logan County

The "Top 10" Jr. Division Participants:

Bria Koester, Stephenson County

Anna Folgate, Stephenson County

Emily Irwin, Boone County

Daniel Obert, Stephenson County

Brianna Sheehan, McHenry County

Kaitlyn Carlson, Boone County

Jared Dickman, Stephenson County

Emma Carlson, Boone County

Lane Heinzmann, Clinton County

Megan Exner, Boone County

For more information on total number of participants and counties click here:

The Great American NO BULL Challenge is the largest campaign to combat cyberbullying in America's history: The Great American NO BULL Challenge, invites 4-H's to get involved with the annual campaign that inspires America's 25 million teens to stand up and create a video with an anti-bullying message. Check the website at: www.nobullchallenge.org.

The Great American NO BULL Challenge offers teens in 6^th – 12^th grades the opportunity to write and direct videos on the danger of cyberbullying and be a part of a national competition where the winners will be recognized as a celebrity at the star-studded NO BULL Red Carpet Awards Event in San Francisco on July 21, 2012.

If you are worried you don't know enough to get involved – everything teens need to know about making a video; what cyberbullying really is; standing up; prevention and intervention tips are available in the online NO BULL Cyberbullying 411 Toolkit. The toolkit was developed by teens FOR teens and contains everything you need to create a 3-5 minute video starring you and your friends on how you would deal with cyberbullying; upload the video; and urge your friends, family and community members to vote for your video.

Join Paige Logan, Illinois 4-H member who is one of only five teens serving on the National NO BULL Youth Advisory Council in this effort to put an end to cyberbullying! The deadline for uploading your Great American NO BULL Challenge video is March 15^th!

Welcome to the FarmBot Challenge!

Teams of 3 or more 4-H members (ages 9-18) are invited to compete in this year's statewide robotics challenge. The FarmBot objective is to collect two crops from the "field" and sort/deposit into separate bins. Each team that registers will receive ten (10) 1-inch wooden blocks free of cost to prepare for this challenge.

Date:April 14, 2012

Time:1:00-5:00pm (Noon registration)

Location:MP6 Gym, Athletics Recreation Center on UIUC campus


For registration forms and more information on the FarmBot Challenge: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state4h/events/4hroboticschallenge.cfm

For questions, contact Lisa Diaz lbdiaz@illinois.edu or 217-333-0910

Congratulations to all the 2012 4th Annual State 4-H Robotics Competition Award Winners:

Top scoring senior team: Got Robot (Kane County)
Top scoring junior team: Brimfield HUB (Peoria County)
Top scoring rookie junior team: L-Cubed (Macon County)
Rookie Team Award: Crunchy Froggers (Kane County)
Best Teamwork Award - Sr Team: 4-H RoboStorms High School (Macon County)
Best Teamwork Award - Jr Team: SPN/Team Nova (Cook County)
Judge's Choice Award: 9-Volt Junkers (Kane County)

Do you have 4-H'ers or clubs interested in robotics? Consider joining this new "IL 4-H Robotics" Facebook group and help spread the word.

Rules, forms, reminders and deadlines for a variety of 2012 horse-related events are now posted on Illini HorseNet, courtesy of Deb Hagstrom. Specifically, you'll find:

• 2012 Hippology Rules & Registration Forms

• 2012 Horse Formal Speech Rules & Registration Forms

• 2012 Individual & Team Presentations Rules & Registration

• 2012 Horse Bowl Rules & Registration forms

• 2012 HB & Hipp Telenet Highlights

Check the myExtension portal for details on several important livestock-related deadlines and events. Of particular note:

• 2012 Dairy Quiz Bowl Contest (news release & entry forms)
• Livestock Premiere - changes in tattooing & tagging rules
• Livestock ownership deadlines

All of this info is on the portal under 4-H Contacts / Events / Statewide / Illinois State Fair.

The Illinois 4-H Poultry Judging team placed 8^th out of 20 states in the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference held November 17, 2011 in Louisville, KY. The four 4-H'ers who made up the team were: Nathan Koester, Scales Mound; Meghan Price, Peotone; Codie Geisz and Corey Wachter, both of Elizabeth.

In addition to the 8^th place overall, the team placed 9^th in Production Hens, 7^th in Market Poultry, and 8^th in Market Eggs. For their overall placings, each member of the team received a bronze pin. Individually, Nathan Koester placed 7^th in Production Hens out of 81 total 4-H'ers who competed in the Judging Contest. Ken Koelkebeck and Pam Utterback coached the team and financial support was provided by the Illinois 4-H Foundation, the Illinois State 4-H Office, and the Department of Animal Sciences.