University of Illinois Extension has been helping the citizens of Livingston County put
knowledge to work for nearly 90 years. University of Illinois Extension provides educational
programs and research-based information enabling people to make practical decisions to
improve their quality of life.
4-H is one of the most recognized programs of Extension. Over 1,000 youth participated in 4-H
community clubs or 4-H learning enrichment activities. Extension offers more than 4-H to the
people of Livingston County. Programming in leadership, agriculture, food and nutrition, and
community and economic development is offered on an annual basis. In this report you will
read about a few of the programs Extension has provided during 2007 - 2008
4-H/Youth Development
4-H and Youth programming in Livingston County is
growing in strength and opportunities. Presently there
are 19 clubs organized in locations reaching from Long
Point to Strawn and from Cullom to Gridley. The
traditional 4-H program remains strong with 479
members and 65 volunteer leaders. The life skills 4-H
members learn are exhibited at the county fair where
members share their projects from aerospace,
citizenship and leadership to rabbits, goats, and horses.
Workshops in basket weaving, cake decorating, geospatial and horticulture help to establish
and enhance useful skills.
An important life skill that 4-H emphasizes is community service. Club members participated
in many individual club activities to aid people in each of their own communities such as food
pantry drives and flower planting. The 4-H Ambassadors have taken 19 underprivileged
children shopping for winter clothing, held an egg hunt at Evenglow Inn and served food for
Ladies Health Night sponsored by the Livingston County Health Department. The 4-H
Ambassador program teaches members to become leaders and the importance of service to
others. Leadership is a skill that all active 4-H members have the opportunity to develop.
Extension provides entomology and embryology programs to grade school students throughout
the county. This program reached 360 children who learned about the life cycle of painted lady
butterflies by observing larva and the metamorphosis process and 295 children who
experienced the hatching process of baby chicks. University of Illinois Extension’s website is
packed full of imaginative curricula and teaching ideas from the professionals at University of
Illinois Extension. This can be accessed at www.exension.uiuc.edu/livingston and clicking on
Schools Online.
Master Gardeners Reach Out to Others
University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners gave more than 1000 hours of their time to
Livingston County communities. Sharing knowledge with others is a major component of the
program. Master Gardeners presented programs on a variety of topics throughout the county.
They provide gardening advice to numerous people during Master Gardener office hours at the
Extension office Wednesdays 9 am – noon during the growing season. Master Gardeners are
available for educational programs; to make arrangements contact the Extension Office.
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Agriculture
Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) continues as a primary
focus for Extension programs.
When using IPM the first step
is to properly identify a pest to
determine whether the insect,
weed, or disease is likely to
cause significant damage. The
next step is to determine what
treatment thresholds are and
then if efficient and effective control options are needed. Control is not needed if the amount
of damage or potential loss due to a specific pest will not justify the control. Extension has
taught producers how to make proper identifications. Educators traditionally discuss issues
including western corn rootworm, corn borers, stalk rot, soybean cyst nematodes, phytophtora
root rot, sudden death, and brown stem rot. Japanese beetles have rocketed to the top of the list
of insects to monitor in both corn and soybean fields as well as around the home. “How much
damage will they do?” and “Should we treat and if so with what?” IPM helps producers to
make wise control decisions based upon treatment thresholds and not just to spray because you
see a pest.
Over 130 producers attended Pesticide Safety Education Programs (PSEP) and were
trained, tested, and certified to receive their Private Pesticide License this year. We will be
training about 300 producers this coming season. The PSEP participants were trained in the
following areas: Integrated Pest Management (IPM), understanding pesticides, pesticide labels
and labeling, protecting the environment, human pesticide poisoning, calibration of application
equipment, pesticide laws and regulations, and safe use of pesticides. By participating in the
PSEP training and successfully passing the Private Applicator Training Test, they qualified to
receive their license. Producers must have their PAT license to purchase and apply restricted
use pesticides, when justified. This group of individuals could potentially save over $292,500
annually in commercial application fees assuming a $7.50 per acre application fee on 300 acres
of crops.
The program, “Historic Barns of Livingston County” was developed as a means of
“spreading the word” about a project to gather information about old or historic barns in
Livingston County, and photo document these barns in an attempt to preserve some of the
history and heritage of our Agricultural past, before it is lost forever. A dedicated group of
volunteers are working to collect information about the original builders, the year constructed,
detailed history of the individual barns, family stories, and pictures of each structure. As
society moves farther away from the farm, unless this type of information is collected soon, it
would cease to exist.
“Historic Barns of Livingston County” was presented eight times to 219 participants.
Attendees learned about the history of different barn designs, the function and uses of different
barn styles, availability of local construction materials and how ethnic and cultural heritage
may have influenced barn designs. The discussions also included information about materials
and techniques used in the construction of barns such as peg and beam construction. The
meetings brought back many memories and increased information collection.
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Horticulture
The unpleasant discovery of bagworms in evergreen trees
continues to astound many residents. Bagworms have been a
major pest of evergreens for several years but many residents still
do not realize or recognize that they have bagworms until their
trees are being severely decimated. We have used radio
segments, newsletter articles, and personal contacts to encourage
residents to monitor their evergreen trees for bagworm damage.
Unfortunately, until a resident discovers bagworms on their own
trees, the amount of damage and devastation can be significant.
Proper scouting and early identification of this insect pest, followed by treatment when
warranted, can prevent massive tree damage and death.
With the confirmed arrival of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in
neighboring counties, the level of interest and concern has
exploded. What is this new invasive insect pest? Where did it
come from and what can I do to protect or prevent it from
attacking my ash trees? These and many other related
questions have poured into the office by phone and in person.
The EAB is a relatively new
insect to the country and there
are limited effective controls.
The timely annual use of
imidacloprid insecticide is
expected to kill about 80% of
the EAB larvae, but the remaining 20% could still kill the ash
trees. In fact, if we can convey the importance of limited
firewood movement, we might be able to “prevent” or “delay”
future infestations. This proves that as a society, we need to use
diligence to minimize the possibility of allowing the entry of
invasive exotic pests into the country.
Health
Clean Hands…Healthy Kids is a program developed to demonstrate that germs are
everywhere. Students gain knowledge about germs, what is needed to wash hands, and the
proper method of hand washing. This program introduces glow-germs as fake germs. After
applying a small amount on the students’ hands, the glow-germs fluoresce brightly under a
UVA light. The children are then asked to wash their
hands the way that was demonstrated in class. Hands
are re-checked to see if the students were successful in
getting rid of the glow-germs. This is a fun,
interactive program that the children really enjoy.
The students receive handouts to take home as well as
a fun sticker. Seventy two classrooms received
training and 1034 children were instructed in proper
hand washing methods across Livingston County.
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Nutrition
MyPyramid is a general nutrition program that explains the revised MyPyramid established by
the USDA in 2005. Students gain knowledge in the five food groups, the recommended
number of servings, what constitutes a serving, and the importance of exercise on a daily basis.
Taking small steps can add up to real changes in weight and health. The dietary guidelines are
issued and updated every five years by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and
Human Services (HHC). They provide authoritative advice for people two years and older
about how good dietary habits can promote health and reduce the risk the for major chronic
diseases.
Livingston County’s Body Walk
Livingston County’s Body Walk has been a wonderful tool for bringing health education to life
for 4th grade students in Livingston County for the past 13 years. “Skeeter” and his body was
visited by 19 different schools and 555 - 4th grade students with 87 adult chaperones during the
2007-2008 school year. The Livingston County Extension staff delivered the nutrition training
(MyPyramid) portion of the program. “Skeeter” and his body are going to take a sabbatical for
the 2008-2009 school year with hopes of being refreshed and revived in the 2009-2010 school
year.
Heart Smart
Heart Smart is a 9-week program developed for teens. Topics covered include:
- MyPyramid (physical activity and healthy eating guidelines)
- healthy portion size
- setting and achieving goals
- building strong bones
- osteoporosis
- understanding food labels
- keep food safe from bacteria
- risk factors for heart disease
- monitoring exercise intensity
- positive body image and self-esteem
- eating disorders
- healthy weight management
- balancing calories
- healthy eating habits for life
Over 50 seventh and eighth grade students in Woodland participated in this 9-week program.
Pink Ribbon Night: a Women’s Health Event
The Livingston County Extension office provided cooking demonstrations as well as assistance
to Mary Kay Holloway, Registered Dietician with the Community Cancer Center, who
presented “Fighting Cancer with a Fork and Your Feet.” The Livingston County Health
Department and the Livingston County Ticket for the Cure Partnership sponsored this event.
Samples of food, recipes, a “pink” fashion show along with personal stories from women who
have survived breast cancer and families who’s loved ones were not so fortunate. Livingston
County 4-H Ambassadors served as the wait staff for the 100 attendees.
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University of Illinois 2006 - 2007 Extension Council
Kaity Carroll
Brent Crane
Sue Decker
Karen Donovan
Beth Dunahee
Zack Ehlers
Doug Erickson
David Friese
Michael Gall
Judi Jacobs
Rich Kiefer
Duane Kiesewetter
Janice Lauritsen
Jeanne Moore
Evan Rich
Mary Rittenhouse
Aaron Steffen
Lucy Wiechmann
Shari Wilson-Rich
Funding
University of Illinois Extension, Livingston County receives county and state dollars and
federal support for programs. The Livingston County Extension Council ensures that these
dollars are spent on Livingston County Programs that meet the needs of local people.
Livingston County Revenue Sources
Livingston County Expenses
Staff Salaries/Wages - 68%
Farm Bureau/HCE - 2%
Program Delivery Expense - 7%
Extension Groups - 4%
Educational/Office Supplies - 3%
County Board - 42%
Printing/Postage/Equipment - 5%
State of Illinois Match - 48%
Rentals/Utilities-12%
State 4-H Premium Fund - 4%
4-H Premiums-5%
For more information Contact:
University of Illinois Extension, Livingston County
1412 South Locust Street
Pontiac, IL 61746
Telephone: 815-842-1776 or 815-844-3622
Fax: 815-842-6547
Hours: 8:00 A.M. to noon and 1:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. Monday through Friday
E-mail: livingston_co@extension.uiuc.edu
Web site: www.extension.uiuc.edu/livingston
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural,
Consumer and Environmental Sciences, United States Department of Agriculture,
Local Extension Units Cooperating
University of Illinois Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment
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