GUADALUPE COUNTY EXTENSION NEWSLETTER

AUGUST 2001

In this issue...

Reminder to all 4-H club managers. The beautiful cream-colored afghan, made by Helen Hamilton and donated to the Guadalupe County 4-H, will be raffled at the Guadalupe County 4-H Achievement Banquet on Saturday, August 11 at Bexar Social Hall. You need not be present to win. Tickets are being sold for $1 each or 6 for $5 to benefit the Guadalupe County 4-H Scholarship program.

Each 4-H club is asked to sell $100 worth of tickets. Additional tickets can be picked up or purchased at the Extension office or call Debbie Real at 830-914-2833.

Mention or display of a trademark, proprietary product, or firm in text or figures on this page or subsequently linked pages does not constitute an endorsement by any Extension page authors and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms. Furthermore, Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

"Individuals with disabilities who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in this meeting are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office at (830) 379-2153 to determine how reasonable accommodations can be made."

AG NEWS

LULING FOUNDATION PERFORMANCE BULL TEST

The Annual Luling Foundation Performance Bull Test is scheduled to begin in September. Nomination forms are available at the Extension office. You may nominate as many bulls as you wish on a first-come first-serve basis until the maximum number is reached.
A nomination fee of $100 per bull is required by August 29. This covers management, overhead and facility cost. A $50 feed deposit, per bull, is also required when the bulls are delivered in September.
If you would like to nominate a bull(s) for this program, please come by the Extension office and pick up a form and complete rules.

GARDEN BIG WITH THE BIG COUNTRY MASTER GARDENERS!

Master Gardener Advanced Training Seminar

Date: September 27-29
Place: Abilene Civic Center
Garden Big with the Big Country Master Gardeners will feature fourteen speakers from around the nation teaching sixteen different topics, a Trade Show, Book Corner, community tours, great food and beverages, and Big opportunities to network with professional and amateur gardeners from around the state and nation.

If you haven't already received registration materials, call the Extension office in Abilene at 915-672-6048. Don't miss the Big fun in the Big Country!

GUADALUPE COUNTY FAIR HAY SHOW

Entries will be taken in complete bales, round or square, on the fair grounds at the south door of the Women's Building from 4-6:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 7 and from 8 a.m. to 12 noon on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2001. Entries are needed this early in advance to send samples for chemical lab testing. Each entry must be accompanied by a $5.00 entry fee to cover the lab test.

This year, due to the very limited space in the cattle barn for the hay show, we will core sample and block sample the round bales. Therefore, you who enter round bales will take the bales back home the same day you bring them in for sampling. The block samples will be put in a box just like square bales for display during the fair.

Judging will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 12, with results ready at 2 p.m. on Friday, October 12, during the Fair. For more information and complete set of rules, call or come by the Extension office or contact Daniel G. Harborth at 830-303-2864.

XERISCAPES CONSERVE WATER

Every plant in the nursery or garden center can be used in a Xeriscape landscape. It is not which plant you use, but where you put it.
Three different plant zones can be incorporated into a Xeriscape: A regular Watering Zone, and Occasional Watering Zone, and a Natural Rainfall Zone.
Regular Watering Zone: Plants in this zone require watering once every week or more (once established) in the absence of rain.
Occasional Watering Zone: These plants would require watering once very two or three weeks (once established) in the absence of rain.
Natural Rainfall Zone: Plants in this zone would require only natural rainfall (once established).
By zoning the plants in the landscape according to their water requirements, you prevent the situation of having to over water one plant type to meet the needs of another.

Each region of Texas has a palette of plants to choose from which are adapted to the soil, temperature extremes, and pest problems of the area. The challenge for both the professional and amateur gardener is to categorize the plants, based on expected water requirements. By using the categories of natural rainfall, occasional watering, and regular watering, most gardeners can find the best place in the garden for the plants in their region. For example, in much of Texas (areas of 30-plus inches of rainfall), the following categorization is often used:
Regular Watering Zone: Turf grasses, and annual flowers.
Occasional Watering Zone: Perennial flowers, and tender woody shrubs and vines.
Natural Rainfall Zone: Tough woody shrubs and vines, and all trees.

All plants have a place in a Xeriscape landscape. Visit your nursery or garden center today, and start creating your own beautiful, water-conserving landscape.

4-H NEWS

LAMB & GOAT VALIDATIONS

Deadline: Friday, August 17 (NOON)
Cost: $7.00 each
This will include county and major show animals. Validations will occur in the month of October, please watch your newsletter for dates and times.

STATE FAIR ENTRIES

Deadline: August 20
If you are planning on exhibiting an animal at the State Fair in Dallas, you need to come by the office and fill out the entry paperwork.

NEW BERLIN 4-H

Date: Tuesday, August 7
Time: 7:30 p.m.
This will be registration night. We will be serving hamburgers and hotdogs.

CLEMENS 4-H

Date: August 1
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Bexar Hall
This meeting will include installation of new officers and sign up night. Parents please bring your child's social security number.

SEGUIN 4-H CLOVER KIDS

Date: September 13
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Hall of Fame Building
We will begin our regular scheduled meetings in September. Let's make this news year even better!
A big thanks to 4-H'er Dylan Schmidt and his parents, Ted and Athema, for the wonderful job they did on our 4th of July float. The kids had a blast with the sand and water.
August 11 - 4-H Banquet. All Clover Kids are urged to attend. This will be the 1st year Clover Kids are a part of the banquet. We need volunteers to bring 3 desserts and 2 $25 items for the Silent Auction. Please call Lisa ASAP @ 379-5205 to sign up.

BANQUET

Date: August 11
Place: Bexar Hall
Club leaders please encourage your members and their families to attend. Reservation form can be found in this newsletter. Silent Auction - all clubs need to have two items to be donated to the silent auction. Any item will do, it does not need to be 4-H or animal related. Be creative - we had some neat baskets full of goodies donated last year. Items need to have a $25 minimum value. If you have any questions please contact Robin Walters @ 303-4811. Desserts for Banquet - every club is responsible for providing 3 desserts. This is a good opportunity for a community service for those with foods & nutrition projects.

ATTENTION LIVESTOCK JUDGERS

Please remember to bring your awards to the banquet so pictures can be taken.

BLUEBONNET 4-H

Date: Tuesday, August 7
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Hall of Fame Building
Please make every effort to attend. We will be installing our new officers and talking about the Achievement Banquet.

BLUEBONNET HORSE PROJECT GROUP

Date: Wednesday, September 12
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Fairgrounds Arena
The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and a clinic on basic horsemanship skills will start at 7 p.m. Anyone wanting to join and participate in the project group is welcome. For more information call Vicki Krambeck at 379-0251.

ONE IN A MILLION T-SHIRTS

We do have a few shirts available to purchase for $10, so come by to get yours. It may be possible to order more, so let us know if you would like to do so.

RECORD BOOK RESULTS

Record books that went to District on July 17 returned with the following results: Janelle Rohde (2) - Beef; Heidi Klaerner (6) - Food & Nutrition; Katy Walters (1) - Goats; David Real (1) - Poultry; Maegan Krueger (6) - Rabbits; Jessica Lackey (1) - Swine; Kaitlyn Hunt (3) - Clothing; Amanda Klaerner (2) - Food & Nutrition; Ashlea McCulloch (8) - Poultry; Kassandra Hunt (1) - Recreation; Caleb Bargfrede (3) - Shooting Sports; Lea Luensmann (3) - Beef; Kyle Moore (2) - Food & Nutrition; Madeline Zwicke (7) - Goats; Konnie Kelso (1) - Swine.

Others that turned in record books include: Kimberly Woerndel, Tiffany Hillert, Cory Wells, Russell Real; Bailey Drayton, and Tiffany Palmer.

Everyone did a great job and we hope the numbers will continue to go up each year!

4-H REC TEAM TRAINING

Date: August 24-26
Cost: $60.40 or $80
Deadline: August 3
This hands-on training at the Texas 4-H Center will train and equip 4-H members, leaders, and agents with recreation skills, leadership, and creative ways to develop delivery skills and how to generate enthusiasm within a group. Teams must consists of at least 4 4-H members who are at least 13 years of age and the required chaperones. More info is available from our office.

DISTRICT 4-H MEGA MEETING

Date: August 18
Place: Hondo
Mega meeting is a great opportunity for all 4-H members and leaders to get involved at the district level with 14 various Project Development Committees.

STAR OF TEXAS CALF SCRAMBLE

Deadline: NOON, September 12
Participants must be at least 12 years of age. All forms for those interested must be turned in by September 12. Call or come by the office for paperwork.

LEADERS FORUM

Date: October 4-7
Place: Georgia
All adults who are involved in working with youth in the 4-H program are invited to attend the Southern Region Leaders Forum. Workshops on numerous topics will be offered, and you will be prepared to share what you learn. A brochure is available.

LIVESTOCK JUDGING PRACTICE

Date: August 26
Time: 3 p.m.
Place: Chuck Real's house
This will be the first practice for the 2001-02 4-H year. If you are interested in judging this year, please let Chuck know at 830-914-2833 or Jeff at 830-379-1972.

TEXAS 4-H MASTER SWINE VOLUNTEER TRAINING - CLASS 2

Date: August 24-26
Place: Liner Center, Plainview, Tx
Cost: $80 before 8/6/01 or $100 after 8/7-17/01
Training is open to the first 100 people registered. The training is target for adult project leaders only. Registration information is available at the Extension office if you are interested.

4-H FOODS & NUTRITION LEADER TRAINING

Date: Saturday, August 25
Time: 9-11 a.m.
Place: Ag Building (1st floor), Seguin
This is for all adult, junior & teen leaders who will be assisting with their club's food project. During the training, we will be covering information and activity ideas on: Food Guide Pyramid, including those for young children and older adults (FGP Bingo, Calcium Bingo, FGP Relay Race, etc.); 6 Key Nutrients (Homemade Sports Drinks, Ice Cream in a Bag, etc.); Food Safety - Types of bacteria, handwashing (Petroleum jelly handwashing experiment, etc.), sanitizing surfaces, 4C's of Food Safety, "Danger Zones", packing food for Food Shows, etc.

FCS/EEA NEWS

REMINDERS:

LEADER TRAINING ON "HOME INTERIOR DECORATING"

Tuesday, August 28
10-11:30 a.m.
Ag Building (first floor)
Club leaders include:
Bluebonnet: ?
Clear Springs: Mae Gerdes & Marie Riemenschneider
Elm Creek: Anna McClendon & Martha Jandt
Marion: Lorine Damerau & Evaline Krueger

GUADALUPE COUNTY EXTENSION EDUCATION ASSOCIATION MEETING

August 29
1:30 p.m.
Farm Bureau Meeting Room
Presidents: Turn in names of members: 1) who are to receive certificates for 5, 10, 15 years, etc. of membership at Annual Achievement Day Luncheon; 2) who are to receive certificates for "Perfect Attendance".

ANNUAL EE ACHIEVEMENT LUNCHEON

Tuesday, September 25
The Silver Center, Seguin
Lunch Fee: $4.50 per person
Schedule: 11:15 a.m. - Registration
11:45 a.m. - Lunch (Grilled Chicken Breast)
12:15 p.m. - Program: "Remembering When"
1:00 p.m. - Awards

**Each member is asked to bring 1-2 canned goods that will be donated to the Christian Cupboard.
**Invite former club members to attend.

COUNTRY STORE ITEMS FOR STATE TEEA COUNTRY STORE

At the June 27 Association Meeting a motion was made and passed that each of the Guadalupe EE Clubs would be responsible for donating items totaling $10.00 to the country store. It was suggested that each item be valued at $5 or under so it would sell better.

Please turn in your club's country store items (with prices attached) at the Extension office by Friday, September 7, so they can be packed for the trip to College Station.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
EE CLUB OFFICER TRAINING

A "Club Officer Training" will be conducted on Thursday, September 27. Time and location will be announced later.

It was suggested that the training be open to any member who would like to attend so others can learn about the roles of the various club offices; so it will be. So, if you think you would like to attend, mark your calendar now.

WAYS TO USE YOGURT AS A NUTRITIOUS SUBSTITUTE

Yogurt is one of the most versatile foods, especially for children who love dips and toppings. It can be used as a substitute for many high-fat foods. Here are some suggestions:

1. USE YOGURT IN PLACE OF MAYONNAISE. Non-fat, plain yogurt contains less than 10 percent of the calories, less than one percent of the fat, and around 3 percent of the cholesterol of an equal amount of regular mayonnaise. Combining equal amounts of low-calorie mayonnaise and low-fat yogurt works well for many dishes, including potato salad, coleslaw, pasta salad, tuna salad, dips and appetizers. If you are making sweet salads such as Waldorf or carrot you can replace all of the mayonnaise with yogurt.

2. YOGURT MAKES A TASTY AND NUTRITIOUS DIP FOR TODDLERS, who love to dip their exploring fingers into new foods. It's also a favorite topping for toddler foods and a time-honored bait to entice toddlers to try new foods.

3. USE WHOLE PLAIN YOGURT AS A HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE TO SOUR CREAM. It's much lower in calories, fat, and cholesterol. If you're adding it to a sauce in place of sour cream, heat it over very low heat so it doesn't curdle. After a while, switch to lowfat.

4. USE YOGURT IN BAKING RECIPES. Plain yogurt can often be substituted for milk, buttermilk, or sour cream in recipes for waffles, pancakes, and muffins.

COMMON EYE MYTHS
(used with permission from Prevent Blindness America)

It's important to separate fact from fiction, especially when the topic is eyesight. Knowing how to take good care of your eyes is the first step to protecting your sight for a lifetime.

MYTH: Eating carrots will improve your vision.
FACT: While it is true that carrots are high in Vitamin A, which is an essential vitamin for sight, only a small amount is necessary for good vision.

MYTH: Failure to use proper glasses will hurt your eyes.
FACT: While corrective glasses or contacts are needed to improve eyesight, using your eyes with our without glasses will not damage them further.

MYTH: An eye examination is necessary only if you're having problems.
FACT: Everyone should follow a proper eye health program that includes a regular eye exam, whether or not they're having any noticeable signs of problems.

MYTH: Reading in dim light can damage your eyes.
FACT: Reading in dim light can cause eye fatigue, but it will not hurt your eyes.

MYTH: There's nothing you can do about preventing sight loss.
FACT: Regular eye examinations and proper safety eyewear can save your sight.

For more information about common eye myths, contact Prevent Blindness America or the Prevent Blindness affiliate near you. A color poster illustrating 10 common eye myths is available from Prevent Blindness America.

Reference: Prevent Blindness America (1998).