4-H Updates

4-H/FFA Meat Goat & Sheep Project Meeting

 4-H as well as FFA members that want to learn more about how to get their goats and sheep ready to exhibit at the fair are invited to an informational meeting, Saturday, June 13 at the Franklin County Fairgrounds, Hampton, beginning at 10:00 a.m. 4-H Project Leaders will have animals on hand to demonstrate how to groom and show.  Members are encouraged to bring their own animals as well.  This workshop is open to youth in surrounding counties.  Lunch will be provided, so pre-registration is needed.  Contact the Franklin Extension Office at 641-456-4811, or e-mail jackied@iastate.edu if you plan to attend.

New Blog for Iowa 4-H Volunteers

AMES, Iowa – Iowans have a new way to talk about 4-H — through the Iowa 4-H Volunteer blog on the Iowa State University Extension Web site, http://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/Iowa4hvolunteer.

“We started the blog because we want to answer questions and address concerns that 4-H volunteers may have about ISU Extension’s restructuring and what it means for Iowa’s 4-H program,” said Judy Levings, 4-H volunteer development specialist.

On April 30, ISU Extension administration announced a restructuring plan that eliminates county and area extension education director positions and replaces them with 20 regional director positions. The restructuring plan also includes a merger of the administration of Families and 4-H Youth Development programs, and the Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) and Community and Economic Development programs.

Although the blog initially may focus on restructuring issues, volunteers, parents, 4-H’ers and others interested in 4-H youth development can add other comments, ask questions and make suggestions.

“That’s what this blog is about—increasing communication,” Levings said.

4-H is a community of 6 million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship and life skills. Nearly one in four Iowa school age youth participate in ISU Extension 4-H Youth Development programs. About 11,800 volunteers contribute their time, energy and expertise to help youth learn life skills through 4-H.

Contacts:

Judith Levings, 4-H Youth Development, (515) 294-4764, jlevings@iastate.edu

Laura Sternweis, Extension Communications and External Relations, (515) 294-0775, lsternwe@iastate.edu 

Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880 Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114

Insurance: Do You Really Need It?

Managing Tough Times – Insurance: Luxury or Necessity

When people are looking for ways to cut their spending, it may be tempting to slash insurance coverage.  Done without real thought, this could seriously endanger a family’s financial well-being.

 Insurance is not a luxury.  It is an essential part of securing your family’s safety and well-being.  Unless you are very wealthy, insurance is the only way to protect yourself and your family from financially disastrous events such as the death of a family provider, destruction of a home, or being responsible for an accident which causes serious injury to someone else.  The average person simply can’t save up enough money to be prepared for such events, so sharing the risk by purchasing insurance is the prudent way to go. 

That said, however, be sure to avoid spending more money than you need to on insurance.  Here are some tips for making sure you spend your insurance dollars wisely:

1)      Review your coverage regularly.  Insurance needs change over time. 
Example 1: Life insurance is very important for parents of young children who would need support if one or both parents die.  When the children become adults, however, it may be unnecessary. 
Example 2:   For an older, low-value vehicle, the cost of collision and comprehensive coverage is high compared to the relatively low benefit that would be received IF a claim was filed.  NOTE: never drop liability coverage, however – an old car can cause just as much damage as a new car, leading to potentially disastrous financial liability.
Example 3:  The dollar figure on your homeowner’s coverage needs review every 2-3 years; as building costs rise, even a policy with built-in inflation adjustment might not keep up with the cost of rebuilding a home.

2)      Follow the “large-loss principle.”  Focus your insurance coverage on the most serious disasters, rather than spending money on policies which would pay out for small losses. 
Example 1:  Small thefts or damages to our homes are not disastrous – most families could find a way to cover those costs.  On the other hand, theft or damage amounting to tens of thousands of dollars is truly disastrous.  With that in mind, consider policies with higher deductibles and therefore lower premiums. 
Example 2: Even death is not a major financial disaster when an individual has no dependents. Funeral costs can usually be managed.  That individual might choose to purchase life insurance to cover funeral costs or to leave an inheritance or charitable bequest, but that is much lower priority than having adequate levels of essential coverage.  For those without dependents, life insurance might be a place to cut costs when times are tight.

3)      Focus coverage on the loss, not the cause.   Policies which cover losses resulting from specific causes (such as an accident or cancer) will only pay for health care costs or death benefits IF the cause fits the policy.  However, when serious illness/injury or death occurs the financial need exists no matter what the cause.  Insurance dollars are better spent on policies which cover health care costs or pay death benefits regardless of cause. 

For more information on dealing with tough economic times, visit your local extension office or check out ISU Extensions Managing in Tough Times website- www.extension.iastate.edu/toughtimes or www.eXtension.org websites 24 hours a day 7 days a week.  The Iowa Concern Hotline offers 24 hour confidential assistance for those dealing with stress, financial concerns, and legal questions.  They can be reached by calling 1-800-447-1985. These resources can help you find reliable resources backed by research when you are forced to make hard choices during tough economic times.

 cool picture from flickr.com

Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880 Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114

Extension Family Files

by Beverly Peters, Franklin County Extension Education Director

 Beyond The Bran

Most of the attention to whole grains is focused on the fiber provided by the bran portion of grain.   Beyond bran, however, whole-grain foods contribute positively to the diet in many other ways as well.

 Whole grains also are important sources of several of the B vitamins, which break down protein, carbohydrates and fat for effective use by the body.  In fact, B-complex vitamins are necessary for almost every reaction in every cell of the body.

 Among minerals found in whole-grains is iron, well known for its role in helping to build and maintain healthy blood.  Trace minerals supplied by whole grains, such as zinc, copper and magnesium, also are essential for normal growth and health.

 Whole grains also provide proteins although they are considered incomplete proteins, which means that certain essential amino acids are missing.  However, when the proteins of whole grains and vegetables are combined, they become complete proteins comparable in quality to those from animal sources.

 Finally, whole grains do indeed provide fat, which is often a surprise to the label reader.  However, it is a small amount of fat and is primarily of the unsaturated types. 

picture of a whole grain crust on that pie is from flickr.com 

Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880 Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114

3 pm Moment of Remembrance

Decoration Day was conceived by a group of mothers following the Civil War.  They decided to decorate ALL the graves of fallen soldiers - Union and Confederate.  The first official Decoration Day was May 30, 1868.  

The National Moment of Remembrance happens at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day.  Please take a moment to remember the men and women who have died for our country.  

We decorated graves at Geneva Lindenwood Cemetery and had a public ceremony yesterday.  We closed with God Bless The USA by Lee Greenwood.

If tomorrow all the things were gone,
I’d worked for all my life.
And I had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.

I’d thank my lucky stars,
to be livin here today.
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
and they can’t take that away.

And I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota,
to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea.

From Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart,
and its time we stand and say.

That I’m proud to be an American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

And I’m proud to be and American,
where at least I know I’m free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.