July 2008 Union County Youth Newsletter

Sharon Wasteney, County Extension Education Director

swasten@iastate.edu http://www.extension.iastate.edu/union

IMPORTANT REMINDERS…. more information inside! ♦ Plan on having attended four club meetings by county fair. ♦ Attend Project Work Day on July 7 to prepare yourself for fair! ♦ Turn in Bucket/Bottle Calf and Lamb worksheets to office by July 7. ♦ State fair entries and ticket orders due to the Extension Office by July 1. ♦ 4-H County Fair shirts will be in and available to pick up on July 17 from 9 AM-

5 PM at the Extension Office for those who ordered them. ♦ Communications entries are due Friday, July 11. ♦ Pick up photography labels from the Extension Office for all photography exhibits. ♦ Start working on your club’s float for the county fair parade on July 20. ♦ Check with your leader for fair books if you have not received one yet. ♦ Make sure your club attends 4-H Roundup, July 22nd. All 4-Hers get in free that night! ♦ Check out your club’s Snack Shack, Judging, and Exhibit Building Chaperone Schedule included in

this newsletter (please note there are some changes from the fairbook).

2008 Union County Fair - July 19-24

4-H Questions? Contact Us! 105 W. Adams, Suite A Creston, Iowa 50801 Phone: (641) 782-8426 Fax: 641-782-7213

♦ Michael Cooley cooley@iastate.edu

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Fair Clean-up Make sure to attend fair clean-up days both before and after the fair. The dates are Thursday, July 7th at 7:00 PM. Watermelon will be provided by First National Bank! Great Western Bank will also be providing free t-shirts. After the fair, clean-up will be Friday morning, July 25th at 8 a.m. Make sure to bring clean-up supplies and a bright smile!

Pullorum Poultry Testing

Any 4-H member planning to exhibit poultry or other birds at the Union County Fair must have their birds tested for Pullorum. A special 4-H exhibitor Pullorum testing date has been scheduled with Dr. Katzer at the Creston Veterinary Clinic on Satur-day, July 5 from 9 to 10 a.m. In order to receive the discounted testing rate, be sure to attend during the designated time!

County Fair Parade Entries

We encourage all clubs and organizations to enter a float in the 2008 Union County Fair Parade. The theme for 4-H float entries is “Ignite the Flame”. The Union County Fair parade is scheduled for Sunday, July 20th beginning at 6:00 p.m.

2008 Union County Fair-July 19-24

County Fair Preparation Workshops

County fair will be here before you know it! With that in mind, members, you need to be thinking about your projects, if you haven’t already. A date has been set this summer for extension staff to help you with your projects. Members may come into the Extension Office anytime during the day on Mon-day, July 7, 8:30-5:00. Please plan on attending this workshop!

2008 4-H Photography Exhibition: 4-H’ers In Action

The Iowa 4-H Foundation announces a special op-portunity for all 4-H members to participate in the second annual statewide photo exhibition titled, “4-H’ers in Action!” The exhibition will again feature the best photo from each participating county on dis-play at the 2008 Iowa State Fair. Photos selected for the exhibition will also be considered for a 2009 cal-endar and other 4-H promotional materials.

This class is open to all 4-H members in grades 4-12, regardless of their project enrollment areas. Each participating county will select one entry that best represents “4-H in Action!” in their county to be in-cluded in the state fair exhibition.

Fair T-Shirts Coming! The 2008 county fair t-shirts will be in and available for pick-up for those who ordered them on Thurs-day, July 17 from 9 AM-5 PM. There is also a lim-ited amount of adult sizes for sale, available on a first-come first-serve basis. If you are interested, please contact the Extension office as soon as possi-ble! Remember, all 4-H exhibitors must wear a 4-H t-shirt when exhibiting projects.

Communication Entries

If you enjoy performing for an audience, teaching others, or are passionate about a subject and would like to inform others, then the 4-H communications project is just for you! All communication entries advance to the State Fair!

Educational Presentations are formal speeches that are presented on a topic of the members choice.

Working Exhibits are demonstrations that teach the audience how to do something in a hands-on setting.

Extemporaneous Speakers put together a speech in 30 minutes after drawing a 4-H-related topic.

Share the Fun is a talent show for individuals, groups, or clubs.

Radio Broadcasting is unique to Union County. This is not a communications event that qualifies for the Iowa State Fair, but 4-Hers will prepare and pre-sent radio broadcast. All 4-H members, 4-12 grades, may participate in this project.

To participate, please complete the required form at the Extension Office by Friday, July 11th.

Fashion Review and Clothing Selection Event

The fashion review and clothing selection event will be held on two different days this year. Juniors will exhibit on Tuesday, July 8th from 3:30-7:30pm and Intermediates/Seniors will exhibit on Thursday, July 10th from 5:30-7:30pm at the Extension Of-fice. Participants need to pick up the clothing work-sheets and forms at the Extension Office or via the internet. More information will be sent to participat-ing individuals.

Ultrasound Information

Critical Insights will be conducting all ultrasounds again this year at the fair. Carcass classes allow each exhibitor to ultrasound one animal in the contest at no cost to the exhibitor for each species. Pens of three beef will be ultrasounded as well. Any addi-tional animals may be ultrasounded for personal use. Additional costs are $10/head for beef, $5/head for swine, and $5/head for sheep.

Photography Labels

Photography exhibits do not need an accompanying goal sheet/write-up. Rather, all photos must have a special 4-H Photography Label. These labels are available at the Extension Office for members to pick up, or you can access them online at www.extension.iastate.edu/union/kidsteens.htm and click on the photography label link.

As a Club:

• Consider entering the Share-the-Fun contest for the county fair. • Begin making plans about the county fair exhibit building booth and parade float. • Ensure all county fair exhibitors have attended at least four club meetings. • Plan to attend County Fair Clean-Up Day on Thursday,July 17th at 7PM - NOTE THIS CHANGE!!

Improve Your Project - Participate in a Workshop

Food Exhibit Guidelines For Iowa 4-H Fairs Before you start selecting recipes for county fair, check this list of inappropriate foods for fair and reminders of how to determine if a product is appropriate (safe). First ask yourself:

1. Does this product require refrigeration? 2. Would you eat this product at room temperature? 3. Will this product hold up so it represents a standard when evaluated by judges or viewed by the public?

Acceptable For Fair Display: (a detailed explanation for acceptable foods is available at the Union County Extension Office) Canned products – OK “IF” • Products prepared according to current recommendations are

acceptable. Canned Salsa – OK “IF” • Canned salsa made using accepted methods is allowed. Pecan/Walnut pies – OK “IF” • Products made from a traditional recipe (any recipe that has

added water or milk are NOT acceptable.) Frostings, icings, glazes, drizzles – OK Fruit-flavored vinegars – OK “IF” • Fruit-flavored vinegar will be allowed as an exhibit, providing a

specific recipe is used and included. Cream cheese mints – OK Caramel Rolls – OK Pineapple upside down cake – OK • Because of the high sugar content of the caramel and toppings,

they will not support the growth of bacteria.

Not Acceptable For Fair Display: (a detailed explanation for unac-ceptable foods is available at the Union County Extension Office or at www.extension.iastate.edu/Pulications/4H3023.pdf • Breads containing ingredients that are normally refrigerated

(chopped vegetables or meats, layers of cheese) • Cake, brownies, bread baked in a jar • Canned/Preserved products using questionable recipe or proce-

dure • Caramel corn or pies baked in a paper grocery bag • Custards and cream-filled pies, cheesecakes • Flavored oils • Fresh salsa • Homemade egg noodles • Jerky of any kind • Meat-filled pastries • Raw egg in any uncooked product • Sourdough, friendship bread, etc. • Sweet rolls with cottage cheese/egg topping • Vegetables marinated in oils and herbs If you have any questions or doubts about your food product, please contact the Union County Extension Office for assurance and/or rec-ommendations.

County Youth Council Activities at the Fair Union County Youth Council will be hosting a Pie Eating Contest on Saturday, July 19. There will be three separate age groups. There is a fee of only $1. See a Council representative to sign up! It will take place right after the crowning of the Fair Queen.

Between the swine and sheep/goat show on Mon-day, July 21, there will be a Jello Sucking Contest held in the arena. For only a $1 entry fee, partici-pants will be able to test their jello sucking abilities through a straw against others in the class. There will be three age groups: 8 and under, 9-16, and 17 and up. Prizes will be awarded to the best jello suck-ers! Please sign up and pay at the fair office before the event.

From 10:00-2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22, the Council will be handing out 4-H balloons and tat-toos. Come see us!!! Building Chaperone Duties While your club is hosting the Exhibit Building dur-ing the fair, there are a few responsibilities to keep in mind during your chaperoning. Keep this check-list handy while you are there! √ Make sure at least three people are at allotted time.

√ Greet and welcome the public with a smile √ Offer to show them where certain exhibits or

clubs are located √ Make sure all ribbons are showing on exhibits √ Sweep the floors √ Pick up trash

Fair Volunteers Needed If you would like to help out in any way at the fair, please let the Extension Office know. We could especially use volunteers for writing judges comments and helping with the bake sale on July 19. There will be many other activities to help with through-out the week, so stop by the fair office if you would like to help!

2008 Union County Fair: July 19-24

Don’t forget that during the fair, the 4-H Office and staff will be located at the Fair Office on the fairgrounds. Please go there for all questions!

Copyright Information Please remember that copyrighted designs cannot be used in your exhibit without permission. If you want to use a trademarked logo, you must obtain written permission from that company. The use of purchased materials already containing the trademark (such as fabrics, etc.) are acceptable. If you have any questions about whether you can use an image, please call our office or refer to page 93 or 107 in the fairbook.

Foods Exhibits Remember all food exhibits need to be accompanied with two recipes (one for exhibit, one for bake sale). Make sure to put between 6-9 samples of your food item on your plate for judging and the bake sale. Remember that preserved foods need to follow USDA guidelines. Make sure to check out inappro-priate food exhibits if you have any questions: www.extension.iastate.edu/Pulications/4H3023.pdf

Project Write-Ups All projects exhibited in the 4-H Exhibit Building need to have a write-up accom-panying their project. The write-ups should include answers to the following four questions:

1. What was your goal? 2. How did you go about working toward your goal? 3. What were the most important things you learned

as you worked toward your goal? 4. What would you like to do in this project next

year? Some classes do require more information particular to that project area. Always make sure to double-check your fairbook for additional guidelines. Photography exhibits do not need an accompanying goal sheet/write-up. Rather, all photos must have a special 4-H Photography Label. These labels are available at the Extension Office for members to pick up or online.

How to Exhibit in the Exhibit Building Here are a few things to remember when exhibiting in the Union County Fair Exhibit Building.

1. Complete your projects and write-ups early! Make sure you are enrolled in that project area to avoid confusion on exhibit day. Be sure to practice talking about your project with a friend, leader, or parent. 2. Dress comfortably and nicely; a 4-H t-shirt is required. Jeans or jean shorts are appropriate. 3. Take off your hat and sunglasses and remove your gum before coming in the exhibit building to be judged.

4. Go in the east end of Exhibit Building to check-in. 5. Receive entry tags for each project there. 6. Go to the stage or club booth to fill out entry tags and attach tags to the projects with tape, pins, etc. 7. Take exhibits to waiting area (west end) to be judged. Please be courteous to exhibitors who are waiting. 8. You will be called back to visit with the judge. Make sure to introduce yourself and have fun! You will

visit for 5-7 minutes and then receive your comment sheet from the helper. 9. Go to the ribbon table to pick up your ribbon. 10. Attach your ribbons and place exhibits in your club booth. For foods exhibits, a portion of baked goods

will go to the bake sale. 11. Make sure to leave your projects on display until 2:00 Thursday or premiums will be withdrawn!

2008 Union County Fair: July 19-24

2008 Club Exhibit Building Chaperone Schedule

Please find three 4-H members and an adult from your club to watch the 4-H Exhibit Building when your club is assigned. Please refer to the Building Chaper-one guide in this newsletter for specific duties of chap-erones. Thursday, July 17

Clean and prepare 4-H Building. Bring clean-ing rags, scrub buckets, brooms, your “I can do it” attitude and lots of helpers! All clubs are expected to participate; cleaning fun will begin at 7:00 PM.

Sunday, July 20

Noon - 3pm – Sand Creek Pioneers 3pm - 6pm – Highland Highlights 6pm - 9pm – Douglas Boosters

Monday, July 21

9am – Noon – Horse & Riders Noon - 3pm – Lincoln United 3pm - 6pm – Sand Creek Pioneers 6pm - 9pm – Highland Highlights

Tuesday, July 22

Noon - 3pm – New Hope Boosters 3pm - 6pm – Platte Producers 6pm - 9pm – Lincoln United

Wednesday, July 23

9am - Noon – Pleasant Valley Explorers Noon - 3pm – Horse & Riders 3pm - 6pm – Platte Producers 6pm - 9pm –Union County Unicorns

Thursday, July 24

9am - Noon –Douglas Boosters Noon - 3pm –Wiggles and Wags

Roundup Tuesday, July 22nd is Roundup. All 4-H and Clover Kids members are admit-ted to the rodeo that night for free! Before the rodeo, all members will be recog-nized for being Clover Kids or 4-Hers. Members must wear their 4-H or Clover Kids t-shirts at recognition. Members will meet at their club truck behind the north bleachers at 7:30 p.m. or at the time allotted specifically by your club. Check with your club leaders for more information and be sure to attend!

Admission to the Union County Fair Remember that admission to your favorite county fair is al-ways free. Make sure to thank your local sponsors (listed in the fairbook) for making this possible. Evening events are

$7/adult, $4/child, and preschoolers are free.

***NOTE: An error was found on pg 82 of the fairbook. Clean-up is on Thursday, July 17 at 7:00 PM***

2008 Club Cook Shack Schedule Number of people needed in parenthesis

Saturday, July 19

9am - 10:30am – East Union FFA (6) 10:30 am - 2 pm – East Union FFA (6) 4:30 pm - 6pm – Creston FFA (6) 6pm - End of Show – Creston FFA (15)

Sunday, July 20 9am - 10:30am – 4 -H Foundation (2) 10:30 am - 2 pm – Lincoln United (6) 4:30 pm - 6pm – Platte Producers (6) 6pm - End of Show – Platte Producers (12)

Monday, July 21 9am - 10:30am – Fair Board 10:30 am - 2 pm – Fair Board 4:30 pm - 6pm – Highland Highlights (6) 6pm - End of Show – Douglas Boosters (15)

Tuesday, July 22 9am - 10:30am – Fair Board 10:30 am - 2 pm – Fair Board 3:00 pm - 6pm – Pleasant Valley Explorers (3) Union County Unicorns (3) 6pm - End of Show – Horse & Riders (9) New Hope Boosters (8)

Wednesday, July 23 9am - 10:30am – Fair Board 10:30 am - 2 pm – Fair Board 4:30 pm - 6pm – Wiggles and Wags (6) 6pm - End of Show – Sand Creek Pioneers (15)

Thursday, July 24 9am - 10:30am – Fair Board 10:30 am - 2 pm – Fair Board 4:30 pm - 6pm –

2008 Union County Fair: July 19-24

8:30 am – New Hope Boosters Lincoln United Wiggles & Wags

9:30 am – Sand Creek Pioneers 10:30 am – Pleasant Valley Explorers

Union County Unicorns Noon – (Lunch)

1pm – Highland Highlights Platte Producers

2 pm – Douglas Boosters Horse & Riders 3pm – State Fair Selection

******(note time changes in italics/bold/underline)******

2008 Club Exhibit Judging Schedule

REMINDER: Don’t forget to clean-up your club’s area on the fairgrounds throughout the week to receive herdsmanship points!

Fifty five kids participated in the Wacky Wonders of Science Camp. We had a great time with color mixing, rainbow tubes, effervescent powered rockets, exploding lava lamps, color chang-ing beads, snow, and much more. Along with each activity was a science lesson. Our lessons included discussions on chemical reaction, density and polymers (chains of molecules.)

The highlights of science camp included the Mento Geyser Tube and the Cornstarch Walk. The Cornstarch Walk was from nationally known Steve Spangler’s Science. If you watch the “Ellen” Show you may have seen this walk. A mixture of corn starch & water makes a very strange substance. When you put your hands or feet in it slowly, it is very runny; however, when you punch it or push hard, it is very stiff and you can walk on top of the substance, that is, if you walk quickly. Don’t slow down or you will sink. Each of the children and volunteers had a chance to walk across this mixture twice. We were very good at it, especially the second time. We used eighty pounds of corn starch for this activity. The Clover Kids would like to thank Stacy Buxton and Farley-Sathers for donating fifty pounds of cornstarch so we could have fun with this experiment. This is where one of the lessons on polymers came in.

The Multicultural Camp was a big hit, also. The kids learned about Mexico and Latin America. Some of their activities included making Mexican snacks, piñatas, sombreros, Aztec masks, and sun catchers. They also had fun with songs and the Salsa and Tango Dance.

June was a busy month for the Clover Kids. There were several camps available for summer activities. The Wacky Wonders of Science Camp was for all Clover Kids, the Multicultural Camp was for the 1st – 3rd graders and the 3rd grade kids had the oppor-tunity to participate in their very first overnight camp, The Over-night Adventure Camp, with the theme, Go Green.

See You Next Month! Cheryl Purdum County Youth Coordinator, Clover Kids

A FEW VERY IMPORTANT NOTES!! Fair books are available to all Clover Kid families. If you would like one, stop by the Union County Extension Office and pick one up. Just a reminder to all Clover Kids who are exhibiting bucket calves or bottle lambs at the county fair, your worksheets need to be turned into the extension office July 7th . The Clover Kids will have a float in the fair parade, but will not have one in the 4th of July pa-rade. Don’t forget kid’s day at the fair on Tuesday, July 22nd. More information will be coming out soon.

Highlights of the Overnight Adventure Camp according to the kids were the canoeing and the pop can fishing.

A big THANK YOU goes out to all of the volunteers who helped at all of the camps!

July 2008

Youth Plus Valerie White 105 W. Adams St. Creston, IA 50801 (641) 782-8426

YOUTH PLUS TEAM We have a lot of exciting things coming up with Youth Plus. We will be meeting at the end of June to make some final decisions on the multi-county grant where we will be hiring an AmeriCorp member to work in Union County. We will be looking at how we want to use this AmeriCorp member in our county. The hiring process of the AmeriCorp members will be in the coming months. Look for more information on the positions soon! This summer Youth Plus will be doing a series of educational programs in McKinley Park. More information on this will be given at a later time. We are very excited about the direction Youth Plus is going in piecing together dif-ferent sectors of our community to improve the lives of community members. Youth Plus will not meet during July or August; I just ask that all team members check there email for upcoming information. The next Youth Plus meeting will be September 2nd at the Union County Extension Office from 4:00—5:00 p.m. Please plan to attend and bring a friend! Your input and strengths are vital pieces to the success of Union County. SUMMER CAMPS A SUCCESS The 2008 Fun in the Sun Summer Camps were a hit! Thank you to Jeova Flores and Kilee Kralik for planning these outstanding camps. They would not have been such a success without the help of our volunteers. We had a great group of young people to work with; they were hard working and dedicated young individuals. Thank you all for everything you did, your work did not go unnoticed!

YACC (Youth Answering the Call of the Community) More on our graduating seniors, Erin Pettit and Caitlyn Lesan! Erin Pettit is a graduate of East Union High School who will be attending the University of Iowa this fall majoring in Political Science. I have seen this young women excel in everything she puts her mind to and she will continue her drive for excellence in the fu-ture. Caitlyn Lesan is a graduate of Creston High School. She will be attending Southwestern Community College this fall and will go on to finish her education at a college or university. I am grateful for the time I have been able to work with Caitlyn through YEAH and YACC. She has shown and will con-tinue to show exceptional work ethic and character in everything she does. Both of these young women have gained confidence and leadership as well as grant knowledge through their Pod ex-

perience. YACC has some exciting events coming up this fall! They will have an Iowa Pod training that will be planned and implemented by young people. The Leadership team is in the process of finding the location, food, and presenters for this training. Their focus will be lead-ership and teambuilding with other break-out sessions in areas they feel Pods need training. I am excited to see what these young people can do! YACC will also be distributing posters with their

picture and the months they will be granting. I would like to thank Mary Berry with Grandview Photography for her help in this project. Look for this poster to be out this fall! Reminder for YACC members: Summer BBQ at my house, Sunday, June 29 at 6:30 p.m. for current and new members. Please bring the following items according to your grade: 8th & 9th—sides, 10th —Drink, 11th—Hotdog Buns (unless told differently), 12th and graduates—Dessert. CPPC (Community Partnerships for Protecting Children) Community Partnerships for Protecting Children has a new website for Union, Adams, and Adair counties to help collaborate within our communities. This website includes information, agendas, minutes, board members, and meeting times for Empowerment, Interagency, Share Decision Making Team, Prevent Child Abuse Councils, and Community Meetings such as Youth Plus and SAFE Coalition. If you would like the opportunity to see what is going on in your county please log in to www.iowacommunitypartners.org. The website includes resource links, wanted and needed items, and a calendar of events. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to add an event to the calendar or have any questions. Thank you, Victoria Brammer, CPPC Coordinator I

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Hey volunteer gang, we hope that your summer vacation has been going great. We would like to wish you a great rest of summer vacation.

To all of those who have been gone into outer space and didn’t know about our sum-mer camps, we would like to give you an FYI update. First of all, Clover Kids was fantastic. Cheryl Purdum had an awesome time with all of those who attended. We heard very good things about the camp. Everyone was talking about the corn starch walk. Wow, it sounded like everyone had a great time.

Multicultural Camp was phenomenal. All of you guys who attended made it an amaz-ing experience for me, Jeova, as this was the first year that I had to plan a camp. You guys were great at camp. Thank you for making it an awesome experience. I hope that you guys learned a lot and that you still remember some of those salsa and tango moves.

Oh boy, was overnight adventure camp a real adventure. Thank you to all of those vol-unteers who helped out, not only at overnight, but at all of our camps this summer. We had a blast camping at Three Mile Lake. Our campers were awesome and the activities were ex-tremely fun. We had excellent speakers that taught us a thing or two about different ways in which we can make a difference in our world. Thanks again to Mr. Steve Birchard, Leslie Goldsmith, and Paul Goldsmith. We would also like to add that if it wasn’t for the McIntire family, canoeing would not have been as much fun as it was.

Wow, did we have a busy schedule. But in the end, I think it was well worth it. You guys made it fun and our volunteers made it possible for you guys to have a great time. Thank you to all of those who attended. We hope to see you again next year.

And now, the time that all of you have been waiting for. Our volunteer of the month is….Ayla Peppmeier. Ayla did an outstanding job helping out at ALL of these camps. She never refused to come to any of the camps. She was great help and she always had a smile on her face while lending a hand. Thanks Ayla, you rock!

-Jeova Flores and Kilee Kralik YEAH Coordinators jeova2010@hotmail.com lilkralik_09@hotmail.com

Volunteering Opportunities July 3rd and 4th – Clifford Costume wearer for Friend of the Library July 4th-Waterfest at McKinley Park 1:00pm-3:00pm

County Fair Stall Requests Due July 1

If your club or event is not on the calendar, please check with your club leader. Leaders, please contact the extension office to add club events to the calendar. Thanks!

Upcoming…... August 7-17 Iowa State Fair September 23-28 Ak-Sar-Ben ***Make sure to be thinking about putting the finishing touches on your record books!*** Fairgrounds 27 All Iowa POD training, 9-2 Location TBD

July 1 Spring into Nature, Spring- brook Camp 1 State Fair Entries Due 1 State Fair Ticket Sheets Due 5 Pullorum Testing, 9-10am 7 Bucket Calf/Lamb Worksheets Due 7 County Fair Project Work Day 7 First timers Workshop, 6:30pm 8 Junior Clothing Event, 3:30- 7:30pm 10 Int./Sr. Clothing Event, 5:30- 7:30pm 11 Communication Entries Due 17 Fair Clean-Up Day, 7pm 19-24 Union County Fair 20 Union County Fair Parade 25 Post-fair Clean-up, 8 AM—-- 7 Bucket Calf/Lamb Worksheets Due 20 Clover Kids Float, Fair Parade 22 Clover Kids Day, 10am-2pm, Fairgrounds 22 Clover Kids Visits, 12:30- 1:30pm, Fairgrounds 23 4-H Roundup (Clover Kids too) 10-11 Jams in Indiana 26 YACC new member orientation, Time & Location TBD 3 & 4 Clifford volunteer opportunity for Friends of the Library 4 Waterfest at McKinley Lake Volunteer Opportunity

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PRESORTED STANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE PAID CRESTON, IA

PERMIT NO. 42

Union County Extension Office 105 W. Adams St., Suite A Creston, IA 50801

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