I'm not sure about the amount of canners and any increase in participants, but I do know the Cooperative Extension had to have two more canning classes this year, in the evenings, as all her classes got full and there was much more demand. The co-op lady is the one that pushes me to enter the fair. Originally, I wasn't going to do it this year. But I did, and I won again. I've got my eye on Linda Lou's SWEET APPLE RELISH for an entry for next year! I think the judges are intrigued by something new and different. Everyone on this forum deserves to play a part in those ribbons. I'm just bragging on you guys all the time. How you push to do it correctly and properly, keeping safety in mind, along with the hard work and joy from it. Cooking is an art, canning is a science. You've taught me that and I love the fact that you don't deviate from that. Canning is addictive and we are all duly warned when we wander into this site. Ribbons are just the 'icing on the cake' and reflect on your safe, great recipes! You deserve to be recognized. June Lynn

Our 48X32 ft hoop house is up and the tomatoes are flowering amid cold weather. Our experience with the USDA people in North Little Rock, AR was great. They were helpful, knew what they were doing and were more like neighbors than bureaucrats. If they are going to help pay for it, they don't want to pay for trash that is going to blow away. We have been able to extend our tomato harvest and we will be able to plant lettuce for market all winter. They said this was a test to see if the value of an extended season would be worth the expense of the hoop house. In addition, they noticed that we were starting to build a sheep herd and told us about a pasture rotation program that would cut down parasite damage to our animals. They paid for the materials for building electric fenced paddocks that were secure and would enable us to move the animals every week, breaking the parasite cycle. We paid for or did the labor.I know all the arguments against letting the government help, but I see the government spending money on stuff I disapprove of and in this case, I appreciate the knowledge and financial help the guys at USDA provided locally.

OMG, Ellie! Sending up prayers for your besieged cousin! Elly's bout with uterine cancer, last September, was the absolute scariest thing she & I have ever been through! Whenever I actually thought about it, while Elly was away up north in Springfield for eight days (with her mother, sister and brother, while I remained here with our autistic son), to have her uterus removed, etc., I would personally become physically ill. - God bless and comfort you all!

Please, see the new thread for all wish lists posted as well as games and fun... link below... Blessings, Angela Here is a link that might be useful: Secret Santa Swap, thread 3