A recent rash of news stories highlights the positive in society's youngest members: "Child Saves Kids from Bus Crash;" "Child Saves His Brother from Possible Abduction;" "Child Saves Family from House Fire."

But all too often, the news involving children indicates a dangerous lack of morality: 7- and 8-year-olds stealing cars; a 9-year-old's recent shooting of a school classmate; a 12-year-old charged with armed robbery. A particularly bad one nearly 20 years ago shocked sisters Debbie Burns and Patty Cockrell. Two 10-year-old truants abducted a toddler in England, tortured the little boy and beat him to death.

It prompted the women to begin work on Tukie Tales: A New Beginning for a Better Tomorrow (www.tukietales.com), a series of five children's books designed to help parents teach young children important values.

"There is something especially senseless in reading about small children committing sadistic crimes," Burns says. "We wanted to be part of a 'positive push' in the right direction."

The younger the child, the more impressionable they are, she says. We wanted to help busy parents scrambling to make ends meet teach children empathy, compassion, environmental awareness and other values.

"I don't think parents are bad," she says. "But with all the economic worries, the job losses and home foreclosures, many are focused on working and worrying. It's hard to also be thinking, 'What value will I teach my child today?' "

Burns and Cockrell offer tips for parents to help positively shape children:

• Promote a love for nature: Are your kids outdoors much? Parents who are busying shuttling their sons and daughters from one building to another may overlook the benefits of the great outdoors. Wilderness, however, has a therapeutic effect on indoor dwellers. Spending time in nature also helps children learn about their place in the world and the value of all the life that shares space with us.

• Show the value of teamwork: Working together toward a common goal doesn't always come naturally to children - or adults. Many youngsters learn teamwork through sports, which is good but almost always includes a competitive element. It's important for children to experience the added benefits of creating, problem-solving and getting chores done as a team. Parents should look for opportunities to point out their children's great teamwork.

• Make sure they appreciate safety: No good parent wants to unnecessarily frighten their children, but carelessness leads to bad habits, injuries and opportunities for others to do them harm. The best medicine for any problem is prevention. Remember: Don't take for granted that your young child knows what's safe and what's not. Some years ago, someone taught you that stoves can burn your hand - even though you can't remember who or when it was.

• Build their confidence with at least one skill: Remember what it's like to be 4 years old? Very young children come into this world with no previous experience, which means their brains are hungry for know-how. Knowledge and skills to a child are like water for a thirsty man in the desert.

• Kindness counts: It is one thing to teach kids the old idiom that one catches more flies with honey than with vinegar. But children should also know that people who make kindness a habit tend to be happier; there is an inherent joy in helping others.

"I understand parents are busy earning a living to support their children," Cockrell says. "But who you raise in the process makes all the difference to the future world."

About Debbie Burns & Patty Cockrell

Burns and Cockrell are sisters and best friends. They were determined to instill honest and wholesome values in their children after establishing their families. Deeply affected by the bad news of the world, they decided to promote a better experience for children. The "Tukie Tales" series is written with compassion and love for all of the world's children in the hope of making a positive difference.

DES MOINES, IA (05/10/2012)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald is excited to announce Iowa schools and students had excellent participation in a new financial literacy program. The National Financial Capability Challenge, which ran from March 12 to April 13, was designed to help students increase their financial knowledge in areas like earning, spending, saving, borrowing and risk protection.

"I'm happy to say that Iowa had excellent participation in the Challenge," said Fitzgerald. "Nearly 3500 students from eighty-eight schools took part in the program. By doing so, they made a big step towards creating a secure financial future for themselves. It's very exciting to see so many young adults take their financial educations into their own hands."

The average Challenge score for participating Iowa students was 72% which was 3% higher than the national average. Twenty-three students received perfect scores. They, along with other top-scoring students, will be presented with personalized award certificates.

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WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - May 10, 2012 - Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF), the largest grassroots farm organization in the state, applauds Iowa lawmakers for measures passed this year which protect property owners, increase conservation funding and protect responsible Iowa livestock farmers from fraud.

Several measures passed in this legislative session that impact property taxes paid by landowners and homeowners.  IFBF applauds two legislative issues that directly impact property owners including a combined $27 million increase to the homestead property tax credit and ag land and family farm property tax credit, providing for direct property tax relief,"  said IFBF President Craig Hill, a Milo crop and livestock farmer.  Additionally, the legislature reinstated the statewide dollar cap to ensure that property tax contributions to the mental health system remain limited and controlled.  "These efforts, along with fully funding the legislature's K-12 education commitments, provide protections for property taxpayers and assure limited and controlled use of property tax dollars for these services."

While IFBF had several priority issues win bi-partisan approval in the 2012 legislative session, members are particularly pleased to see increased conservation and water quality cost-share funding for programs which are currently experiencing a backlog of unfunded projects.  "Farm Bureau members are pleased that lawmakers decided to increase state funding for incentive-based, voluntary conservation and water quality programs, including the Ag Drainage Well Closure program.  Farmers know a 'one size fits all' approach doesn't work when it comes to conservation measures, but they do know what works best on their land.  Conservation measures such as buffer strips, terracing and other soil-protection and water quality measures have helped Iowa farmers reduce erosion by more than 30 percent since 1982, but requests for cost-share dollars to implement them have been grossly underfunded," said Hill.   The increase in the Ag Drainage Well Closure program and Conservation Cost-Share program will translate into enhanced water quality and soil conservation in Iowa.

Another high priority issue for Iowa family farmers which won passage in the 2012 legislature was the Agriculture Protection Bill.  The bi-partisan House File (HF) 589 creates penalties for those who fraudulently gain access to a farm with the intent to cause harm.   "It's about misrepresentation of character," said Hill.  "Good farmers don't want to think that someone is sitting on the sidelines, watching bad things happen, just because they have some covert motive."   HF 589 creates new penalties for those who make false statements to gain access to a farm, or misrepresent themselves on an employment application to hide their intended misconduct or purpose.   It also penalizes organizations or persons who aid or abet someone who misrepresented facts to gain access to a crop or livestock farm.

Farm Bureau members will continue to work towards improving Iowa's infrastructure, an area which was not addressed by this year's legislature.  "Many of Iowa's roads and bridges are in need of significant structural improvements, and we continue to fall further behind every year.  Clearly, this problem will not go away without additional funding; that's why Farm Bureau members have identified a fuel tax increase as the most equitable, feasible funding method," said Hill.

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About Iowa Farm Bureau

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation is a grassroots, statewide organization dedicated to enhancing the People, Progress and Pride of Iowa.  More than 153,000 families in Iowa are Farm Bureau members, working together to achieve farm and rural prosperity.  For more information about Farm Bureau and agriculture, visit the online media room at www.iowafarmbureau.com.

ST. LOUIS (May 10, 2012) - More than 75 million bushels of whole U.S. soybeans made their way to Japan last year, thanks to strong demand for quality soy. Next week, a delegation of U.S. soybean farmers representing the United Soybean Board (USB), the American Soybean Association (ASA) and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) plan to honor the 50th anniversary of the Japan Oilseed Processors Association (JOPA). The organization has worked with U.S. soybean farmers to meet demand for U.S. soy in Japan.

Today's strong trade relations with Japan started in 1956, when a team of representatives of the Japanese soy industry visited the United States. Ever since, JOPA, which represents 20 Japanese oilseed processors, has been a key ally for the U.S. soy industry. Today, nearly 70 percent of Japanese soybean imports originate from the United States.

"Japan has grown to be one of our most valued customers," says Vanessa Kummer, USB chair and a soybean farmer from Colfax, N.D. "Because customers in Japan serve as one of our largest markets abroad, soy ranks as the top U.S. agricultural export and makes a large net contribution to the U.S. agricultural trade balance. The soy checkoff, along with my fellow farmers representing ASA and USSEC, mark this very symbolic milestone with our Japanese customers and remain committed to meeting their soy needs."

"Japan's oilseed processing sector has long been a trusted partner for American soybean farmers," says ASA First Vice President Danny Murphy, a soybean farmer from Canton, Miss. "The American Soybean Association opened its first overseas international market development office in Japan in 1956, and U.S. soy exports to Japan have grown to more than $1 billion annually today. We are honored to join our Japanese counterparts and colleagues in celebrating the accomplishments of the Japanese Oilseed Processors Association as it celebrates its 50th anniversary, and we look forward to continuing the Japanese-American partnership."

"Our partnership with the Japanese crushing industry, which is the third largest buyer of U.S. soybeans, is stronger than ever," says Roy Bardole, USSEC chairman and soybean farmer from Rippey, Iowa. "U.S. soy farmers take the relationship with JOPA very seriously. We are committed to do what we can to ensure another 50 successful years as their partner."

Prior to formal recognition marking JOPA's anniversary, the U.S. group plans to visit a soy processing plant and feed mill at a major port near Tokyo.

The 69 farmer-directors of USB oversee the investments of the soy checkoff to maximize profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. These volunteers invest and leverage checkoff funds to increase the value of U.S. soy meal and oil, to ensure U.S. soybean farmers and their customers have the freedom and infrastructure to operate, and to meet the needs of U.S. soy's customers. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff.

For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit www.unitedsoybean.org
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