Dodge County 4-H teen leaders will help “steer” youth in the right direction at the Dodge County Fair this year through a new Commodity Carnival game that walks young people through the steps of bringing steer and cattle to market. Located in the Family Farm Adventure Tent, the interactive game helps young people understand the economics of agriculture — from balancing the costs of feed, labor, transportation and electricity to preparing for changes in weather, new regulations and other unforeseen obstacles.

CME Group, the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, and National 4-H Council. are partnering for the second year to bring the Commodity Carnival to 120 state and county fairs in 11 states this summer, including The Dodge County Fair.

Building on its success in 2013 educating more than 54,000 youth on agriculture commodities, the Commodity Carnival now will be available beyond the fairgrounds. New this year, families across the nation will be able to access the Commodity Carnival game online and as a new downloadable app from their mobile devices.

“We are pleased and excited to bring back Commodity Carnival to the state of Wisconsin,” said Carissa Brooks, Wisconsin 4-H Youth and Development Ag and Animal Science Intern. “Participants this year will gain the experience and understanding of the risks associated with raising steer, and will have the opportunity to receive a variety of great new prizes.”

“We’re pleased to be back for our second year of this program because, although we serve customers in more than 150 countries, our roots have always been in the heart of this country with farm and ranch families,” said CME Group Executive Chairman and President Terry Duffy. “Of the many educational programs we offer, this partnership with National 4-H is one of my favorites, because it gives us the unique opportunity to interact with the next generation of our nation’s food producers in their own communities.”

Run by 4-H youth leaders, Commodity Carnival educates participants in two phases. In the first phase, youth are tasked with “raising” a steer – balancing the costs of feed, health and nutrition, production and energy and resources. Once ready for market, the steer is weighed and the participant drops a disc down a Plinko-style board, with pegs representing elements beyond the youth’s control – parasites, bad weather, health news, government regulations and seasonal demands. At the end of the activity, the participant obtains an increased understanding of the commodities market.

For more information, please visit www.cmegroup.com/4hcarnival.

About 4-H
4-H is a community of six million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. National 4-H Council is the private sector, non-profit partner of 4-H National Headquarters located at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 4-H programs are implemented by the 109 land-grant universities and the Cooperative Extension System through their 3,100 local Extension offices across the country. Learn more about 4-H at www.4-h.org and find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/4-H or www.twitter.com/4-H.

About CME Group
As the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, CME Group (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) is where the world goes to manage risk. It offers the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes. Helping businesses everywhere mitigate the myriad risks they face in today’s uncertain global economy allows them to operate more effectively, create more jobs, and pass benefits on to consumers.
CME Group offers the widest range of agricultural commodity futures and options available on any U.S. exchange. Its agricultural contracts include grains, oilseeds, livestock, dairy products, lumber, coffee, sugar, cocoa and other products. These products are the staples of everyday life and represent the origins of the earliest forward and futures markets. These products serve commodity producers and users seeking risk management and hedging tools, alongside funds and other traders looking to capitalize on the extraordinary opportunities these markets offer. Learn more at www.cmegroup.com