4-H Friday News Blast for 1.3.2020

Enrollment is open for the 2020 program year! Club members, club leaders, independent members, project leaders, and superintendents must re-enroll each year.

To date 155 individuals have enrolled/re-enrolled:

• 128 youth and
• 27 volunteers.

Enrollment instructions are available to help you navigate the 4-H Online system. Be sure to check out the following resources:

· Enrollment Instructions

· Pick Your Project

· 2020 Project Listing

Get started!

Attention 2020 Nebraska State Fair exhibitors: Show Stock Manager is now open and available for those of you who are planning ahead, and preparing to show at the 2020 Nebraska State Fair. This link: State Fair Animal Nomination/ID Requirements provides information about requirements and deadlines for show entries. If necessary, click this link to nominate your livestock https://showstockmgr.com/.

The following link lists step-by-step instructions for using Show Stock Manager: Step-by-Step Instructions

Contact Lauren with any questions you may have either via email at lstohlmann2@unl.edu or give her a call at the office at 402-267-2205.

All 4-H members (excluding Clover Kids) enrolled in beef, dairy cattle, dairy goat, meat goat, poultry, rabbit, sheep, and swine are require to complete Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) training to exhibit livestock. The YQCA training must be completed by June 15th, 2020.

There will be three opportunities to attend an in-person training at the Cass County Extension Office. Please call the Extension office at 402-267-2205 to let us know you are coming, but you will need to pre-register online at YQCA.org

Please see the dates, times, and age levels below:

· February 6th - Juniors 6 – 7 pm. & Intermediate/Senior 7:30 – 8:30 pm.

· April 9th - Juniors 6 – 7 pm. & Intermediate/Senior 7:30 – 8:30 pm.

· June 4th – time TBD

While we encourage you to attend the in-person training, YQCA training may also be completed online. You can register and complete that training on their website at YQCA.org. If you have questions or need help registering, please call the office at 402-267-2205.

Did you know that effective communication is one of the most sought after skills in the workplace? Did you know that 75 percent of people suffer from Glossophobia: the fear of public speaking? Are you one of the 75 percent? Let us help you conquer that fear!

The 4-H Public Speaking Contest helps youth develop skills for communicating about current issues to real audiences, learn how to organize and prepare a speech, develop speech delivery skills, learn how to present themselves to others, and develop self-confidence. Whether you are interested in competing in the 4-H Public Speaking Contest, or you want to improve on your public speaking skills for your club or the classroom, consider attending the 4-H Public Speaking Contest Workshop at the Cass County Extension Office on Thursday, March 24th from 6:30 – 7:30.

The workshop content is recommended for junior and intermediate 4-Hers ages 8-14. However, if you are a senior level 4-Her and you are interested in attending a speaking contest workshop, please call the office and let us know! We are happy to host a workshop for all levels if there is enough interest.

Workshop participants will learn how to prepare and deliver a speech in a safe, welcoming environment! Call the Extension Office at 402-267-2205 or email lstohlmann2@unl.edu to register. The cost to register for the workshop is $5.

The Pick Your Project, available at http://4hcurriculum.unl.edu, has been updated for the 2020 program year.

Using the searchable, web-based 2020 Pick Your Project, users will be able to search for projects by keywords, curriculum areas, knowledge levels, and geographic levels. It is the intent that this feature will assist 4-H youth, volunteers and families with learning about the project opportunities using the Pick Your Project and then locating the same project in 4HOnline.

To assist 4-H members, volunteers, and parents, with locating curriculum to support 4-H projects, two resources are available:
1) A new 4-H Projects page at https://4h.unl.edu/projects
2) A Printable Project Listing at https://4h.unl.edu/documents/NE4H-Project-Listing-2020.docx

The 4-H Photography Showcase offers a project exhibition opportunity beyond traditional print media. It is intended to help youth develop professional and technical skills as photographers while fostering creativity and encouraging self-expression. Through this opportunity, youth are encouraged to practice and apply skills learned in their photography projects throughout the year.

How Does It Work?

Each month, a new photo will be selected from the online submissions. Selections will be made based on creativity, timeliness, technical execution, originality, and appropriateness. The selected photo will be showcased across the Nebraska 4-H social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Youth photographers will be credited wherever and whenever their photo is shared or published.

This opportunity is open to all enrolled 4-H members. Photo recommendations, file specifications, rules, and guidelines for participation are available online at https://4h.unl.edu/photography-showcase.

Do you know what it takes to pick the best fruit and vegetables out at the grocery store? Or do you know what judges are looking for when they judge your plants at the county fair? Have you ever wondered, what plant is that!?! We are excited to offer the opportunity to learn these and other important horticulture skills through the Online Horticulture Contest. The contest will be available June 5-22, 2020 at: https://go.unl.edu/hortcontest.

Horticulture judging contest consists of three parts. The first is identification of plant material. Participants identify the plants by common name from a plant list. Specimens may be alive or preserved plant parts like stems, twigs, leaves, flowers, seeds, fruits, roots, bulbs, tubers, or plant products.

The second is a knowledge portion, usually in the form of a true/false or multiple choice quiz. Questions will test the contestant's knowledge of cultural practices for horticultural crops, plant science, pesticides, horticultural careers and other topics related to the production, processing and consumption of horticultural crops.

The last portion is judging or placings. This is where four different plants, plates of vegetables, or containers flowers are ranked from best to worst based on a set of criteria. Classes are judged on the basis of condition, quality, uniformity, true-to-type, and size.

More information about the Nebraska State contest along with a list of study materials can be found in the Fairbook http://4h.unl.edu/fairbook/plant-science/horticulture-id. Here you can find the written study materials for the knowledge portion, follow links to plant pictures for help with identification, and read how judging of plant material is done.

More details at: https://4h.unl.edu/online-horticulture-judging-contest

• FRIDAY JANUARY 24th - Registration: 5:15 pm. Shooting starts promptly at 6:00 pm

• SATURDAY JANUARY 25th - Registration: 7:00 am. Shooting starts promptly at 8:00 am
• Registration: 10:00 am. Shooting starts promptly at 11:00 am

Cost: $15 per shooter. Pay at the event site.

NFAA 300 Round (12 ends of 5 arrows)

Contact Info: Mark Eggers: (402)750-0005 or Becky Carmin: (308)380-0763

Registration information found at: https://forms.gle/FCF4w8wDpCTW33gq6

Omaha Fashion Week has grown to the nation’s 5th largest fashion event. In addition to supporting more independent fashion designers than any other organization in the region, Omaha Fashion Week supports young fashion designers by providing mentoring, educational opportunities, and a professional platform to showcase work.

Nebraska 4-H is once again partnering with Omaha Fashion Week during their Spring Showcase. OFW Student Night will take place on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 and will exclusively feature student designers, including a 4-H collection. This collection will consist of 10 to 12 garments from across the state. Each garment will be modeled by the 4-H member who made it. In order to create a complete and dynamic collection, interested 4-H members are invited to apply to participate in the show. The 4-H collection will be curated based upon the selection criteria as listed below.

Student Night Details:

When: Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Where: Omaha Design Center (near TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha)

Hair and Make-up will be scheduled for all models starting at 2:00 p.m.

Runway rehearsal will take place at 5:30 p.m. The show starts at 8:00 p.m. and will end around 9:30 p.m.

Tickets for the event are free to students who show their Student ID or are $10 for non-students. For more information about Omaha Fashion Week or to purchase tickets to this night or the entire week, visit https://omahafashionweek.com/tickets

Selection Criteria:

· Participants must be current 4-H members.

· Garments must be constructed by the 4-H member, not purchased.

· Preference will be given to full garments constructed by the 4-H member.

· Garments should be fashion forward, runway appropriate and display high quality construction.

· Creativity and attention to detail are highly scrutinized in garment selection.

To Apply:

Complete the following application form: https://go.unl.edu/ofw2020

Note: Photos submitted of the 4-H member wearing the garment are recommended in the application.

Applications are due January 10th.

Attached is a flyer and social media graphic to use for promotional purposes. Please pass this on to any 4-H members that you feel would be qualified to apply for this opportunity. Let me know if you have any questions about Omaha Fashion Week or the application process. Looking forward to another dynamic show featuring the exceptional work of Nebraska 4-H designers!

Horse Project Members ... Mark your calendars. The 2020 District 4-H Horse Show locations, dates, and a district map are as follows:

June 15- Scottsbluff

June 16- Burwell

June 17- Columbus

June 18- Lincoln

June 19- McCook

Districts Webpage- https://4h.unl.edu/horse/district-shows

Looking ahead ...

1. Summer Camps announced for 2020
2. UNL on-line Cat Club ... new lesson available January 5th
3. Nebraska Equine Webinar series ... 2nd Monday of every month (please remember to register for these webinars in advance)
4. Horsemen's Update ... January 15, 2020. A full day of presentations on important topics for horse owners
5. Nebraska Cattlemen's Classic Judging Contest - Saturday, 2.15.2020 in Kearney
6. Come Ride with Me ... February 15, 2019 A Horsemanship clinic for youth and adults
7. Chick Days at UNL ... March 14, 2020 in Lincoln.
8. 2020 Horse Judging School - March 7, 2020
9. 2020 Adult/Leader Equine Advancement Level Workshop - March 8, 2020
10. 2020 Equine 4-H Youth 3 & 4 Advancement Level Workshop - March 8, 2020
11. 4-H Horse Stampede - March 28, 2020 at UNL
12. 4-H Companion Animal Challenge - March 28, 2020
13. Horse Stampede 2020 4-H Horses .. March 29, 2020
14. Big Red Camps in Lincoln - June 7-12
15. District Horse Show information - June 15, 16, 17, 18, 19

1. Hort Update (new Dec 17 + past issues)
   
2. Gardening articles by Sarah Browning (New articles posted almost every week)
3. Recorded Webinar and info on "Hunting Leases" with vital information for landowners
4. Nebraska Extension Publications ... online Library
5. Extension Crop Production Clinics set for January ... six sites (Mead is the closest)
6. Improving the Bottom-line of Breeding: Three State Beef Conference ... January 16 in Syracuse, NE 5:30 Flyer available here.

7. Become a Master Gardener ... for 2020 program, register by January 17, 2020
   

8. Nebraska Crop Management Conference ... January 22-23 in Kearney

9. Private Pesticide Training in Cass County (see below) ... February 20, 2020

The date for pesticide training for Cass County has been announced. It will be 2-20-2020 at the Cass County Fairgrounds, in the EXPO building. Visit our website at: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/cass/2020-private-pesticide-applicators-training/

More information can be found at: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/nemaha/2020-private-pesticide-applicator-training-schedule/ .

For other locations and times visit: https://pested.unl.edu/pesticide-safety-recertification

For questions about registration, training, and/or study materials, call the Pesticide Safety Education Program Office at 800-627-7216 (toll-free) or 402-472-1632 and visit the website:

For questions about the status of your license, reciprocity, test results, and/or tests requirements, call the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 402-471-2341.

Lauren Stohlmann, Extension Educator and Unit Leader, lauren.stohlmann@unl.edu

Katie Kreuser, Extension Educator, katie.kreuser@unl.edu

Tracy Ensor, Extension Assistant, tracy.ensor@unl.edu

Sondra Buell, Office Manager, sondra.buell@unl.edu

General Mailbox, cass-county@unl.edu

Email: cass-county@unl.edu
Website: www.cass.unl.edu
Location: 8400 144th Street, Weeping Water, NE, 68463
Phone: 402-267-2205
Facebook: facebook.com/UniversityofNebraskaLincolnExtensionCassCounty
Twitter: @UNLCassCounty