Thurston County 4-H News

Jennifer E. Hansen, Extension Educator, jhansen6@unl.edu

Stacey Keys, Extension Assistant, stacey.keys@unl.edu

Samantha Beutler, Office Staff, samantha.beutler@unl.edu

Email: thurston-county@unl.edu
Website: thurston.unl.edu
Location: 415 Main Street, P.O. Box 665, Pender, NE 68787
Phone: 402-385-6041
Facebook: facebook.com/UNLExtensionThurston/
Twitter: @UNLThurstonCty

Mar 15 - Butter Braid Order DUE

Mar 25 - Butter Braid Pick Up @ Extension Office

April 1 - 4-H Council Senior Scholarship DUE

April 5 - All Contest Registration DUE

April 10 - All Contest Day, Pender

April 12 - Joint 4-H Council Meeting

April 18-24 - National Volunteer Week

April 30 - Office Closed - Arbor Day

May 7 - Horse: District & State Entries DUE (strongly encourage you get your county horse IDs in too)

May 10 - Thurston 4-H Council Meeting

May 31 - Office Closed - Memorial Day

Join us for Speech, Music, Presentations, and Favorite Foods on Saturday, April 10th!!

We're dividing things up between the Firehall and the United Church of Pender to keep numbers down for COVID plans.

Please REGISTER BY APRIL 5TH at https://go.unl.edu/dtallcontestday2021 and tell us your time preference for your events. We'll work out a schedule for individuals that will hopefully fall into place.

Any questions you know how to find us!

We are doing our best to keep you informed about all changes as things continue to shift. If you have questions please call or email FIRST! #thurston4Hstrong

As of March 3, 2021, Thurston County is in YELLOW!

As state and local COVID-19 situations continue to change, Nebraska Extension has updated their guidance for programming. As of Monday, November 30th if the State DHM color phase or the Northeast Nebraska Health Department COVID-19 risk dial are in RED, ALL Extension/4-H programs, meetings, and events must be delivered virtually, until the color changes. This included 4-H Club meetings!

If the risk dial is ORANGE, it is recommended that programs, meetings, and events are held virtually and facial coverings are required for in-person meetings.

If the risk dial is YELLOW, facial coverings are recommended and to follow local guidance for risk color.

https://covid19.unl.edu/

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln takes the health and safety of our campus community very seriously. As the United States and global health officials continue to address the spread of novel coronavirus and COVID-19 infection, health and emergency preparedness officials at UNL are monitoring the situation in collaboration with our university and governmental partners. Any official updates regarding UNL’s response will be found on this site.

Thank you to all that enrolled before March 1st! We got a large chunk of you and a few new ones! If you haven't picked up your Thurston t-shirts yet, they're here in the office. Let us know and we can get them pulled together for you!

Everyone else...you still can enroll and we know you're out there just waiting!!

For all you new members and for our previous ones, to keep up with all the latest updates and information as soon as possible! Follow us on Facebook @UNLExtensionThurston!

As things update and shift and change, we want to keep you in the loop so that you can have the best 4-H experience possible and have all the information you need.

Who: Anyone (Specifically 4-H Leaders & Parents)

When: April 8th @ 6:30 pm

Where: Pender Fire Hall

Why: COVID best practices, County and State Fair changes, Positive Youth Development Practices for our 4-H youth so this experience is the best, general changes and questions that you might bring!

RSVP is due by April 8th at noon. Be watching social media and your mail for more information!

Visit ne.4honline.com to enroll for the 2020-2021 4-H year!

There is a $5 enrollment fee.

Cloverleaf Livestock: Pay Club

Rosalie Feeders, TC Roughriders, & Independent: Pay the Office Directly

NOTHING'S CHANGED!!! But since it's a new year we need you to re-enroll at ne.4honline.com. There are step by step sheets at http://extension.unl.edu/statewide/thurston/4-h-enrollment. For both new families and families that already have profiles. If you already have a profile make sure you DO NOT make a new profile.

If you are a VOLUNTEER for our program we also need to you to re-enroll in our online database. Again step by step information can be found at http://extension.unl.edu/statewide/thurston/4-h-enrollment. NEW Thurston County volunteers will need to do a background check before Volunteer Enrollment will be complete!

If anyone of you has questions please call the office and we'll do our best to work through any issues.

Thurston County 4-Hers will again have the opportunity to sell Butter Braids this year! Your information will come in your enrollment packets (either at Kick-Off or in the mail). Be sure to read the letter because we have a NEW ONLINE OPTION for 2021.

What is a Butter Braid? A Butter Braid is a frozen pastry dough that you thaw, let rise, bake and frost. It is a mouth watering, delicious, homemade pastry.

Butter Braids are available in a variety of flavors. Thurston County 4-Hers will be taking orders from January 31-March 15, orders will be delivered to the 4-Hers on March 26th at 5 pm at the Thurston County Extension Office. Proceeds from this fundraiser help fun 4-H activities throughout the year.

Want to spend a week of your summer enjoying the outdoors, trying new activities and making new friends?! Join us at Nebraska 4-H Camps for summer 2021! Our summer camp is located in the middle of the Sandhills in the beautiful Nebraska National Forest near Halsey. Our week-long overnight camp programs are open to all youth ages 8-15. You do not need to be a member of 4-H to attend camp (invite all of your friends to join!). We also have leadership opportunities and jr. counselor positions available for ages teens ages 15-18. A typical week at 4-H Camp includes a variety of outdoor adventure activities such as canoeing, zipline, high ropes course, archery, crafts, campfires and more! Charter bus transportation options will also be offered select weeks from UNL East campus in Lincoln or Raising Nebraska in Grand Island.

For more information and full camp descriptions please view the electronic 4-H Camp brochure: https://4h.unl.edu/documents/2021%20Brochure%20Final.pdf

Please reach out to the Camp Program Director, Katie Zabel, with any questions! Kzabel2@unl.edu

We know with all the COVID limitations being a 4-H Club like normal has been impossible. We just encourage you to do all you can to continue the great learning that happens within the traditional club setting. AND please reach out to the office you need help or suggestions. Let's problem solve together!

This is the 4-H Policy Handbook's definition of a club:

8.1 Definition of a Club:

Nebraska 4-H and 4-H National Headquarters define a 4-H Club as: an organized group of at least five youth from three different families who meet regularly with adult volunteers or staff for a long-term, progressive series of educational experiences and have enrolled in 4-H Online.

8.2 Structure of a 4-H Club:

4-H Clubs are to be structured as follows:

• Enrolls at least 5 youth members from at least 3 families.
• Is advised by adult staff or volunteers who have been screened and trained in accordance with the Nebraska 4-H Policy and Procedure Handbook.
• Conduct a minimum of 6 regular club meetings (virtual or face-to-face) per year, with many holding 9-12 regular meetings throughout most or all of the year, and often supplemented by project meetings, camps, fairs, and other 4-H learning activities.
• Selects youth officers or youth leaders to provide leadership to the club.
• Meets in any location — a home, community center, military installation, library, public housing site, school, afterschool program, and/or many other places.
• Helps youth and parents/guardians adapt in cases of mobility — linking them to 4-H programs in other counties and states. Meets interests and needs of youth in same-age or cross-age groupings and using single project or multiple project formats.

Our office takes care of making sure some of these policies are followed but this is requirement that needs to fulfilled to be considered a 4-H Club and therefore hold money in the name of 4-H, which all our clubs do. This doesn’t have to come solely from the club leader, please coordinate with the secretary of your club to get this information to the office in the following years.

If you have questions or concerns please let the office know.

Applicant Criteria:

1. Applicant must be a current High School Senior.
2. Applicant must currently be an enrolled member of the Thurston County 4-H Program. And have been enrolled in 4-H for at least the past two years.
3. Applicant must have completed and turned in their 4-H Career Portfolio/Achievement Application for at least the past two years.
4. Application must be completed and returned to get proper signatures to the Club Leader by April 1st of the current calendar year. Club Leaders will then turn all collected applications to Nebraska Extension in Thurston County. After submission, applications will not be returned.

Scholarship Information:

1. One $150 will be awarded to all applicants who meet the criteria.
2. Scholarship will be awarded after receiving written notification of scholarship recipient’s second semester enrollment. For those students enlisting with the military, notification of basic training completion will be the equivalent.
3. Scholarship monies will be sent directly to the scholarship winner.

The intent of the scholarship is to assist women who live 3 or more hours drive from Lincoln but wish to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Applicant must reside in Love Memorial Cooperative Residence Hall on East Campus.

If you have questions email Gloria Turnbull at turnbull@inebraska.com.

Application deadline: postmarked no later than March 15, 2021.

Application can be found here: https://unl.box.com/s/dg5z1xjqqrhddyv3cqfo9hke7iw8jv6l

(One $500 Scholarship — Fall 2021/Spring 2022—non renewable)

Who is Eligible?

1. Female born high school graduate (or soon to be) OR a UN-L student who has not resided at Love Memorial Cooperative Residence Hall (LMH) OR an undergraduate transfer student from another college or university pursing any major for an undergraduate or graduate degree.

2. Applicant must be or been a member of 4-H or FCCLA or FFA (minimum of two years) or have taken a minimum of three semesters in Family & Consumer Sciences classes and live in or attend school in the following Nebraska counties: Antelope, Arthur, Banner, Blaine, Box Butte, Boyd, Brown, Cedar, Chase, Cherry, Cheyenne, Custer, Dakota, Dawes, Dawson, Deuel, Dixon, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Garden, Garfield, Gosper, Grant, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Holt, Hooker, Keith, Keya Paha, Kimball, Knox, Lincoln, Logan, Loup, McPherson, Morrill, Perkins, Phelps, Pierce, Red Willow, Rock, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Sioux, Thomas, Thurston, Wayne, Wheeler. (Map on page 3)

3. Must have applied (minimum) or been accepted (preferred) to University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

4. Must have requested residency in Love Memorial Hall, a cooperative residence hall on East Campus. Residents rotate responsibilities for cleaning a portion of the Hall and planning/preparing meals (about 1 hour per week; more time during a week when responsible for food preparation). The cost of living in Love Memorial Hall is less than half of what is charged for all other traditional dorms. Over a four year period this amounts to a savings around $24,000. More information about Love Memorial Hall is found at: https://housing.unl.edu/love-memorial-hall Students may change housing preference by submitting a written request to the Housing Office.

For more information:

Web - https://housing.unl.edu;

Phone - (402) 472-3561; Switchboard—800-742-8800; Email: housing@unl.edu

The Nebraska Innovative Youth Corn Challenge is approaching its tenth-year engaging youth in crop science-based education. The Innovative Youth Corn Challenge (IYCC) was created as a partnership between the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Extension. Since the Innovative Youth Corn Challenge program’s inception in 2012, 74 teams have participated in the program with 37 teams successfully harvesting and analyzing their plot data. A total of 147 youth have participated.

This program continues to evolve and has exciting changes planned for the 2021 growing season with IYCC 2.0. A citizen scientist component will encourage youth to connect with researchers on a real problem facing corn growers and assist in collecting data or designing a tool to solve a real-world problem.

The IYCC 2.0 will also feature an agricultural literacy piece which will help others understand corn production practices and highlight teams’ efforts. This will allow youth to promote their own work through creative works such as a video or other multimedia tool. Nebraska Extension will execute this evolving, innovative and in-depth program in 2021, which will be the tenth year creating agricultural, science-informed graduates in the agricultural industry.

Prizes for participation in this project include 1st place - $1,000, 2nd place - $500, 3rd place -$250, “Extra Mile” Award $200, CORN Communications Award $200 and $50 for completion of the project. In addition, each team receives a crop scouting kit valued at over $200, plot sign and the opportunity to engage with UNL agronomic professionals through “ask an agronomist” sessions.

For more information about this program and to register, go to https://cropwatch.unl.edu/youth/cornchallenge. Registration is due March 15th. Contact Brandy VanDeWalle at brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu or (402) 759-3712 for details about this program.

Whether it’s your favorite photo you’ve taken this fall or one you took to the county fair, we want to see it! Submit your favorite photo for a chance to be showcased. The 4-H photography showcase offers members a project exhibition opportunity beyond traditional print media. 4-H’ers are invited to submit their favorite photo they’ve taken for a chance to have it showcased online for thousands of 4-H fans to admire.

Link to more info: Nebraska 4-H Photography Showcase

The on-line horticulture contest will be offered June 4-21st 2021. Below is a blurb for newsletters. Let me know if you have any questions. Elizabeth

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 4-21, 2021 at: https://go.unl.edu/21onlinehortcontest.

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

More information about the Nebraska State contest can be found in the Fairbook https://4hfairbook.unl.edu/fairbookview.php/contests/45 .

If you like plants and/or insects, here’s your opportunity to build skills and have fun too!

Attend to participate in one, two, three or all four contests!

Your interest - your choice! Bring a friend too!

4-H’ers may earn a trip to a state and/or national contest!

Thursday, June 24, 2021

Agricultural Park Exhibit Hall Club Room, Fairgrounds - 822 15th Street, Columbus NE

(Entrance to Ag Park is at intersection of 10th Av. and 15th St.)

12:15 – Welcome and Instructions

12:30 PM - Horticulture Judging, I.D. & Quiz

1:45 PM - Tree Identification

2:35 PM – BREAK with Refreshments

2:45 PM - Entomology (Insect) Identification

3:45 PM - Grass and Weed Identification

PLEASE BRING A CLIP BOARD TO USE DURING THE CONTEST

Identify plant/insect samples for each contest. For horticulture, there is also 4 judging classes (vegetables, fruits, flowers, nursery stock). Study materials available at https://4h.unl.edu/fairbook/contests. For information, contact your local Extension office or Kelly Feehan at kfeehan2@unl.edu or 402-563-4901.

Register here: https://unl.box.com/s/wcc4tty60jqhs1jfsnvpnzc9107kpd5t

It is with great excitement that Nebraska 4-H will be offering new livestock classes and divisions at the 2021 Nebraska State Fair! With the decision to shift 4-H and FFA livestock shows to the two different weekends, this provided the opportunity to offer new shows and programs for 4-H.

Here’s what is NEW!

4-H BEEF

In our beef area, we will now be offering:

· a feeder calf show,

· a junior breeding heifer class to all of our breeding classes, and

· 4-H members will now be eligible to show up to a total of five beef animals. A 4-H’er can exhibit up to two market beef, three breeding heifers and two feeder calves as long as the total number of entries does not exceed five beef animals.

4-H SWINE

In our swine area,

• We will be offering a breeding gilt show. This breeding gilt show will include 9 purebred classes as well as a crossbred class.
• In our market swine show, we will be creating a more diverse show by including 9 purebred classes.
• We will also be adding new “Farrowed and Owned Breeding and Market Swine” divisions. The Nebraska 4-H Farrowed and Owned Swine Cohort is an opportunity for youth interested in learning more about the swine industry and is designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders in the swine industry. The goal of the Nebraska 4-H Farrowed and Owned Swine Cohort is to enhance the educational value of the traditional 4-H swine projects by providing unique opportunities focusing on swine production as goal of the member’s project, along with accurate and complete record-keeping, industry knowledge, and engagement by the 4-H member.
• 4-H members will now be eligible to show up to a total of five swine projects. A 4-H member is limited to exhibiting three market hogs and two breeding gilts

4-H SHEEP

• 4-H members will now be eligible to show up to a total of five sheep maximum, if at least two are breeding ewes. In no case will a 4-H member exhibit more than three market lambs.

4-H GOAT

• 4-H members will now be eligible to show up to a total of five goats maximum, if at least two are breeding does. In no case will a 4-H member exhibit more than three market goats.

New Opportunity for 4-H Swine Exhibitors

A new Farrowed and Owned Breeding Market Swine division for youth interested in learning more about the swine industry. The Nebraska 4-H Farrowed and Owned Swine Cohort is designed to enhance the traditional 4-H swine project and cultivate the next generation of leaders in the swine industry by providing opportunities focusing on swine production as a goal of the 4-H member's project, along with accurate and complete record-keeping, industry knowledge, and engagement by the 4-H member. In order to participate, youth must be 4-H age 10-18, complete YQCA and farrowed their project animal(s).

Youth participating in the Farrowed and Owned Cohort will:

- Network with 4-H members across the state who are also participating in the cohort experience.

- Participate in learning opportunities hosted by Extension Swine Specialist Benny Mote about nutrition, feeding, genetics and more.

- Gain knowledge related to their project and the swine industry as a whole.

- Maintain records related to swine management and basic care.

- Exhibit their Farrowed and Owned project animals at the 2021 Nebraska State Fair with the opportunity for special recognition as a result of participating in the cohort.

Register by April 1st to participate in 2021!

https://bit.ly/30fTx9H

After the registration deadline, youth will receive more detailed information via email.

For questions, contact Nebraska Extension Swine Specialist Benny Mote at

bmote8@unl.edu or 402-310-9878.

The State 4-H Horse Program would like to notify counties and their 4-H families to book their hotel reservations soon if they plan to attend/participate at the 2021 Fonner Park 4-H State Horse Expo. This year the Horse Expo (July 10th - 14th) is scheduled on the same dates as the National Jr. Angus Show. Since both events are happening at the same time, we HIGHLY recommend families are notified about the limited hotel availability during the state horse show. We would like to give families plenty of warning so they are not struggling to book hotels closer to our event.

We have blocked off a limited number of rooms with the Fairfield Inn hotel for 4-H families. Please see below for more information.

Attached below is the link to share with your families to make their reservations online. They are also more than welcome to call hotel directly at 308-381-8980.

Book your group rate for State 4H Horse Show

You will find the information for your online reservation link below. If you have questions or need help with the link, please do not hesitate to ask. We appreciate your business and look forward to a successful event.

Event Summary:

State 4H Horse Show

Start Date: Sunday, July 11, 2021

End Date: Thursday, July 15, 2021

Last Day to Book: Friday, March 19, 2021

Hotel(s) offering your special group rate:

• Fairfield Inn & Suites Grand Island for 120 USD per night

Book your group rate for State 4H Horse Show

ALSO

There are also changes to the Camper/RV areas for the 4-H State Horse Expo!

Due to the increased number of requests for Camper Hookups during the Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Show. Fonner Park and the 4-H Horse program have developed the following guidelines for the show.

• NEW THIS YEAR (2021)!! Reservations must be made DIRECTLY with Fonner Park due to another large livestock event coinciding with ours. Call Kathy at (308) 382-4515 ext. 213 to reserve your space.
• Camper Parking will be on the north side of the grounds along Fonner Park Rd. in the RV Park.
• Fonner Park requests NO camper/living quarter trailers be on the ground prior to noon, Friday before the start of the show on Saturday.
• Parking will be available afternoon on Friday. HOWEVER trailers/campers cannot be left unattended to prevent theft and vandalism to your property as this has been an issue in the past.
• A $35 fee per day will be charged for all trailer/campers throughout the Horse Expo.

The 4-H Spring Rabbit Show is currently planned for Saturday, March 20, 9 a.m. at the Lancaster Event Center Fairgrounds – Exhibit Hall. Open to all youth ages 8–18. This is a great opportunity to learn more about your rabbit, practice showmanship and try other rabbit related contests!

Health Directives will be followed, including social distancing, masks required, etc.

To accommodate, strict health measures will be followed in order for us to hold this event including:

1. Face coverings must be worn.
2. A list of attendees/volunteers names, phone numbers and email addresses will be kept.
3. Prior to entering event all attendees/volunteers will be assessed through a health screening (symptom questionnaire) and it will be used to turn away potentially sick.
4. The number of attendees/volunteers in each indoor room will be monitored. An appropriate cap allowed will be set and timing and direction of traffic flow will be designated and monitored.
5. Attendees will be asked to socially distance themselves at all times throughout the event and appropriate spacing will be marked.

Please register in advance at https://forms.gle/zUF3jxewAzCXEVwH7 .

Show flyer is at https://lancaster.unl.edu/4h/companionanimal . For more information, call Bob at 402-525-8263 or the Extension office at 402-441-7180.

Entries due: 5:00 pm, April 2, 2020

Fee: $5

Contests: Demonstration, Photography, Dog Trivia, Cat Trivia, Essay, Art

We have made some changes to our 4-H Companion Animal Contest! It will now be VIRTUAL!

1. All entry forms are due April 2nd,2021 by 5:00pm to the online entry form: https://forms.gle/WqFQ9SD8moiXyJXe9
1. Entry fees should be mailed/postmarked by April 2nd WITH a copy of the online entry form.
2. Art, Photography, Essay, Demonstration entries/exhibits should be uploaded to the online entry form (only submitting 1 document/photo per entry)
3. Art entries must be saved/labeled as so:

Contest-FirstName-LastName-County-Age

Example: Art-Jane-Doe-Lancaster-13

1. Photography entries should be labeled as so (with their Data Tag attached):

Contest-FirstName-LastName-County-Age

Example: Photography-Jane-Doe-Lancaster-13

DataTag-Photography-Jane-Doe-Lancaster-13

1. Demonstration entry files should be saved in the MP3 or MP4 format
1. Team demonstrations: each team member should submit the same video
2. Questions will be posted on the webpage that should be answered at the end of the demonstration
3. Demonstration entries should be labeled as so:

Contest-FirstName-LastName-County-Age

Example: Demonstration-Jane-Doe-Lancaster-13

1. Essay entries entry files should be labeled as so (with statement of authenticity attached):

Contest-FirstName-LastName-County-Age

Example: Essay-Jane-Doe-Lancaster-13

Statementofauthenticity- Essay-Jane-Doe-Lancaster-13

1. Dog and Cat Trivia (brand new contest!)
1. Participants will be given a week’s time frame to finish the quizzes for their respective age groups
2. Participants will need to create a Quizizz account in order to participate

Ribbons and certificates will be mailed to exhibitors or sent to their county offices by April 30th

For information can be found at: https://4h.unl.edu/companion-animal/challenge

It’s application time for one of the biggest youth agriculture outreach events in the

state—the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NAYI). This year, NAYI is celebrating 50 years of bringing together high school juniors and seniors to learn more about Nebraska agriculture, network with agriculture leaders and discover the many careers available in agriculture. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) helps sponsor and coordinate NAYI every year.

NAYI will be held July 12-16, 2021, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus and will follow any COVID-19 recommendations in place at the time. Applications for NAYI are available at nda.nebraska.gov/nayi and must be submitted online. Current high school juniors and seniors interested in attending have until April 15, 2021, to apply.

NDA selects students to attend NAYI based on their leadership skills, interests and involvement in agriculture. Applications are available online at nda.nebraska.gov/nayi and must be submitted by April 15, 2021, at 11:59 p.m.

We've gone VIRTUAL!
We are excited to announce our annual 4-H Judges Certification & Training will be virtual this year! This workshop will include Equine Industry experts, University faculty, and carded judges going over our various topics (Ranch Pleasure, Showmanship, Western Riding, and Hunt Seat Equitation).
For the month of April, our virtual meetings will be held at 6:00pm CT on April 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th. AND participants will receive Judging Kits! Sign up today at www.go.unl.edu/judges-certification for only $40 to learn from experts and receive your judging essentials!

Our Experts
Clay Cavinder- Mississippi State University
John Pipkin- West Texas A&M University
Kathy Anderson- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lena Luck- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Sarah Schobert- Texas A&M University

June 9-11, Lincoln, NE

The UNL Livestock Judging Camp is designed for 4-H and FFA members looking to improve their livestock evaluation and oral reason skills. Activities will focus on proper evaluation with an emphasis on reasons format, terminology,

and presentation.

Registration is $300 per person and includes all meals, lodging, and materials. The registration deadline is May 21. go.unl.edu/judging-camp

Questions? Contact

Blaine French at

bfrench6@unl.edu,

402-472-8834

Wednesday - May 26, 2021

Pitzer Ranch Arena, Ericson, NE

Hopefully we will be able to hold this years PITZER HORSE JUDGING CONTEST.

Please Pre-register by call the GLW office at 308-346-4200.

We have lunch on grounds for a small fee or bring your brown bag.

We also have an adult contest to test your knowledge.

Club and County teams will consist of 3 or 4 individuals with top three scores. Please have teams formed before registration. Register only once - team members will automatically be entered as individuals.

Divisions are: Jr 8-11 years of age by Jan 1, 2021

Sr. 12-18 years of age by Jan 1, 2021

View the full flyer here: https://unl.box.com/s/y2vpdmn4pds1svtxfeuofrw6msjy0v6q

All youth aged 14 and 15 who work on a farm or ranch other than their own MUST be certified through a Hazardous Occupations Course to obtain a Farm Husbandry Permit or “farm permit” without further testing.

Successful completion of this training in Nebraska will allow youth to operate a tractor over 20 horsepower, and connect or disconnect an implement or any of its parts to or from a tractor. Students of any age over 13 may complete the driving course in any of the following locations after successful online class completion:

June 7 – Akrs Equipment, 49110 US Hwy 20 in O’Neill

Contact Debra Walnofer, 402.336.2760, dwalnofer2@unl.edu

June 8 – Legacy of the Plains Museum, 2930 Old Oregon Trail #8500 in Gering

Contact Stacy Brown, 308.632.1480, sbrown7@unl.edu

June 9 – West Central Research & Education Center, 402 West State Farm Rd., North Platte

Contact Randy Saner or Vicki Neidhardt 308.532.2683, randy.saner@unl.edu

June 10 – Hall County Extension, 3180 Hwy 34, Grand Island

Contact Crystal Beissenherz, 308.385.5088, crystal.beissenherz@unl.edu

June 11 – Cass County Fairgrounds, 8420 144th St, Weeping Water

Contact Sandy Prall, 402.267.2205, sprall2@unl.edu

For more information or to register, contact the appropriate Extension staff member above. 2021 Tractor Safety Registration Form

The Tractor Safety Training team has decided that if a family is having difficulty with the $40 registration fee for our course, we will provide waivers to cover the fee. We do not want anyone missing out because of monetary difficulties. Safety is first priority.

2021 Districts Dates and Sites:

June 14- Scottsbluff

June 15- Burwell

June 16- Columbus

June 17- Lincoln

June 18- McCook

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

We are excited for our 2021 year! Thank you to the extension offices that will be hosting our District Locations!

The program consists of levels that require a young person to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate accomplishments. For each level, the Dog Achievement program provides a list of accomplishments from which 4-H youth choose their goals. The accomplishments increase in quantity and difficulty for each level. At the beginning of the 4-H year, participants plan what to accomplish and at the end of the 4-H year, they report on their completed accomplishments. Successful completion of a level's Plan & Report form results in a 4-H youth earning that level of the Dog Achievement program.

More information can be found at: https://4h.unl.edu/dog-achievement-program

For any questions, contact Grace Kim at Grace.kim@unl.edu

It is recommended on the program page that Plan & Report Forms should be to county offices at least 1 month prior to the county awards night for youth to be recognized.