Box Butte County 4-H Newsletter

As we bring in the new year, we also have a new 4-H enrollment year. Early Registration Deadline will be on June 1st. Enrollments not submitted by June 15th, will not be able to participate at the county or state fair. A new year is also a great time to start thinking about NEW 4-H Projects that you might want to do for the summer! If you have workshop ideas you would like to see happen this summer or as a monthly workshop, send them to us!

HAPPY 2024!

"Approach the New Year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day."

-Michael Josephson

Project Enrollment

Starting in the 2023-2024 program year, project selection is now optional. By successfully completing the 4-H member enrollment by the June 15th deadline, youth will be eligible to participate and exhibit in any project area, contest, county and state fairs. While project selection is optional, it is encouraged for youth to select projects they are interested in exploring.
Please note:

o Youth are only eligible to exhibit in a project area or contest in a single county.

o Horse and shooting sports projects will continue to require project enrollment due to the parental consent required to participate in these projects.

All market Animals will again this year be required to attend one of the below dates or go to a neighboring county to have their animals tagged. Weigh-in will be optional.

Box Butte County Weigh-in & Tagging Dates:

Market Beef: Sunday, January 14, 2024 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

All youth planning to exhibit a market beef animal at the Box Butte County Fair must bring the animal to be tagged on the grounds, weigh-in will be optional. Youth must present a correctly executed Bill of Sale or Brand Paper. If there is a transfer of ownership from parent to youth we have bill of sale papers that can be completed at weigh-in. Both must be present to complete the paper.

Tag cost: 4-H County tag: $1 and EID tag: $3

Nebraska State Fair/ AKSARBEN: All livestock in contention to exhibit at the 2024 Nebraska State Fair and/or the Aksarben Stock Show will be required to submit a DNA nomination. All 4-H/FFA BREEDING livestock, market livestock and FEEDER CALVES will now be required to submit a DNA sample/envelope to be eligible to exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair.

DNA nominations for the Nebraska State Fair are due on June 15, 2024.

Any DNA nomination submitted through Show Stock Manager will also be eligible for exhibition at the Aksarben Stock Show. DNA nominations will remain at $7.00 per animal. With this update, animals will automatically be eligible for both breeding and market. Families who often paid to be eligible for both had been paying $9.00 ($7.00-Market and $2.00-Breeding) would no longer need to do that. All would pay $7.00.

Members who cannot make the weigh in date may attend the Dawes or Sheridan County Market Beef weigh ins if necessary. If attending the alternative weigh in, members must notify the beef superintendents and the office.

Dawes County Beef Weigh-in – February 17 from 9 to noon in Crawford

Sheridan County Beef Weigh-in – tentatively – February 4 from 1 to 3 at Sheridan Livestock

May Weigh-in for Sheep/Meat Goat & Pigs:

Market Lamb, Pig & Meat Goat: Thursday, May 16, 2024 from 6-7 PM

Market Lamb, Pig & Meat Goat: Thursday, May 23, 2024 from 6-7 PM

Come learn about the benefits of birds and create a bird house to take home.

This is also a Fair Project under Conservation and Wildlife.

Fee: $20

Tuesday, January 30th from 4-6pm

Workshop is limited to 10 youth ages, 8-18. Please call to RSVP by Monday, January 22nd.

We will resume with Monthly Clover Kid Meetings:

Alliance will meet Tuesday, January 16 from 4-5 at the Extension Office.

Hemingford will meet Tuesday, January 23rd from 4-5 at the MPH.

The Special Garden Project is a way to offer Nebraska youth the chance to grow unusual and fun projects in their gardens.

The 2024 Special Garden Project will focus on Princess of India Nasturtium. This Victorian-era heirloom flower can be grown in a variety of ways including in containers. It provides a splash of color from its scarlet flowers and much of the plant can be eaten.

With the changes to 4-H Online, youth are encouraged to enroll for Horticulture/Plant Science through 4-H Online.

For more information visit https://4h.unl.edu/special-gardening-project.

Nebraska 4-H month is quickly upon us! It's time to celebrate 4-H in Nebraska! Don't forget to mark you calendars and plan to celebrate with us!

Participate in our fun events each week:

• Thursday, February 1st: Spirit Day

• Thursday, February 8th: Volunteer Appreciation Day

• Thursday, February 15th: Supporter/Donor Appreciation Day

• Thursday, February 22nd Give Back to Your Community/Service Day

• Thursday, February 29th: Leap Into 4-H – Get Enrolled on 4-H Online

State Achievement Applications are due January 5 at 11:59 PM MT. Only Senior Achievement Applications are accepted for state-level awards and recognition. These applications are used for selecting National 4-H Congress delegates, National 4-H Conference delegates, and Nebraska 4-H Foundation scholarship recipients. State-level applications must be emailed to 4HAchieves@unl.edu. Files should be labeled with the applicant's last name, first name, and county. For example: "Walker Robin Douglas-Sarpy.pdf".

Learn more at 4h.unl.edu/achievement-application

This scholarship is directed toward female 4-H High School Seniors. Attached are the eligibility guidelines. Besides the forms, there is a map of Nebraska highlighted in yellow for an easier way to find the boundary of eligibility.

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 gloria.turnbull@windstream.net.

Application deadline: postmarked or email a PDF file no later than March 15, 2024.

Registration for the Nebraska 4-H Summer Camp program is now open!

The summer 2024 theme is The Power of Being 🍀 Green. Youth will get to explore and interact with their natural world in six different sessions. Youth will learn how they can use their head, heart, hands, and health to make our natural world a better place for all.

The 2024 sessions offer tailored age cohorts, providing sessions for younger campers between the ages of 8-10, and an older cohort for ages 10-14.

Families can find dates, session summaries, and registration information by visiting https://4h.unl.edu/camps-register.

We are excited to announce the fourth year of the Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program. This additional opportunity for enrolled livestock project youth, is designed to promote all educational aspects of 4-H livestock projects including selection, production, leadership, and exhibition by recognizing youth striving to improve in their livestock project knowledge and leadership.

The program recognizes Members of Excellence across all 4-H livestock project areas, including: beef, sheep, meat goat, swine, dairy cattle, dairy goat, rabbit, and poultry.

The program consists of three levels that require 4-H members to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate and project-related accomplishments. For each level, the Livestock Achievement Program provides a list of accomplishments from which 4-H members choose their goals. Each accomplishment is worth a specific number of points. Junior 8-9 submits pictures, poster, presentation, and other learning activities to receive the distinction of Junior Member of Excellence, no point value, Intermediates, ages 10-13, must complete 100 points worth of activities to receive the distinction of Intermediate Member of Excellence. Seniors, ages 14-18, must complete 150 points worth of activities to receive the distinction of Senior Member of Excellence. The Plan and Reports, linked on the webpage, show examples of the project related accomplishments they can choose, or they can identify their own with approval of their local educator.

Applications/Sign up are due June 15th through the application form link on the website. Plan and Reports, as well as Project Records will be due August 1 via the completion form on the website.

Youth completing the achievement program and receiving member of excellence recognition in the various species will be recognized during the Parade of Champions, 4-H weekend at the Nebraska State Fair.

For more information or to apply, go to: Livestock Achievement Program | Nebraska 4-H (unl.edu)