Burt County 4-H Hotline Newsletter

FEBRUARY - Nebraska 4-H Month

• Mar 21-22: First Lego League Robotics Challenge (Lincoln)
• Mar 22: 4-H Presentation Contest @ 10am (Craig Fire Hall)

• Mar 29: 4-H Achievement & Kick Off Event @ 2pm-4pm (Sidner Ice Arena, Fremont)

• April 1: Scholarships DUE

• April 5: Burt County Beef Preview
• April 21: 4-H Speech & PSA Contest @ 5:30pm (Presbyterian Church, Tekamah)
• May 26: Office Closed- Memorial Day
• June 1: State Horse Show Entries & ID’s DUE
• June 15: DEADLINE DAY

1. 4-H Enrollment ABSOLUTE DEADLINE
2. ALL Livestock Affidavits DUE
3. State Fair Beef, Sheep, Swine, & Goat DNA & Nominations DUE
4. YQCA Certification DUE

• June 17-18: PASE (UNL)

• June 19: Office Closed: Juneteenth
• June 19-20: State Premier Communication Event (Speech/PSA/Impromptu/Presentation) (UNL)
• June 26: Pie Day I (Methodist Church, Tekamah) *
• June 30: ALL Burt County Fair Pre-entries DUE
• June 30: Horse Level Testing DUE

2025 State 4-H Events

• 4-H Horse Stampede – March 29-30, 2025
• Premier Animal Science Event (PASE) – June 17-18, 2025
• State 4-H Premier Communication Event – June 19-20, 2025
• State 4-H Horse Expo – July 12-16, 2025

2024 Burt County 4-H Events

• March 22: 4-H Presentation Contest @ 10am (Craig Fire Hall)
• April 21: 4-H Speech & PSA Contest @ 6:00pm (Presbyterian Church, Tekamah)

Please plan accordingly:
Our office will be closed on Thursday, March 20th.
Feel free to email us or leave us a voice message.
Stacey: stacey.keys@unl.edu
Marina: mduartedeval2@unl.edu
Lori: lwachter3@unl.edu
Or leave a message at: 402-374-2929

If you didn't get on the original list to get our 4-H newsletter mailed to you and you're missing that hard copy, please contact the office and we'll get you back on the list. Otherwise, we'll stick to digital communications!

Please sign up for REMIND!! We want to have a quick, easy, instant way to contact you all! If you would like to receive text reminders, text @burtco4h to the number 81010. Or go to this link https://www.remind.com/join/burtco4h. Hopefully this way we all don’t forget the fun 4-H things happening!

Don’t want to wait for the newsletter to come out to learn the upcoming information? No worries! We post the most recent and updated information on the local Facebook page as soon as we get new information of upcoming events and opportunities. @BurtNeExt

https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/burt/4-h-burt-county/contest-events/#tab-presentation-contest

The date is set for Saturday, March 22 at 10:00 am held at the Craig Fire Hall, Craig. Pre-registration is due by NOON on Friday, March 21st! Come teach us something you know or show us how you do something you love.

Call the office (402-374-2929) or email (stacey.keys@unl.edu/lwachter3@unl.edu) to get registered!

Presentation Class:

• It is divided into Clover Kid (5-7), Junior (ages 8-11) and Senior (ages 12-18).
• For traditional 4-Hers (8+) the presentation can be given as an individual (6-8 minutes) or as a team of two (8-10 minutes). If two team members are in different age divisions, they would compete at the older age division.
• All presentation topics should be related to what the 4-H youth is learning through 4-H educational experiences.
• Presentations should include an introduction (the "why" portion of the topic), a body (the "show and tell" portion of the topic), and a conclusion/summary (the "what" portion of the topic).
• Presenters using computer-based visuals may bring files on a USB drive that is PC formatted. Participants may also provide their own computer or other equipment as needed; however, participants must be able to connect their computers to an HDMI cord.
• Live animals are NO LONGER permitted in a presentation.

Video Communication Class

• The video communication contest allows youth to create a multi-media video around a theme related to 4-H. Judges will be evaluating both the organization of information as well as the audio and video production.

Come support one of our local 4-H Clubs on Sunday, March 23rd, 10:00am-1:00pm at the Veterans Building, Oakland! Because happiness is pancakes! Well, really happiness is 4-H!

Burt County 4-H Achievement Event!

Join us for an afternoon of FREE family fun as we celebrate 4-H achievements with ICE SKATING!

March 29
2:00 - 4:00 PM
Sidner Ice Arena, 1558 East Military Ave, Fremont, NE

Bring the whole family and enjoy a fun-filled time on the ice! Don’t miss out on this exciting event—see you there!

(https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/burt/contests-events/)

The date is set for Monday, April 21st at the Presbyterian Church in Tekamah @ 6:00p.m. Pre-registration is due by NOON the day of the contest, April 21st. You can do both speech and PSA and we have Clover Kid (ages 5-7) divisions as well! The 2025 PSA Theme is: “Ready through 4-H...and beyond”. Remember every speech has a beginning, middle, and end!

Remember! We also have - Impromptu Speech

SUBMIT YOUR VOTE BY April 28!!

*Please Note* - We will have a transition year for 4-H livestock exhibitors dress code. In 2025, both the old black 4-H t-shirt AND the new 4-H t-shirt will be allowed in the ring. For 2026, the NEW 4-H t-shirts will be the REQUIRED 4-H livestock exhibitors dress code. (excluding horse exhibitors)

Feel free to call the Burt County Extension Office with any questions. Use the link below to submit your vote. https://go.unl.edu/burttshirtvote or scan QR code.

The 2025 What’s the Buzz? season of the Nebraska State 4-H Camp will share the importance of pollinators in Nebraska- why they’re important, how they impact agriculture, and what youth can do in their own communities to support the various native pollinators we have in Nebraska. From bees and butterflies to hummingbirds and bats- it’s going to be a week full of learning and fun!

The Nebraska State 4-H Camp is returning to Chadron and Burwell for summer camp 2025! Youth new to camping can attend a shorter camp session designed to let them experience all the best parts of summer camp in a 3 day/2 night session. Choose from one of two 5 day/4 night sessions for youth 10-14 years old and returning this year is the Leaders in Training camp for high school youth 15-17 years old! Campers will focus on developing leadership skills with an opportunity to put those skills into practice by volunteering at one of our other camp sessions!

Registration is now OPEN! More information on sessions, dates, and the link to register can be found at 4h.unl.edu/camp.

A summer job that makes a difference!

The Nebraska State 4-H Camp is hiring staff and program assistants (18+) for the 2025 season. Travel across the state as we bring everything that makes 4-H Camp great to Chadron and Burwell! State 4-H Camp staff will participate in a week of training to help develop the necessary skills for a successful summer. Staff will learn how to teach environmental education lessons, lead games and activities, and how to incorporate Positive Youth Development in their daily work at camp. Not to mention, this is all done in a fun summer camp environment leading and playing large group games, tubing the river, and spending time around the campfire.

Visit go.unl.edu/campjob to learn more about each position and to apply.

Registration for Big Red Camps is now open! Big Red Camps are residential career exploration camps for incoming 9th through 12th grade students which provide the opportunity to live on and explore the Nebraska campus, meet people from across the country, spend time investigating an interest or potential career, and have a lot of fun! Participants will work with our university faculty to explore the topic of their particular camp, like animation, fashion entrepreneurship, or engineering. After spending several fun-filled days on campus, participants' families are invited to attend a special capstone event where youth showcase their achievements.

Big Red Summer Academic Camps are open to youth going into grades 9-12 during the 2025-2026 school year. All housing and food are provided for participants throughout the camp. Space is limited, and camps will fill on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please see Big Red Camp Sessions for a list of camps offered this year, descriptions, participant limits, costs, and scholarship opportunities.

• Exhibit Check-In: Record ribbons and manage awards.
• Judging Support: Assist judges and track selections.
• Show Day: Prep the ring, check in animals, announce results, and hand out ribbons.

No experience needed — just a passion for helping 4-H kids!
INTERESTED? Call 402-374-2929.

New for 2025 the deadline for Horse Level Testing to show at the Burt County Fair will be June 30.

If you are planning to participate at the State Level, the deadline for entry and Horse Level Testing has not changed from the June 1 deadline.

• State Level showing - June 1

• Burt County ONLY showing - June 30 deadline

Feeder Calf-Bull Class

• A feeder calf must be born during the current year but before June 1.

Bottle Goat & Bottle Lamb Classes

• These classes will be similar to our Bucket Calf class with a record book, interview, and showing the animal at fair. More clarification will be coming.
• If you are interested in a bottle goat - Holly Loftis would be willing to connect you to your potential project!

The Nebraska Women Involved in Farm Economics (WIFE) is pleased to offer the Cynthia Thomsen Scholarship. Nebraska WIFE is a grassroots organization dedicated to improving profitability in production agriculture. The one-year $2000 scholarship is available to any woman who lives in Nebraska who will begin her FIRST year in a University/Technical/Trade/Community College in a field related to agriculture and must be postmarked by March 25, 2025. The scholarship may be used at the school of the recipient’s choice in Nebraska.

You'll find the application here.

https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/burt/continuing-education/

Burt County 4-H Seniors in High School! Tis the season of scholarship applications. Good luck!

• Beverly Weiland Memorial Scholarship - Due April 1st
• Burt County 4-H Council Scholarship - Due April 1st
• Burt County Cattlemen's Association Scholarship - Due April 1st
• East Oaks 4-H Club, Jacob Johnson Memorial Scholarship - Due April 1st
• Phillip Hennig Memorial Scholarship - Due April 1st
• Burt County Pheasants Forever Scholarship - Due April 1st

YQCA is available as an online or face-to-face program for youth everywhere in the United States. We will be using the same website as last year (even with all of it’s glitches) https://yqcaprogram.org/.

Requirements:

Online – 3 modules @ $12 total (to receive full certification you must complete 3)

OR Face-2-Face training @ $3 total (Club leaders-book Stacey to come to a club meeting or TBD at the Extension Office the week of June 9th)

• Lyons Leading Livestock - Sunday, April 27
• East Oaks - Sunday, May 4

OR Test Out for Intermediate @ $36 or Senior @ $48

Any traditional 4-H member (8-18) in your family that is enrolled in a beef, goat, poultry, rabbit, sheep and/or swine project must be certified to show at county and state fair! The deadline for completion to be eligible to show at the Burt County Fair is June 15th! If you have questions please contact us!

Here are some assistances for completing the process. https://yqcaprogram.org/local/youth_parents.php

• Remember, we learned last year that you have to register for the course. And then take a post-course survey before you can access your certificate (which is the part the office needs).

Show Stock Manager is open for livestock nominations for the 2025 Nebraska State Fair!

Website Link: https://showstockmgr.com/

All livestock in contention to exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair will be required to complete an online nomination with payment through Show Stock Manager and submit a DNA collector envelope with a hair sample. This includes all 4-H and FFA breeding livestock, market livestock, and feeder calves. Each State Fair nomination will be $7.00 per animal in Show Stock Manager. 4-H and FFA livestock nominations are due on June 15, 2025.

Refer to the 4-H State Fair Livestock Identification and Nomination Requirements for additional information on 4-H exhibitor eligibility at the State Fair.

If you have any questions on how to submit your online nominations, you can review the 2025 Step-by-Step Nomination Instructions document.

Special Note: For 4-H/FFA families who are planning on nominating the same animals for the NSF and Aksarben Stock Show, obtain your DNA envelopes from the local Extension Office or FFA Advisor. Turn in your completed DNA envelopes to the local Extension Office or FFA Advisor. Submit the DNA payment and complete the online nomination in Show Stock Manager. 4-H/FFA families will only be required to submit DNA and pay once for an animal. After these steps, complete the online nomination process for the Aksarben Stock Show. The Aksarben Stock Nomination online nomination system will be different than Show Stock Manager. Guidance on how to nominate State Fair animals in the Aksarben Stock Show online nomination database will be provided at a later date.

Are you interested in livestock judging? Burt County 4-H Livestock Judging is gearing up for an exciting season! Come be a part of our team and develop your skills in evaluating livestock while having fun with fellow 4-H members.
For more information or to join, contact:
Leah Miller or Kylie Penke
Don’t miss out on this great opportunity—get involved today!

We are delighted to announce the Innovative Youth Corn Challenge, a prestigious contest open to 4-H members (aged 8 and older as of January 1st) and FFA members (in-school members). This competition is designed to guide participants through a comprehensive exploration of all facets of corn production, including aspects related to agricultural careers associated with corn production.

Key Features:

• Team Participation: Teams comprising two or more youth participants will collaboratively embark on the challenge.

• Innovative Practices: Youth will be tasked with implementing a production practice differing from the norm, with the goal of assessing its impact on increasing corn yield.

• Data Collection: The Corn Challenge management summary will systematically gather crucial information, including yields, cropping history, and production details.

• Recognition and Rewards: Outstanding achievements will be duly rewarded with cash prizes and plaques for the top three teams:

• First Place: $1,000

• Second Place: $500

• Third Place: $250

• Special Awards: In addition to the top rankings, commendable efforts will be acknowledged through the "Extra Mile" and "Ag Literacy" Awards, each carrying a value of $200.

This competition not only fosters a spirit of innovation in corn production but also serves as a platform for recognizing dedication and excellence within the 4-H and FFA communities. We encourage all eligible participants to embrace this opportunity to showcase their skills and contribute to the advancement of agricultural practices. Registration deadline is April 1st.

For detailed guidelines and participation information, please refer to the https://cropwatch.unl.edu/youth/cornchallenge webpage or contact Brandy VanDeWalle at brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu.

The 54th annual Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NAYI) will be held July 7-11, 2025, on UNL’s East Campus.

Applications are now available to students who are currently high school juniors and seniors on our website at: www.nda.nebraska.gov/nayi

As always, applications will be due on April 15th.

NAYI will be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus July 7–11, 2025. Current high school juniors and seniors interested in attending must apply online at: nda.nebraska.gov/nayi/ All applications must be submitted by the April 15, 2025, deadline. NDA selects students to attend NAYI based on their interest in agriculture, leadership skills and involvement.

“NAYI is the best event for high school juniors and seniors wanting to learn more about agriculture and discover career opportunities in the industry,” said NDA Director Sherry Vinton. “NAYI is a great way for the next generation of ag leaders to connect with today’s ag industry. It’s a remarkable experience.”

NAYI features motivational speakers, discussions on agricultural issues, career development, networking opportunities, leadership activities, a farm management game, a formal banquet and awards presentation, and a dance. In its 54th year, NAYI is the longest running agricultural youth program of its kind in the nation. More than 225 students attended NAYI last year.

Students attend NAYI free of charge due to generous donations from agricultural businesses, commodity groups and industry organizations. If you or someone you know is interested in sponsoring NAYI, visit nda.nebraska.gov/NAYIsponsors/ for more information.

NEW THIS YEAR

For those that have previously provided a letter of recommendation for a student applying, we have changed our process this year eliminating the letter of recommendation and switching to a recommendation form. It is our hope that the recommendation form will help streamline the process for both you and our scoring committee. The recommendation form can be found on the NAYI website as well as here https://tinyurl.com/NAYIRecommendation and will also be due on April 15th.

Cuming County will be hosting a Cat Showmanship Clinic in West Point on Tuesday, May 27th from 1:00-2:30 p.m. at the Dinklage Building on the Cuming County Fairgrounds. Alicia Nebuda will be the presenter who currently owns Glitter Grooming in West Point and has judged cat shows in the past.

Registration is being handled by the Cuming County Extension Office so if you have youth interested, contact them at 402-372-6006! It is limited to the first 20 youth and cost will be $5.00 per youth.

We are excited to announce the fifth 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 8-10 submits pictures, poster, presentation, and other learning activities to receive the distinction of Junior Member of Excellence, no point value, Intermediates, ages 11-13, 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)

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