The 2025 Special Gardening Project will focus on the Goldie Husk Cherry. This old-fashioned fruit from the tomato family has sweet berries inside golden husks. The fruits have many uses and can be eaten raw, dried, frozen, canned, or made into tasty treats like pies, desserts, or preserves. (I assure you the husk cherry is different than a groundcherry, which is a weed in Nebraska, that looks very similar, but isn’t edible) The Special Gardening Project offers an affordable opportunity to expand your horticulture skills.
IF YOU WANT TO TAKE PART IN THE 2025 SPECIAL GARDENING PROJECT:
1. When enrolling online for 4-H, select Horticulture/Plant Science as one of of your projects.
2. Contact the Polk County Extension Office to order seeds. 402-747-2321
3. Extension Office will contact you when seeds are ready to be picked up. Pay $1 at pickup for seeds.
DEADLINE TO ORDER SEEDS IS JANUARY 24TH
The 2024 Special Agronomy Project is Sugar Beets.
Youth who want to take part, should enroll in 4-H through 4-H Online. Once enrolled, youth are then to call the Polk County Extension office at 402-747-2321 to let them know they want to take part in the Special Agronomy Project. You will receive notification when the seeds are ready to pick up.
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.
A Farrowed and Owned Breeding and Market Swine division for youth interested in learning more about the swine industry is available for youth statewide in 2025! 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 8-18 as of January 1, 2025, complete YQCA, farrowed their project animal(s) and participate in monthly virtual educational meetings.
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 biosecurity, meat science, economics of raising swine and more.
- The cohort will meet virtually the first Sunday of the month at 7:00 p.m. CT, the months of February, March, April, May and June.
- Gain knowledge related to their project and the swine industry as a whole.
- Maintain records related to swine management and basic care.
- **NEW for 2025**: Exhibit their Farrowed and Owned project animals at any Nebraska county fair. Exhibiting at the 2025 Nebraska State Fair is optional. All cohort members will participate in an interview at the 2025 Nebraska State Fair. Join the first session in February for more details!
Tanya Crawford - 4-H Extension Educator York & Polk County
Colleen Pallas - 4-H Extension Assistant
Steph Sunday - Office Manager
Email: polk-county@unl.edu
Website: polk.unl.edu
Location: Polk County Courthouse
Phone: 402-747-2321
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Polk-County-4-H-639333189542938/