4-H Friday News Blast for 4.5.2019

Nebraska Extension Cass County

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Click here to Enter the 4-H Public Speaking Contest ... Deadline to register is April 8th, Contest is April 15th

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2019 Cass County 4-H Premium Fair Book is now available on our website - Click here

Cass County Fair 4-H Calendar - Click here

Here are updates new for 2019:

Beef: Blocking Chutes (General rules #15, page 10)
Goats: Costume Class (See goat divisions, page 15)
Dog Show: all events moved to Tuesday only (no Saturday events)
Update to photography classes, including special N150 class to celebrate Nebraska and UNL's 150th anniversaries.
A special Bess Streeter Aldrich Award will be awarded for a heritage project
Special N|150 Stepping Stone class (page 72)
DIVISION 10 - LIVESTOCK STORES (pages 18 and 24) Enter these items in the Photography Division in the 4-H Building on Sunday, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The items will be displayed and judged with other static items, but count towards livestock projects for end-of-the-year point sheets. Open to any 4-Her exhibiting any type of Large or Small animal at the current year's Cass County Fair. Limit one entry per 4-Her per class:

B-010-990 Selfie with Show Animals - Take a selfie with this year's show animal and write a story about what you learned from your animal project.
B-010-992 - Show Animal Project Care Poster - 14" x 22" poster showing the story of how you care for your animal. Photos encouraged.
B-010-CK Show Animal Selfie or Project - Clover Kid entry of "Selfie with Show Animal" or "Show Animal Project Care Poster."

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Special Garden Seeds are here!

Stop by the Extension Office if you ordered Special Garden Seeds (Carmine Splendor Hybrid Okra) for 2019. They are here! Reminder: the office is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.

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On-Line Cat Club

The next meeting for the 4-H Online Cat Club will be Thursday April 11, 2019. This month the topic will be on Selection. The meeting will start at 6pm CST. You can find more information about joining the meeting from home here: http://4h.unl.edu/companion-animal/cat-club

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4-H Horse Show and Judging Guide

The 4-H Horse Show and Judging Guides are now available. This manual is great for 4-Hers who are new to the horse program and want to know what they are getting into as well as any 4-H cub leaders. We have a few copies at the extension office. If you need more, they can be ordered.

Level Testing (required for showing at the County Fair, State and AkSarBen) is due May 1st.

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Raise Your Hand - Nebraska could win $20K to Held Local Kids

The Raise Your Hand campaign, held from April 1 through May 15, is a nationwide call-to-action for 4-H alumni, supporters, and friends to vote for their state to win funding and help more kids in their community benefit from 4-H experiences. The three states with the most hands raised will receive $20K, $10K, and $5K. Last year, Nebraska 4-H, with over 14,000 hands raised, received second place.

This year, you can help us reach #1! Raise Your Hand and vote for Nebraska 4-H. Voting is easy, and even if you have raised your hand in the past, your vote will still be counted this year! Raise Your Hand now at https://4-h.org/raise-your-hand/.

Learn more about this year’s campaign, Nebraska 4-H’s promotion, and what you can do to help by visiting https://newsroom.unl.edu/announce/4hstaff/9410/55321.

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Foundation Announces Flood Relief Fund to Support Nebraska Families

The Nebraska 4-H Foundation has created a Flood Relief Fund to support children, youth and families impacted by the recent storms and floods.

There is another fund that may be of interest to your 4-H families and friends. The 4-H’ers Helping 4-H’ers Fund offers a giving opportunity to 4-H clubs and councils as well as individuals and businesses to support 4-H youth and families.

Information on both funds is available on the Nebraska 4-H Foundation website: www.ne4hfoundation.org

If you have questions or need additional information, please call or email Stu Shepherd at sshepherd3@unl.edu

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And a note from Doug Zalesky, District Director at ENREC near Mead ... During this past week I continued to witness the greatness of agricultural people from all over this country. Donations of hay other feeds and fencing supplies continue to arrive at ENREC (Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension) and the Haskell Ag Lab from Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, Texas and Illinois.

A load of fencing supplies and other feed stuffs was delivered by a County Extension Agent from Texas (yes they are still called Extension Agents in Texas) and another load was delivered by a group 4-H members and their parents from Minnesota. People from other states have also been stopping at ENREC indicating they just want to help out wherever they can. It is truly heartwarming to see how people in agriculture pull together to help one another.

Flood Resources for Talking and Working with Youth

As 4-H leaders, volunteers, parents, and teachers... as you work with the youth in your communities, the following articles provide tips to use as you talk and work with you. Continue reading…

For information about the flood, go to https://nebraska.edu/flood-assistance

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4-H Curriculum Sale for 25% off at Shop 4-H

Get ready for the largest 4-H curriculum sale from Shop 4-H of the year! From April 1st-30th, receive 25% off 4-H curriculum and learning products* – no minimum purchase required! Whether you order 1 book or 1000 (or anywhere in between) you’ll receive the same great savings across our curriculum titles, materials kits, digital downloads, and supplemental materials.

Check out the 2018 Curriculum Catalog for a deep-dive into our popular offerings, and view the full Curriculum collection on Shop4-H.org to explore all items, including those that are new since the 2018 Curriculum Catalog was published.

For a Curriculum Planning Worksheet click here.

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How to become a "Friends of 4-H" Supporter

4-H Sponsorship

Have you watched a 4-Her at a contest or at the county fair as he/she won a trophy, a medal, some monetary prize, a cash award, or a ribbon? It’s heartwarming. These awards are very special and are usually proudly displayed in a 4-Hers room, in the home, and many times at graduation parties, because they mean a lot!

You could be a part of helping raise this sense of accomplishment, pride, and satisfaction in our young people by becoming a 4-H sponsor. Every person and/or business who supports the Cass County 4-H program is truly appreciated, and will be recognized at the county fair and in our publications. We would like to invite you to that list of sponsors.

Cass County has three ways to sponsor; see below:

1. Friends of 4-H Sponsor: Donate an amount from one of the tiered donor levels (see graphic above). These donations sponsor educational opportunities and scholarships for our 4-H youth throughout the year, as well as the cost of trophies and awards for the county fair. Donors who choose this option are recognized year-round with their sponsorships listed on all 4-H event programs.

2. Specific County Fair Awards Sponsor: County fair trophies are $20.00 each; medals are $10.00 each; and there are some cash prizes. Sponsors who choose this method have their name/business printed on a trophy plate, and are listed in the fair’s show program(s) that correspond with their sponsored award. Please note, we have some unsponsored awards. Contact the Extension Office at 402-267-2205 if you wish to select one/some from this list.

3. Combination Sponsorships: Be a Friends of 4-H sponsor and a specific awards sponsor.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Do you know someone who would like to sponsor 4-H? Contact the office at 402-267-2205 or email Sondra Buell at sondra.buell@unl.edu