Gage 4-H News

The 2024 Nebraska State Fair featured over 4500 4-H exhibitors and nearly 11,000 exhibits. Congratulations to all Gage County 4-H exhibitors. Proud of you for representing Gage County youth with pride, dignity, character, and kindness. Special award recognition goes to:

Elijah Rosenthal: Poultry- Reserve Best of Show Egg Exhibit

Ryan Blake: Sheep- Champion Division Vlll: All Hair Breed Ewes

Luke Katz: Beef- 3rd Place Senior Beef Showmanship

Wyatt Mote: Swine- Champion Chester Breeding Gilt

Reegan Kracke: Swine- Champion Division l Market Barrow, Champion Spot

Cooper Lovitt: Swine- Reserve Champion Division lll Market Gilt

Deighton Dorn: Beef- Reserve Champion Division 1 Market Steer

Audrey Dieckman: Fashion Show, STEAM 2 Clothing

Payton Smidt: Human Development

Victoria Barkoudah: STEAM 2 Clothing

Claire Pribyl: Computers

Kinley Bolyard: Visual Arts

Jurnee Boller: Visual Arts

Autumn Bartlett: Youth Dairy Show- Senior Showmanship 7th place

Colton Herfel: Youth Dairy Show- Senior Showmanship 8th place

Miles Esau: Youth Dairy Show- Novice Showmanship Champion, Champion Jersey Junior Female, Reserve Champion Jersey Senior Female

Maxson Esau: Youth Dairy Show- Novice Showmanship Reserve Champion

Sloan Esau: Youth Dairy Show- Novice Showmanship 4th Place

Luke & Blakely received the 4-H member of excellence distinction in Beef through the Livestock Achievement Program. They were recognized during the parade of champions at the State Fair.

Following the Nebraska State Fair, we will display the exhibits at the Good Samaritan Society in Beatrice. Exhibits will be on display from September 4th- 8th. We will have a reception on September 10th at 2:00 p.m. at which time you're invited to pick- up your exhibits. After September 8th, they will be taken back to the extension office for pick-up. Our office hours are 8:00 am-4:30 pm. Please call if you need to make arrangements after hours.

4-H Building Inc. is having a fundraiser, Spaghetti Diner. If anyone is willing to volunteer and help with the event contact Megan Overbeck at meganoverbeck87@gmail.com.

On September 13th & 14th, 2024, there will be a Firearm Hunter Education Classes offered at the 4-H Inc. Building located on the Gage County Fair Grounds. All hunters 12 - 29 yrs of age, must carry on their person a Hunter Education card after successful completion of a Hunter Education Course. This affects those hunting any game, game animal or game bird with a firearm or crossbow. The exceptions to this are those under the age of 12. Children under the age of 12 must be in the company of a licensed person 19 years of age or older to hunt.

• Class sized is limited
• Pre-registration is required, go to the Nebraska Game & Parks website
• Must Attend both days
• Friday evening 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
• Saturday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Bring a sack lunch of Saturday
• Eye protection is required and bring a highlighter

For more information or questions please call Mike Jochum at 402-228-0206

https://outdoornebraska.gov/hunt/hunter-education/

Sunday, September 22nd at 1 p.m.

5 events, no entry fees, most events will be hand timed- this is a fundraising event

If you have questions please call 402-239-7628

One of the biggest volunteer events to take place every year is National Public Lands Day on September 28. To celebrate, we are hosting a BioBlitz to attract volunteers of all ages to give back to their lands. As you may know, a BioBlitz is a citizen science effort to identify as many species as possible that can be found within a given space and time. This helps the park and scientists further understand the biodiversity of the land. For the BioBlitz, there will be three guided discovery walks for birds, bugs, and plants. Volunteers will record observations through the app, iNaturalist.

We have made changes to the way that you apply for County Achievement Awards (pins), Special Awards, and Scholarships for 2024. This year, the Career Portfolio and Achievement Applications will no longer be accepted for County Awards, but we have created a [hopefully] streamlined process to apply. There are two ways to apply this year:

1. Fill out the application using the link: https://go.unl.edu/gagecoawards OR
2. Download the Gage County 4-H Achievement & Scholarship Application .PDF (file included below) to your computer. Add in your information, and click "SUBMIT" in the .PDF

• You need to have the adobe on your computer to be able to edit the pdfs. A Chromebook will not open the pdf. If you have a Chromebook you will have to fill out the online form.

You do NOT need to print and bring us anything this year. by clicking "SUBMIT" on either the online form of the .PDF, we will receive your form. You will get a confirmation email that will allow you to make edits to your application. You can make edits until October 1, then we will print them and prepare them for judging.

*NOTE*: Career Portfolios & Achievement Applications will NOT be accepted for county awards this year.

Apply for all County Awards & Scholarships using these two options. A listing of all the County Award Areas can be found at: https://go.unl.edu/gagecoawardlist

The Achievement Application is still required to apply for State-Level Achievement Awards. Information about that process can be found at: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/cuming/achievement-application/

If you have questions please contact the Extension Office at 402-223-1384 or email Jacie

• 2024 Gage County 4-H Achievement & Scholarship Judging is October 15th @ 4:30 p.m. here at the extension office- Looking for volunteers to judge. If you are interested in judging contact the extension office at 402-223-1384
• Achievement Program Celebration is November 17th @ 2 p.m. at the 4-H Building

The Nebraska 4-H Diamond Clover program encourages 4-H youth to engage in a variety of programs, projects, and activities that will enable youth to acquire skills and abilities that will prepare them for success in the future.

The program consists of six levels that require a young person to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate accomplishments. For each level, the Nebraska 4-H Diamond Clover 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 Diamond Clover program.

The Clubs of Excellence Award is awarded to clubs who have met a certain set of criteria and provide documentation on how that criteria was met. The overall goal of 4-H clubs is to develop youth to demonstrate life skills and contribute to the improvement of themselves, their family, their club, their community, and their world. Gaining status as a Nebraska 4-H Club of Excellence is a great way to measure your club's success at meeting that goal. Applications are due to the Extension Office by September 15.

Organizational Leaders - Please turn in your club's 2024 Year End Treasurer's Report by January 15, 2025. If you have questions please call the Extension Office, 402-223-1384. Thank you to the clubs who have submitted the form.

Email: Gage-County@unl.edu
Website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/gage/
Location: 1115 West Scott Street, Beatrice, NE, USA
Phone: 402-223-1384
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UNLExtensionGageCo/