Box Butte County 4-H Newsletter

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.

If you are showing:

• Breeding Beef
• Feeder Calves
• Bucket Calves
• Breeding Sheep
• Breeding Meat Does
• Dairy Cattle
• Dairy Goats
• Horse
• Rabbit
• Bred & Fed Affidavit
• British Breed Certificate

You will have to turn in an Ownership Affidavit by June 1st! Market animals will have completed these at weigh-in. Click the pink button below to access these affidavits or you can pick one up at the office.

If youth ages 8-18 as of Jan 1 are showing beef, pigs, sheep or goats (this includes breeding, bucket calves and feeder calves), dairy cattle, dairy goats, poultry and/or rabbits at County fair, state fair, AKSARBEN or other shows, they need to complete the YQCA Certification.

There are 3 ways to complete this certification:

1. Youth can complete an online course. This course has 3 sections and youth must complete a quiz in each of the sections and pass with an 80% or better. If youth do not get at least an 80% they are locked out for an hour and should review material. This course also has a fee of $12 that must be paid online.
2. Youth can attend an Instructor Led Session put on by the Extension Office. Youth will attend in-person and actively participate through the 60 minute PowerPoint, as well as some hands on activities at the end. This session has a fee of $3 that must be paid online through the YQCA Website. We also ask that you pre-register through the YQCA website so we can make we have enough supplies for the hands on activities.
3. Youth could complete the Test Out option online at the Intermediate or Senior Level. These courses cost $36 & $48 respectively.

Please visit: https://yqcaprogram.org/ for more information, get registered and pay fees for the in-person course, or take the online course.

Dates for Instructor Led Trainings:

• No other Instructor Led Trainings will be held. Youth will need to complete training on 4-H Online.

Deadline to complete YQCA is June 1st! YQCA Certificates need to be sent (astevens4@unl.edu) or returned to the office.

Please contact the Extension Office if you have more questions.

If you have NOT turned these items in, the very last day we will accept them, per Nebraska State 4-H statewide deadline, is JUNE 15TH!

You can enroll in 4-H at anytime, but to participate in county fair and state fair activities, you MUST be enrolled by June 15th.

The Box Butte County Fairbook is updated and ready for viewing. See if there are any new classes you are interested in exhibiting in.

visit: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/boxbutte/bbcfairbook/.

The Small Animal Handbook & Livestock Handbook are also available on our boxbutte.unl.edu webpage. Make sure exhibitors to review the handbooks and sign the agreement on the last page. All exhibitors and a parent/guardian MUST return this page, signed to the Extension Office.

We have some exciting news! This year we will be changing the official Box Butte County 4-H Council approved show shirts for fair. These shirts will be green with a white clover. Farm Credit Services will be sponsoring one new shirt for each exhibitor. We will need to get sizes from all exhibitors. Shirt forms will be due July 1st! Fill out this Google form so we can begin gathering sizes.

If you have held a camper spot previously during fair and would like to keep your same spot please pay for those July 1st. After July 1st, all unpaid spots will be available for any 4-H Exhibitor. Youth MUST be exhibiting in 4-H or FFA to be eligible to get a camping spot. ALL SPOTS ARE $100.00.

Please make checks Payable to the Box Butte County Ag Society.

Below is the camper letter you will receive with your camper spot tags, camper map and emergency evacuation map.

We are sharing information with all of you in regards to the dairy associated high path avian influenza. Please see the website: https://dairy.unl.edu/
Key Points:

• Information and strategies for safe handling of raw milk will be constantly updated on the website.
• No known cases in Nebraska. The food supply is safe.
• Biosecurity is always important, regardless of animal or pathogen species.
• Nebraska Extension continues to work together as One Health with industry partners.

Everyone is invited to share their thoughts or questions using the link below. If you have specific questions in regards to H5N1, please connect with Dr. Matthew Hille.

Here is a clip from the Nebraska Extension Dean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYDMW6D3I-o

Goals:

• Explore their entrepreneurial identity
• Identify and solve problems that are important to them
• Research and plan their business idea
• Deliver a pitch
• Sell product/business during Heritage Days (July 17th-20th)

This two-day camp will allow students to explore their entrepreneurial identity. It will give them ideas on what they might be interested in and how they can use their interests to pitch products/businesses. Students will have time to explore their interests, then learn the ins and outs of creating a developing business in order to foster skills in innovation. By the end of camp, the goal is to have students sell their product/ business during Heritage Days.

Camp days are July 10th and 11th at the Box Butte County Extension Office from 9am-2pm.

$10 registration fee

Call the Extension Office to register.

Bring a sack Lunch!

We had to revamp our sewing workshop, so this will be a one day workshop on June 27th from 9:00 am-4:00 pm. Please call the Extension Office at 762-5616 to register. This workshop is for youth 4-H Age 8-18.

Please bring a sack lunch.

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 8-10 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)

Ashley Benes ashley.benes@unl.edu

Brett Kreifels brett.kreifels@unl.edu

Cole Meador cmeador2@unl.edu

Hello 4-H Families,

As some of you may know, I will be leaving my role at Box Butte County 4-H Assistant (officially) on June 30th. I have accepted a Food, Nutrition and Health position with Nebraska Extension in Morrill County. However, I will be here to finish out the summer activities and the county fair.

I have SINCERELY enjoyed working with all the youth and Families in Box Butte County and getting to know you all so well. Thank you for accepting into your families. I consider you all some of my closest friends and am deeply sorrowful to be leaving, but I am excited to be working closer to my home, and being able to further my career with Nebraska Extension.

Most of you still know how to get ahold of m-e if you should ever need anything, my cell number is 308-279-2486 and UNL email should remain the same as well.

I wish you all the best in your future endeavors and with the future of the Box Butte County 4-H program!

Sincerely,

Ashley Fenning