Thurston Co. 4-H News

Jennifer E. Hansen, Extension Educator, jhansen6@unl.edu

Sydney Williams, Extension Assistant, sydney.williams@unl.edu

Allison Claussen, Summer Assistant, aclaussen3@unl.edu

Bobbie Hingst, Office Manager, bhingst2@unl.edu

Email: thurston-county@unl.edu
Website: thurston.unl.edu
Location: 415 Main Street, P.O. Box 665, Pender, NE 68787
Phone: 402-385-6041
Facebook: facebook.com/UNLExtensionThurston/
Twitter: @UNLThurstonCty

June 1 - Horse ID forms due/ state horse show entries due online

June 4 - Pillow Case Workshop - St. John's Catholic Church, Pender (9 am-12 pm)

June 7 - Adventure Day Camp (Neligh Park, West Point, NE)

June 7 - Registration deadline for Floral Design & Floral Door Hanger

June 10 - Registration deadline for Clover Kid Camp

June 11 - Floral Design Workshop - Pender Fire Hall (9-12 pm)

June 11 - Floral Door Hangers workshop - Pender Fire Hall (1-4 pm)

June 12 - YQCA In-person Training @ Pender Fire Hall; 1-3:00 pm

June 12 - Registration deadline for HWY 15 Salvage Project Workshop

June 13 - Bee Hotel Virtual Workshop (10-12 pm) - via Zoom

June 13 - Clover Kid Camp - St. John's the Baptist's Catholic Church (9:00 - 2:00 pm)

June 14 - Registration deadline for Let's Paint Run-A-Ways Workshop

June 15 - 4-H Enrollment Deadline, Drop/Add Deadline

June 15 - Livestock Animal ID/Affidavits/DNA/Nominations Due/YQCA Due

June 17 - HWY 15 Salvage Project Workshop - Pender Fire Hall (1-4 pm)

June 17-18 - Premier Communication Event - Lincoln, NE

June 19 - Juneteenth - Floating Holiday

June 20 - Let's Paint Run-A-Ways Workshop - Pender Fire Hall (2:00 - 5:00 pm)

June 20 - 21 - Premier Animal Science Event - Lincoln, NE

June 21 - Registration deadline for the Design & Restoration workshop

June 24 - Registration deadline for Outdoors workshop

June 25 - Design & Restoration Workshop - Pender Fire Hall (9:00 - 12:00 pm)

June 27 - Outdoor Adventures Workshop - Pender Fire Hall (10:45 - 3:00 pm)

July 4 - Office Closed - 4th of July

July 8 - Thurston 4-H Council; TBD

July 13-17 - State 4-H Horse Show @ Fonner Park, Grand Island

July 17 - County Fair Entries DUE!!! YQCA DUE - NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

July 28 - Dakota-Thurston Co. 4-H Dog, Cat, Small Animal Show - Pender, NE

July 29 - Clothing Day @ the Fair! - Expo Center

July 31 - August 4 - Dakota-Thurston County Fair - "The Tradition Lives On"

August 10 - Nebraska State Fair Livestock Entries DUE

August 19 - Ext. Board Meeting - 6:30 pm, TBD

August 21 - State Fair exhibits; Grand Island, NE

August 23 - 25 - 4-H State Fair Weekend

August 30 - Sept 2 - FFA State Fair Weekend

Sept 2 - Office Closed

Sept 4 - Pick up State Fair Static Exhibits & Checks

Sept 9 - Joint 4-H Council; TBD

Sept 11 - Farm Safety Day, Pender, NE

Sept 26-29 - Aksarben Stock Show; Grand Island, NE

Ms. Allison Claussen is back in the office helping with all things 4-H! We are so happy to have her back for another summer! 😊

It's not too late to sign up for our Summer workshops! Lots of exciting things happening! Here is the link to view the flyer: https://go.unl.edu/24thurstonsummerflyer/

Register Online at: https://go.unl.edu/24thurstonsummerflyer

Any questions contact Thurston County 4-H Office at 402-385-6041 or thurston.unl.edu.

For those who have not enrolled in 4-H for 2024 (or started an enrollment but not completed it), it's not too late! Visit https://v2.4honline.com/ to enroll. Our county has a $5 enrollment fee. Please contact us at 402-385-6041 with any questions. Reminder the 15th is on a Saturday so plan accordingly!

If you are a member of Rosalie Feeders or Thurston County Independent, please remember to pay your $5 dues to our office ASAP so we can complete your enrollment. Mail checks to: Thurston County Extension, PO Box 665, Pender, NE 68047. (Youth members 8-18+, Clover Kids do not have dues.)

Important reminder that ALL livestock ID affidavits and State Fair livestock DNA and nominations are due on JUNE 15!!!! YQCA due date has been extended to JULY 17th (for Dakota & Thurston members), but please don't wait until the last minute to do it!

If you are needing affidavit sheets, livestock tags, EID tags, or DNA envelopes, please contact the Extension Office at: 402-385-6041.

Reminder that the 15th is on a Saturday, so please plan accordingly! Friday June 14th would be the day we prefer you have everything turned in by. Thanks!

Nebraska 4-H requires all members enrolled in a livestock project to complete annual quality assurance certification through the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals program.

Learn more about YQCA requirements and find help documents at 4h.unl.edu/yqca. YQCA is due for our county on July 17th! You can request coupon codes from our office to help offset your family costs!

There will be an in-person YQCA training on Wednesday, June 12th from 1:30-- 3:30 pm at the Pender Fire Hall! Register online at https://www.yqcaprogram.org/

Our 2024 Fair Book is here and available for pickup in our office. It is also posted online!

Visit https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/thurston/dakota-thurston-county-fair-0/ to either view a PDF copy or to find the links to the areas you're interested in!

This year's theme is "The Tradition Lives on". Click on this link to view: 2024 Faribook Final.pdf

We still have seeds available for the following 4-H projects:

• Special Agronomy Project- Sugar Beets- https://cropwatch.unl.edu/special-agronomy-project
• Special Garden Project- Princess of India Nasturtium- https://4h.unl.edu/special-gardening-project

Please stop by the extension office or contact us if you would like seeds or need more information! 402-385-6041 or sydney.williams@unl.edu.

Do you know what it takes to pick the best fruit and vegetables out at the grocery store? Or do you know what judges are looking for when they judge your plants at the county fair? Have you ever wondered, what plant is that!?! We are excited to offer the opportunity to learn these and other important horticulture skills through the Online Horticulture Contest. The contest will be available June 7-21, 2024 at: http://go.unl.edu/online4hhortcontest

Looking for a way to fit a break into your summer? At 4-H Summer Camps, youth disconnect from technology, develop social skills and friendships, learn new things, get active, and create lifelong memories in safe, structured, and supervised environments.

Sessions are filling up! Register now at 4h.unl.edu/camps-summer.

• Age of Eligibility
• The age of eligibility in 2024 is now 8 years of age before January 1 (of the current year) for all in-person events (livestock, contests, fashion shows)
• Showmanship Age Divisions
• Junior Showmanship (ages 8 to 10 before January 1 of the current year)
• Intermediate Showmanship (ages 11 to 13 before January 1 of the current year)
• Senior Showmanship (ages 14 to 18 before January 1 of the current year)
• Awards
• Exhibitors will receive awards for the Division Champions, Reserve Division Champions, Grand Champion Overall, Reserve Grand Champion Overall, and 3rd Overall. Only entries receiving a purple ribbon are eligible to receive champion and reserve awards.
• Entry Limits
• A 4-H member may exhibit up to 5 beef.
• A 4-H member may exhibit up to 4 sheep.
• A 4-H member may exhibit up to 4 goats.
• A 4-H member may exhibit up to 6 hogs.
• A 4-H member may exhibit up to 6 rabbits.
• A 4-H member may exhibit up to 6 live birds.

• Individual Species
• Sheep: New Breed Class-All Hair Breeds
• Goat: Market goats will show in separate classes; Market Wethers and Market Does (until final selection)
• Swine: New Breed Classes-Tamworth and Landrace
• Rabbit: New Breed Classes-Blue Holicer and Czech Frosty
• Dog Skillathon Contest: Added a Junior Skillathon Division and rotated breed ID picture topics

As you are aware many of your youth rely on being able to dual submit their livestock’s DNA for the Aksarben Stock Show. We are adding a new step to the process for the Aksarben Stock Show this year, online nomination. Youth that have purchased their DNA through your Extension Office will need to complete this online nomination to be eligible for the Aksarben Stock Show. They of course will not need to purchase a new DNA envelope. They will be accepting online nominations from May 1st through July 1st at 5 p.m. Please feel free to refer them to their website, aksarbenstockshow.com, which will have the link where to go to nominate, instructions specific for those that will be dual nominating for both shows, and frequently asked questions. You can also reach them at 308-382-1620.

Please note, the Aksarben Stock Show online nomination system will be different than Show Stock Manager. 4-H/FFA families who want to be nominated for both NSF and Aksarben will only need to submit one DNA envelope but will now have to submit the online nomination in two different databases.

Nebraska Cattlemen’s NCW – Consumer Education and Promotion Committee announced that the 2024 Beef Ambassador Competition and Advocacy Training will take place on Wednesday, June 12 at 1:00 p.m. MT at the Lake McConaughy Visitors Center and Water Interpretive Center in Ogallala, Nebraska.

The Nebraska Beef Ambassador Contest and Beef Advocacy Training provides an opportunity for future beef industry leaders, ages fourteen to twenty-four years old, to sharpen their advocacy skills and strengthen their knowledge of the key issues facing the number one industry in Nebraska.

The Beef Ambassador Competition requires participants to address current issues facing the beef industry with both a written response and a mock media interview. The competition is separated into two divisions, senior and collegiate. Cash prizes will be awarded, and the two first-place division winners will receive a belt buckle. The first-place junior and collegiate winners will become official Nebraska Beef Ambassadors for a full year. They will work to educate consumers and students on the importance of beef. At the end of their one-year term, the collegiate Nebraska Beef Ambassador will be awarded a scholarship on behalf of the Nebraska Cattlemen Research and Education Foundation.

Registration and additional details can be found on the Nebraska Cattlemen website at www.nebraskacattlemen.org. For more information, please contact Gina Hudson at ncw@necattlemen.org or at (402) 469-3157.

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.

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

More information about these shows can be found at the Thurston County Extension website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/thurston/area-livestock-shows-events/

• June 1, 2024 Phelps County Small Animal Progress Show, Phelps/Gosper County Fair Grounds, (Holdrege, NE)
• June 5-7, 2024 - UNL Livestock Judging Camp, Animal Science Building, (Lincoln, NE)
• June 6-8, 2024 - 4-H 50th Horse Camp, Nebraska Extension Dawes County (Ft. Robinson, NE)
• June 9, 2024 - Hustler Progress Show, Cuming County Fairgrounds (West Point, NE)
• June 9, 2024 Boots N' Spurs 4-H Club Open Horse Show, Steven's Arena at Dawson Co. Fairgrounds (Lexington, NE)
• June 14, 2024 - Nebraska Livestock Judging Classic (Kearney, NE)
• June 14-15, 2024 - Fitting Workshop and 25th Annual Cream of the Crop Dairy Show, Cuming County Fairgrounds (West Point, NE)
• June 15, 2024 - Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program, (Lincoln, NE)
• June 15, 2024 - 4-H Beef Progress Show, Keith County Fairgrounds (Ogallala, NE)
• June 15, 2024 - Dawes Co. 4-H Progress Show, Dawes County Fairgrounds (Chadron, NE)
• June 17, 2024 - Wisner Jr. Livestock Judging Contest, Wisner Jr. Livestock Show Grounds, Wisner River Park, (Wisner, NE)
  

• June 22, 2024 - Horsemanship with Rebekah Irish, Stevens Indoor Arena, (Lexington, NE)
• June 22, 2024 - 38th Annual Papio Valley Livestock Show, Sarpy County Fairgrounds, (Springfield, NE)
• June 22, 2024 - Adams County Progress Show, Adams County Fairgrounds (Hastings, NE)
• June 22, 2024 - Platte County Showmanship Clinic, Ag Park Arena and Green Barn (Columbus, NE)
• June 23, 2024 - Horsemanship with Rebekah Irish, Sandhills Global Event Center, (Lincoln, NE)
• June 27-30, 2024 - Wisner Junior Livestock Show (Wisner, NE) - Cattle, Sheep, Goat, Pig, Rabbit, and Dog Shows
• June 23, 2024 - Sheridan County Goat, Beef, Sheep, and Swine 4-H Progress Show, Sheridan County Fairgrounds (Gordon, NE)
• June 29, 2024 - Silver Spurs 4-H Horse Show, Chase County Fairgrounds, (Imperial, NE)
• June 29, 2024 - Platte Valley 4 Paws Dog Show, D&N Event Center, (North Platte, NE)
• July 7, 2024 - 4-H Invitational Horse Show, Buffalo County Fairgrounds, (Kearney, Nebraska)
• July 10-13, 2024 - Fremont 4-H Expo

Looking for a fun club project? Want to unite your club members? Running out of ideas for club meetings? If you answered, “yes” to any of these questions, help is on the way! Nebraska Extension is pleased to present the 11th annual Crop Scouting Competition for Nebraska youth. Youth interested in crops can learn about crop growth & development and basic crop scouting principles.

Don’t know a lot about crops? Ask a local agronomist to assist by providing a short lesson on crop production. You can have the agronomist meet with youth a little during each meeting or outside of the meeting. This is one way to engage those youth interested in crops.

This contest will be held at the Eastern Nebraska Research & Extension Center near Mead, Nebraska on August 7, 2024. The event will include both indoor and outdoor events. Teams of junior high and high school students (those completing 5-12th grades) from across Nebraska are invited to participate. This event is limited to the first ten teams who sign-up! Clubs or other organizations may enter a team composed of three to five participants. An adult team leader must accompany each team of students. Team leaders could be FFA advisors, crop consultants, extension staff, coop employees, etc.

More information about the crop scouting competition and instructions on how to register a team are available online at cropwatch.unl.edu/youth. Register at: https://go.unl.edu/cropscoutingreg

Teams must be registered by July 15. This program is sponsored by Nebraska Independent Crop Consultant Association, Ward Laboratories, the Nebraska Soybean Board and Nebraska Extension.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes loans to youth to establish and operate agricultural income-producing projects in connection with 4-H clubs, FFA and other agricultural groups. Projects must be planned and operated with the help of the organization advisor, produce sufficient income to repay the loan and provide the youth with practical business and educational experience. The maximum loan amount is $5,000.

More details at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/farm-loan-programs/youth-loans/index