Box Butte County 4-H Newsletter

May Weigh-in for Sheep/Meat Goat & Pigs:

Market Lamb, Pig & Meat Goat: Thursday, May 16, 2024 from 6-7 PM

Market Lamb, Pig & Meat Goat: Thursday, May 23, 2024 from 6-7 PM

Box Butte County Fairgrounds

Pig Exhibitors please be thinking about how you would like to water your pigs this year at Fair. You will get an option this year if you would like to use the fair water hook ups or if you would like to bucket water your hogs.

We will be giving you a card at weigh-in to fill out. This will help superintendents assign pens to those that want to use the fair hook up versus bucket watering your pigs.

Are you interested in joining a 4-H Club? The Goldenrod 4-H Club will be having a summer kick off on May 18th! For questions please contact new club leaders: Maggie Bates & Natasha Schumacher.

Attention current High school Seniors or Freshman in college?

The 4S Goat Expo would like to extend their scholarship to young goat producers in the state of Nebraska again this year. This scholarship is open to Seniors in High school and Freshman in college. The deadline for this scholarship is May 31, 2024.

You will find the scholarship application attached.

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.

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

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:

• Hemingford Monday, May 13, 2024 5:30-7:00pm
• If needed we will host a 3rd training in Alliance: DATE TBD

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.

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

If you are interested in attending this clinic please contact us. There is a non-refundable deposit of $150 due by May 1st, please mail to the Box Butte County 4-H Council, 415 Black Hills Ave, Alliance NE 69301. Total cost of the clinic is $250, there is a scholarship available for Box Butte County Exhibitors.

On Sunday, April 14th the 4-H Staff from the North Panhandle hosted the annual Communications Contest at the Performing Arts Center in Alliance. Youth, between the ages of 5 to 18, from Box Butte, Dawes, and Sheridan Counties had the opportunity to participate in an Illustrated Presentation, Prepared Speech, Public Service Announcement, or Video Communications Contest where the youth discussed or demonstrated their passions for the Nebraska 4-H Program.

In the Prepared Speech Division for the Seniors, Ayla Foster of Box Butte County was awarded purple and Grand Champion. Reserve Champion for Box Butte was awarded to Chili Potmesil also with a purple. Jonas Daughtery from Box Butte received a blue. In the Intermediate age division for Box Butte, receiving Grand Champion with a purple was Eden Foster. Silas Daughtery was awarded Reserve Champion receiving a purple. Receiving blue was Jessi Latka. For the Box Butte County Junior age division, Callin Foster received Grand Champion with a purple and Mara Foster was Reserve Champion with a purple. New this year, Chili Potmesil submitted a Video Communications. He was awarded Champion with a purple for his video.

The state Premier Communications Contest will be held on June 17th and 18th in Lincoln, Nebraska. Youth must receive a purple from the county contest to participate. Each county can select up to five participants from each age division. Those who are eligible to participate in the state contest from Box Butte are Ayla Foster, Chili Potmesil, Eden Foster, Silas Daughtery, Callin Foster, and Mara Foster.