HARLAN COUNTY EXTENSION

Calendar of Events

4-H Month

Save the Dates

• 2025 Harlan County Fair Dates
• 2025 Nebraska State Fair Dates
• 4-H Beef Weigh-in
• 4-H Kick-off Event
• 4-H Public Speaking Contest
  

2024/2025 4-H Enrollment

• Nebraska 4-H
  
• Harlan 4-H Brochure
• Youth Returning & New (Informational Website), (4-Honline)
  
• Volunteers
• 4-H Leader Resources

Harlan County News & Events

• We are Hiring!
  
• Brown Bag Activity Kits
• How to videos
• Healthy Foods Fast - Featuring the Air Fryer
• Pesticide Applicator Training
• 4-H T-Shirt Design Contest
  

• Flickr (To share the success stories of our youth through pictures)

Statewide Opportunities

• Extension program areas
  
• Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference, Kearney
• Innovative Youth Corn Challenge

• Remote Pilot Exam Prep Course (Drones)

• Nebraska State 4-H Camp
• Data Driven
• The Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NAYI)
• Special Agronomy Project
• Tractor Safety Training
• Gro Big Red
  

February

• February 6: Healthy Foods - Featuring Air Fryers at 5:30pm @ Peace Lutheran, Alma
  
• February 13: Brown Bag Order Deadline
• February 13: Private Pesticide Training at 9:30am & 1:30pm @ the Ag Center, Orleans
  
• February 17: Office Closed in observance of President's Day
• February 20-21: Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference, Kearney
• February 21: Brown Bag Kit Pick up
• February 28: 4-H Enrollment Incentive Deadline
  

March

• March 15: 4-H Volunteer Enrollment Deadline
• March 15: 4-H T-shirt Contest Deadline
• March 16: 4-H Kick Off Event from 2pm - 4pm @ Uptown Bowling in Alma
• March 18: Who Gets Grandma's Pie Plate at 12pm and 5:30pm @ Alma UMC
• March 22: 4-H Beef weigh-in at 1pm - 3pm

We are excited to have you join Harlan County 4-H!
ENROLL TODAY!!

Enrollment closes JUNE 15, 2025.

Enroll Today!!

4-H Enrollment is open and at no charge to you to enroll.
Go to https://4h.unl.edu/enroll to learn about enrollment for the 2024/2025 4-H year!
By successfully completing the 4-H member enrollment, youth will be eligible to participate and exhibit in any project area, contest, county and state fairs.
Project selection is optional, however we encourage youth to select projects they are interested in exploring.
Please note:
o Horse and shooting sports projects are required to enroll in project area due to the parental consent required to participate in these projects.

Enroll or Re-enroll for the upcoming 2024/2025 4-H year at https://v2.4honline.com

Volunteer enrollment is OPEN. In 2025, we have switched screening providers, which means all DIRECT (club leaders & 4-H Council members) volunteers must be re-screened. You do NOT need complete the orientation again if you completed in 2024. Volunteers must enroll by March 15 OR BEFORE having direct contact with youth. Please contact Micky at mblender2@unl.edu with questions about your screening level.

All direct volunteers can get reimbursed for their volunteer screening. Please submit your receipt to harlan-county@unl.edu, and we will mail your check for reimbursement. No reimbursement will be made without a receipt.

4-H Enrollment

POSSIBLE CHANCE TO WIN $15 CASH BY ENROLLING IN HARLAN CO 4-H

Register for 4-H by February 28 and your child could win!!
6 winners will be drawn to win $15 cash.
We will be putting all of the kid names that have registered for 4-H before or on February 28th into a hat and we will be drawing 6 names out on March 3rd.
Get to https://v2.4honline.com/ to enroll for the 2025 4-H year!

Nebraska 4-H offers a variety of resources for 4-H Clubs and leaders. A 4-H Club is an organized group of five or more youth who meet regularly with adult volunteers or 4-H staff for a long-term, progressive series of educational experiences. The purpose of a 4-H club is to provide positive youth development and foster educational opportunities to meet the needs of young people.

For 4-H Club Leader Resources follow this link https://4h.unl.edu/resources/club-leaders

Explore the ins and outs of Air Fryers for cooking healthy homemade meals to bring the family around the table.
*** Registration is required to secure your spot.
Register for class by using this link: https://forms.gle/Ui3wNh2mXFHTYQG87

Class Date: February 6, 2025
Class Time: 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Class size is limited
Event Address: Peace Lutheran Church Social Hall, 310 S. Hwy 183, Alma, Nebraska
Class Fee: $15 payable at the door
(Include Instructions, Recipes, Samples and Refreshments)
Form of payment should be cash or check
Make checks payable to: University of Nebraska-Lincoln

For more information or questions, please contact the Harlan County Extension Office at 308-928-2119.

Minimum of eight persons required to hold class.

🎨✨ February Brown Bag Activity Kits are here! ✨🎨

This month, we’re featuring TWO exciting activities:
1️⃣ Q-tip Launcher 🚀
2️⃣ Rainbow Macrame 🌈

FREE kits available! To order yours, simply:
🔗 Scan the QR code
🌐 Click here: https://go.unl.edu/harlan-furnas-brownbag
📞 Or call our office at 308-268-3105

⏰ Order by February 13th to get your FREE kits!

Get ready for a fun-filled February! #BrownBagKits #DIYFun #FreeActivities #FebruaryCrafts

Looking for visual help with a Brown Bag project? The Harlan/Furnas team have put together video tutorials with step-by-step instructions for you. Check them out at https://go.unl.edu/bb-video

This is a mandatory course for Private Pesticide Applicators in the state of Nebraska. The training is federally regulated and is created by University of Nebraska to meet the requirements of the EPA and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.

Definition of a Private Applicator: A licensed applicator who uses any restricted-use pesticide (RUP) for the purpose of producing any agricultural commodity on property owned or rented by him/her or his/her employer. Also includes any person applying restricted-use pesticides on the property of another person without compensation (other than the trading of personal services between producers of agricultural commodities).
-Local Training in Harlan County-
February 13 at the Ag Center in Orleans

@ 9:30am & 1:30pm

Prepare for next year. We have these awesome Farm and Ranch Income Record Tax books available for purchase in our office. Stop in and pick yours up for 2025!! $8 each.

Registration is open now!

For the 40th year, the Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference will be taking stage on February 20 & 21. That is two days packed with inspirational speakers, networking opportunities, and innovative workshops you won't want to miss.

Snag your spot today via https://wia.unl.edu/conference/

The Nebraska Extension Special Agronomy Project gives 4-H members an opportunity to experience a crop that is grown, was grown or has the potential to be grown in Nebraska. Youth participate by receiving seed and resources to grow the crop, research traits of the crop and determine the viability of that crop in the part of the state they live in. The project allows 4-H members interested in agronomy to grow something fun, new, and different. This year, we will be exploring a crop that can be marketed different ways depending on the variety.

Enroll for the 2025 Special Agronomy Project by contacting your local Nebraska Extension Office to order packets of seeds. The local Extension Office will order and distribute the seeds to members. Please have your order placed prior to March 1st.

For project specifications and details, be sure to go to the Nebraska State Fairbook at https://4hfairbook.unl.edu/fairbookview.php/rules.

More details at: https://cropwatch.unl.edu/youth/special-agronomy-project/

This prestigious contest is open to 4-H members (aged 8 and older as of January 1st) and FFA members (in-school members). This competition is designed to guide participants through a comprehensive exploration of all facets of corn production, including aspects related to agricultural careers associated with corn production.

• First Place: $1,000

• Second Place: $500

• Third Place: $250

• Special Awards: In addition to the top rankings, commendable efforts will be acknowledged through the "Extra Mile" and "Ag Literacy" Awards, each carrying a value of $200.

Registration deadline is April 1st.

Registration link: https://cropwatch.unl.edu/youth/corn-challenge/

For detailed guidelines and participation information, please refer to the https://cropwatch.unl.edu/youth/cornchallenge webpage or contact Brandy VanDeWalle at brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu.

Nebraska Extension will be offering one-day (eight hour) courses across the state to prepare individuals to pass the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aeronautical Knowledge Exam required to receive a Part 107 remote pilot certification or license to fly drones for commercial applications.
Registration is available online (Link) for each location.

Pre-registration is required with a $275 registration fee.

On-line registration closes the Monday prior to the event.

Study materials, and light breakfast and lunch will be provided. An educational discount is available to students and educators through an application process available on the registration link.

This is a course for anyone who wants to fly drones, not just agriculture. The course works for EMS, Law Enforcement, Real Estate, Land Management, photography, etc.

Please contact Dr. Dirk Charlson for more information on this course at
Email: dirk.charlson@unl.edu or Cell: 402-460-0742 (Text or Call)

📢 Registration Now Open for "Data Driven: A Statistics & Data Science Field Day"!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 22, 2025, and join us on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus for an exciting day of data science and statistics competitions! This event is open to teams of 4 high school students and 1 coach.

Compete in 5 unique games focused on probability, data science, and a bit of luck for a chance to win amazing prizes, including $500 CASNR scholarships for the top-scoring team members. Registration is free for the first 20 teams, courtesy of CASNR sponsorship!

📍 Where: Dinsdale Family Learning Commons, UNL East Campus

🕙 When: 10 AM - 4 PM, March 22, 2025

Don’t miss out—register today! For more details, visit 4h.unl.edu/data-driven or contact Kimberly Stanke at kstanke2@unl.edu.

The 54th annual Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NAYI) will be held July 7-11, 2025, on UNL’s East Campus.

Applications are now available to students who are currently high school juniors and seniors on our website at: www.nda.nebraska.gov/nayi

As always, applications will be due on April 15th.

The 2025 season of the Nebraska State 4-H Camp will share the importance of pollinators in Nebraska- why they’re important, how they impact agriculture, and what youth can do in their own communities to support the various native pollinators we have in Nebraska. From bees and butterflies to hummingbirds and bats- it’s going to be a week full of learning and fun!

The Nebraska State 4-H Camp is returning to Chadron and Burwell for summer camp 2025!
Youth new to camping can attend a shorter camp session designed to let them experience all the best parts of summer camp in a 3 day/2 night session. Choose from one of two 5 day/4 night sessions for youth 10-14 years old and returning this year is the Leaders in Training camp for high school youth 15-17 years old! Campers will focus on developing leadership skills with an opportunity to put those skills into practice by volunteering at one of our other camp sessions!

Registration is now OPEN! More information on sessions, dates, and the link to register can be found at 4h.unl.edu/camp.

Federal law restricts youth under 16 from using certain farm equipment unless their parents or
guardians own the farm. However, 14- and 15-year-olds can earn an exemption by completing a two-day certification course, which includes a written test and a driving exam. Successful completion grants NSTMOP certification, allowing them to operate tractors and certain mechanized equipment on farms and ranches, and obtain a husbandry permit.

To Learn more and to register for a date, check out the link: https://www.unmc.edu/publichealth/cscash/outreach/farm-safety-days.html

Youth under 14 years of age can attend Day 1 if accompanied by an adult but cannot drive equipment, attend Day 2, or become certified. Students under 14 must register but won’t be charged a fee.

This webinar series, sponsored by Nebraska Extension and delivered via Zoom, is a great opportunity to join experts from Nebraska Extension to learn and ask questions! All programs are on the second Wednesday of the month from Noon-1 pm CT.

If you cannot participate in the live programs, they will be recorded and made available on this webpage for later viewing, too.

To sign up for a webinar topic visit: https://hles.unl.edu/lawn-garden/gro-big-red/

Email: Harlan-County@unl.edu
Website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/harlan/
Location: Alma, NE, USA
Phone: 308-928-2119
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harlancountyext

Flickr: flickr.com/photos/harlan-county-ne/

In Harlan County, we have AMAZING youth! To share the success stories of our youth through pictures, visit our Flickr account at flickr.com/photos/harlan-county-ne/

Nebraska Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture. The 4-H Youth Development program abides with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.