Gage 4-H News

Announcements

• Office Closed
• 4-H Enrollment
• Clover Kids
• Save the Date- County Fair dates
• Scholarship Update
• 4-H Inc. Annual Pancake Feed & Silent Auction
• Premier Communication Contest
  

Notes to 4-H Members

• NE 4-H month
• State Fair Age Eligibility
• State 4-H Camp

Notes to Leaders/Volunteers

• 4-H Council Meeting

Notes to Livestock Members

• State Fair Livestock Update
• YQCA Trainings
• 4-H Rabbit Show
• UNL Chick Days
• Save the Date- Gage County Livestock Showdown

Calendar of Events

Enrollment is open for the 2023-2024 Gage County 4-H year. The enrollment website is v2.4honline.com. All 4-H youth (ages 8-18), Clover Kids (ages 5-7), and leaders/volunteers are required to enroll online every year. Enrollment deadline is June 15. We encourage all members to enroll using a computer and not your mobile device. Call or email Jacie or Rachel at 402-223-1384 with any enrollment questions.

Please make sure to include or update your child's t-shirt size! This is the sizing guide we use to order the Exmark t-shirts for county fair! It is not a required field so can often be missed.

Updated help guides can be found on our website.

Enrollment fee is $12 for each 4-H youth to be paid online or in the office. There is no fee for Clover Kids or adults. We will not be accepting enrollments until we have received payment.

Clover Kids is a special program for youth ages 5-7 who want to participate in 4-H. The program offers a variety of educational and recreational experiences in non-competitive environments. These opportunities are ideal for developing confidence, creativity, and competence during this stage of youth development.

Clover Kids have special opportunities to participate during the Gage County Fair by exhibiting Clover Kids static exhibits. To be eligible to participate, Clover Kids need to enroll through our 4HOnline system at v2.4honline.com

Gage County 4-H Juniors and Seniors, it's time for you to start looking at scholarships! There are numerous agricultural companies, organizations, and colleges that offer scholarships to students who have long-term career goals in agriculture. There are also a lot of local and county-wide scholarships for 4-H youth. Now is the time to put together a good resume-it helps!

At a loss for where to begin with scholarships and financial aid? We have multiple resources available for you! Check out the Scholarship Update Newsletter for resources and a list of local and statewide 4-H Scholarships.

Mark Your Calendars!

February 25th from 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.

4-H Inc. is asking each club to donate 2 or more items for the silent auction. Please contact Megan Overbeck to set up drop off times before February 25th or please have your items to the building by 8:00 a.m. the morning of the event.

4-H Inc. needs a club to come help set up February 24th at 10:00 a.m. They also need helpers as many hands make light work.

The shifts are on February 25th from 8 a.m.- 10 a.m., 9:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m.,11 a.m.- 1 p.m., 12:30 p.m.- clean up crew.

Flex your public speaking skills at the 2024 Premier Communication Contest on April 21, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.

Youth of all ages can compete in the Speech, PSA, Video Communication, or Presentation Divisions. Check out the Contest Rules & Resources document for information on how to register and participate in each division.

February is Nebraska 4-H Month! This is an opportunity to celebrate 4-H locally, recruit new members and volunteers, and have fun! Join Gage County 4-H in celebrating:

• Thursday, February 1: Spirit Day

• Thursday, February 8: 4-H Volunteer Appreciation Day

• Thursday, February 15: 4-H Sponsor and Appreciation Day

• Thursday, February 22: 4-H Give Back to Your Community/Service Day

• Thursday, February 29: Leap into 4-H Day (Enroll in 4-H)

The decision has been made to change the age of eligibility in 2024 to be 8 years of age before January 1 (of the current year) for all in-person events (livestock, contests, fashion shows).

The Gage County 4-H Council has an upcoming meeting set for February 26th at 6:30 pm.

All 4-H/FFA BREEDING livestock, market livestock and FEEDER CALVES will still be required to submit a DNA sample/envelope to be eligible to exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair. DNA envelopes for the Nebraska State Fair are due on June 15 to the Extension Office.

DNA nominations will all be $7.00 per animal. Animals will automatically be eligible for both breeding and market. Any DNA nomination submitted through Show Stock Manager will also be eligible for exhibition at the Aksarben Stock Show.

Breeding livestock: Registration papers must now show the exhibitor’s name or a co-owner who is an immediate member of the exhibitor’s family and is listed with the online nomination in show stock manager

The style of the envelopes have been updated. Therefore, if you have any old DNA envelopes they will NOT work. You need to get a new envelope from the Extension Office.

4-H (ages 8-18) and FFA (under age 19) exhibitors as of Jan. 1st of the current year who exhibit beef, goat, sheep, swine, rabbit & poultry are REQUIRED to complete YQCA training by June 15, to be eligible to participate at the Gage County Fair and Nebraska State Fair. (Clover Kids are not required to complete YQCA training).

Face-to-Face training participants are REQUIRED TO PRE-REGISTER ONLINE and pay a $3.00 fee. Once you have completed the training you will log back into your YQCA account and retrieve your certificate to turn into the Extension Office by June 15.

• February 15 @ Tri-County Schools 1:30-2:30 pm Mr. Barnard

Online YQCA training is available for $12.00 per youth. Please make a special note to your 4-H age (as of Jan. 1) when selecting a course to complete.

The 4-H Spring Rabbit Show will be held on Saturday, March 16, 9 a.m. at Sandhills Global Event Center, 84th & Havelock – South Hall. Open to all youth ages 8–18, with a Clover Kids class for youth ages 5–7. This is a great opportunity for youth to talk to other 4-H’ers about where to purchase a good rabbit for a 4-H project, and to learn and practice showmanship. Rabbit Quiz and Breed Identification contests are free for youth to enter!

Again this year: the knowledge contests are open to adults for a minimal fee!

Show flyer is now posted at https://lancaster.unl.edu/4h/rabbit/rabbit-show-spring-24.pdf. For questions, contact Kate Pulec at kpulec3@unl.edu or 402-441-7180.

Chick Days is an annual educational event for small and back-yard poultry producers and youth to learn more about the poultry industry. The event is open to both youth (Ages 7-18) and adults (ages 19 and up).

This years event will be held from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., on March 16, 2024 at the Department of Animal Science, 3940 Fair St., Lincoln, NE.

To register and more information go to this https://animalscience.unl.edu/chick-days

Questions? Contact Sheila Purdum or by phone at 402-472-6451.

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/
Twitter: @GageCoExtension