SHERIDAN COUNTY NEWSLETTER

Aug. 16 - State Fair Static Drop Off day by 4 pm

Aug. 20 - State Fair Food/Horticulture drop off by 9 am

Aug. 20 - Sheridan County 4-H Council Meeting at 6:30 pm

Aug. 23- Sept. 2 - Nebraska State Fair

DEADLINE DATES:

Aug. 10 - State Fair Livestock and Contest Entry Deadline (including Fashion Show, Horticulture ID and Insect ID)

State Fair exhibits need to be brought to the office on Friday August 16th by 4 pm. Food and Horticulture/Floriculture projects need to be brought to the office by 9:00 am on Tuesday August 20. Food items need to be frozen and packed with ice packs. Other items should be carefully wrapped for transportation. Please make sure to have all supplemental information attached.

Please check the County Fair results below as they are what will be used to calculate premium money. Results have been double checked but we want to ensure everything is correct.

Sale checks will be ready once all buyers have paid. This usually takes around 3 weeks. A remind message will be sent out when checks are ready.

The Junior Livestock Sale would not be possible without our buyers. We want to thank them one more time with a picture frame. Engraved Picture frames will be ready to pick up prior to sale checks. You need to take a picture with your buyer. Then sale checks will be ready for pick up.

Thank you for all the Superintendents, show help, Council members, and other volunteers who played a role in ensuring the County Fair went smoothly. The 4-H program is only a success with the help of all our volunteers and we are very blest in Sheridan County to not only have amazing volunteers but amazing kids who were willing to help out throughout the week.

As you are wrapping up your summer, take the time to say an extra thank you to the Sheridan County Agriculture Society, Sheridan County 4-H Council, donors, and superintendents.

The Nebraska State Fair is thrilled to host the 2nd annual 4-H Day at the Nebraska State Fair. 4-H Day will be Sunday, August 25th. To celebrate our 4-H members statewide they are offering a discounted admission that day that is only for bonafide 4-H members. This is only intended for 4-H members, family members including parents will need to purchase regular admission tickets. This is not just for state fair exhibitors, but for any 4-H member.

To order discounted tickets, please click here: 4-H Day at Nebraska State Fair - Good On Aug 25 Only Tickets | Lincoln, NE | Nebraska State Fair- Livestock (etix.com)

Password:
20244H

Note – All livestock exhibitors and in-person event exhibitors (contests, fashion show, presentations, and robotics showcase) will still be able to order discounted tickets when they enter in ShoWorks for State Fair. This process has not changed for those exhibitors coming to the fair.

The attachment below has a listing of all the ribbons awarded during this year's Sheridan County Fair. These ribbons will be utilized to determine the premium amounts members will receive at the Achievement Banquet.

Below are the exhibits that were selected to Nebraska State Fair. Static exhibits needs to be brought to the office by 4 pm on Friday, August 16th. Food and horticulture exhibits need to be dropped off at the Extension Office by 9 am on Tuesday, August 20th. The items need to be frozen and packaged ready for transportation.

Hazel Anderson - Beguin

-Level 2 Crocheted Item for Home Design

-Barn Quilt less than 4'x4'

-1 Jar Jelled Exhibit

Colton Archibald

-Double Crust Fruit Pie

-Dried Herbs

Aliyah Bear

-Accessory Made from Glass - Mosaic coaster

Fabiola Benitez-Socarras

-Fashion Accessory

Braylee Campbell

-Abstract Photography

-Accessory 3D

Mikaylee Campbell

-Creative Techniques and Lighting Photography

Alyna Davis

-Accessory Textile 2D

Janessa Dieriex

-Shopping in Style

-Cooking Recipe File

-Modeling Shopping in Style

Madison Dolezal

-White Bread

Natalia Dolezal

-Creative Mixes

Jane Gaswick

-Visual Art Themes

Maverick Graham

-Barn Quilt less than 4' x 4'

Caleb Heck

-Design Decisions Bedcover

Kirsten Heck

-Shopping in Style

-Revive your Wardrobe

-Fairy Garden

Kaisyn Hooper

-Accessory 3D

-Loaf Quick Bread

Kaylee Kaiser

-Sample of Original Product

Kaytee Kaiser

-Beyond the Needle Designed Garment

-Modeling Beyond the Needle

Kennedy Kearns

-Creative Mixes

-Candid Photography

Preston Kelly

-1 Jar Tomato Exhibit

Kashlyn Krebs

-Creative Composition Photography

-Expression Through Color Photography

-Visual Arts Guitar

Kynsleigh Krebs

-Candid Photography

Abigail Nelson

-Accessory 3D

-Specialty Bread

-Original Charcoal Drawing

-Original Single Media

Emily Nelson

-Double Crust Fruit Pie

-Visual Arts Pencil Drawing

Tenley Ostrander

-Wildlife Tracks

Lily Rosane

-Accessory Made from Metal

Louisa Scott

-Abstract Photography

Maggie Scott

-Red Onions

Keeley Tausan

-Wildlife Tracks

Kinley Tausan

-Original Sculpture

-Human Development book

-Visual Arts Mixed Media

Elizabeth Thompson

-Modeling Shopping in Style

Hattie Williamson

-Creative Techniques Photography

Gracie Williamson

-Creative Mixes

GR Overdrive

-Robot Showcase

Willow Frink & Kyler Scheenan

-Robot Showcase

The 2024 Nebraska State Fair 4-H and FFA entry site is open and accepting entries! Below you will find some information regarding the deadline, entry site, 4-H schedule, livestock health requirements, livestock entry limits, entry prices, optional livestock purchase items, tips for how to submit entries and who to contact if you have registration questions. Please share this information with your families in your county.

Deadline

Deadline to complete entries: Saturday, August 10 at 7 PM MST*

*No option for late entries

Click Here for State Fair Online Entry Information

4-H and FFA exhibitors and their families are responsible for submitting all entries below online.

This includes:

- 4-H and FFA Livestock entries

- 4-H Companion Animal entries

- 4-H Dog entries

- 4-H and FFA Premier Exhibitor entries

- 4-H Dog Skill-a-thon entries

- 4-H Fashion Show

Extension Staff will register static exhibits and take them to the Nebraska State Fair for judging.

The Achievement Applications are applications that give youth the opportunity to share with others about their 4-H experiences. These applications are judges for $25 cash prizes that are presented at the Achievement Banquet. These applications are not based on awards won at the County Fair but how the youth grow and learn from their projects. These are due September 30th. Those who complete the applications and are in the Senior age division, are eligible to submit their application to the state level for an opportunity to win a scholarship to attend National 4-H Congress. To be eligible for this award students have to designate a curriculum area. Senior High School students can also receive scholarships from completing these applications by January 15th.

To complete the Achievement Application, youth have a maximum of 3 pages to include the following information: collective 4-H experiences, 4 -H experiences within the last year, 4-H Leadership Experiences, Non 4-H Leadership Experiences, Community Involvement, and Career Spark. For those interested in applying for state awards, they need to complete additional pages.

4-H members have the opportunity to win additional cash awards by filling out (up to 3) Project Record sheets. Project Record sheets explain the youth's goals, costs, and what they learned. These forms are due September 30th with the Achievement Applications. Members do not have to complete the Achievement Application in order to be eligible for this award. Winners will be announced at the Achievement Banquet.

As another 4-H year comes to an end, it is time to recognize all that go above and beyond to help the Sheridan County 4-H program. These individuals will be recognized at the Banquet at the end of October. We want to hear from you for who should win the following awards. To nominate someone it is easy, submit a paragraph of why they should win the award, who you are nominating, and the award you are nominating them for to the Extension Office by September 15th. You can email the nominations to mmracek2@unl.edu.

National Leadership Award (formerly I Dare You Award): is open to youth ages 15–18 who have completed their freshman year in high school and show outstanding qualities in servant leadership. Award recipients receive a personalized award certificate, a copy of William H. Danforth’s classic motivational book I Dare You! and are eligible to apply for the “I Dare You” Scholarship.

4-H Alumni Award: A 4-H Alumni who has continued to be a contributing member of 4-H in Sheridan County. If you have questions about whether or not a leader or volunteer is an alum, please contact the office.

4-H Business Appreciation: A business that really goes all out for 4-H. They may be a major sponsor for awards or just always donating time, energy or their employees to help the 4-H program succeed.

Jane Beguin Award: This award is to honor someone who embraces the 4-H motto like Jane Beguin did. This award is designed to recognize that special someone who goes out of their way time and time again to ‘make the best better’. This award is a great way to honor someone who truly embodies the heart of Sheridan County 4-H.

Adults interested in judging county and state 4-H projects, including live animal shows, static exhibits, and contests, are invited to complete the Judges Sign Up Form. By completing the online process, you agree to be screened according to the 4-H Youth Safety Policy, verify your receipt of the UNL Activity Worker Guidelines, and sign the 4-H Code of Conduct. Once the screening process is complete, your information will be made available to county Extension offices and State Fair 4-H superintendents. Those interested in hiring you to judge will contact you directly.

The 2025 registration will open on July 1 and close on September 30, 2024.

Nebraska 4-H wants to celebrate your everyday scientific achievements!

Science is a process of discovering the world around you through experiments and observations. By definition this makes you a scientist. In fact, you probably use the scientific method every day without even knowing it. For example, it is Saturday morning, and your family is making pancakes but with too many people in the kitchen one of the ingredients gets added twice! Not only have the cooked pancakes puffed up twice their normal size, but they also taste funny (observation). You decide that someone added the baking soda twice (hypothesis). A family member suggests if you make the pancakes again without the extra baking soda breakfast will not be a total flop (prediction). You agree and make them again (experiment). The pancakes were delicious the second time around and it was decided too much baking soda was the problem (conclusion).

Could this scenario be altered to an experience you had while working on a 4-H project? Maybe you experimented with different types of fabric for clothing project, explored new ways of preserving fruit, tried three different paints to see what will work best for your glass lamp you designed or practiced using different photography techniques.

If you believe you used the scientific method in one of your 4-H static projects, consider applying for the Premier 4-H Science Award. All static exhibits which qualify for the Nebraska State Fair can apply for Premier 4-H Science Award. All applicants will be recognized for their use of science within their project area and will be eligible for a Premier 4-H Science Top exhibitor awards which includes a cash award sponsored by the Nebraska 4-H Foundation.

How can you apply? Identify which exhibit you will enter in the Premier 4-H Science Award. Then, complete the Premier 4-H Science Award Application, found online at https://go.unl.edu/nsfpremierscienceapp. Deadline is Monday, August 19 at 12:00PM CT.

For more information about the Premier 4-H Science Award visit https://4hfairbook.unl.edu/fairbookview.php/contests/51, contact Sarah Polacek at spolacek2@unl.edu.

Deadline to submit Diamond Clover is September 30. Forms are available on the Nebraska 4-H Diamond Clover website.

The Nebraska 4-H Diamond Clover program encourages 4-H youth to engage in a variety of programs, projects, and activities that will enable youth to acquire skills and abilities that will prepare them for success in the future. The program is designed to reach and recognize all youth engaged in 4-H, from club members and campers to school enrichment, afterschool, and special interest program participants. The program consists of six levels that require a young person to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate accomplishments.

Rules

• Youth may only receive recognition at each level once.
• Youth may only receive one level of recognition per year.
• Youth should begin at Level 1 and progress through Level 6. However, youth who are older when beginning may opt to start at a higher level (2-4) as is mutually agreeable to the participant and the parent/guardian or leader. In order for older youth to begin at level 5 or 6, the Extension staff must also be in agreement.
• Approval: Levels 1–4 require the approval of a 4-H youth’s parent/guardian. If the 4-H youth belongs to a 4-H club, club leader approval is also required (if 4-H youth belongs to more than one club, choose one leader to work with). Levels 5 and 6 require the approval of a local county extension staff member.
• Accomplishments: Each level requires participants to complete a specified number of accomplishments. The 4-H participant may choose accomplishment listed for each level. The accomplishments are age appropriate and increase in quantity and difficulty for each level. Parents/guardians, leaders, and Extension staff may suggest other accomplishments — comparable to those provided — to improve the individual learning experience of each 4-H youth.

The 4-H Volunteer Connection is a monthly e-newsletter for 4-H volunteers to get exclusive tips, tricks and support to help volunteers excel in their role, all delivered straight to their inbox. Volunteers subscribe to this e-newsletter at 4h.unl.edu/volunteer-connection.

These people are YOUR voice! Please contact any of them if you have an idea for a new or existing event or activity, have concerns with the program, or just want to have input in the decision-making process.

David Russell, Wendy Andersen, Michelle Heck, Nicole Janssen, Jake Scott, Kami Scott, Valerie Beel, Tim Campbell, Kris Stumpff, Melissa Mracek

4-H Council:
President - Zach Kearns

Vice President - EJ Frink

Secretary - Brad Beguin

Treasurer - Jackie Simonson
Members - Candace Nelson, Clint Vincent, Jace Stumpff, Brain Nelson, Ryan Paul
Youth Members: Kirsten Heck, Jaxon Kearns, Wyatt Feddersen, Kyler Vincent

Extension Board:
President - Matt Albrecht
Vice President - Caleb Peters
Secretary/Treasurer - Paige Stumpff
Members - Trevor Ginkens, Morgan Weyers

Sheridan County Extension Office:

Office Manager - Wendy Andersen

4-H Extension Educator - Melissa Mracek

Email: sheridan-county@unl.edu
Location: 800 S Loofborrow Street, PO Box 329, Rushville, NE 69360
Phone: 308-327-2312
Twitter: @SheridanCounty