4-H Friday News Blast for 2.7.2020

We have been fortunate to have Sondra Buell serve as our Cass County Extension Office Manager for the past five years. During this time she has shared her technical expertise through the day to day operations in our office but more importantly she has shared her passion for fostering learning and development for Cass County 4-H members and families. Her warm smile and helping hand has been a staple in our office.

Sondra has decided to retire from the Cass County Extension Office with her last day set for March 20, 2020. She looks forward to sharing her passion in other areas including the Living Nativity they host at the 3B Homestead each winter, investing time in her church leadership roles, visiting her children more, and doing some traveling with her husband, Mark. Sondra won’t be far though, we look forward to her volunteering during the fair and hopefully leading a workshop or two to continue sharing her passion for learning with our 4-H members and families!

We wish Sondra the very best in retirement and thank her for her dedication and service to Cass County!

Due to retirement the Cass County Extension Office is seeking applicants for the Office Manager Position. Interested parties can find information here: https://go.unl.edu/pdd0

Application deadline is February 17, 2020. Contact Lauren Stohlmann with any questions.

The Cass County 4-H Council seeks to promote and support positive youth development and club experience for youth in Cass County through offering a grant program to support club efforts. Grant applications are available now at the link below. Applications are due to the extension office by March 7, 2020.

Grant Application Link

It’s a new year, and we’re introducing a new application season for the Youth in Action program! From January 29 - April 27, youth can share their stories of developing passion, finding purpose and inspiring others by applying for the 4-H Youth in Action Awards for a chance to earn a $5,000 scholarship and a trip to Washington, DC!

LEARN MORE

There is a Shooting Sports Leader Meeting scheduled for Monday evening, February 17th starting at 6:30 pm at the Cass County Extension office. We will talk about proposed updates to the program, enrollments, and review the requirements to participate in county contests. A more formal agenda with RSVP information will be sent out closer to the date – please contact Tracy at tracy.ensor@unl.edu for more information.

DreamDogs Lego League Team in Cass County will be holding a preview night to showcase the numerous opportunities for Cass County Youth to be involved in Nebraska 4-H Lego League. Join the Dream Dogs for this event to learn more!

Location: Louisville Evangelical Free Church (403 Main Street - white church)

Date: Feb. 10

Time: 6:30pm

For more information contact Johanna Pankonin at (402) 669-7465

For the month of February, every time a $2.50 red My Heart Reusable Bag is sold at Hy-Vee 16418 Westside Drive, Plattsmouth NE, Nebraska 4-H Foundation will receive a $1 donation.

Sponsored by the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority, the purpose of the Nebraska 4-H Foundation's Governor's Agricultural Excellence Award is to recognize 4-H clubs for the work of the individuals in the club and the community service work of the entire club. Winners receive a $500 cash prize to be used by the club as described in the application.

Apply now!

Join the UNL Livestock Judging Team to learn the in's and out's to become successful in livestock evaluation. Youth will have the opportunity to evaluate all species as well as be provided coaching in giving oral reasons. The camp offers two different formats, either a one day camp or a multi day, overnight camp option. More Information, including how to register, is available here.

The Lozier Sponsorship for the Trades program is available to high school seniors entering into a college program in the Skilled and Technical Sciences field. The Lozier Sponsorship will pay for student tuition, books, tools, and provide a part time job so the student can “earn while they learn” for two years at Metropolitan Community College. Four sponsorship are being offered. Today, Lozier employee 13 sponsorship students and graduates. Contact Allison Lasley at Allison.Lasley@Lozier.biz or Ralph Kleinsmit at Ralph.Kleinsmit@Lozier.biz with any questions. Application Deadline is February 15, 2020

www.lozier.com/careers/sponsorship-for-the-trades/

Many hog buyers, including WholeStone Farms which is the buyer that purchased our Cass County 4-H direct ship hogs, are no longer accepting hogs from fairs and/or shows of any kind effective immediately. Due to this change there will be no opportunity for direct shipping hogs exhibited at the Cass County Fair beginning in 2020.

Over the years many hogs exhibited at fairs have been fed ractopamine supplements, such as Paylean, in the final stages of their growth cycle. Supplements such as this are restricted in some international export markets. WholeStone Farms shared that the future of the swine industry in increasingly dependent on access to international export markets and by removing ractopamine from their facility it is better positioning them to participate in international export opportunities and ultimately helps to strengthen the U.S. pork industry as a whole.

We are fortunate to have great local lockers that are holding a number of spots in August specifically for 4-H hogs to go to butcher immediately following the Cass County Fair. We encourage our swine exhibitors to reach out to lockers now to reserve a spot if you are wishing to send hogs to the locker immediately following the county fair. Exhibitors will be responsible for removing all hogs from the fairgrounds at the conclusion of the fair.

Lockers that currently have availability:

Elmwood Meat Plant (402) 994-5655

Plattsmouth Locker (402) 296-5110

MK Meats in Unadilla (402) 828-4400

Pelican’s Meat Processing in Johnson (402) 868-4105

Cass County Extension Office is seeking a summer 4-H intern for mid-May through mid-August. Send cover letter and resume to: Lauren Stohlmann lstohlmann2@unl.edu OR Cass County Extension Office, Attn: Lauren Stohlmann, 8400 144th Street, Suite 100, Weeping Water, NE 68463. Deadline for submission is February 21st. More information can be found at https://go.unl.edu/2020-cass-4h-intern

The 2020 Cass County Fair will be held August 5-8, 2020. The theme will be "All Roads Lead to the Fair". The Extension Office has created a one-stop 4-H Fair Resources page on our website. Please share with our staff any suggestions for content to add to the 4-H Fair Resources page to make it more useful for 4-H families.

Cass County 4-H Fair Resource Page: https://go.unl.edu/cass-fair

We are looking for more superintendents due to “retirements”, so if you know someone willing to serve in the following areas please reach out with their name or have them contact us directly! Job primarily requires attendance on fair entry and judging days (Sunday afternoon and Monday morning until early afternoon of fair week, or Thursday before fair for Clothing/Fashion), helps youth check in projects, and works with the judge to award prizes.

Areas Needing Superintendents include:

-Home Environment

-Community Service

-Fashion Show

-Clothing

The Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Leader Certification Workshop that was scheduled for mid-January in Lincoln was postponed until mid-February. It will be held February 15-16 at the Nebraska Game & Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln. The deadline to register for the Lincoln session is February 7th.

Visit the website for additional information: https://4h.unl.edu/shooting-sports/instructor

Nebraska 4-H Month, traditionally held during February each year, is an opportunity to celebrate 4-H locally, recruit new members and volunteers, and have fun! This year, Nebraska 4-H Month will kick off the statewide Share Your Adventure call to action. We want to see what 4-H is like from your perspective! Whether you're a 4-H professional, volunteer, council member, club leader, project leader, club member, camper, or even alumni - if you have a 4-H adventure to share, we (and our followers) want to see it! Share your story on social media with a photo or video, and be sure to tag @Nebraska4H and #NE4H.

Nebraska 4-H Staff are looking for people who are willing to share their expertise and help lead/teach, volunteer at 4-H Dog events, or have equipment they would be willing to share for events. If you are willing to help with any of these items and are willing to be on this database please take the time to fill out the short survey found at the link below. This list will help others across the state knowing the resources and people in their area and others to ask.

Survey Link: https://forms.gle/eLbBKLJrE4BPMUqc6

We are excited to announce that Cass County Nebraska will be hosting a workshop this summer called "Tractor Safety Training 2020.” It will be held July 1-2 (this is an updated date from what was previously shared) at the Cass County Extension Office/fairgrounds.

This training will include tractor safety, ATV safety, first aid, and many other hazards of farming. Upon completion students will receive the certification through a Hazardous Occupations Course. Successful completion of the course will allow trained youth to operate a tractor over 20 horsepower, or to connect or disconnect an implement or any of its parts to or from a tractor needed for working on a farm or ranch other than their own.

To register and for additional information visit go.unl.edu/tractorsafety

The Cass County 4-H Council is again this year offering camp awards up to $200 for a Cass County 4-H member to attend a summer 4-H camp, county or state level, of their choice. To apply for the award complete the application posted on our website and return it to the Cass County Extension Office by March 10.

Application: https://go.unl.edu/djgx

Enrollment is open for the 2020 program year! Club members, club leaders, independent members, project leaders, and superintendents must re-enroll each year.

To date 270 individuals have enrolled/re-enrolled:

• 221 youth and
• 49 volunteers.

Enrollment instructions are available to help you navigate the 4-H Online system. Be sure to check out the following resources:

· Enrollment Instructions

· Pick Your Project

· 2020 Project Listing

Get started!

You must be an ACTIVE 4-H member in 4-H Online before you can register for a YQCA Training. To be active your re-enrollment will need to be approved in the extension office so it may take a day or two to process once you submit information in 4-H Online.

4-H Online: https://www.4honline.com/
YQCA Registration: https://yqca.learngrow.io/Account/Login (use your 4-H Online log-in information to register)

Please contact the Extension Office if you need assistance in re-enrolling in 4-H Online.

Looking ahead ...

1. Come Ride with Me ... February 15, 2020 A Horsemanship clinic for youth and adults

2. Cass County Extension Office Closed for Presidents' Day - Monday, February 17, 2020

3. Shooting Sports Leaders Meeting at Extension Office- February 17, 2020 @ 6:30pm

4. Cass County 4-H Internship Application Due - February 21, 2020

5. Freel/Lepert Family Scholarship Deadline - March 1, 2020
6. David Knabe Memorial Scholarship Deadline - March 1, 2020
7. Cass County 4-H Council Grant Application Deadline - March 7, 2020
8. 2020 Horse Judging School - March 7, 2020
9. 2020 Adult/Leader Equine Advancement Level Workshop - March 8, 2020
10. 2020 Equine 4-H Youth 3 & 4 Advancement Level Workshop - March 8, 2020
11. 4-H Camp Scholarship Applications due to the Extension Office - March 10, 2020
12. Chick Days at UNL - March 14, 2020 in Lincoln
13. Innovative Youth Corn Challenge Registration Due - March 15, 2020
14. 4-H Re-enrollment Deadline - March 15, 2020
15. Cass County 4-H Council Meeting - March 16, 2020
16. 4-H Public Speaking Workshop - March 24, 2020
17. Spring Rabbit Show in Lancaster County - March 28, 2020
18. 4-H Horse Stampede - March 28, 2020 at UNL
19. 4-H Companion Animal Challenge - March 28, 2020
20. Horse Stampede 2020 4-H Horses .. March 29, 2020
21. Weeping Water Whiz Kidz Scholarship Deadline - April 1, 2020
22. YQCA Training in Cass County - April 9, 2020
23. Cass County 4-H Public Speaking Contest - April 20, 2020
24. Otoe County Livestock Judging Clinic ... April 25, 2020
25. Horse IDs, Level Testing, Entry for District and State Deadline - May 8, 2020
26. 4-H Project Deadline for county fair - May 15, 2020
27. Cass County 4-H Council Meeting - May 18, 2020
28. 2020 Winner Unlimited Livestock Judging Camp at UNL (one-day camp) - June 2
29. 2020 Winner Unlimited Livestock Judging Camp at UNL (multi-day camp) - June 3-5
30. YQCA Training in Cass County - June 4, 2020
31. Online Horticulture Judging Contest - June 5-22, 2020
32. Big Red Camps in Lincoln - June 7-12
33. New 4-H Member Enrollment Deadline - June 15, 2020
34. Cass County 4-H Animal ID Sheets Due - June 15, 2020
35. YQCA Certification Completion Due to Extension Office - June 15, 2020
36. District Horse Show information - June 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
37. PASE/Life Challenge Contest at UNL - June 22-24, 2020
38. Tractor Safety Training - July 1-2, 2020
39. State Horse Show at Fonner Park - July 12-16, 2020
40. County Fair Online Pre-Entries Due - July 15, 2020
41. Cass County 4-H Dog Contest - July 18, 2020
42. Cass County 4-H Council Meeting - July 20, 2020

1. Nebraska Cattlemen's Classic Judging Contest - February 15, 2020
2. NACEB Scholarship Deadline - March 16, 2020
3. Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute Application Deadline - April 15, 2020

1. Hort Update (new Dec 17 + past issues)
   
2. Gardening articles by Sarah Browning (New articles posted almost every week)
3. Nebraska Extension Publications ... online Library
4. Extension Board - February 10, 2020 @ 5:30pm

5. Private Pesticide Training in Cass County (see below) - February 20, 2020

6. Cass Otoe Cattlemen Meeting at Cass County Extension Office - February 27, 2020

7. Windbreak Renovation Workshop in Pawnee City - March 5, 2020

8. Cass Otoe Cattlemen Meeting at Cass County Extension Office - April 2, 2020
   

UNL Extension has released a new video resources on farm/ranch succession and transition planning at https://agecon.unl.edu/video-farm-succession-workshop.

One of Allan Vyhnalek’s workshops was recorded and split into 12 parts, organized by topic (including planning, assumptions of parents and families, communication, negotiation and more).

The page at https://agecon.unl.edu/succession has additional resources available.

The date for pesticide training for Cass County has been announced. It will be 2-20-2020 at the Cass County Fairgrounds, in the EXPO building. Visit our website at: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/cass/2020-private-pesticide-applicators-training/

More information can be found at: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/nemaha/2020-private-pesticide-applicator-training-schedule/ .

For other locations and times visit: https://pested.unl.edu/pesticide-safety-recertification

For questions about registration, training, and/or study materials, call the Pesticide Safety Education Program Office at 800-627-7216 (toll-free) or 402-472-1632 and visit the website:

For questions about the status of your license, reciprocity, test results, and/or tests requirements, call the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 402-471-2341.

Thinking about rejuvenating that old broken down windbreak? Perhaps you want to start a new windbreak? Maybe you’re looking for information on what ails your windbreak and how to treat it? This FREE workshop will address all these questions (and more).

Date: March 5, 2020

Location: Union Bank Basement, Pawnee City

Learn more here: https://go.unl.edu/afxs

The Cass Otoe Cattlemen will meet at the Cass County Extension Office on the following dates:

• February 27, 2020
• April 2, 2020

The report in available at our website here: https://go.unl.edu/ws62

Lauren Stohlmann, Extension Educator and Unit Leader, lauren.stohlmann@unl.edu

Katie Kreuser, Extension Educator, katie.kreuser@unl.edu

Tracy Ensor, Extension Assistant, tracy.ensor@unl.edu

Krystl Knabe, 4-H Support Staff, krystl.knabe@unl.edu

Sondra Buell, Office Manager, sondra.buell@unl.edu

General Mailbox, cass-county@unl.edu

Email: cass-county@unl.edu
Website: www.cass.unl.edu
Location: 8400 144th Street, Weeping Water, NE, 68463
Phone: 402-267-2205
Facebook: facebook.com/UniversityofNebraskaLincolnExtensionCassCounty
Twitter: @UNLCassCounty