4-H Friday NewsBlast for 04/17/2020

So 4-Hers...can you talk the talk?? Join Lauren April 23rd at 4:00 p.m. on Zoom for a Public Speaking workshop!

To register visit: https://unl.zoom.us/…/…/tJEkdeyrrj0pHNX1zi3knOId8pNuP-qX377f

If you have any questions, please email Lauren at lstohlmann2@unl.edu or 402-409-0747.

The Cass County 4-H Public Speaking Contest is June 2nd, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at the Cass County Extension Office. Registrations are due by May 15th, 2020. If social distancing guidelines remain by this date, the contest will be held via Zoom. More information will be sent to registered participants if necessary.

For registration information please visit https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/cass/public-speaking-contest-and-psa-public-service-announcement/

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Thanks to a very kind donation by Stock Seed Farms in Murdock, we have FREE WILDFLOWER SEED MIX available! We have 50 packets available at first-come-first-serve basis. In addition to getting Stock Seed’s Pollinator Mix, we will include one-page lessons for your youth including pollinators and seedlings. You will also receive information regarding several opportunities for how youth can turn this fun summer project into yet another fun fair entry such as photography and flower arrangements. We will mail you a packet with all of these resources planting season :) One per family please

To sign-up please fill out the following Google Form: https://forms.gle/fMTzVJnrKGLpTpz96. The deadline to register is Friday, May 1st.

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Click here for the 2020 Fair book! If you would like a hard copy please let us know! Each club will get 1 copy at no charge, they are $2.00 each for additional copies. Just give us a call or email and we will work out a pick up time for you!

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4-H DOG SHOWMANSHIP RESOURCES!

We are excited to introduce a new resource for the Dog 4-H program! We have developed a Dog Showmanship Video series that covers the basics of Dog 4-H showmanship including video examples and descriptions of the patterns. This video series can be found on the 4-H Companion Animal Program web page under the Program Resources section https://4h.unl.edu/companion-animal or on our Companion Animal YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL579hRei5D7xwKTqpe8kJw0GnfKK4x8l4.

*****JOIN THE VIRTUAL DOG CLUB!! https://4h.unl.edu/virtual-dog-club

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Here is an excellent opportunity for 4-H members who are into photography. Nikon is offering their educational videos FREE during the month of April. To register, go to: https://www.nikonevents.com/us/live/nikon-school-online/

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There are three new project books and new classes for fair entries! A brief description of the classes are listed, more details will be listed in the Fair Book. If you would like to purchase a project book please give us a call or email the Extension Office and we will get them to you!

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A new Companion Rabbit Science Online Course is now available for 4-H youth. The target age is middle school, but could be done by other ages as well. The course overs anatomy, physiology, health, and nutrition as care of companion rabbits.

Here is a link to the webpage for the class:

https://4h.unl.edu/companion-rabbit-science

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**** FREE CODES****

Great News! The 4-H Council has purchased 100 coupon codes for YQCA training for our 4-H members showing animals this year! The codes are free for the first 100 members who contact us! Please give me a call 402-267-2205 or email me tcavanaugh2@unl.edu to receive your code!

Members who have already completed their YQCA training can get reimbursed (up to $9) if you get us your receipt.

If members prefer to attend an in-person training, there is still a June 4th in-person training scheduled at the office. However, if CDC guidelines are still in place by this date we will have to cancel the in-person training and youth can then complete YQCA online.

Please contact Lauren at lstohlmann2@unl.edu or 402-409-0747.

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Our educator has a brand new program for you during these unprecedented time:

Join us for our Take Five Friday series every week starting Friday, March 27th at 10:30 a.m. for Take Five Friday! We know there are plenty of AWESOME resources out there for your youth to learn their reading, writing, and arithmetic so we want to offer a time for your youth to exercise their social-emotional skills. During our new live stream series, Take Five Friday, youth will engage with their fellow 4-Hers LIVE for 30 minutes every Friday. We want this to be a time for youth to recharge in a fun, educational, safe, and socially distant way!

Youth must register in advance for this meeting. Youth must be enrolled in Cass County 4-H member for the 2019 - 2020 year to receive a registration invite.

So if you haven't yet, please enroll your 4-Hers at https://ne.4honline.com

As you know, The Cass County Extension office is dedicated to serving you and this community. That being said, your well-being is of the highest priority to us. Therefore the Cass County Extension Office will be serving you from a distance for the foreseeable future. The office will be closed to the public, but part of the staff will be at the office to answer phones, conduct business through digital means, etc.

Be on the lookout for at-home learning opportunities that we will share on our social media, via newsletters, and our website (www.cass.unl.edu. The UNL Extension community is working, as you read this, to develop some truly awesome on-line learning and activities for our 4-Hers and their families.

As always we are here for you!! Email the office at cass-county@unl.edu, or call 402-267-2205. Or contact our Unit Leader, Lauren Stohlmann, at Lauren.Stohlmann@unl.edu or call 402-409-0747.

Marathon Kids is a national running program designed to motivate kids by utilizing running logs, boost their activity, and introduce them to the joy of running (marathonkids.org)! Here at Nebraska Extension, we are offering a virtual Marathon Kids club, so youth and their families across Nebraska can be active and gain confidence through completing the distance of a marathon, one mile at a time!

Step 1: Join our Facebook Group, Nebraska Extension Marathon Kids

Step 2: Track your mileage by using either these Printable mileage logs or be creative and design your own way of tracking!

Step 3: Get out and be active. You can run, you can jog, you can walk or even skip!

Step 4: Interact with us on Social Media! We want to know where you are running and how close you are getting to your marathon.

Visit our website for more details: https://food.unl.edu/marathon-kids

Here are 3 ways you can get involved:

1. Share this email with local program partners

2. Help spread the word by sharing our Marathon Kids social media posts on your county and/or personal Facebook pages.

3. Have your family join our Facebook Group, and start tracking your mileage on Monday, April 20th!

We are looking forward to you joining our group and to start moving together!

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For updates on Nebraska 4-H and the University of Nebraska- Lincoln’s evolving position on COVID-19, please visit https://covid19.unl.edu. They have also added a message to the 4-H page with messaging and updates on state level events (https://4h.unl.edu/covid-19).

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As was stated before, UNL Extension is developing some great virtual and at-home learning opportunities. More and more will be coming.

To start, go to: https://4h.unl.edu/virtual-home-learning

You'll find: Living Room Learning, Boredom Buster Challenge, Self-Paced Opportunities, and various Activity Guides.

Take a look at this website: https://4h.unl.edu/diamond-clover

Now, while kids are out of school, working on the Diamond Clover program, offered through 4-H, would be a great thing to do!

Stay up to date with all horse show activities at https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/clay/2020-district-horse-shows-open-shows/

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4-H Calendar - Be sure to check often for cancellations and updates

1. RESCHULED DATE: Cass County 4-H Public Speaking Contest - June 2, 2020
   
2. Cass County Extension Office Closed for Arbor Day - April 24, 2020
3. Cancelled: Otoe County Livestock Judging Clinic - April 25, 2020
4. Cancelled: Loup Valley 4-H Horse Conference - April 25-26, 2020
5. Horse IDs - Deadline May 8, 2020
6. Level Testing, - Deadline May 8, 2020
7. Entry for District and State Deadline - May 8, 2020
8. 4-H Project Deadline for county fair - May 15, 2020
   
9. Cass County 4-H Council Meeting - May 18, 2020
10. Cass County Extension Office Closed for Memorial Day - May 25, 2020
11. Pawnee Fit and Feed Clinic - May 30, 2020
12. Cancelled:2020 Winner Unlimited Livestock Judging Camp at UNL (one-day camp) - June 2
13. Cancelled:2020 Winner Unlimited Livestock Judging Camp at UNL (multi-day camp) - June 3-5
14. YQCA Training in Cass County - June 4, 2020
15. Online Horticulture Judging Contest - June 5-22, 2020
16. Big Red Camps in Lincoln - June 7-12
17. New 4-H Member Enrollment Deadline - June 15, 2020
18. Cass County 4-H Animal ID Sheets Due - June 15, 2020
19. YQCA Certification Completion Due to Extension Office - June 15, 2020
20. District Horse Show information - June 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
21. PASE/Life Challenge Contest at UNL - June 22-24, 2020
22. 4-H Plant Science and Insect Contest - June 25, 2020
23. Tractor Safety Training - July 1-2, 2020
24. Cass County Extension Office Closed for Independence Day - July 3, 2020
25. State Horse Show at Fonner Park - July 12-16, 2020
26. County Fair Online Pre-Entries Due - July 15, 2020
27. Cass County 4-H Dog Contest - July 18, 2020
28. Cass County 4-H Council Meeting - July 20, 2020

The Healthy N Fit Families Challenge starts on Monday, April 6th and goes through Friday, May 1st, 2020. One nutrition and one physical activity challenge will be posted each week. We will provide different ideas to complete each challenge. Weekly challenges include:

• Week 1: Smoothie Challenge and Walk Challenge
• Week 2: Oatmeal Challenge and Indoor Activity Challenge
• Week 3: Snack Mix Challenge and Strength Challenge
• Week 4: Tortilla Challenge and Yoga Challenge

Families who complete the challenge will have a chance to win a nutrition or physical activity prize thanks to the 4-H Healthy Futures grant. Winners will be randomly selected and announced each Friday by 5pm (CT).

Additional details for each challenge will be added to https://food.unl.edu/healthynfitfamilies

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

Tammy Cavanaugh, 4-H Support Staff, tcavanaugh2@unl.edu

Sandy Prall, Office Manager, sprall2@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