Dakota County 4-H News
SEPTEMBER 2023
Nebraska Extension - Dakota County
DAKOTA COUNTY OFFICE STAFF
Angela Abts—4-H & Youth aabts2@unl.edu
Julie Boyle—Food Nutrition and Health julie.boyle@unl.edu
Tammy Dunn—Office Manager tpeterson3@unl.edu
Brenda Sale—SNAP-ED bsale@unl.edu
Dakota County 4-H
Email: dakota-county@unl.edu
Website: https://dakota.unl.edu
Location: 1505 Broadway Street, Dakota City, NE, USA
Phone: 402-987-2140
Facebook: facebook.com/UNLDakotaCounty
Twitter: @NEDakota4HExt
Follow us On Facebook and Instagram!
Instagram: NE Extension Dakota County
Dates & Deadlines
SEPTEMBER
August 25 - September 4 Nebraska State Fair
1-4 - State Fair FFA Livestock Show Weekend
4 - Office Closed Labor Day
11 - 4-H Council meeting (joint council)
21-24 Ak-Sar-Ben Stock Show Fonner Park Grand Island
OCTOBER
1-7 National 4-H Week
2 Extension Board Meeting
31 Happy Halloween
NOVEMBER
6 - Extension Board Meeting
10 - Veterans Day - office closed
23-24 - Thanksgiving break, office closed
DECEMBER
4 - Extension Board Meting
15 - Achievement Applications due
25- 1/1/24 - Office closed for holiday break
FAIR SEASON IS OVER!
With the completion of State fair, the 2023 fair season is officially over.
Now what?
Write thank you notes
- To your trophy donors
- The Fairboard for putting on a great fair and their support of the 4-H program
- Volunteers, superintendents
- Any sponsors that provided funds to the fair
- Club leaders
- Extension Staff
- Collect Bonus auction money and tell them thank you
- To anyone you saw helping out
MORE FAIR WRAP-UP
Would you like a 4-H shirt, There were a few not sold/picked up
Youth XS - Grey
Youth S - Gray
Adult M - Grey
Adult 2XL - Grey
Youth XL - White
Youth XL - Black
Hoodie - Adult S Black
Hoodie - Adult 2XL - Black
Contact Tammy if interested.
NEWS & INFORMATION
NEBRASKA SATE FAIR RESULTS
Connor Schooley: Cooking 201 - Purple
Payton Hermelbracht: Breeding Beef - Blue, Photography II - Red, Photography II - Purple, Design Decision/Outdoor Accessory - White, Food Preservation - Purple, Poultry(eggs) - Red, Poultry - Purple (3), Poultry Showmanship - Blue, Poultry - Reserve Champion, Rabbit - Purple, Rabbit - Blue (2), Rabbit Showmanship - Blue, Rabbit Special Award - Best Opposite
Rylie Hermelbracht: Beef Showmanship - Blue, Market Heifer - Blue, Photography II - Blue, Cooking 201 - Purple, Food Preservation - Purple, Poultry - Red, Poultry(eggs) - Red, Poultry - Purple, Poultry Showmanship - Purple, Poultry - Blue (3), Rabbit - Purple (3), Rabbit Showmanship - Purple, Rabbit Special Award - Best Opposite, Rabbit Special Award - Best of Breed, Sketchbook Crossroads/Pencil drawing - Red
Beau Thomsen: Breeding Beef - Purple (2), Beef Showmanship - Blue
Gauge Thomsen: Breeding Beef - Purple (2), Beef Showmanship - Blue
Katie Utech: Breeding Beef - Purple, Beef Showmanship - Blue
Emma Urwiller: Breeding Beef - Purple, Beef Showmanship - Blue, Design Decision/String Art - Purple, Barn Quilt - Purple
Brooke Raymer: Citizenship/Poem - Purple, Photography II - Purple, Cooking 201 - Purple, Fairy Garden - Red
Drayden NIelsen: Dog Agility - Blue, Dog Obedience - Red, Dog Showmanship - Purple, Breeding Meat Goat - Blue, Goat Showmanship - Blue
Ty Nielsen: Heritage - Blue, Breeding Meat Goat - Blue, Goat Showmanship - Blue
Audric Cavenee: Knitting - Blue, Design Decision/recycled accessory - Purple, Embellished Garment - Purple, Fairy Garden - Red, Floriculture - Blue, Floriculture - Purple: Floriculture - Red, Floriculture - Blue, Floriculture - Purple (Judges choice), Horticulture - Purple
Genna Kramer: Cooking 301 - Red. Portfolio Pathways/Painting - Red
Clara Krause: Fairy Garden - Red, Veterinary Science/Poster - Purple
Ben Bousquet: Breeding Meat Goat - Purple, Market Meat Goat - Blue, Goat Showmanship - Blue
Rachael Bousquet: Breeding Meat Goat - Purple, Market Meat Goat - Blue, Goat Showmanship - Blue
Aiden Estochen: Market Sheep - Blue, Sheep Showmanship - Blue
Karson Roeber: Market Sheep - Blue (2), Sheep Showmanship - Blue
NATIONAL 4-H WEEK IS COMING
Help celebrate and promote 4-H the week of October 1st thru the 7th.
- Write a story for the paper
- Post on Social Media
- Thank a volunteer, (club leader, fairboard member, sponsor)
- Get your green on
4-H AMBASSADOR APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN!
Would you like to help promote 4-H in Dakota and Thurston Counties?
Apply to become a 4-H Ambassador.
Learn leadership skills, meet 4-H'ers from across the state, serve as a role model, help with workshops, member recruitment and more!
Link to the application is below. Contact the Extension Office for more information.
4-H ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
It's that time of year to start working on your Achievement Application, apply for County Awards and Diamond Clover Awards.
Complete the Achievement application, letting us know all about your 4-H years experiences, learning opportunities and your "why".
Then apply for County Awards.
Diamond Clover Awards are also available.
Forms and more information is available on our website. https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/dakota/projects-and-resources/
Applications are due on December 15th. But don't wait until the last minute!
CLUB OF EXCELLENCE
Club of Excellence summary forms are due September 15! The Nebraska 4-H Club of Excellence designation recognizes and celebrates 4-H clubs for engaging and empowering members. To receive and maintain the designation, clubs must meet certain criteria and submit an annual summary form to their local Extension office by September 15. More information and summary form templates are available at 4h.unl.edu/clubs-excellence.
TRY A PROJECT
PHOTOGRAPHY FOCUS
There were some great photos at the state fair, Photography is a relatively low cost project to try. With cell phones being able to take such great photos it is easy to give it a try.
Another idea to work with photos was seen at Artsplash recently, one of the artist booths had photo weaving. Very cool!
Basically you need two (2) photographs, cut into strip and then weave back together. There are several tutorials on Youtube and also search for Photo Weaving and see what comes up.
Next year's county special project? Maybe. Check back each month for a new project focus.
EVENTS
JUDGES REGISTRATION
We’re always looking for qualified adults with fresh perspectives to serve as judges at the county and state levels. Interested in serving as a 4-H judge? Sign-up at 4h.unl.edu/judges by September 30 to get your name added to our contact list for 2024!
4-H STEM CHALLENGE
Looking for a unique way to engage and inspire young people in your club or classroom? Check out this year’s 4-H STEM Challenge. Developed by 4-H educators from across the country, Power Protectors is a collection of three activities that teach kids how to address real-world issues and explore careers in energy. The STEM Challenge kit is perfect for youth ages 8-14. Learn more at 4-H.org/programs/stem-challenge/
DOG JUDGES TRAINING
The 2024 Nebraska 4-H Dog Judges Training will be held in Lincoln in the Animal Science Complex on East Campus on Saturday, January 20th. New judges are always needed. If you are a parent or someone who wants to help our 4H youth with the dog project, please consider taking the training. This is also a good opportunity for local dog project leaders and older 4-H members to observe the training and better understand how they will be judged at the Nebraska State Fair 4-H Dog Show and local county fairs. Participants will be trained in showmanship and obedience. Participants must be 19 years old and up to be listed as a 4-H Dog Judge who is trained in showmanship and obedience. The training will include hands-on and classroom sessions.
NE Youth Beef Leadership Symposium (NYBLS) 2023
It’s that time of year again and we’ll be hosting the 19th annual Nebraska Youth Beef Leadership Symposium (NYBLS) here at the Animal Science Complex on November 17 – 19, 2023. More details about the symposium, the 2022 recap video and the application link can be found at go.unl.edu/nybls. Please note the application deadline of October 1st. If an individual is selected to participate, a $75 registration fee will be collected at that time. I have attached social media content for you to share if you wish as well as a flyer that can be distributed. Please contact me at araymond2@unl.edu with any questions that you have.
More details at: https://go.unl.edu/nybls
DOG ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM
The Nebraska 4-H Dog Achievement Program encourages youth to engage in a variety of companion animal opportunities, events, and contests. The program is designed to equip youth with a variety of skills and abilities and prepare them for success in the future. The Dog Achievement Program is open to enrolled 4-H members ages 8-18.
The program consists of 4 levels that require youth to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate accomplishments. For each level, the Dog Achievement program provides a list of recommended accomplishments from which 4-H youth choose their goals. At each level, youth must choose a specific number of recommended accomplishments they plan to achieve. Each level also has a certain number of required accomplishments that youth must complete in order to pass the level. The accomplishments increase in quantity and difficulty for each level. At the beginning of the level, participants plan what to accomplish and at the end, they report on their completed accomplishments. Successful completion of a level's Plan & Report form results in a 4-H youth earning that level of the Dog Achievement program.
LIVESTOCK ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM
The Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program is designed to promote all educational aspects of 4-H livestock projects, including selection, production, leadership, and exhibition, by recognizing youth striving to improve their livestock project knowledge and leadership.
Members of Excellence are recognized within each 4-H livestock project area, including:
- beef
- sheep
- meat goat
- swine
- dairy cattle
- dairy goat
- rabbit
- poultry
The program consists of two levels that require 4-H members to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate and project-related accomplishments. For each level, the Livestock Achievement Program provides a list of accomplishments from which 4-H members choose their goals. Each accomplishment is worth a specific number of points. Intermediates, ages 10-13, must complete 100 points worth of activities to receive the distinction of Intermediate Member of Excellence. Seniors, ages 14-18, must complete 150 points worth of activities to receive the distinction of Senior Member of Excellence.
More Camps & Workshops?
As we find out about events across the state they are posted on our website, Facebook & Instagram.