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Polk County 4-H
In This Smore...
1. Friendly Reminder
2. Calendar of Events
3. Good Luck to Alexa and McKenna Stewart
4. 2023 Fair Book is ONLINE
5. NEW!! Hay Bale Decorating Contest
6. Pre-Entry Information
7. JUNE 15TH IS THE DEADLINE TO ENROLL IN 4-H
8. Events and Deadlines
9. Rabbit/Poultry Show - TIME CHANGE
10. County Horse Show - DATE CHANGE
11. YQCA - DUE JUNE 15TH
12. Flower and Vegetable Exhibit Information
13. Livestock Achievement
14. YQCA
14. 2023 Polk County Photography Theme
15. NE State Fair - 4-H & FFA Weekends
16. Upcoming Opportunities
17. June Birthdays
June 2023
15 - DEADLINE TO ENROLL IN 4-H
15 - DEADLINE for YQCA, and Animal ID Due for County Fair
15 - DEADLINE - Horse Level Testing Due for County Fair
28 - DEADLINE Pre-Entry for all Static Exhibits due for County Fair
July 2023
4 - Office Closed in observance of Independence Day
15-19 State Horse Show, Fonner Park, Grand Island
11 Archery Contest - 6 pm
12 - CONTEST DAY - Culinary Challenge (1 pm) & Horticulture Judging (2 pm)
12 - Fairgrounds Clean up - 6:30
15 - 4-H Horse Show
17 - Clothing & Quilt Day - 9 am - Midwest Covenant Home
17 - 4-H Fashion Show - Midwest Covenant Home - 7 pm
19 - Entry Day - 8 - 10 am Polk County Fair
19-23 - Polk County Fair
August 2023
14 - 4-H Council
18 - State Fair Exhibits to Extension Office
23 - State Fair Food and Horticulture Exhibits to Ext Office by 9 am
25 - Nebraska State Fair
NEW AT THE FAIR - HAY BALE DECORATING CONTEST
Click the image to register your 4-H Club, family, or group in the contest. The ag society will provide the hay bale and you will be responsible for the supplies needed to decorate. More details and rules about the contest will be sent out to those who sign up. DEADLINE IS MONDAY, JUNE 19TH.
DEADLINE FOR YQCA IS JUNE 15TH. YQCA is an important part of any livestock project. Learning more about safe and effective ways of caring for your livestock is the aim of YQCA.
IMPORTANT!! Each participant that completes either in-person or online YQCA MUST complete a pre-test and post-test. The system will not mark your session complete or generate your certificate without both tests.
CLICK THE IMAGE TO VIEW THE HELPFUL, SHORT VIDEO TO HELP LOGIN AND COMPLETE YOUR YQCA.
LIVESTOCK ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM
Livestock Achievement Program is an additional opportunity for enrolled livestock project youth, is designed to promote all educational aspects of 4-H livestock projects including selection, production, leadership, and exhibition by recognizing youth striving to improve in their livestock project knowledge and leadership.
The program recognizes Members of Excellence across all 4-H livestock project areas, including: beef, sheep, meat goat, swine, dairy cattle, dairy goat, rabbit, and 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. The Plan and Reports, linked on the webpage, show examples of the project related accomplishments they can choose, or they can identify their own with approval of their local educator.
Applications/Sign up are due June 15th through the application form link on the website. Participants should work on their yearly plan and set their goals at the beginning of starting the program. Plan and Reports, as well as Project Records are due August 1st and sent to 4hlivestockachievement@unl.edu
note this is a change in process from previous years. Youth completing the achievement program and receiving member of excellence recognition in the various species will be recognized during the Parade of Champions, 4-H weekend at the Nebraska State Fair.
2. All 4-H/FFA Breeding livestock, market livestock and feeder calves will now be REQUIRED to submit a DNA sample/envelope to be eligible to exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair.
3. DNA nominations for the Nebraska State Fair are due on June 15th, 2023.
4. Any DNA nomination submitted through Show Stock Manager will also be eligible for exhibition at the Aksarben Stock Show.
5. DNA nominations will remain at $7 per animal.
6. With this update, animals will automatically be eligible for both breeding and market.
Requiring DNA on breeding stock will allow for flexibility or substitutions, allow exhibitors to have a better record of the animals they are nominating, sustain the integrity of exhibitors and ensure ownership of the livestock. As for the administrative side, this will help streamline the record keeping and validation process to assist our families as they are nominating their animal projects.
Polk County Extension
Email: polk-county@unl.edu
Website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/polk/
Location: 400 Hawkeye Street, Osceola, NE, USA
Phone: 402-747-2321
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PolkCountyNebraska4H