Cass County 4-H Friday News Blast!
December 21, 2018
Dec. 31st - Due date
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4-H Fabric on sale at Shop 4-H
Beef Tagging
If you plan to show market beef at the County Fair or State Fair, you need to weigh in at this time. In order for market beef to be eligible for County and State Fair, they must have an EID ear tag. In order for market beef to be eligible for State Fair, DNA must be pulled at weigh-in time.
- DNA cost is $6.00 per animal
- The cost of an EID ear tag is $2.00 per animal.
Special Garden Project - Red Pod Okra called Carmine Splendor - Deadline to order seeds is January 31st
This year the Special Gardening Project is focused on the unique, Carmine Splendor Okra. Carmine Splendor Okra is as unique as it is tasty. This plant is high yielding and produces uniform, red pods. The stout 5-pointed pods are deep red when small and at the best eating quality. The tropical-looking, pinkish flowers are also edible and have a sweet, mild flavor. The mature seed pods also give a fun twist for winter interest in a container.
Everything you'll need to know about this Special Garden Project can be found on this website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/cass/special-garden-project-2017/
Needing and desire gardening resources ... go to: https://4hcurriculum.unl.edu/index.php/main/program_project/176 . There are Youth materials, leader materials, forms and references.
If you are interested in participating in this special garden project in 2019, you have to do two things:
- Enroll in the Special Garden Project (select it from the drop down list of projects in 4HOnline)
- Pre-order the seeds through the Cass County Extension Office by January 31st. (One packet per 4-Her).
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2019 Enrollment Now Open!
Enrollment is now open for the 2019 program year! Club and independent members are required to officially enroll through 4-H Online each year to maintain membership. Club and project leaders must also enroll through 4-H online each year.
Pick your Project
The Pick Your Project is an online selection guide for finding 4-H projects and corresponding resources. Search for projects using a keyword search or browse projects by curriculum area, knowledge level, and geographic level.
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Cass County Shooting Sports - More Leaders Needed
We are nearing capacity in our county’s Archery program, and are in search of more leaders for the upcoming year! We are looking for adults who are interested in becoming 4-H certified in Archery and are able to start a new club. We can help guide you through the process. There is an upcoming training session in Lincoln in January – see details HERE. You do not have to be a parent or a current leader to apply – community members are welcome! If you or someone you know are interested, please send an email to Tracy at tracy.ensor@unl.edu.
Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Leader Certification Workshop Offered in Lincoln
Notice from Steve Pritchard
A Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Leader Certification Workshop is scheduled for early January in Lincoln. It will be held January 12-13 at the Nebraska Game & Parks Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln. The early bird deadline to register for the Lincoln session is January 2nd.
Volunteers have the opportunity to become certified as an adult (21 years and older) or apprentice (14-20 years old) leader. Five project areas will be offered at the Lincoln Workshop - rifle, pistol, muzzleloading, coordinator, and archery. The Coordinator certification being offered in Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports is for individuals who work with certified shooting sports leaders, 4-H club leaders for shooting sports projects, 4-H volunteers managing shooting sports events/competitions.
Coordinators will explore and learn more about the different disciplines in 4-H Shooting Sports, how to support the different types of coaches, structuring a budget, designing a fund-raising plan, building an overall plan focused on Positive Youth Development, practice handling conflict, discover how to manage and recruit volunteers, best practices for managing events and competitions, teaching more than just “shooting” with science and healthy lifestyles, and working within your county’s 4-H structure.
There is a minimum number of participants needed to offer these disciplines at the workshop. Workshop participants will learn under expert instruction from members of the Nebraska State 4-H Shooting Sports Training Team.
The registration fee is $110.00 per person for initial certification and those individuals adding an additional discipline except for Coordinator. The registration fee for Coordinator is $80 for this workshop. This fee includes meals, supplies and program materials. The registration fee after January 2nd is $160. Participants must make their own lodging arrangements. Registration on Saturday runs from 8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
Please share this information with volunteers in your county. For more workshop information and registration link, go to the 4-H Shooting Sports web page. Or contact your local Nebraska Extension Office or Steve Pritchard at (402)395-2158 or (308)536-2691. Registration is available only online at the link provided in the brochure or they can register directly by clicking HERE.
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Apply to co-build a 3D Printed Robot
High school students:
Gather a group of friends or classmates and apply to co-build a 3D printed robot. Must have access to a 3D printer at school or in the community. See details and apply here: http://go.unl.edu/inmoov
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UNL Teacher Scholars Academy
The University of Nebraska Lincoln Teacher Scholars Academy is now accepting applications. They are seeking 40 great students who want to build a career in teaching and so contribute to the future of Nebraska’s next generation.
If you know an exceptional future teacher, interested in joining the UNL Teacher Scholars Academy, please pass along this information. Perhaps they thought that they couldn’t afford the cost of becoming a teacher; with this scholarship, they can! Perhaps they are a first generation student and believe that a four-year college is not possible for them. We will help support them through the application process. We are accepting applications from:
·Any incoming freshman (who has applied or will apply to the University of Nebraska Lincoln) and will begin their studies in fall 2019
·Who is majoring in teacher education (elementary, secondary, early childhood, special education, agricultural education, or music education);
·And is committed to becoming the backbone of school transformation, a reflective thinker who will continue to grow and develop beyond their degree
Application information, and more information about the UNL Teacher Scholars Academy, can be found at https://cehs.unl.edu/cehs/teachers-scholars-academy/
You can find President Hank Bounds’ announcement of the University of Nebraska Teachers Scholars Academy below; Please note: thanks to the generous donation of the Scott Foundation, there is also a University of Nebraska Teachers Scholars Academy at the University of Nebraska Kearney and the University of Nebraska Omaha.
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AkSarBen Ag Leaders Scholarship
Eligibility
- I am a high school senior, graduating in the Spring of 2019
- I am planning to attend a fully accredited 2 or 4 year college/university in the Fall of 2019
- I have participated in the Aksarben Stock Show for 3 years or more
- I have never participated in the Aksarben Buyer's Club Purple Ribbon Auction
- I have never been disqualified for any reason from the Aksarben Stock Show
- I understand I am only eligible for one $2,000 scholarship award
Application is available here: https://www.aksarben.org/apply-ag-leaders/
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8th Annual Innovative Youth Corn Challenge
Do you enjoy being outside? Learning new things about crops? Considering a career involving crops, insects, diseases, soils, water or more? Do you want to help figure out how to feed our world’s growing population in a sustainable way?
Nebraska Extension and the Nebraska Corn Board are offering the 8th Innovative Youth Corn Challenge contest. This contest, open to 4-H members (age 10 & older as of Jan. 1st) or FFA members (in-school members), guides participants through all aspects of corn production, as well as agricultural careers related to corn production.
As a team (2 or more participants), youth will be challenged to implement a production practice different than normal to determine if they increased their yield. Economics and sustainability of the practice will also be considered. Yields, cropping history, and production information will be collected in the Corn Yield Challenge management summary.
Cash prizes and plaques are given. First place receives $1,000, second place receives $500, and third place receives $250. Sustainability, crop scouting and “extra mile” awards are also given as cash awards.
To participate in 2019, youth must complete and return an entry form by March 15th to the Fillmore County Extension Office in Geneva, NE. Forms can be downloaded after January 1st at cropwatch.unl.edu/youth/activities. For more information, contact Brandy VanDeWalle at brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu.
KUDOS to Mickayla Larsen
Calendar Reminders ...
- December 24 and 25 - Office Closed for Christmas
- December 29 - Beef Tagging 9:00 am to 11:00 am
- January 1 - Office Closed for Holiday - New Year's Day
- January 11 - 4-H Online Cat Club
- January 12 - 4-H Club of the Month applications due
- January 15 - Application period opens for Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship
- January 31 - Deadline to order Special Garden Seed (Red Pod Okra)
- March 30 - Companion Animal Event at UNL
- April 15 - Early bird registration due date for Summer 4-H Camp
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Ag Information and Opportunities outside of 4-H, in and around Cass County ...
- Successful Farmer Series ... Every Friday from Jan 4 - Feb 8, held at Lancaster County Extension Office
- Gift Plants for Gardeners ... December 18, 2018 article by Sarah Browning
- Put Your Christmas Tree to Good Use ... December 21st article by Sarah Browning
- Ag Estate Planning Workshop ... January 8 in Syracuse
- Great Plains Growers Conference ... January 10-12 at Missouri Western State University
- Nebraska Master Gardener Volunteer ... application due by January 18, 2019
- Introductory (Year 1) Beekeeping ... January 19 - Held at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center
- Tiffany Heng-Moss has named Dean of the UNL College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Read about it here.
- Nebraska Insight ... Winter Edition
- Private Pesticide Applicator's Training ... March 7, 2019, meetings in Weeping Water, 9:00 am and 1:00 pm. For more information go to the UNL Pesticide website is: https://pested.unl.edu/
Nebraska Extension Cass County
Brett Kreifels, Extension Educator & Unit Leader,
Katie Kreuser, Extension Educator, katie.kreuser@unl.edu
Tracy Ensor, Extension Assistant, tracy.ensor@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