Sioux County 4-H Newsletter
December 2023
Calendar of Events
Dec. 4 - Sioux County Shooters Club Meeting at the Firehall at 6 pm
Dec. 5 - Ashley in the office from 10 am to 1:30 pm, closed after that
Dec. 9 - Shooting Sports Practice starts at 1 pm at the Firehall
Dec. 12 - Office open in the morning, closed in the afternoon
Dec. 14 - Melissa in the office
Dec. 14 - 4-H Council Meeting at 6 pm
Dec. 20 - Melissa in the office
Dec. 20 - Maker Day at Security First Bank Basement at 2 pm
Dec. 25 - CHRISTMAS DAY - Office Closed
Jan. 1 - NEW YEARS DAY - Office Closed
Sioux County Office Hours
Office hours will tend to be Tuesdays-Thursdays 1 to 4 pm unless otherwise stated in the newsletter. Remind messages along with Facebook posts will be sent if the office is closed on a regularly scheduled day. If you have questions or need items please feel free to call Melissa at (402) 322-0655 or email at mmracek2@unl.edu.
Shooting Sports Practices are Starting
All you ages 8 and above that are interested in Shooting Sports are invited to an informational meeting on December 4th at the Harrison Fire Hall at 6 pm. The Shooting Sports program includes BB Gun, Air Rifle, and Pistol. At this meeting, families will learn about shooting sports as well as gain assistance with registering for 4-H Online. Practices will start on Saturday, December 9th at 1 pm at the Harrison Fire Hall. Please contact Randy Ellis, Laura Button, or Montana Button for more information.
State Fair Age Limit
As you know, in 2023, Nebraska 4-H lowered the age limit for participation in the Nebraska State Fair for all in-person events to nine years of age. That change increased our participation and provided more youth the opportunity to have an engaging learning experience. We had many positive comments from legacy families as well as new.
This fall, we have had follow-up conversations with many of you as well as the show superintendents and various teams that run these events during State Fair and throughout the year. Based on that feedback and our goal of increasing access, the decision has been made to change the age of eligibility in 2024 to be 8 years of age before January 1 (of the current year) for all in-person State Fair events (livestock, contests, fashion shows, contests) and other state competitions (Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Expo, PASE, communications contest). Note: there will be some events that will maintain their ages due to specific program rules (shooting sports, FIRST LEGO League Challenge robotics). Please check information on each specific event as it becomes available.
2024 Special Garden Project
The Special Garden Project is a way to offer Nebraska youth the chance to grow unusual and fun projects in their gardens.
The time has come to unveil the 2024 Special Garden Project plant! The 2024 Special Garden Project will focus on Princess of India Nasturtium. This Victorian-era heirloom flower can be grown in a variety of ways including containers. It provides a splash of color from its scarlet flowers and much of the plant can be eaten
4-H members enrolled in the Special Garden Project will:
- Receive a ‘packet’ of Princess of India Nasturtium (one packet per youth) in March/April
- Receive a newsletter about planting & growing nasturtium
- Be able to exhibit this unique herb at County and State Fair
If interested, please let Melissa mmracek2@unl.edu know by February 10th.
For more information: https://4h.unl.edu/special-garden-project
4-H Online Enrollment for 2023-2024 is Now Open
The 4-H Online website is now open for enrollment. The deadline to participate in the Sioux County Fair is June 15th. Members who are participating in Shooting Sports need to enroll prior to starting practices. All 4-H'ers must complete this annually to become an active 4-H member!
**Helpful tips:
- The grade you select is the grade the youth is in for the 2023-2024 school year.
- If your child has turned 8 BEFORE January 1, 2024, they will no longer be a Clover Kid.
New for this year:
Starting in the 2023-2024 program year, project selection is now optional. By successfully completing the 4-H member enrollment by the June 15th deadline, youth will be eligible to participate and exhibit in any project area, contest, county and state fairs. While project section is optional, it is encourage for youth to select the projects they are interested in exploring.
- Youth can only participate in one project area or contest in a single county
- Horse and Shooting Sports members are still required to select these project areas due to the parental consent required to participate in these projects.
Omaha Fashion Week
Application is now open for youth to model their 2023 design on the Omaha Fashion Week runway happening February 21, 2024! Youth will experience the backstage prep by having hair and makeup done, then walking the runway in front of the fashion community! Deadline to apply is January 5, 2024. Please complete the application at https://go.unl.edu/4hofw2024.
Maker Day
Join us as we mix, "make", and explore at our 2nd annual Maker Day! We are offering a December 4-H Maker Day for ALL youth ages 5-18 on Wednesday, December 20th from 2:00 - 4:30 pm at the Harrison Security 1st Bank Basement. There will be activities for ages 5-7 years, ages 8 & up, and all ages (5-18). Youth are ONLY allowed to sign up for FOUR Projects. You can see the project options below or download the flyer. Costs of each project vary.
Let Melissa know by Monday what projects your youth would like to sign up for. You need to turn in the second page of the flyer to register- 1 form per youth please! Youth have to pick projects ahead of time. They can't decide the day of. Checks can be made out to "UNL Extension"
Progressive Ag Safety Highlights
On Friday, November 17th, 16 Sioux County youth members attended the Progressive Ag Safety Day. Youth members got experience in Fire Safety and got to sit in the Harrison Fire Truck, learned what happens when you don't wear a helmet on an ATV, learned about PTO safety, discussed how to be safe at home, received First Aid tips, and so much more!
Nebraska Extension Sioux County Office
Email: mmracek2@unl.edu
Website: go.unl.edu/siouxcofair
Location: PO Box 277 Harrison, NE 69346
Phone: (308) 668-2428
Facebook: facebook.com/UNLSiouxCounty