Want to spend a week of your summer enjoying the outdoors, trying new activities and making new friends?! Join us at Nebraska 4-H Camps for summer 2021! Our summer camp is located in the middle of the Sandhills in the beautiful Nebraska National Forest near Halsey. Our week-long overnight camp programs are open to all youth ages 8-15. You do not need to be a member of 4-H to attend camp (invite all of your friends to join!). We also have leadership opportunities and jr. counselor positions available for ages teens ages 15-18. A typical week at 4-H Camp includes a variety of outdoor adventure activities such as canoeing, zipline, high ropes course, archery, crafts, campfires and more! Charter bus transportation options will also be offered select weeks from UNL East campus in Lincoln or Raising Nebraska in Grand Island.

For more information and full camp descriptions please view the electronic 4-H Camp brochure: https://4h.unl.edu/documents/2021%20Brochure%20Final.pdf

1) Late animal affidavits will be accepted for one following the entry deadline and will be accessed a $10 late fee per individual for the Dakota-Thurston County Fair.

2) Late fair entries will be accepted for one week following the entry deadline and will be accessed a $10 late fee per individual for the Dakota-Thurston County Fair.

These do not apply to any State Fair submissions! State Fair deadlines are hard and firm!

Rabbit/Poultry Exhibitors - When you enter your animals Monday, August 2nd, from 6:00 –7:30 we are asking that you check your animals in with either the superintendents or Extension Staff. We want to try and ensure that our show programs are accurate. Your assistance on this will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Bedding - The fair board will be possibly supplying bedding for livestock projects. It will be decided upon at the next Fair Board meeting. If you have special needs for your projects, it is your responsibility to bring the supplies.

Stalling Horses - The Dakota~Thurston County Fairboard voted in 2010, That if a horse is showed, it must be stalled. No veterinarian excuses will be accepted. This applies to all horses exhibiting at the 4-H Horse Show, no expectations. Horses must be stalled at the fairgrounds on Thursday, August 5th by 8:00 p.m.

Livestock Check-in - Wednesday, August 4th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm is check-in day at the fair. Please check-in your animals at the respective livestock scale. This will help us to exhibitors and livestock that are on the fairgrounds and help with correct stall assignments and correct show programs. Reminder: Swine ear tags need to be purchased for $3.00 each at the time of check-in.

No early release of animals - Please refer to the fair book for the following rule: All live animals, 4-H/FFA, Open Class (except cats, dogs, household pets/birds) will remain on the grounds for the duration of the fair. No early releases. Also see the following statement from the Fair Board: Penalty– Premiums will be pulled for exhibits leaving the fairgrounds prior to the aforementioned release time.

Cat, Dog, & Ferret Exhibits - Don’t forget your cats, dogs, and ferrets must have current vaccinations. Forms are available on our website. (https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/thurston/affidavitsid-forms/)

Bucket Calves - Bucket calves need a record book with their entry. (https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/thurston/affidavitsid-forms/)

We have just been informed that the Nebraska State Fair has removed the BVD testing for cattle prior to arrival at the Fair. This requirement also has been removed for cattle exhibiting at the AKSARBEN Stock Show. We will continue to pass along more information as it becomes available.

It is with great excitement that Nebraska 4-H will be offering new livestock classes and divisions at the 2021 Nebraska State Fair! With the decision to shift 4-H and FFA livestock shows to the two different weekends, this provided the opportunity to offer new shows and programs for 4-H.

Here’s what is NEW!

Goat

• Entry Limit: 4-H members will now be eligible to show up to a total of five goats maximum, if at least two are breeding does. In no case will a 4-H member exhibit more than three market goats.

Sheep

• Entry Limit: 4-H members will now be eligible to show up to a total of five sheep maximum, if at least two are breeding ewes. In no case will a 4-H member exhibit more than three market lambs.
• Minimum entry for breed classes will be 3 instead of 5

Swine

• NEW: Breeding Gilt Show
• NEW: Purebred Market Classes
• NEW: Farrowed and Owned Breeding and Market Swine
• Entry Limit: A 4-H member is limited to exhibiting three market hogs and two breeding gilts

Beef

• NEW: Feeder Calf Show
• Revised Minimum Age: Born between January 1 through April 2021
• NEW: Junior Breeding Heifer Class
• Entry Limit: A 4-H member is limited to exhibiting up to five beef animals. A 4-H'er can exhibit up to two market beef, three breeding heifers and two feeder calves as long as the total number of entries does not exceed five beef animals.

Family Responsibilities:

1. Exhibitors will be required to enroll in 4-H and the required projects by the county deadline in 4H Online.
2. Exhibitors showing market animals at State Fair must have a signed and sealed official DNA envelope with hair samples for DNA verification turned into their county office and have completed the online nomination in Show Stock Manager along with submitting payment online by June 15. Any animal carrying an 840 EID tag will require the exhibitor to obtain a Premises ID. Contact the local Extension Office for details. (It is recommended that you make a copy or a photo image of completed envelope you turn into your county.)
3. Exhibitors showing breeding beef, breeding swine, breeding sheep and breeding goats at State Fair will need to complete an online nomination along with submitting payment online in Show Stock Manager by the June 15 deadline.
4. Exhibitors will be required to complete Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) for the enrolled livestock projects by the August 10.
5. Exhibitors will notify the County Extension Staff of any retags that may occur up to time of check-in at the State Fair.
6. Exhibitors will select which animal nominations they have chosen to show at State Fair on the State Fair entry website. All nominated and validated animals will be automatically listed as a choice option for entry registration.
7. Exhibitors will be required to bring the breed registration association paperwork to check-in at State Fair for animals wanting to show in a breed class. The registration papers must show the exhibitor’s name, a co-owner who is an immediate member of the exhibitor’s family or the family farm, ranch name or parent’s name.

1. Rabbit Classes - changed to make organization when it comes time for the show easier!
2. Clover Kid Classes - we've tried to make things funnel and reflect more of the traditional 4-H projects! We hope you all take advantage of the new classes!
3. Lego Design Classes - Under Science, Engineering & Technology we've added classes where you can bring your Lego creations to fair and tell us all about what you learned in the process.

https://stores.inksoft.com/dakota_thurston_county_fair/shop/home?fbclid=IwAR3JIcR_raLnbI7NgovAVxkIkiWh7-E17NFkKTF3V4ui1K-0V3UhVBlC7T0

Copyrighted writing, artwork, videos, and images may be used in 4-H educational exhibits under Fair Use for educational purposes of Copyright Law. In order to qualify for Fair Use, 4-H’ers must:

1) only use a small amount of the copy-written work,

2) add new meaning to the work to make it original,

3) rework it and use it in a totally different way, and

4) use it for nonprofit purposes (not to make money).

Giving credit to the original creator is also recommended.

The on-line horticulture contest will be offered June 4-21st 2021. Below is a blurb for newsletters. Let me know if you have any questions. Elizabeth

Do you know what it takes to pick the best fruit and vegetables out at the grocery store? Or do you know what judges are looking for when they judge your plants at the county fair? Have you ever wondered, what plant is that!?! We are excited to offer the opportunity to learn these and other important horticulture skills through the Online Horticulture Contest. The contest will be available June 4-21, 2021 at: https://go.unl.edu/21onlinehortcontest.

Horticulture judging contest consists of three parts. The first is identification of plant material. Participants identify the plants by common name from a plant list. Specimens may be alive or preserved plant parts like stems, twigs, leaves, flowers, seeds, fruits, roots, bulbs, tubers, or plant products.

The second is a knowledge portion, usually in the form of a true/false or multiple choice quiz. Questions will test the contestant's knowledge of cultural practices for horticultural crops, plant science, pesticides, horticultural careers and other topics related to the production, processing and consumption of horticultural crops.

The last portion is judging or placings. This is where four different plants, plates of vegetables, or containers flowers are ranked from best to worst based on a set of criteria. Classes are judged on the basis of condition, quality, uniformity, true-to-type, and size.

More details at: https://4h.unl.edu/online-horticulture-judging-contest

If you like plants and/or insects, here’s your opportunity to build skills and have fun too!

Attend to participate in one, two, three or all four contests!

Your interest - your choice! Bring a friend too!

4-H’ers may earn a trip to a state and/or national contest!

Thursday, June 24, 2021

Agricultural Park Exhibit Hall Club Room, Fairgrounds - 822 15th Street, Columbus NE

(Entrance to Ag Park is at intersection of 10th Av. and 15th St.)

12:15 – Welcome and Instructions

12:30 PM - Horticulture Judging, I.D. & Quiz

1:45 PM - Tree Identification

2:35 PM – BREAK with Refreshments

2:45 PM - Entomology (Insect) Identification

3:45 PM - Grass and Weed Identification

PLEASE BRING A CLIP BOARD TO USE DURING THE CONTEST

Identify plant/insect samples for each contest. For horticulture, there is also 4 judging classes (vegetables, fruits, flowers, nursery stock). Study materials available at https://4h.unl.edu/fairbook/contests. For information, contact your local Extension office or Kelly Feehan at kfeehan2@unl.edu or 402-563-4901.

Register here: https://unl.box.com/s/wcc4tty60jqhs1jfsnvpnzc9107kpd5t

• June 9, 2021, DT ANIMAL CARE & FITTING CLINIC, Dakota-Thurston Fairgrounds, So Sioux City, NE
• June 13, 2021, HUSTLER PROGRESS SHOW, Cuming County Fairgrounds, West Point, NE
  
• June 19, 2021, WHEELER COUNTY PROGRESS SHOW, Bartlett Fairgrounds, Bartlett, NE
• June 20, 2021, PLATTE COUNTY SWINE PROGRESS SHOW, Ag park, Columbus, NE
• June 24-27, 2021, WISNER JR LIVESTOCK SHOW, Wisner River Park, Wisner, NE
• June 26, 2021, PAPIO VALLEY 4-H LIVESTOCK SHOW, Sarpy County Fairgrounds, Springfield, NE

All youth aged 14 and 15 who work on a farm or ranch other than their own MUST be certified through a Hazardous Occupations Course to obtain a Farm Husbandry Permit or “farm permit” without further testing.

Successful completion of this training in Nebraska will allow youth to operate a tractor over 20 horsepower, and connect or disconnect an implement or any of its parts to or from a tractor. Students of any age over 13 may complete the driving course in any of the following locations after successful online class completion:

June 7 – Akrs Equipment, 49110 US Hwy 20 in O’Neill

Contact Debra Walnofer, 402.336.2760, dwalnofer2@unl.edu

June 8 – Legacy of the Plains Museum, 2930 Old Oregon Trail #8500 in Gering

Contact Stacy Brown, 308.632.1480, sbrown7@unl.edu

June 9 – West Central Research & Education Center, 402 West State Farm Rd., North Platte

Contact Randy Saner or Vicki Neidhardt 308.532.2683, randy.saner@unl.edu

June 10 – Hall County Extension, 3180 Hwy 34, Grand Island

Contact Crystal Beissenherz, 308.385.5088, crystal.beissenherz@unl.edu

June 11 – Cass County Fairgrounds, 8420 144th St, Weeping Water

Contact Sandy Prall, 402.267.2205, sprall2@unl.edu

For more information or to register, contact the appropriate Extension staff member above. 2021 Tractor Safety Registration Form

The Tractor Safety Training team has decided that if a family is having difficulty with the $40 registration fee for our course, we will provide waivers to cover the fee. We do not want anyone missing out because of monetary difficulties. Safety is first priority.

Spring is finally here, and fair season is upon us! The 4-H Youth Development Program in Clay County, Spencer Iowa, is SO excited to offer a high-quality district showcasing opportunity at the Clay County Fair. The counties in Nebraska which are touching Iowa are eligible to participate in our district show. Could you help spread the word about this opportunity to your local families?

Youth can enter between July 2 at 8:00 am – August 1 at 11:59 pm. An active link will be available on our 4-H Clay County Fair Information page starting July 2. https://www.extension.iastate.edu/clay/page/clay-county-fair-information

Excited to announce a new opportunity for 4-H youth participating in livestock projects! 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 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.

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.

For more information, go to: Livestock Achievement Program | Nebraska 4-H (unl.edu)

Ashley Benes ashley.benes@unl.edu

Cole Meador cmeador2@unl.edu

Brett Kreifels brett.kreifels@unl.edu