Jefferson County 4-H
February 2024
4-H Highlights!
State Fair Exhibit & County Fair Awards Pick-Up
- Kami Branson
2024 Fair Dates Released
The 2024 Jefferson County Fair Dates are: July 10th-14th, 2024.
Theme: “Just Another Day in Fairadise”
4-H Online Enrollment is Open Now
It’s time to get enrolled in 4-H for the 2024 4-H year! To enroll, visit: https://v2.4honline.com/. For returning families, please do not create a new account; rather use your log-in credentials for 4honline used in previous years. Instructions can be found here: https://4h.unl.edu/enroll/returning-member. Enrollment instructions for new families can be found here: https://4h.unl.edu/enroll/returning-member
Clover Kid Enrollment Information
4-H enrollment is required for Clover Kids (ages 5-7) online at https://v2.4honline.com/. Youth should select at least one Clover Kid project to complete enrollment. Selection of multiple projects online is not required to exhibit multiple projects at the county fair. Check with our local 4-H club leaders for information about what is offered for Clover Kids during their club time.
Diamond Clover Award Forms
The Nebraska 4-H Diamond Clover program encourages 4-H youth to engage in a variety of programs, projects, and activities that will enable youth to acquire skills and abilities that will prepare them for success in the future.
The program consists of six levels that require a young person to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate accomplishments. For each level, the Nebraska 4-H Diamond Clover program provides a list of accomplishments from which 4-H youth choose their goals. The accomplishments increase in quantity and difficulty for each level. At the beginning of the 4-H year, participants plan what to accomplish and at the end of the 4-H year, 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 Diamond Clover program.
Diamond Clover Forms can be downloaded at http://4h.unl.edu/diamondclover. Forms are due to the Extension Office April 1, 2024.
Year End Treasurer's Report
Organizational leaders and club treasurers, please remember that the 2023 Club Treasurer’s Report is due January 31st. The form is required to be completed even if you have a zero balance all year. If you have any questions please contact the Extension Office 402-729-3487.
Jefferson County Nebraska 4-H Youth Development YouTube Channel
Upcoming Workshops, Contests & Events
Nebraska 4-H Month
February 8 - Make sure to thank your 4-H Leader for all their hard work all year long.
February 15 - Thank a sponsor for their generous donations to the 4-H program and county fair.
February 22 - Give Back Day - This year we are going to collect items for the Blue Valley Community Action Food Pantry. Items can be collected in your community by your club and then brought to your club meeting or you can drop them off at the Extension Office by Feb 21st. Items especially needed by the pantry are:
- Shampoo/Conditioner
- Body soaps—adult and baby
- Cereal-hot and cold
- Pasta
- Pasta sauce
- Soups—all kinds
- Canned fruit/applesauce
- Instant potatoes
- Canned tuna/chicken
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Instant/evaporated milk
- Pancake Mix---complete (add water)
- Pancake Syrup
- Granola bars or other items for kids' snacks after school
- Crackers
- Peanut butter
- Jelly
- Cooking oil
- Condiments (things like ketchup, mustard, mayo)
February 29 - Leap into 4-H - Get enrolled in 4-H so you don't miss any information!
Photo Contest
Photo entries will be weekly opportunities for 4-H members to showcase their photography skills based on different categories. Entries will be uploaded to the Nebraska 4-H Website link (4h.unl.edu/photography-showcase) by midnight on Sundays starting on February 11th. Watch the Nebraska 4-H Facebook and Instagram pages for the weekly theme categories. Winners will be announced later in the week with their photo on social media. There will be 4-H Swag prizes given to all category winners.
We would like to introduce the1st theme: My 4-H Spark. What is something that excites you about 4-H? Something you look forward to every year, a project you are proud of, a program that piques your interest? Whatever your “Spark” is, we want to see it!
Pictures should be submitted by Sunday, February 11th at 11:59 pm CST to 4h.unl.edu/photography-showcase. Check the Facebook page each week for new themes!
Animal Information
Youth Quality Assurance Training
Dave Barnard will be holding a training on Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 1:30 pm in the ag room at Tri-County. Youth must pre-register at yqcaprogram.org in order to attend so we can ensure adequate spacing for all participants. When you get registered, make sure to take the pretest before attending the training. Contact the office with any questions and we can send you the instructions for how to get all of these steps done.
We will have additional YQCA trainings this spring in Jefferson County so keep watching for dates!
New Beef Contests Available at 2024 Jefferson County Fair!
Beef Average Daily Gain Contest - Beef exhibitors of market steers or heifers can choose to participate (voluntary and not required to show in the county fair beef show) in this contest and much meet the following requirements:
- 1st weigh in will be Sunday, March 10th from 1 - 2:30 pm at Fairbury Livestock. (No exceptions will be made and this is the only weigh in for participants)
- 2nd weigh in will be during check-in at the Jefferson County Fair on Thursday, July 11th.
- Contest will work accordingly as Highest ADG between both weigh ins will be the winner with corresponding results down the line.
- In the event of a tie, the most combined weight gained will win.
Combined Market Beef Challenge - this contest will consist of the culmination of 3 different requirements for participants of both market steers and heifers:
- Must participate in the ADG contest
- Must participate in the carcass contest
- Must participate in the market beef show
- ADG point scores will be figured highest to lowest and the number of total participants will figure total points. (Example: 15 participants the winner of ADG awarded 15 points, last place 1 point)
- Carcass contest points will be calculated in the same manner as ADG. Highest points to the winner and down the line.
- Market beef show points awarded off placing in class only, no points given off market division or final drives
- Purple - 5 points
- Blue - 3 points
- Red & White - 1 point
- Example of CMBC with 15 participants (Market Steer A ranks 4th in ADG - 12 points, ranks 7th in carcass contest - 9 points and receives purple in live class - 5 points
- Ending score for market steer A is 26
- In the event of a tie, market animal with higher weight gain (lbs) total will win
Special Opportunties
Virtual Field Trips
There are also numerous field trips that have been archived to view at your convenience. Check them out. See the link below to view of all the tours available.
Workshop Ideas
Calendar of Events
February
8 - Volunteer Appreciation Day
15 - Supporter Appreciation Day
15 - YQCA Training at Tri-County High School
22 - Give Back Day
29 - Leap into 4-H - Get Enrolled in 4-H
April
1 - Diamond Clover Forms Due
Nebraska Extension - Jefferson County
Email: darci.pesek@unl.edu
Website: jefferson.unl.edu
Location: 517 F Street, Fairbury, NE, United States
Phone: 402-729-3487
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeffersoncountyext
Nebraska Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United Sates Department of Agriculture.
Nebraska Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.
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