Hamilton County Hi-Lights
February 2020
COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE!
The application can be found on our website.
Jr. Leaders next meeting
Our next meeting is February 6, at 6 PM at the Hamilton County Extension Office.
NEXT CHAPTER MEETING
Next Chapter at Nebraska is a college readiness program offered to enrolled 4-H members at the beginning of their 8th-grade year. Throughout high school, Next Chapter scholars engage in a variety of events, activities, and curriculum where they will participate in career exploration, develop research skills, and experience a variety of learning methods that will help them transition to and succeed in college.
Through Next Chapter at Nebraska, all 8th-grade students enrolled in 4-H are automatically pre-admitted to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
The Next Chapter program is a partnership between Nebraska Extension 4-H Youth Development and the Nebraska Office of Admissions.
If you are interested in this program, join us for our Next Chapter Meeting on February 6, 2020 at 7 PM at the Extension Office.
If you have any questions, please contact Tammy Stuhr at tammy.stuhr@unl.edu
YQCA (YOUTH FOR THE QUALITY CARE OF ANIMALS) FACE TO FACE TRAINING
Time for clubs to set a date for face to face YQCA training with Hillary
o Call the Ext. Office 402-694-6174 or email Hillary at Hillary.fuhrman@unl.edu
Watch for dates of classes on Facebook and in emails. Remember: you need to be enrolled for the current 4-H year before doing YQCA.
YQCA Requirements:
Nebraska 4-H youth ages 8-18, who are enrolled in any of the livestock projects listed below are required to complete YQCA annually either Face to Face or online. The deadline to complete your annual YQCA training is Monday, June 15, 2020.
Youth enrolled in any of the following projects or project areas will need to complete YQCA training.
• Beef (bucket calf, feeder calf, breeding beef, market beef)
• Dairy Cattle
• Goat (breeding meat goat, dairy goat, meat goat and pygmy goat)
• Poultry
• Rabbit
• Sheep (breeding sheep, market sheep)
• Swine (breeding swine, market swine)
For those youth who would rather complete YQCA online, visit the YQCA login page to begin https://yqca.learngrow.io/Account/Login. Select "Sign in with 4HOnline" and select "Nebraska 4-H Youth Development" from the dropdown. Use your family 4HOnline login and password information to access the courses for the active 4-H members in your family. Only active members will show in the drop-down menu for access to the course. All 4-H members will need to use the 4-H tab and not the FFA tab even if they are members of both organizations.
All registration questions with YQCA should be directed to help@yqca.org.
2020 Public Speaking Contest
There will no longer be a district speech contest at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in May. The top 5 qualifiers in each division will now be able to compete in a Speech Contest during our PASE/LIFE CHALLENGE contest in June. More details to follow soon!
SPEECH •
All speeches must be original and include 4-H as the major component of the speech. • Many speakers in the Public Speaking Contest have given speeches in other contests. This is fine; however previous speeches may not be used verbatim for the 4-H contest. It is okay to use the same ideas from a speech previously delivered in competition, but it must be 4-H related. Enough changes should be made to make that speech new to the speaker and the audience. 4-H public speakers may not use an old speech written by a sibling, other 4-H members, or anyone else. • Acknowledge the source of information used in the speech. For example, an article from a magazine may be used for reference but should not be quoted directly unless you tell the audience your source. • Use of visual aids and props are not allowed • Dress appropriately. Do not wear costumes or special effects clothing. • No team speeches are allowed.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT (PSA) All PSA’s are 60 seconds in length. • The state theme for the 2020 Public Service Announcement is “Inspire Kids to Do” and should be incorporated in the PSA. • All radio PSA’s must promote 4-H and be general enough to be used anywhere in Nebraska at any time of the year. • All 4-H PSA’s must include the following tag line within the last ten seconds of the PSA: “Learn more about Nebraska Extension 4-H Youth Development Program at 4h.unl.edu.” The tag line is included in the 60 second time limit. The tagline Know-How, Know Now should not be used. • Sound effects and public domain music may be used. Copyrighted material may not be used. • All PSA’s must be the original work of the presenter. Contestants may not use PSA’s written and provided by the state or national staff. • No team PSA’s are allowed. • Radio PSA’s will be submitted electronically as a .wav or mp3 format along with 1 copy of the PSA text. (No CDs accepted) Award will be awarded to top purple ribbon winners in each division with the exception of Clover Kids.
4-H age divisions:
Clover Kids: ages 5-7, ½ - 2 minutes Original Speech or Any Reading (poem or story) Participation Ribbons only
Novice (first-time speaker) Novice Original: ages 8-10, 3 minutes or less Novice Reading: ages 8-10, 3 minutes or less
Junior: 8-10, 1-3 minutes Original speech related to 4-H
Intermediate: 11-13, 3-5 minutes Original speech related to 4-H
Senior: 14-18, 5-8 minutes
2020 Hamilton County Beef Weigh Day
10 AM-Noon at the Aurora Veterinary Clinic
If you wish to participate in the Hamilton County Fair Beef Rate-Of-Gain Contest, you are required to attend this weigh day.
*Also happening during this time
- weigh, pull DNA and tag for the Nebraska State Fair 4-H Beef Show and AKSARBEN show.
-Please have your Premise ID available.
If questions, contact Hillary Fuhrman at hillary.fuhrman@unl.edu
Innovative Youth Corn Challenge
9th 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 ninth 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 2020, 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.
2020 Ag Innovators
It is time to recruit teens to help us lead the Ag Innovators Experience in your county and across Nebraska this year.
This year the topic is water! The “Valuable Water Challenge,” is an educational activity focusing on the importance of ecosystem services and how they produce many life-sustaining benefits. These services are
important to environmental and human health and well-being, yet they are limited and often taken for granted. The 2020 AIE challenge will specifically focus on the ecosystem services as related to clean water and its role
in securing the sustainable food supply. Youth will be challenged to better understand and contribute toward conservation practices to improve water quality.
Teens will be expected to attend training on Saturday, March 21st in Columbus and each county will need to develop a plan to reach at least 50 youth in grades 3-8th grade.
In Nebraska, we would like faculty and staff to decide locally on a teen or teens (2) that they would like to involve. Once selected, please complete this link to get me their contact information. The deadline for submitting teens to participate is February 14th. More information on training will be sent once I have all the names.
Thank you for your continued support and great work on this project. Julie Kreikemeier and Aaron Nygren will be helping with this years’ experience. Let me know if you have any questions.
2020 Pick-A-Project
Using the searchable, web-based 2020 Pick Your Project, users will be able to search for projects by keywords, curriculum areas, knowledge levels, and geographic levels. It is the intent that this feature will assist 4-H youth, volunteers and families with learning about the project opportunities using the Pick Your Project and then locating the same project in 4HOnline. Enhancements for the future of the web-based Pick Your Project continue and its integration with the new 2020 Nebraska State Fairbook will be shared soon!
To assist 4-H members, volunteers, and parents, with locating curriculum to Support 4-H projects, two resources are available:
1) a new 4-H Projects page at https://4h.unl.edu/projects
2) a Printable Project Listing at
UNL Bee Keeping Workshops
Interested in learning more about the importance of beekeeping and having your own hive?
Check out the flyer for details!
Here is a link where you can sign up:
Scholarship Opportunity!
Any student attending a 4-year college/university, 2-year college, a vocational/technical school, or a 4-H or FFA member may apply for a scholarship to attend Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference.
The applications are now open. Applications must be submitted online by midnight Sunday, February 2, 2020. Scholarship recipients will be notified no later than February 7, 2020.
2020 Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference
The Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference is an annual two-day event designed to educate and uplift women involved in any aspect of Nebraska’s agricultural industry. Through workshops and presentations, attendees will learn how to: better manage risk, improve their farms and ranches, and become more successful operators and business partners. The conference features 5 general session speakers and over 30 concurrent workshops. Don't miss this opportunity!
When: Thursday and Friday, February 20-21, 2020
Where: Holiday Inn Convention Center in Kearney, NE
110 Second Ave., Kearney, NE 68848
Click here to view the full agenda.
2020 Tractor Safety Courses
Requirement a minimum of 10 students per location this year, so any help to promote it is appreciated. Anyone 14 or older is welcome to attend – it’s not just for teens and it’s not just about tractors! Participants also learn about ATV safety, first aid, and many other hazards of farming.
Please visit go.unl.edu/tractorsafety for more information.
Opportunity for Robotics Volunteers!
Hello 4-H Friends!
We are looking for volunteers! There are many different roles to sign up for and many roles that do not require a STEM background. You can check out these roles in the attached document, “FLL Volunteer Roles and Descriptions.” By volunteering, you are also able to see if this is something you would want to bring to your county. Here are some opportunities for you to see it all in action!
The Official 2019-2020 FIRST LEGO League Dates and Locations
- February 1, Bellevue
- February 22, Championship, Ashland
Please consider registering as a volunteer!
All volunteers MUST register with FIRST at https://www.firstinspires.org. Volunteers will need to create an account by “registering” on the page. Once you have created an account, you can follow the step by step instructions in the attached user guide document to sign up for an event.
If you have any questions, please contact Brandy Schulze at bschulze@unl.edu or call 402-472-9023
If you ever have anything you want featured in the monthly newsletter, email deborah.fahrnbruch@unl.edu
Blaine Bonifas was selected for the Don and Martha Romeo Scholarship. Two Nebraskans each year are selected. What an honor! Congratulations to Blaine.
Omaha Fashion Week
Congratulations to the following 4-H members who were selected to show their garments on the runway at Omaha Fashion Week on Tuesday, February 25! We had a competitive pool of 36 applicants and 14 were selected to be part of the collection this year. Thanks to those who applied!
Kiersten Preister of Humphrey – Platte County
Matalie Wallin of Imperial – Chase County
Amber Gonzalez of McCook – Red Willow County
Mariah Dather of Bloomfield – Knox County
Karla Herrarte of Lexington – Dawson County
Saidi Ringenberg of Lexington – Dawson County
Sydni Ringenberg of Lexington – Dawson County
Audrey Glaubius of Wisner – Cuming County
AnnaLiese (Anni) Reha of Hampton – Hamilton County
Ellie Babcock of Waverly – Lancaster County
Addison Zook of David City – Butler County
Emma Haszard of Lincoln – Lancaster County
Abigail Haszard of Lincoln – Lancaster County
Mackenzie Sudbeck of Wynot – Cedar County
Omaha Fashion week will take place at the Omaha Design Center (near TD Ameritrade Park). Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the Fashion Show starts at 8:00 p.m.
Ticket Information:
To purchase tickets go to https://omahafashionweek.com/tickets
Cost: $10 each plus fees
Anyone planning to attend the show must purchase tickets. This is a very popular event, so I recommend purchasing tickets early.
UNL Chick Days
'Chick Days is a Nebraska 4H event that includes the following contests, egg decorating, poultry quiz bowl, photography, omelet cookery, and speech.
This contest is meant to encourage youth to explore what the poultry and food science industry have to offer.
Scholarships and cash prizes will be awarded to the senior champion of each contest.
For more information or to register, please contact Ivy Dearmont at idearmont2@unl.edu or (402)429-8632.'
4-H Horse Stampede
The horse stampede is a group of contests for youth interested in horses. These contests do not require youth to have a horse all they need is to have an interest and be willing to learn some information about horses.
- The 4-H Horse Stampede will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2020 at the Animal Science Complex. Registration starts at 8:30am (TIME CHANGE from previous years- please refer to the web page for updated information)
- Contests include: Individual Demonstration Contest (can be done in person or through zoom), Team Demonstration (can be done in person or through zoom), Speech (can be done in person or through zoom), Junior or Senior Horse Bowl (team quiz bowl contest), Art Contest (do not need to be present to participate, you can mail in the entries), and Photography Contest (do not need to be present to participate, you can mail in the entries).
- It will be held the same day as the 4-H Companion Animal Challenge so that youth can compete in both events if they choose. We will ensure there are not schedule conflicts.
- If you would like to have lunch or a t-shirt at the contest please make sure to fill out a lunch or t-shirt order form when registering for contests.
- Entries are due to me by March 6, 2020.
- For more information and registration forms: https://4h.unl.edu/horse/stampede
- Questions? Contact: Dr. Lena Luck (lena.luck@unl.edu) or Grace Kim (grace.kim@unl.edu)
4-H Companion Animal Challenge
The Companion Animal Challenge is a set of contests for youth interested in companion animals. These contests are animal-less and test youths knowledge about companion animals. New this year to the contest are a Cat Skillathon and an essay contest. 4-H youth ages 10-18 are invited to participate.
- The 4-H Companion Animal Challenge will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2020 at the Animal Science Complex.
- Contests include: Demonstration Contest, Dog Skillathon Contest, Cat Skillathon Contest, Essay Contest, Art Contest, and Photography Contest.
- This event allows youth to apply their companion animal knowledge, but does not require them to have an animal!
- It will be held the same day as the 4-H Horse Stampede so that youth can compete in both events if they choose. We will ensure there are not schedule conflicts.
- Entries are due to me by March 6, 2020.
- For more information and registration forms: https://4h.unl.edu/companion-animal/challenge
- Questions? Contact: Dr. Lisa Karr (lisa.karr@unl.edu) or Grace Kim (grace.kim@unl.edu)
Nebraska 4-H Youth Development PASE and Life Challenge Youth Advisory Board Application
Mission Statement: The PASE/Life Challenge Youth Advisory Board provides a means for youth to participant in the planning of state events and use leadership skills to create a positive environment for Nebraska 4-H PASE and Life Challenge.
What is the Youth Advisory Board? The Youth Advisory Board is an event board whose members are selected by the PASE/Life Challenge Event Coordinators. The board advises the coordinators on youth issues and serves as a means for youth involved in PASE and Life Challenge to become active members in the events and to have an official voice in shaping the experience.
Each board member serves a one-year term with the option to reapply each year.
Who is eligible to serve on the YAB? Any current Nebraska 4-H youth who has attended PASE or Life Challenge within the previous two years.
Contact deborah.fahrnbruch@unl.edu if you would like an application.
Online 4-H Cat Club
If you haven't heard yet, we are excited to introduce to you our newly revised Cat Club for this year. Instead of hour-long, monthly meetings, we are now offering the club in a self-paced format using Google Classroom. We still cover various cat subjects like genetics, nutrition, grooming, showmanship, and so on, but in a more accessible way.
Click HERE for more information!
Nebraska Extension in Hamilton County
Email: hamilton-county@unl.edu
Website: www.hamilton.unl.edu
Location: 1111 13th Street, Suite 6, Aurora, NE, USA
Phone: 402-694-6174
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hamilton.unl/
Twitter: @HamiltonExten4H