Hamilton County Headlines
November 16, 2020
School Day Off Workshop
FOR: 3rd-5th Grades
COST: $10 per youth. Please pay when you pick up your kit from the Extension Office.
*The kit will include all your ingredients needed for the workshop.
To Register: Call the office, 402-694-6174 or click HERE *Deadline to register is November 20th.
First Session 9 AM-noon
Second Session 1 PM-4 PM
(limit to 6 youth per session)
SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP
If you are an active 4-H Member in Hamilton County, you can apply for the senior scholarship!
Applications are due to the Extension Office by February 1, 2021. Click HERE for more information. Click on the "COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION"
Don and Martha Romeo Scholarship Applications DUE
Gathering of the Greens - 4-H Camp in Halsey
Hello friends of 4-H!
Please join us for our annual Gathering of the Greens event at 4-H Camp in Halsey! We will get crafty as we create and decorate wreaths using branches and pine needles from the beautiful Nebraska National Forest! We will also enjoy a chili/cinnamon roll lunch and hot chocolate! Camp tours provided to those who are interested!
Please register online using this link: go.unl.edu/gatheringofthegreens or RSVP by calling camp at: 308-533-2224. We can't wait to see you there!
More Details:
Date: Saturday, December 5, 2020
Time: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Location: Nebraska State 4-H Camp - 83222 4-H Camp Rd, Halsey, NE 69142
Cost: $30 includes wreath frame, decorations, lunch and lots of holiday fun!
Social Distancing and masks are highly encouraged!
Please email Katie with any questions! Kzabel2@unl.edu
NE Fed Steer Challenge 2021
Click HERE for more information, including the application.
About the program: The Nebraska 4-H Fed Steer Challenge is an opportunity for youth interested in learning more about the cattle industry and is designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders in the Nebraska cattle industry. The goal of the Fed Steer Challenge is to enhance the educational value of the traditional 4-H beef projects by providing an affordable option that rewards production merit and carcass value of the market animal, along with accurate and complete record-keeping, industry knowledge, and producer engagement by the 4-H member.
Components of the Program include two parts:
- Raising a commercial steer
- 4-H member selects and raises a commercial steer to finished market weight.
- Utilize management and nutrition protocols similar to a commercial feedlot.
- Maintain a detailed record book related to the management and feeding of the steer.
- Exhibit steer in the 4-H Fed Steer Challenge class at the Nebraska State Fair where steers will be visually evaluated by a commercial cattle buyer representing a packer.
- Sell cattle on a Quality and Yield Based Carcass Grid.
- Following the live exhibition, steers will be transported to a commercial packer, harvested and carcass data collected.
- Evaluation of 4-H member's knowledge and interpersonal skills
- Knowledge related to their project and the cattle industry as a whole
- Accuracy and details related to a record book
- Interview with representatives from the cattle industry
Youth interested in participating in the Nebraska 4-H Fed Steer Challenge must:
- Be an enrolled 4-H member and at least 14 years of age as of December 31 of the year current year.
- Have the financial ability to purchase a market steer at the current market price in January (~$850) and obtain insurance for the market value of the steer.
- Source a steer on their own or select a steer from a pool of identified program producers.
- Obtain an official starting weight for their steer at a county 4-H weigh-in event. If their enrolled county does not have an official weight-in, youth may attend the weigh-in of any county.
- Provide adequate facilities and adhere to YQCA practices to ensure proper management and well-being of the animal.
- Actively participate in online and face-to-face educational programming offered by Nebraska Animal Science faculty. Must participate in a minimum of 90% of educational opportunities offered between January and December.
- Exhibit Steer in the Nebraska Fed Steer market steer class at the Nebraska State Fair. At that time, steers will be harvested at a commercial packer and participants will be paid based upon the current market value.
- Maintain accurate production records related to raising the animal, complete the record book, and submit no later than October 15.
- Develop and present a Project Showcase highlighting their project and knowledge gained to industry representatives.
- Additional educational and networking opportunities may be identified throughout the year and youth should make every effort to fully participate.
Catch-a-Calf 2021
The National Western Catch-A-Calf program has re-opened the 2021-22 NWSS CAC Application website and the new deadline is January 15, 2021. Click HERE to learn more information.
2021 SPECIAL GARDEN PROJECT
Nebraska Extension Special Gardening Project lets 4-H members try their hand at growing unusual vegetables and flowers. The project allows experienced 4-H gardeners to grow something fun, new, and different while letting those new to gardening get their feet wet in this project area.
This project is open to all youth of 4-H age and it will give them the opportunity to learn about growing, harvesting, and exhibiting a tasty vegetable; obtain the tools necessary to be successful gardeners, and learn about the wide range of plant-science related careers. Last year over 1700 4-H members were enrolled in the project.
The 2021 Special Garden Project is focused on the tasty Hakurei Turnip. These are not your grandmother’s turnips. Hakurei is a white salad turnip that is smooth, round, and at its best when harvested under 2”. The roots can be eaten raw or cooked and the tops can also be cooked.
Youth should enroll for the Special Garden Project through 4-H Online. Once enrolled in 4-H Online, youth are to call our office to sign up for the project (order the seeds). Our office ordered 20 seed packets. So the first 20 registered will get them!
By enrolling through 4-H Online, youth will have access to the OneDrive folder with the educational materials including the growing newsletter & evaluation.
Hamilton County Extension
Email: hamilton-county@unl.edu
Website: www.hamilton.unl.edu
Location: 1111 13th St, Aurora, NE, USA
Phone: 402-694-6174
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hamilton.unl