Dakota County 4-H News
April 2023
Nebraska Extension - Dakota County
DAKOTA COUNTY OFFICE STAFF
Angela Abts—4-H & Youth aabts2@unl.edu
Julie Boyle—Food Nutrition and Health julie.boyle@unl.edu
Tammy Dunn—Office Manager tpeterson3@unl.edu
Brenda Sale—SNAP-ED bsale@unl.edu
Dakota County 4-H
Email: dakota-county@unl.edu
Website: https://dakota.unl.edu
Location: 1505 Broadway Street, Dakota City, NE, USA
Phone: 402-987-2140
Facebook: facebook.com/UNLDakotaCounty
Twitter: @NEDakota4HExt
Follow us On Facebook and Instagram!
Instagram: NE Extension Dakota County
Dates & Deadlines
APRIL
3 - Extension Board
10 - Dakota & Thurston County Joint 4-H Council
7 - Ambassador Training @ UNL
9- Happy Easter
10 - Contest Day registration deadline
10-16 - Virtual Companion Animal Challenge
15 - Speech, Presentation, Music, Favorite Foods Contest, Pender
17-23 National volunteer Week
MAY
1 Extension Board Meeting
10 - Al horse ID"s, and State entries DUE
29 - Office closed, Memorial Day
JUNE
5 - Extension Board meeting
5 - Dakota County 4-H Council meeting
11-16 - Big red Camps @ UNL
15 - Apply to State Livestock recognition program (final report 8/28)
15 - ALL LIVESTOCK ID'S/AFFIDAVITS DUE
15 - State Fair livestock nominations/DNA due
15 - Final enrollment/project deadline
19-21 - Youth Leadership Conference
21-22 - Premier Animal Science Event, UNL
23 - State Communications Event
JULY
15-19 - Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Expo
MEMBER INFORMATION
All Contest Day - April 15, 2023
Dakota-Thurston County Speech, PSA, Presentations, and Music contests and Favorite Foods Revue will be held on Saturday, April 15th! All contests will take place at the United Church of Pender in Pender, NE. The tentative plan is to start at 9:30 AM.
You must be ENROLLED in 4-H Online to register and participate! Registrations are due by 12:00 PM on April 10th! Registration information will be coming soon!
Arbor Day/Earth Day Spring Fling
The UNL Haskell Ag Lab will be holding their Arbor Day/Earth Day event on Saturday, April 29th from 1 to 4 p.m. The event will feature educational sessions for all, activities for kids, recycling information, tree and shrub planting demonstrations, and free trees for attendees. The event is free and open to the public. A flyer will be in the April issue of the newsletter. Please mark your calendars for this spring event at the UNL Haskell Ag Lab.
Dakota~Thurston County Fair Schedule Changes!
Poultry show start time changed to 11:00 AM on Thursday, August 3rd
Bucket calf exhibitors: Interviews will be Thursday afternoon; the bucket calf show will be Friday, August 4th at 2:30 pm.
Goat Show changed start time to 8:00 AM on Saturday, August 5th.
4-H Horse Show changed time to 10:00 AM on Saturday, August 5th.
NEWS & INFORMATION
Diamond Clover
It’s time to work on those Diamond Clover plans! This program encourages youth to engage in a variety of age-appropriate experiences and rewards youth for trying new things, setting goals, and keeping records.
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.
Learn more and find planning forms at 4h.unl.edu/diamond-clover.
Premier Communication Event
The Nebraska State 4-H Presentations Contest will partner with the State 4-H Public Speaking Contest to create a combined state-level communications event – this event will be called the Premier Communication Event and will be held on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus on Friday, June 23, 2023.
The Premier Communication Event will be structured similarly to the Premier Animal Science Event (PASE). The event will include contest classes, including the areas of prepared speech, radio public service announcements (PSA’s), illustrated presentations, impromptu speech, and video communication.
Eligibility for Premier Communication Event
• Youth must be currently enrolled in 4-H to participate in the Premier Communication Event.
• Eligibility requirements for the following contest classes include:
• Prepared Speech, Radio Public Service Announcement (PSA), and Illustrated Presentation:
• Youth must receive a purple ribbon at their County Contest and be selected to participate in the Premier Communication Event in these classes.
• Counties may select up to five (5) contestants in each age division.
• Impromptu Speech and Video Communication:
• Open to all youth enrolled in 4-H.
• If eligible, youth may participate in all contest classes.
• Pre-registration is required for all participants and is completed by County Extension Offices. There is a $10 fee per entry for Prepared Speech, Radio Public Service Announcement (PSA), and Illustrated Presentation participants; no entry fee is required for Impromptu Speech and Video Communication for 2023.
Age Divisions
• Intermediate: ages 10-13 as of January 1 of the current year
• Senior: ages 14-18 as of January 1 of the current year
Team Entries
• While most contest classes are only for individuals, team entries are allowed in the Illustrated Presentation contest class. If team members are not in the same age division, they must compete in the age division of the oldest team member.
Community Service Showcase
Did you or your club complete a service project for 4-H Month? We want to hear all about it! Submit your project at 4h.unl.edu/csps for a chance to see it showcased!
More information: https://4h.unl.edu/community-service-showcase
ANIMAL SCIENCE & AGRICULTURE
YQCA
All 4-H members enrolled in livestock projects are required to complete annual quality assurance training and certification through the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) program. This includes youth enrolled in beef, dairy cattle, goat, sheep, swine, poultry, and rabbit projects.
Youth may complete online training courses or attend in-person training workshops held by their county Extension office. Learn more at 4h.unl.edu/yqca.
Information about In-person YQCA training for Dakota-Thurston Co. members coming soon!!
Show Stock Manager Is Now Open
Families can now begin entering in their 2023 Nebraska State Fair 4-H/FFA livestock nominations.
Show Stock Manager Information (NOW Open for 2023!)
The 2023 Step-by-Step Nomination Instructions can be found on the public page: https://4h.unl.edu/livestock-id.
State Fair Livestock DNA Update
All livestock in contention to exhibit at the 2023 Nebraska State Fair and/or the Aksarben Stock Show will be required to submit a DNA nomination. All 4-H/FFA BREEDING livestock, market livestock and FEEDER CALVES will now be required to submit a DNA sample/envelope to be eligible to exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair. DNA nominations for the Nebraska State Fair are due on June 15, 2023.
Requiring DNA on breeding stock will allow for flexibility of substitutions, allow exhibitors to have a better record of the animals they are nominating, sustain the integrity of exhibitors and ensure ownership of the livestock. As for the administrative side, this will help streamline the record keeping and validation process to assist our families as they are nominating their animal projects.
Any DNA nomination submitted through Show Stock Manager will also be eligible for exhibition at the Aksarben Stock Show. DNA nominations will remain at $7.00 per animal. With this update, animals will automatically be eligible for both breeding and market. Families who often paid to be eligible for both had been paying $9.00 ($7.00-Market and $2.00-Breeding) would no longer need to do that. All would pay $7.00.
Age Eligibilty Change
The age of eligibility at Nebraska State Fair is now 9 years of age before January 1 (of the current year) for all in-person events (livestock, contests, fashion shows).
Age Divisions are:
Intermediate (9-13)
Senior (14-18)
Entry Limits for Nebraska State Fair:
Poultry and Rabbit -- 5
Sheep and Goat -- 4
Swine -- 5
Beef -- 5
4-H will be awarding an Overall Registered Steer division during the Market Beef Show:
Champion and reserve champion from each breed (including AOB) will be in the drive for Overall Registered Steer.
4-H will be awarding an Overall Purebred Swine during the Market Swine Show:
Champion and reserve champion from each breed (including AOB) will be in the drive for Overall Purebred Swine.
Registration Papers for Breeding Livestock (NEW)
Registration papers must show the exhibitor's name or a co-owner who is an immediate member of the exhibitor's family and is listed with the online nomination in Stock Show Manager.
State Fair Eligibility Update
With each new State Fair season, brings new possibilities and opportunities for 4-H families in Nebraska. The opportunity for 4-H to continue having its own weekend allows more flexibility for new events, entry limits, schedules and space. We want to continue to take advantage of that!
As part of that process, we continue to explore age eligibility requirements for State Fair participation. After garnering user input, researching data from other events/shows/states, and looking that overall impact on youth development, the decision has been made to change the age of eligibility in 2023 to be 9 years of age before January 1 (of the current year) for all in-person events (livestock, contests, fashion shows).
2023 Special Garden Project
Seed are available in the Extension Office
The 2023 Special Garden Project will focus on Mrs. Burns’ Lemon Basil. This herb can be used multiple ways. Lemon basil has a unique lemon flavor can be added to any recipe or used as a cut flower in arrangements to add scent and interest.
Youth should enroll for the Special Garden Project through 4-H Online. Once enrolled through 4-H Online, youth are then to call their local office to let them know they enrolled for the project. By enrolling through 4-H Online, youth will have access to the shared folder with the educational materials including the growing newsletter & evaluation.
The flyer and a letter including alternative ways to exhibit in this project are available on the website at https://4h.unl.edu/special-gardening-project.
2023 Special Agronomy Project
Seed are available in the Extension Office
The Nebraska Extension Special Agronomy Project gives 4-H members an opportunity to experience a crop that is grown, was grown or has the potential to be grown in Nebraska. Youth participate by receiving seed and resources to grow the crop, research traits of the crop and determine the viability of that crop in the part of the state they live. The project allows 4-H members interested in agronomy to grow something fun, new, and different.
The focus of the 2023 Special Agronomy Project is Tepary Beans. Tepary beans can be used like dry edible beans, forage, or hay. To participate in the Special Agronomy Project, enroll in the project through 4-H Online or call your local extension office to reserve seed by February 15.
There are three ways to complete this at the county or state fair. First, an educational exhibit that can be in a poster format can include what you learned. Secondly, let your creativity go wild and create a video-type presentation explaining what you have learned, showing the growing process, etc. Finally, you can enter the crop itself. To do this, cut 6 stalks at the ground level and bound-together with supporting information about the project. For project specifications and details, be sure to go to the Nebraska State Fairbook at https://4hfairbook.unl.edu/fairbookview.php/rules.
EVENTS
Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Program
A Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Leader Update Session is scheduled for late April. It will be held Saturday, April 22nd at the Dawes County Fairgrounds in Chadron. The early bird deadline to register for the Chadron training is April 12th.
A Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Certification Workshop is scheduled for late April in Chadron. It will be held April 22-23 at the Dawes County Fairgrounds in Chadron. The early bird deadline to register for the workshop is April 12th.
For More informations: https://4h.unl.edu/shooting-sports
Big Red Camps
Big Red Summer Camps will be held June 11-16, 2023. Registration is open! Be sure to register for Big Red Camps early, because space is limited! Plus, snag early bird tuition rates by registering before April 14th! Get started at BigRedCamps.unl.edu.
Computer Science Summer Camp
The Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is pleased to announce a summer learning opportunity for high school students. We are hosting “Innovate: The Raikes School Way” and “Girls Who Innovate: The Raikes School Way” computer science camps that will be led by Executive Director of the Raikes School, Dr. Steve Cooper. This opportunity was highlighted in a 2019 Forbes article, "STEM-Focused Summer Programs for Ambitious High School Students".
During the two-week, overnight camp students will:
1) Learn basic programming skills, primarily Java, and innovation concepts through a project-oriented curriculum
2) Receive instruction from Raikes School faculty members and experience what classes can be like in the Raikes School
3) Visit campus research labs and local businesses
4) Interact with Raikes School students and staff, all of whom play a key role in the competitive selection process to our program each year
What: Innovate: The Raikes School Way & Girls Who Innovate: The Raikes School Way
For: High School Students (primarily the graduating class of 2024)
Where: Kauffman Academic Residential Center, home of the Raikes School in the heart of Nebraska's City Campus
When: July 16-29, 2023
Cost: $2,050 (Need-based scholarship opportunities are available. Cost covers all housing, meals, instruction, and activities associated with the camp)
Programming Experience: None (in fact, no experience is preferred)
Application Deadline: April 14, 2023
Interested students can find more details and application materials at http://raikes.unl.edu/summercamps.
If you have any questions about the camp, please email adam.britten@unl.edu.
More details at: http://raikes.unl.edu/summercamps
Come Learn with Carla Clinics
Carla has been an AQHA & NSBA judge for 36 years and NRHA judge for 28 years. She has held many great titles such as teaching and coaching at St. Andrews University in NC, has coached 2 National Champion IHSA teams, and is currently a committee member for AQHA and NSBA judges and an IHSA board member. She is excited to come back to Nebraska and teach across our great state!
Our clinic dates will be held:
- June 2nd - Central City, NE - Merrick County Fairgrounds
- June 3rd - Lincoln, NE - Lancaster Event Center
- June 4th - Albion, NE - Boone County Fairgrounds
Clinic Pricing
- 4-H Enrolled Youth (8-18 years old) - $40
- Non-4-H youth (8-18 years old) - $80
- Adult (19+) - $80
Please note you must complete a separate registration for each participant.
Deadline for all registrations will be May 5th
- A copy of your registration will be emailed to you after submission. You MUST mail printed registration along with a check to complete your registration.
- All registrations and fees must be postmarked by MAY 5th
- Registration will be on a first come first serve basis.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: https://go.unl.edu/carlaclinics
For further questions please contact Grace Kim at grace.kim@unl.edu
Governor's Agricultural Excellence Awards - Deadline Extended
We are extending the deadline to apply for the Governor’s Agricultural Excellence Awards in 2023 due to several requests for a bit more time. Please encourage your clubs to consider applying for a grant to assist with completing a project that will have a lasting impact on your community and/or program. The application form is linked on the Nebraska 4-H Foundation website: https://www.ne4hfoundation.org/governers-ag-excellence-award/. We will accept applications through April 21st,, 2023.
The Governor’s Agricultural Excellence Awards are sponsored by Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA). We encourage all clubs to consider a project that will impact their community and promote Nebraska 4-H.
Please note the requirements for the grant:
- Projects should fit within one of the seven programming areas of Nebraska 4-H
- Highly encourage community engagement and educational components
- Clubs need to consider the impact of their project and how they will assess the impact
- Clubs should consider at least one additional outside partner to help complete their project.
- A written letter of support from a 4-H professional in their county will need to accompany the application.
- Clubs who have received the award in the past and not submitted a summary report at the conclusion of their project will not be considered for future awards.
Clubs should submit their application and all materials to Lindsay Shearer (lshearer2@unl.edu) via email on or before April 21, 2023.
4-H Dog Training
Anyone interested in having a hands-on, engaging training focused on 4-H Dog to attend our Parent, Volunteer, and Leader Training. This is open to any adult and teen youth that wants to strengthen their 4-H Dog Program. This day will be similar to a Shooting Sports training with the morning focused on Positive Youth Development and Nebraska 4-H Dog rules, lunch, then an afternoon of the participants practicing their skills with instructing the youth and dogs by rotating through the areas of Obedience, Showmanship, Agility and Rally. While the flyer is focused on our 4-H Parents, Volunteers, and Leaders – staff are welcome to attend as well.
Please register online at https://go.unl.edu/Dog23 by Wednesday, April 19th at 1:00 pm. Cost is $20 with lunch included.
Nebraska Ag Youth Institute (NAYI)
Apply now to attend one of the biggest youth agriculture outreach events in the state—the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NAYI). NAYI brings together high school juniors and seniors to learn more about Nebraska agriculture, network with agriculture leaders and discover the many careers available in agriculture. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) helps sponsor and coordinate NAYI every year.
NAYI will be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus July 10 –14, 2023. Applications for NAYI are available at nda.nebraska.gov/nayi and must be submitted online. Current high school juniors and seniors interested in attending have until April 15, 2023, to apply. This year’s theme is “For the Future.”
NDA selects students to attend NAYI based on their leadership skills, interests and involvement in agriculture. Students attend NAYI free of charge due to generous donations from numerous agricultural businesses, commodity groups and industry organizations.
NAYI is coordinated by the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Council, which is comprised of 21 college-aged students selected by NDA for their passion and interest in the ag industry. The Council’s purpose is to provide young Nebraskans with a better understanding of agriculture, including agricultural opportunities available to today’s youth.
Adventure Together 4-H Summer Camp
Registration is open for the Adventure Together 4-H Summer Camp series! A limited number of spots are available, and we recommend registering as early as possible to reserve yours. You can explore all the sessions and register at 4h.unl.edu/camps-summer.
Livestock Information Series
The Nebraska 4-H Livestock Information Series is a resource for 4-H members, leaders, and parents to gain knowledge in various livestock-related topic areas. Each session, a new topic is covered with experts joining to share their experience and expertise. Extended learning opportunities and supporting documents are also available for each topic.
Agronomy Youth Field Day
Annual Agronomy Youth Field Day, June 27, 2023 in Curtis, NE at the NCTA campus.
Open statewide to ALL youth ages 9-18 and adults. More details to follow after the first of the year.
More Camps & Workshops?
As we find out about events across the state they are posted on our website, Facebook & Instagram.