Otoe County 4-H Wednesday What-Nots
March 31, 2021
National Volunteer Week
April 18th marks the beginning of National 4-H Volunteer Week. To get the celebration started, I would love it if 4-H’ers across Otoe County would consider submitting names and stories about their favorite 4-H volunteer. Without our volunteers, we would not have 4-H! So please take a few minutes to think about who has helped you become the best 4-H’er you can be, and nominate them so we can show them a little love. Your stories will be developed into videos that we will share on our social media platforms. Here’s the link to the nomination form. https://go.unl.edu/2021otoevolweek
Deb
Don't forget to sign up and speak up for the Otoe County 4-H Public Speaking Contest!
Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA)
Nebraska 4-H requires all youth enrolled in livestock projects to complete annual quality assurance certification through Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA). YQCA is a national multi-species quality assurance program focused on three core pillars: food safety, animal well-being, and character development.
YQCA certification is required for all 4-H members enrolled in any of the following projects:
- Beef (bucket calf, feeder calf, breeding beef, market beef)
- Dairy Cattle
- Goat (breeding meat goat, dairy goat, meat goat)
- Poultry
- Rabbit
- Sheep (breeding sheep, market sheep)
- Swine
Nebraska 4-H members ages 8-18, who are enrolled in any of the livestock projects listed above are required to participate in an annual YQCA training. Annual training requirements may be satisfied by completing either an online web-based training course or a face-to-face instructor-led training course.
Web-based annual training is available through the YQCA learning management system. The online YQCA course costs $12 per individual regardless of age and in-person course costs $3 per individual. Please see the YQCA Login & Course Completion Instructions for more information.
The next in-person trainings will be held April 5th at 10:00 am or 1:00 pm at the Otoe County Fair Center. The deadline to complete the annual YQCA training or to test out of annual training is June 15th.
4-H members who exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair will need to have their YQCA training requirements also met by June 15th.
Office Cleaning Part-time Position Available for Extension Office
2021 Otoe County 4-H Dates
The 2021 Otoe County 4-H Dates is now posted to Otoe County Extension website:
https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/otoe/2021%20Otoe%20County%204-H%20Dates%20.pdf4-H Horse Program Changes
If you missed the webinar over how to enter for District and State entries (for families) please watch: https://youtu.be/W6NO6BrVhTg
- Entries open April 1st to May 7th!
All information for the 4-H horse program can be found at http://4h.unl.edu/horse. Sign up for the UNL horse list serve to receive emails about the horse program at https://listserv.nebraska.edu/ - type in UNLHorseInfo.
Please - Please - Please Get Your Volunteer Screening Done!!!!
4-H Volunteer/Leader Screening - Required in 2021
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension 4-H Volunteer Activity Application process includes a volunteer screening. All volunteers and staff who work directly with youth are required to complete the volunteer screening. Be assured the volunteer screening process is confidential.
Volunteers are screened in order to ensure a safe, positive and nurturing environment for all youth involved with Nebraska 4-H programs and provide protection for the child, volunteer, educator, 4-H Council, Extension Board, and UNL Extension.
Otoe County Leaders/Volunteers are asked to be screened every 5 years. We ask all club leaders, project leaders, and fair volunteers to take time to be screened. The application is online and can be completed very quickly.
- In order to complete the volunteer screening, please click or copy and paste the following link and follow all instructions: https://ecmp.nebraska.gov/DHHS-CR/CheckRequest/BeginOrgCheck/81102416. Please note that only applications started through this link will be verified as part of Nebraska 4-H. PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THIS LINK.
- After the screening is complete, you will receive an email from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) with the results of your screening. Please keep this file for your records. (You do NOT need to send this document to Nebraska 4-H. Your county will be notified when the screening is complete.)
- If you have any questions about the volunteer screening process, or encounter problems accessing the screening, please contact your local county office.
RETURNING volunteers are rescreened in a rotating process that rescreens by county every five years, 2021 is the year for Otoe County. Please be aware that there is a $5 charge for this screening.
Cody Damme selected as National 4-H Congress delegate
CONGRATULATIONS to the 15 delegates and 4 alternates selected for the 2021 National 4-H Congress: 4h.unl.edu/congress-delegates.
National 4-H Congress is an award program that provides recognition to 4-H youth for their outstanding performances and achievements in 4-H. It is held annually in Atlanta, Georgia. Each year, Nebraska 4-H can send delegates to National 4-H Congress. Nebraska delegates are selected for a trip to National 4-H Congress by submitting their Senior Achievement Application for state competition. This year, 15 Nebraska 4-H delegates were chosen to receive a partial scholarship to attend the 2021 National 4-H Congress. An additional 4 alternates were selected who may attend at their own expense.
Special Garden Seeds have arrived in the Extension Office
The Special Gardening Project is an opportunity for 4-H members to grow unusual and fun projects in their gardens. Each year, a new plant is selected as the focus for all members enrolled in the project. Youth receive seeds which they plant and cultivate using project resources provided throughout the experience. Youth then have the opportunity to exhibit cut flowers or harvested vegetables or present their experience through a poster or report.
Career Chat Live Day
Nebraska 4-H has partnered with EducationQuest Foundation on a virtual program called Career Chat Live. Career Chat Live is designed for middle school students (6th – 8th grade) to learn more about career and education pathways from professionals in the six career fields identified in the Nebraska Career Education Model.
Registration is now live for our day-long event on April 14th. We will host a morning and afternoon session with all times accommodating MDT and CST time zones. Invitations have been sent out to schools across Nebraska this morning, but we would love for you to help spread the word to any middle school teachers, counselors, or home school students.
It’s time to register!
Career Chat Live - Wednesday, April 14
Students will hear from three career speakers in each 25-minute virtual session
Register for morning sessions
9:30-9:55 CT: Health Sciences
10:00-10:25 CT: Communication & Information Systems
10:30-10:55 CT: Skilled & Technical Sciences
Register for afternoon sessions
1:30-1:55 CT: Business, Marketing & Management
2:00-2:25 CT: Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
2:30-2:55 CT: Human Services
UNL Animal Science Show Pig Sale
UNL Animal Science has a small teaching swine herd on campus. As part of that herd/project, students get hands on experience with pigs at all levels. With that, we have show pigs that will be in an online auction this Thursday April 1st at https://auctions.thewendtgroup.com/auction/12488. We are NOT intending to compete with producers and hence have waited until most of the producers have had their sales before posting this. These pigs will work nicely for county fairs from an age perspective and some should be highly competitive at levels of competition. They will have a starting price at $150 trying to give youth on a budget an opportunity as well. There are lots of trailers moving throughout the state at the moment and we can try our best to find a ride for the pigs if youth are not able to come to campus and pick them up themselves. Please contact Benny Mote if you have any questions, benny.mote@unl.edu or 402-472-6033.
2021 Youth Farm Safety Day is Back!
We hope that you will join us for this fun filled day with 8 amazing speakers.
We will again be at the Kimmel Orchard in Nebraska City on June 4th from 8am - 2pm. You can drop off your child at 7:45.
Please note, we will follow all current health guidelines for our area! Please have your children wear a mask to camp. Hand sanitizer will be provided at each station and lunch.
We look forward to seeing you and having a fun, educational day with your children. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to us! Thanks and see you at camp!
Carrie Ferguson, Erin Steinhoff, Abbee James, Suzi Moody, Emily Kent & Jaclyn Kreifels
Register for the *NEW* 2021 4-H Youth Leadership Conference (YLC)
High School students (ages 14-18)! We are inviting you to join us for the Youth Leadership Conference, July 1-3, 2021, at the Nebraska State 4-H Camp in Halsey, NE. Register here: https://go.unl.edu/ylc2021 by June 1st to claim your spot in this amazing experience. The cost for YLC will be $200. We’ll be taking advantage of some traditional camp activities while integrating leadership workshops and speakers to bring together and develop the leaders of Nebraska 4-H!
4-H Cooking & Food Preservation Series (Part 1 of 3)
This past year has resulted in increased interest of gardening, food preservation, and cooking/baking! Several people want to learn and improve cooking and baking skills. Youth and adults can utilize the Nebraska 4-H Cooking 101-401 project manuals to gain knowledge. The 4-H cooking series include manuals for four different levels. The manuals provide content information, food science experiments, and a variety of classic recipes that are youth tested and youth/adult friendly. ANYONE can purchase the manuals online at: shop4h.org or check to see if you can buy them at your local Nebraska Extension County Office. The curriculum comes as loose-leaf paper, so be sure to purchase a binder to store the manual. Happy cooking!
Cooking 101 - Improve and learn new skills in cooking and baking. PLUS, explore great new dishes! Youth will learn about MyPlate, how to stop the spread of germs in the kitchen, measure and mix ingredients, rate baked goods for appearance and taste, set the table for a family meal and delve into cooking basics. Fair entries: cookies, muffins, no bake cookies, brownies, granola. (Refer to the fair book for more information.)
Cooking 201 -Topics include understanding and preventing foodborne illnesses, thawing frozen foods, proper knife techniques, how to read Nutrition Facts labels, and how to make soups, rice, pasta, and other foods. Fair Entries: Loaf Quick Bread Creative Mixes, Biscuits or Scones, Healthy Baked Product, Coffeecake, Whole Grain baked product, nontraditional baked products. (Refer to the fair book for more information.)
Cooking 301 -Youth practice making bread, grilling meats, vegetables, and fruit, and making butter. Youth learn about yeast, gluten, and different types of fats. Fair entries: White Bread, Whole Wheat or Mixed Grain Bread, Specialty Rolls, Dinner Roll, Specialty Bread, Shortened Cake. (Refer to the fair book for more information.)
Cooking 401 -Youth learn about herbs and spices and how to make ethnic foods. Youth also practice making cakes, candy, pastries, and pies. Fair entries: Double Crust Fruit Pie, Family Food Traditions, Ethnic Food Exhibit, Candy, Foam Cake, Specialty Pastry. (Refer to the fair book for more information.)
4-H State Dog Show
The 2021 4-H State Dog Show will be BACK at the Nebraska State Fair this year! More information regarding the show can be found on the State Dog show webpage (https://4h.unl.edu/dog-show) & the Nebraska State Fair webpage (https://4h.unl.edu/state-fair)
2021 4-H Project of the Year Featuring TEC Box Educational Kit
Nebraska 4-H is thrilled to announce the first-ever Project of the Year, focused upon Entrepreneurship and featuring the TEC Box Educational Kit! The Project of the Year provides the perfect 4-H Club project and is also a great way for new youth and families to get started in 4-H.
This year’s Educational Kit introduces youth to the exciting world of entrepreneurship through the TEC Box curriculum! The kit includes the curriculum and materials youth need to complete four hands-on activities. The activities help youth think for themselves, practice empathy and solve problems as they learn about entrepreneurship. Youth will invent their own product to make bicycles safer and develop a new game that can be enjoyed with family and friends. These activities and lessons lay the groundwork for a county and state fair eligible exhibit: Class F531006 - Entrepreneurship Challenge.
The TEC Box Educational Kit includes a printed facilitator guide and one youth workbook, inflatable 4-H kickball, sports cones, washi tape, felt, yarn, pipe cleaners, foam, and dice. Kits are only $25 plus shipping and may be ordered through the UNL Marketplace.
It’s 4-H Enrollment Time!
It’s time to enroll and re-enroll in 4-H! All youth and leaders will need to enroll and re-enroll in Otoe County 4-H through 4-HOnline at https://ne.4honline.com. 4-HOnline is the web-based enrollment system that allows families to enroll and re-enroll in 4-H on their personal computer or mobile device. You will complete all of the information necessary to join or re-enroll in 4-H online, including 4-H Code of Conduct forms. PLEASE NOTE: When signing up as an Independent 4-H member, you must have at least one parent enrolled as a 4-H leader.
You are strongly encouraged to re-enroll by May 1 or you may miss out on communications such as project specific letters, the monthly TIPS newsletter, Wednesday What-Nots, etc. New members and fair projects may be updated through June 15 according to new Nebraska State 4-H policy.
New Livestock Classes for the 2021 Otoe County Fair!!!!
- Turkey
- Jr. Breeding Heifer
- Purebred Breeding Gilt (Berkshire, Chester, Duroc, Hampshire, Hereford, Spot, Yorkshire, Crossbred ,and All Other Breeds)
- Purebred Market Barrow or Gilt (Berkshire, Chester, Duroc, Hampshire, Hereford, Spot, Yorkshire, and All Other Breeds)
Hog exhibitors can now show (3) Market Hogs and (2) Breeding Gilts and companion animal exhibitors can show (2) Companion Animals.
Ear Tags Available at the Extension Office
YQCA must be completed by June 15th to be eligible to show livestock at the Otoe County Fair for all 4-H’ers over 8 years old.
MANDATORY – a photo of the visual tag in the ear and the entire head of each of the animals identified on the ID sheet must be submitted before June 15th– photos can be emailed to otoe-county@unl.edu.
Clover Kid Bucket Calf Rules
Bucket calves must be no more than six (6) months of age and weigh no more than 350 pounds. A halter must be used. Exhibition includes a short interview with the judge to discuss the youth’s knowledge of caring for and raising the calf.
Clover Kids who have participated in the Clover Kid Bucket Calf Show are still eligible to participate in the Bucket Calf project as a “regular” 4-H member. A 7-year-old Clover Kid who shows a Bucket Calf can keep the calf for the next year when the youth is a 4-H member and 8-years-old. The calf can be brought back as a Bucket Calf+ project. Please call the Extension Office with any questions.
Clover Kids must purchase and tag the calf, plus complete the Animal ID sheet by June 15th. These are available at the Extension office. Clover Kids do not need to do the YQCA training.
Nebraska Extension in Otoe County
Deb Weitzenkamp, Unit Leader, Extension Educator, deb.weitzenkamp@unl.edu
Erin Steinhoff, Extension Assistant, erin.steinhoff@unl.edu
Cheryl Goff, Office Manager, cheryl.goff@unl.edu
Email: Otoe-County@unl.edu
Website: www.otoe.unl.edu
Location: 620 1st Street, Syracuse, NE
Phone: (402)269-2301
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nebraska-Extension-in-Otoe-County