Hamilton County Headlines
May 2021
Jr. Leader Meetings!
June 15- Pioneer Trails @ 7 PM
July 12 - Hamilton County Courthouse @ 7 PM
* Jr. Leaders is for any active 4-H member who is currently 13-18 years of age!
2021 SPECIAL GARDEN PROJECT (SEEDS ARE IN!) PLEASE COME PICK THEM UP
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.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER- we have extra seeds available!!
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.
Camp Counselors Needed!
We could use you as a camp counselor for our 4-H Jr. Camp this summer!
Click HERE to register as a counselor!
Questions? email deborah.fahrnbruch@unl.edu for more information.
SHEEP AND GOAT WEIGH DAY- MAY 19, 2021
Email hillary.fuhrman@unl.edu with any questions.
4-H Plant and Insect ID Contests
↓↓↓↓↓↓
ONLINE horticulture Contest Information
Do you know what it takes to pick the best fruit and vegetables out at the grocery store? Or do you know what judges are looking for when they judge your plants at the county fair? Have you ever wondered, what plant is that!?! We are excited to offer the opportunity to learn these and other important horticulture skills through the Online Horticulture Contest. The contest will be available June 4-21, 2021 at: https://go.unl.edu/21onlinehortcontest.
Horticulture judging contest consists of three parts. The first is identification of plant material. Participants identify the plants by common name from a plant list. Specimens may be alive or preserved plant parts like stems, twigs, leaves, flowers, seeds, fruits, roots, bulbs, tubers, or plant products.
The second is a knowledge portion, usually in the form of a true/false or multiple choice quiz. Questions will test the contestant's knowledge of cultural practices for horticultural crops, plant science, pesticides, horticultural careers and other topics related to the production, processing and consumption of horticultural crops.
The last portion is judging or placings. This is where four different plants, plates of vegetables, or containers flowers are ranked from best to worst based on a set of criteria. Classes are judged on the basis of condition, quality, uniformity, true-to-type, and size.
More details at: https://4h.unl.edu/online-horticulture-judging-contest
More information about the Nebraska State contest can be found in the Fairbook https://4hfairbook.unl.edu/fairbookview.php/contests/45 .
Progress Show Opportunities!
4-H Livestock Achievement Program *NEW*
Excited to announce a new opportunity for 4-H youth participating in livestock projects! The Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program is designed to promote all educational aspects of 4-H livestock projects including selection, production, leadership, and exhibition by recognizing youth striving to improve in their livestock project knowledge and leadership.
The program recognizes Members of Excellence across all 4-H livestock project areas, including: beef, sheep, meat goat, swine, dairy cattle, dairy goat, rabbit, and poultry.
The program consists of two levels that require 4-H members to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate and project-related accomplishments. For each level, the Livestock Achievement Program provides a list of accomplishments from which 4-H members choose their goals. Each accomplishment is worth a specific number of points. Intermediates, ages 10-13, must complete 100 points worth of activities to receive the distinction of Intermediate Member of Excellence. Seniors, ages 14-18, must complete 150 points worth of activities to receive the distinction of Senior Member of Excellence. The Plan and Reports, linked on the webpage, show examples of the project related accomplishments they can choose or they can identify their own with approval of their local educator.
Youth completing the achievement program and receiving member of excellence recognition in the various species will be recognized during the Parade of Champions, 4-H weekend at the Nebraska State Fair.
For more information, go to: Livestock Achievement Program | Nebraska 4-H (unl.edu)
Ashley Benes ashley.benes@unl.edu
Cole Meador cmeador2@unl.edu
Brett Kreifels brett.kreifels@unl.edu
UNL Livestock Judging Camp
Click HERE to register!
PASE SPIN Club
PASE SPIN Club open to 4-Hers age 10-18 years.
Please pre-register here:
https://forms.gle/jmbaDD73HoL2vjjn6
2021 Program Dates:
Merrick County 4-H Building
(1784 Fairgrounds Rd, Central City)
- Tuesday, May 4, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 11, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 18, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 1, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 8, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 15, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 22, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
PASE Contests at UN-L:
East Campus Animal Science Complex
- Monday, June 28
- Meats Judging
- Poultry Judging
- Livestock Skill-a-thon
- Tuesday, June 29
- Livestock Judging
To find out more come to a practice, call the Merrick County Extension Office 308-946-3843 or email Kara at kwells5@unl.edu.
Horseless Horse Judging SPIN Club
You be the judge. Would you like to learn more about judging horses? This no horse needed class will explore how to look at a horse from a judge's perspective.
Open to 4-H & FFA members ages 8-18 years.
Please register:
https://forms.gle/TA3roD61RTtDHE6A9
2021 Program Dates:
6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Merrick County 4-H Building
(1784 Fairgrounds Rd, Central City)
- Thursday, April 29th
- Thursday, May 6th
- Thursday, May 13th
- Thursday, May 20th
Horse Judging Contest:
Pitzer’s Ranch, Ericson, NE
- Wednesday, May 26
For more information come checkout a practice, contact the Merrick County Extension Office 308-946-3843 or email Kara at kwells5@unl.edu.
Opportunity for HIGH SCHOOL students
Click on the picture for more details!
Announcing the 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.
Pick Your Project 2021
Using the searchable, web-based 2021 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. Also, with the debut of the new Nebraska State Fair 4-H Fairbook this year, curriculum is linked directly within each of the fairbook entries.
The Pick Your Project, available at http://4hcurriculum.unl.edu, has been updated for the 2021 program year.
To assist 4-H members, volunteers, and parents, with locating curriculum to support 4-H projects, two resources are available:
1) the 4-H Projects page at https://4h.unl.edu/projects
2) a Printable Project Listing at https://4h.unl.edu/documents/NE4H-Project-Listing-2021.docx
Fair 2021 IMPORTANT DATES
May 19, 2021 is Sheep Weigh Day.
June 17, 2021 FCS Day (FAVORITE FOODS, COUNTY LIFE CHALLENGE, PRESENTATIONS CONTEST)
Hamilton County Livestock ID Requirements (click on the link to see what is required for each species)
-BEEF
ALL required animal ID's are due on June 15, 2021.
ALL THE FORMS needed are online. Click HERE to view them.
All Livestock exhibitors NEED to have their YQCA certificates by JULY 9, 2021.
All pre-fair entries are due by July 9, 2021. Including rabbit and poultry entries. Online entries will be available.
PASE/Life Challenge 2021
We will be taking teams for each area of interest with combined teams from Merrick/Hamilton Counties.
Kara Wells will be heading up a team for PASE practices. Click HERE to learn all about the PASE contest. Please email Kara at kara.wells@unl.edu if you are interested in joining that team.
Deb Fahrnbruch will be heading up a team for the Life Challenge. Click HERE to learn all about the Life Challenge Contest. Please email Deb at deborah.fahrnbruch@unl.edu if you are interested in joining this team.
Both teams will be starting practices around May in order to be prepared for June!
Pandemic Pathways
-For Elementary resources, Click HERE
-For Middle School resources, Click HERE
New 4-H Dog Achievement Program
4-H Dog Achievement Program
The program consists of levels that require a young person to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate accomplishments.
For each level, the Dog Achievement program provides a list of accomplishments from which 4-H youth choose their goals.
The accomplishments increase in the 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 Dog Achievement program.
More information can be found at https://4h.unl.edu/dog-achievement-program
For any questions, contact Grace Kim at Grace.kim@unl.edu
It is recommended on the program page that Plan & Report Forms should be to county offices at least 1 month prior to the county awards night for youth to be recognized.
YQCA (YOUTH FOR QUALITY CARE OF ANIMALS)
YQCA (Youth for the Quality Care of Animals) Online Training:
https://yqca.learngrow.io/Account/Login
You will use your 4H Online sign in
Remember once you have your certificate emailed to you from YQCA - please email it to Hillary!! You can text me a picture too if that is easier! hillary.fuhrman@unl.edu
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 and email your annual YQCA certificate to Hillary is Friday, July 9, 2021.
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)
Online Login Instructions:
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.
• Your club may also set a date for face-to-face training with Hillary
Call the Ext. Office 402-694-6174
2021 Changes to the NE 4-H Horse Program
Take a look at the 2021 changes within the 4-H Horse Program on our Equine Webinar Series. You won't want to miss this.
Youth Tractor Safety Courses
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