Dodge County 4-H Blast
May 6, 2022
Update: Horse ID Sheet and Horse District/State Entry deadline has been extended be Nebraska 4-H to Monday, May 9.
IN THIS ISSUE
- 4-H Calendar
- 2022 4HOnline Enrollment
- Workshop Registrations are Open!
- YQCA In-Person Training - Register online!
- Scholarships
- Support the Dodge County 4-H Foundation
- Dodge County 4-H Month Special Project
- Special Garden & Agronomy Project Seeds Available
- Dodge County 4-H Public Speaking Contest Results
- Club Challenge!!
- 2022 Nebraska 4-H Summer Camps
- Calling All Artists!!!
- Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program
- Great Plains Livestock Judging Circuit
- Colfax/Platte County Livestock Judging Contest
Nebraska Equine Webinar Series
Horse Events and Contest Schedule
Dodge County Horse Project
- Practice Horse Judging
- Horse Health and Nutrition Short Courses
- NDA CANCELS POULTRY EVENTS UNTIL MAY 15 TO PREVENT SPREAD OF HPAI
- Cattle Battle
- Platte County Swine Jackpot
- New 4-H Educator - Dean Castillo
- Share with Us
- 4-H Photo Album
- 2022 Dodge County 4-H Ambassadors
- 2022 Dodge County 4-H Council
- Dodge County 4-H Website
4-H Calendar
Enroll in Dodge County 4-H Today!
May 9.............Horse ID Sheet & Horse District/State Entry Deadline: 4:30pm
May 9.............YQCA In-Person Training #2: 6:30-8:00pm
May 11............4-H Council Meeting: 6:30pm
May 23............Dean Castillo's First Day!
May 25-26......Babysitting Workshop: 9am-3pm
June 1............Pork Science Workshop: 9am-12pm
June 6-10........4-H District Horse Shows
June 7............Clover Kid Day Camp: 9am-12pm
June 7............YQCA In-Person Training #3: 3-4:30pm
June 9.............Family Livestock Judging Contest @ Fairgrounds - 6pm
June 14..........Home Environment Craft Workshop: 9am-12pm
June 15...........4honline Enrollment, YQCA (County), Animal ID/DNA (County & State) Deadline
June 16..........Healthy Living Workshop: 9am-12pm
June 21..........Conservation Workshop @ Fremont State Lakes: 9am-12pm
June 23..........Aerospace Workshop: 9am-12pm
June 28..........Pollinator Habitat Workshop: 9am-12pm
June 30..........Electric Excitement Workshop: 9am-12pm
July 6-9...........Fremont 4-H Expo @ Christensen Field
July 9-13.........Fonner Park 4-H State Horse Show in Grand Island
July 15............Online Entry Deadline for Dodge County Fair @ Midnight
July 20............Fashion Revue & Static Pre-Entry Deadline @ 4:30pm
July 20............Dodge County Fair Cleanup Night @ Fairgrounds - 6-8pm
July 27............Dodge County Fair Horse Show @ Christensen Field - Check-in 7:30-8:30am - Show starts at 9am
July 30............Dodge County Fair Shotgun Contest @ Dodge Auditorium
July 31............Dodge County Fair Shooting Sports Contest @ Valley Trap Range
August 1.........Dodge County Fair Fashion Revue Judging
August 3-7......Dodge County Fair @ Fairgrounds
2022 4honline Enrollment
Visit our new website: https://v2.4honline.com/
Returning families - please do not create a new account - use your log-in credentials for 4honline from previous years. (Returning Member Enrollment Tips)
Dodge County enrollment fee is $10.00 per youth member paid by credit card online, or by cash or check in our office.
All Dodge County Volunteers are required to complete DHHS screening this year, regardless of the last time you were screened. Screening through DHHS costs $5.00. 4honline will guide you through the screening steps as you finish volunteer enrollment. *New volunteer guide* (Returning volunteer guide) Please complete the screening as soon as possible!
If you have any issues with enrollment or screening, contact Shane or call 402-727-2775.
Summer Workshop Registrations are Open!!
Scholarships
At the Achievement Celebration in November, $1,000 college scholarships were awarded from the Foundation to Brooklyn Reynolds and Hunter Wiese.
This spring, the Council awarded $500 college scholarships to Emily Brodd and Hunter Wiese. Congratulations!
Thank you to all who applied for these scholarships. Dodge County is lucky to have so many talented youth participating in the 4-H program. To those who applied and were not selected, or to those who did not apply at all, I encourage you to consider submitting an application in the fall. The application process is great practice in communication and gives you a chance to be recognized for the progress that you have made.
Support the Dodge County 4-H Foundation
Do you know someone who wants to give time or donations to the Dodge County 4-H program? Share our contact info with them - call 402-727-2775, email dodge-county@unl.edu or visit 1206 W 23rd St, Fremont, NE. Together, we can grow and fund a strong program with opportunity for all!
Dodge County 4-H Month Special Workshop
4-H, in partnership with the Nutrition Education Program (NEP), has constructed 10 Little Free Pantries as a county wide service, leadership, and educational project. Little Free Pantries are designed to provide temporary emergency assistance to those in need of food who do not have immediate access to food support resources. 4-H clubs will be asked to help support with maintenance, filling, and monitoring of the pantry in their community. Each pantry has about 5 cubic feet of storage space and will be mounted above the ground like a Little Free Library. We hope that you will help support this fun and engaging opportunity for new growth in Dodge County 4-H. Within a year, our hope is to have a thriving pantry in each Dodge County community that is decorated with 4-H, NEP, Extension, and UNL logos - providing food, hygiene products, and Extension resources to people in need. 4-H is engaged in Dodge County, and this project will remind everyone that community-oriented young leaders that are learning valuable lessons in 4-H!
Special Agronomy and Special Garden Project Seeds
If you reserved seeds in February and have not received them yet, stop by the Extension office to pick them up!
The 2022 Special Agronomy Project is Broomcorn Sorghum. Find out more here!
The Special Garden Project is Rubenza Cosmos!
Email or call 402-727-2775 to reserve remaining seed packets for these projects! Available while supplies last.
Dodge County 4-H Public Speaking Contest
The contest was held on April 21 from 6-8pm at the Masonic Home in Fremont! Thanks to all who joined us for this fun evening. A special thank you goes out to our hosts - Maria Kriete and Ron Giesselmann at the Masonic Home.
Results are available at this link!
The next step for qualifying members is the State Public Speaking Contest. More information about this contest will be shared in the coming weeks.
Club Challenge!
State scholarships, new camper discounts, and transportation options are available. Register at 4h.unl.edu/summer-camp-schedule.
Calling All Artists!!!
Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program
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.
There are two levels that require 4-H members to plan & report a range of accomplishments.
Youth must apply to participate in the program. Learn more and apply.
Colfax/Platte County Livestock Judging Contest
To pre-register* and for more information contact: Colfax County Extension Office, colfax-county@unl.edu or 402-352-3821
*The contest is free, pre-registration is to gather an idea for the number of attendees.
Nebraska Equine Webinar Series
The Horse webinar series can be viewed at: https://4h.unl.edu/horse/webinar-series
If you have participated and/or watched previous webinars please fill out a short survey so that we can better meet your needs in the future and provide a better experience. https://goo.gl/forms/INFcpHyaupMh7xNS2Join
Horse Events and Contest Schedule
- 4-H District Horse Shows – June 6-10th
- Entries Due May 6th
- New age group/classes
- Elementary Ranch Pleasure (10-11 years old)
- Individual work will not be used as a trial basis for the 2022 year (Please see webpage for district procedure details): https://4h.unl.edu/horse-district-shows-rules
- Fonner Park 4-H State Horse Show- July 9-13th – Grand Island, NE
- Entries Due May 6th
- Slightly modified show schedule posted!
- Another livestock show will be occurring during the same dates as the 2022 Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Expo, 4-H families are highly encouraged to book hotel rooms and reserve camper/RV hookups as early as possible. Camper/RV hookups will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis, and reservations can be made by contacting Kathy at 308-382-4515.
- 2021 4-H Horse Show and Judging Guide can be found for purchase at:
Dodge County Horse Project
Contact Glenda Masteller, grm@bellevue.edu or Shane Ahrens to ask about available horses to work with, learn about, and care for.
Practice Horse Judging
Register for this course and you will have access to 6 classes to judge, along with the official placings and an official critique, to learn why the classes were placed the way they were. The course closes on July 15. You can access as many times as you want and can join anytime. Go to: https://catalog.extension.org/product?catalog=HorseJudgingContest
Horse Health and Nutrition Courses
Check out these 2 short courses on Horse Health and Horse Nutrition from Extension Foundation. They are available until May 15. You can start at any time, and each course has 6 lessons from University and industry experts around the country. At $50 per course, that is less than $10 per lesson! Click here to enroll.
NDA Cancels Poultry Events Until MAY 15 To Prevent Spread of HPAI
NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CANCELS POULTRY EVENTS IN EFFORT TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF HPAI
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) announced an order cancelling all poultry events across Nebraska due to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The order prohibits birds of any type at events including but not limited to fairs, expositions, swap meets, exotic sales and live bird auctions. The order is effective immediately and will be in effect until May 15, at which time the order will be reevaluated.
“The decision to cancel poultry events was not taken lightly but is a necessary step to assure we are doing everything possible to protect our poultry producers, both small and large,” said NDA Director Steve Wellman. “Poultry producers should continue to take biosecurity measures on their farms to help prevent the spread of the disease into their flock.”
At present time, NDA will continue to allow the selling of chicks, ducklings and goslings at farm stores as such birds are hatched in National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) flocks.
NDA is encouraging bird owners to prevent contact between their birds and wildlife and to practice strict biosecurity measures. If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flock, they should report it to NDA immediately at (402) 471-2351. More information for producers can be found at https://nda.nebraska.gov/animal/avian/index.html or http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov.
Cattle Battle
May 21, 2022 @ Platte County Ag Park - Columbus, NE
Entry Fee: $40 per head
7-9 AM Check In - 10 AM Showmanship
Breeding Heifers by breed and birthdate (Registration papers required)
Market Heifers & Market Steers by weight
For more information please contact:
Drew Wolfe @ 402-276-0733 or Emilye Yowell @402-418-0724
Platte County Swine Jackpot
Entry Fee: $20 per head
NE Swine Circuit Sanctioned
Purebred Registration papers required
Show Order: Breeding Gilts, Market Hogs, Showmanship
Contact: Jill Goedeken @ 402-276-5838 or Crystal Klug @ 308-830-3100
New 4-H Educator - Dean Castillo
Nebraska Extension in Dodge County is excited to announce that Dr. Dean Castillo has been hired as the new 4-H Educator! Dean will begin in his position on May 23. We want to thank everyone who participated in the interview and teaching demonstration to help evaluate the two candidates who were at the top of our list. Extension staff at the state level evaluated the two qualified and capable candidates and made the decision to select Dean as the new leader of the 4-H program in Dodge County. Dean has a background participating in 4-H from his upbringing in California, as well as volunteering to help 4-H members with animal science projects. He earned a B.A in Biological Sciences at Cornell University and completed his PhD. in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior from Indiana University. Most recently, Dean has been a professor of Genetics at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Extension is anticipating growth in STEM programming that Dean and the team can offer through the Dodge County office. Jobs in STEM fields are increasingly in high demand as the whole world tackles complex issues with innovative solutions. Part of the goal of Dean’s hiring is to position Dodge County youth to thrive in life beyond their formal education, teaching them to think critically and work to strengthen their community. These topics show the exciting new opportunities that 4-H is providing youth. From a traditional 4-H point of view, there is a yearly schedule of contests, workshops, and activities - which includes the Dodge County Fair. As a 4-H youth member, Dean had his own rabbit breeding program. His knowledge of genetics will be useful to those who participate in animal science projects. Dean and the entire Dodge County Extension team will be involved in the planning and execution of these events. This summer alone, workshop topics will be led by several experts outside of Extension and all 5 educators (Kathleen Cue - Community Environment, Lisa Poppe - Early Childhood, Beth Nacke - Nutrition Education, Nate Dorsey - Water & Integrated Cropping Systems, and Dean Castillo - 4-H) in the Dodge County office, giving youth the broadest experience in multiple subject areas. The goal of workshops, contests, and fairs is not only to participate and succeed, but to learn and grow from the experience.
Dean will be learning about the Dodge County 4-H program as he begins his career in Extension. When Dean starts work in the office, you will be able to hear from him directly. The staff in Dodge County is excited for Dean to lead the 4-H program. 4-H (as with all Extension program areas) is structured as a network across the state with assistants, educators, coordinators, and specialists. We will all be working together to provide the best possible 4-H program! Thank you for being a part of Dodge County 4-H. Stay tuned for further updates!
Share with Us
Please post pictures or videos of the projects you are working on to the Dodge County 4-H Facebook group! Some fun examples would be giving us a video tour of your livestock barn, posting time lapse photos of fabric or painting projects, or sharing a recipe and picture of a home cooked meal.
2022 Dodge County 4-H Ambassadors
Paige Bunn - Kaden Gregory - Morgan Ondracek - Brooklyn Reynolds
2022 Dodge County 4-H Council
Youth Representatives:
Ashley Abrahams - Kaden Gregory - Evan Hartman - Brooklyn Reynolds - Hunter Wiese
Adult Representatives:
Michelle Ryun (District 1: Dodge/Scribner/Snyder) - Kelly Abrahams (District 2: Logan View) - Amy Hartman (District 3: Fremont) - Andy Swanson (District 4: North Bend) - Denise Dostal - Ann Brodd - Angela Meiergerd - Mary Jo Reynolds - Marvin Wiese - Kristin Schlueter
Nebraska Extension in Dodge County
Lisa Poppe - Extension Educator: lisa.poppe@unl.edu
Mary Spath - Office Manager: mary.spath@unl.edu
Shane Ahrens - 4-H Support: shane.ahrens@unl.edu
Email: dodge-county@unl.edu
Website: http://extension.unl.edu/statewide/dodge/
Location: 1206 West 23rd Street, Fremont, NE, United States
Phone: 402.727.2775
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/362826330737240/?ref=bookmarks
YQCA In-Person Training
Use this help document to register. The cost is $3.00 due at registration online.
YQCA is an annual education and certification program focused on food safety, animal well-being and character awareness for youth ages 8 to 21 who produce and/or show pigs, beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, goats, rabbits, and poultry.
The program has been designed by extension specialists and national livestock program managers to ensure it is accurate, current and relevant to the needs of the animal industry and shows and is appropriate for youth.
This training will be delivered in the form of an interactive lecture with slides provided by YQCA. Participants will be expected to pay attention to the presentation and interact as appropriate. Following the training, all youth who participated will receive a certificate from YQCA that will meet the Fremont 4-H Expo, Dodge County Fair, and Nebraska State Fair requirement for youth quality assurance training.
Youth can also select the online version of training at yqcaprogram.org - the cost is $12.00.
A final in-person training will be offered on June 7 from 3:00-4:30pm.