Southern Plains 4H Newsletter
Serving Nuckolls and Thayer Counties - June 1, 2021
Need to print this newsletter? Right click to print or select "File >>> Print" from your internet browser's window.
Note From Kylie
PASE & Life Challenge 2021 Recruitment
We are still recruiting 4-Hers age 10 and up to compete in PASE 2021!
Premier Animal Science Events (PASE) and Life Challenge Contests are a GO this summer in Lincoln. If your 4-Her is interested in any kind of animal science or food/nutrition/health, these contests are an excellent opportunity for our Nuckolls-Thayer 4-Hers.
You can find more information here for PASE: https://4h.unl.edu/pase
And you can find more information here for Life Challenge: https://4h.unl.edu/life-challenge
Registration closes on Mon. June 14 (and the office must register PASE teams), but please let your local extension office know interest ASAP so we can arrange car pools, housing, and (hopefully) coaching/practice opportunities.
Benefits of PASE:
-Practice important life skills related to animal science and home environment
-Connect with 4-Hers from across the State of Nebraska
-Stay in Massengale Hall, one of UNL's newest residence halls (if you decide to stay overnight)
Mon. Jun 28
Meats Judging
Poultry Judging
Livestock Skillathon
Livestock Quizbowl
Life Challenge - Foods and Nutrition / Design
Tues. Jun 29
Livestock Judging
Life Challenge - Resource Management
Enroll in Nebraska 4-H TODAY
June 15 is the 2021 Nebraska 4-H enrollment deadline. This is the first year Nebraska 4-H has had a statewide enrollment deadline. If you wait until this deadline, you will miss out on many of our local events the first 2 weeks in June.
Enroll in all projects areas that you could possibly want to exhibit at fair. If you have any issues with 4-H Online, please email or call your local extension office. We do not want tech frustrations to make this difficult.
Nebraska 4-H Online home page:
https://ne.4honline.com/Login.aspx?403D4050364539525371705375593D
IMPORTANT FAIR DEADLINES
Nuckolls and Thayer County Fair Livestock & Horse Identification Affidavits Due June 15
Note: These are not fair ENTRIES. These are IDs. Nuckolls Fair Entries are also June 15 - these are completed via HARD COPY on your "green sheet."
Thayer County Fair Entries are due Mon. August 2 by 4:30 pm via an ONLINE PORTAL that opens July 1.
Nebraska State Fair Livestock Identification/Nominations Deadline June 15
Nebraska State Fair Livestock Exhibitors will be required to submit their DNA envelopes to their county office or FFA Advisor and have completed their online nomination through https://showstockmgr.com/ by June 15.
Please note that completing the state identification requirements does not automatically enter the animal or exhibitor for the Nebraska State Fair. The exhibitor must still complete the separate online State Fair entry process. Animals that are not identified and nominated using the appropriate state requirements by the deadlines below will not be eligible to be entered or shown at the Nebraska State Fair.
Please visit the Nebraska State Fair Livestock Identification, Nomination & Entry web site for more information.
SUMMER WORKSHOPS
The first 2021 summer workshop in Thayer County will be on June 8 at 1pm! Lucky Stradley, the owner of Something Lucky, will be coming in to help the kids make their very own pottery project for the fair. It costs $20 a child and will be at the Thayer County Extension Office!
The registration cut-off is June 1st and to sign-up, email Haley Sutterby at hsutterby2@unl.edu. You can pay at the event and make the checks out to Lucky Stradley. We can't wait to see you there!
SUMMER READING PROGRAM
Tales of Tales Coming to Superior, Deshler, Bruning, and Davenport Libraries
Superior - June 2 and June 16 - 4th-6th grade
Deshler - June 14, June 21, June 28, (none July 5), July 12, July 19, and July 26 - 4 years old to 4th grade
Bruning - July 7, July 14, July 21, July 28 @ 10 am - 4 years old to 4th grade
Davenport - July 7, July 14, July 21, July 28 @ 3 pm - 4 years old to 4th grade
Join us for some "Tales of Tails" during the Summer 2021 summer reading program! We are partnering with four county libraries to read books, play games, make crafts, and learn about animals from all over the world. Unearth the Amazing World of Animal Habitats with us! Call your local library to RSVP; walk ins also welcome.
Want to peruse some of the books so you know what stories to get excited about? Visit the Nebraska Extension summer reading web site.
SHOOTING SPORTS UPDATE
Thayer Co. Archery is Recruiting Members for 2021
- Must be at least 8 yrs old 4-H age.
- Must be actively enrolled in 4-H.
- Must attend at least 6 practices to shoot at 4-H shoot July 5, 2021.
Nuckolls-Thayer Dual Shooting Sports Contest
In order to offer the best facilities and most positive youth development experiences possible, Nuckolls-Thayer will be hosting a dual shooting sports contest in 2021. Archery competitors will shoot at the brand-new archery range in Hebron on Mon. July 5 at 6 pm, and trap shooting contestants will shoot at the trap house in Nelson on Sun. July 11 at 3 pm.
Archery Age Divisions:
Junior 8-11
Intermediate 12-14
Senior 15-18
Shotgun Age Divisions:
Junior – 10-13 years
Senior – 14-18 years
Each 4-H member must attend a required six practices in each discipline with a Nebraska 4-H certified instructor to compete in that discipline at the county shoots. Contact your local extension office for more information.
Local Certified 4-H Shotgun Instructors (Updated as of 5/2/21):
Pete Kiefer (Nuckolls County)
Travis Pofahl (Nuckolls County)
Jason Funk (Nuckolls County)
Kylie Kinley (Nuckolls/Thayer County)
Mike Holes (Jefferson County / Fairbury Trap Team)
Local Certified 4-H Archery Instructors:
Jeanie Kiefer (Nuckolls County)
Brian Lukert (Thayer County)
Nik Statz (Nuckolls County)
Alycia Watts (Nuckolls County)
Students interested in practicing shotgun shooting will need to practice with Republican Valley Trap Club in Webster County or Fairbury Jr./Sr. High Trap in Jefferson County because they have the facilities, certified instructors, and a regular practice schedule.
DAIRY GOAT OPPORTUNITIES
YQCA Information
2021 NEBRASkA 4-H PROGRESS SHOWS & CLINICS
Check out this link to see a collection of the flyers advertising progress shows and clinics across Nebraska
Keep developing your livestock judging skills in Bladen, NE on Thurs. June 3 at 8 am. This event is a contest AND clinic, so 4-H youth of all ages and abilities are welcome to learn and compete. This is the CLOSEST livestock judging contest to our counties, and they have lots of spots left. Registration is open until the time of the contest, but register ASAP so they have a count for lunch!
Register as a Team: https://go.unl.edu/scteam
Register as an Individual Participant: https://go.unl.edu/scindividual
2021 Tractor Safety Training
All youth aged 14 and 15 who work on a farm or ranch other than their own MUST be certified through a Hazardous Occupations Course to obtain a Farm Husbandry Permit or “farm permit” without further testing.
Successful completion of this training in Nebraska will allow youth to operate a tractor over 20 horsepower, and connect or disconnect an implement or any of its parts to or from a tractor. Students of any age over 13 may complete the driving course in any of the locations on this flyer after successful online class completion:
HORTICULTURE OPPORTUNITIES
Online 4-H Horticulture Contest June 4-21
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
AGRONOMY OPPORTUNITIES
Youth Crop Scouting Competition - Connecting Youth with Crops
Looking for a fun club project? Want to unite your club members? Running out of ideas for club meetings? If you answered, “yes” to any of these questions, help is on the way! Nebraska Extension is pleased to present the 8th annual Crop Scouting Competition for Nebraska youth. Youth interested in crops can learn about crop growth & development and basic crop scouting principles.
Don’t know a lot about crops? Ask a local agronomist to assist by providing a short lesson on crop production. You can have the agronomist meet with youth a little during each meeting or outside of the meeting. This is one way to engage those youth interested in crops.
This contest will be held at the Eastern Nebraska Research & Extension Center near Mead, Nebraska on August 3, 2021. The event will include both indoor and outdoor events. Teams of junior high and high school students (those completing 5-12th grades) from across Nebraska are invited to participate. This event is limited to the first ten teams who sign-up!
Clubs or other organizations may enter a team composed of three to five participants. An adult team leader must accompany each team of students. Team leaders could be FFA advisors, crop consultants, extension staff, coop employees, etc.
Top-scoring teams win prizes: $500 for first, $250 for second, $100 for third place. Top two teams will be eligible for regional competition held virtually this year.
Teams will be expected to know the basics of scouting corn and soybean fields. This includes crop staging; looking for patterns of crop injury; disease, insect and weed seedling identification; etc. Other topics many include but are not limited to, pesticide safety, nutrient disorders, and herbicide injury.
More information about the crop scouting competition and instructions on how to register a team are available online at cropwatch.unl.edu/youth. Register at: https://go.unl.edu/cropscoutingreg
Teams must be registered by July 15. This program is sponsored by Nebraska Independent Crop Consultant Association, Ward Laboratories and Nebraska Extension.
DOG/COMPANION ANIMAL OPPORTUNITIES
Dog Obedience Practices to start in Nelson
HORSE SHOW OPPORTUNITIES
SUMMER CAMPS
Camp Venture and Camp Renegade Registration Forms
Camp Renegade Registration Form Link
Camp Venture Registration Form Link
All money is to be sent to Jefferson County. Checks are payable to: Jefferson County 4-H Council.
CALENDAR AT A GLANCE
JUNE
Wed. June 2 - Cloverkid Camp @ Hebron
Wed. June 9 - Bonanza Day @ Nelson
Tues. June 15 - Nuckolls County Fair entries due on the "green sheets."
Tues. June 15 - County Fair Animal IDs due for BOTH counties. Nebraska State Fair nominations and animal IDS due. More information here.
Tues. June 22 - Nuckolls Co. Fair Superintendents 2021 Fair Info Meeting @ Nuckolls Fairgrounds, 7:30 p.m.
Mon. Jun. 28 - Wed. Jun. 30 - State Speech/PSA Contest, Life Challenge Contest, Premier Animal Science Events @ UNL Animal Science Complex in Lincoln
JULY
July 10-13 - Nuckolls County Fair 2021 (p1 of linked schedule)
Tues. July 27 - Thayer Co. Fair Superintendents 2021 Fair Info Meeting @ Thayer Fairgrounds, 7:30 p.m.
AUGUST
August 2 - Thayer County 2021 Fair Entries Due @ 4:30 pm
August 11-15 - Thayer County Fair 2021 (p2 of linked schedule)
Next Meeting
Next Meeting
Next Meeting
Nuckolls County Extension Office
Email: nuckolls-county@unl.edu
Website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/southernplains/
Location: 825 S Main St, Nelson, NE, USA
Phone: 402-225-2381
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthernPlainsExt/
Thayer County Extension Office
Email: thayer-county@unl.edu
Website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/southernplains/
Location: 225 N 4th St, Hebron, NE, USA
Phone: 402-768-7212
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthernPlainsExt/