Sheridan County Newsletter
May 2020
Calendar of Events
May 5 – 4-H Foundation 7:00 pm
May 7 – Horse Committee 6:00 pm
May 11 – 4-H Council at 6:30 pm
May 12 – Speech Workshop at 4 pm
May 21 – Volunteer Training at 6 pm
May 29 – Speech Contest at 4 pm - virtually
June 7 – Sheridan County Progress Show
June 10 – YGB Sheep, Goat, and Beef Workshop
June 11-13 – Fort Robinson Horse Camp
June 18 – Wilderness Wonders Camp
June 20 – Dawes County Progress Show
June 23 - Western Livestock Challenge
June 27 – Box Butte County Progress Show
Important Announcements
May 17 - Sheep/Goat Weigh-in-Cancelled
May 29-YQCA In Person Training –Cancelled
June 3-4 – LOG N Camp – Cancelled
June 11-12- Design Camp –Cancelled
Summer Workshops
We are working hard to create a full list of summer workshops. We hope to have this list out by May 15th.
Office Closures
Due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak, the Nebraska Extension Offices in Sioux, Dawes, and Sheridan Counties will be closing their doors to walk-in traffic, effective as of Friday, March 20, until further notice. Staff are working remotely to deliver learning opportunities to Nebraskans. Many Extension programs will be available online. To contact UNL Extension: Sioux County call 308-668-2428 and leave a message or email jnixon@unl.edu, Dawes County call 308-432-3373 leave a voicemail or email dawes-county@unl.edu, Sheridan County call 308-327-2312 leave a voicemail or email jack.arterburn@unl.edu.
Note about upcoming events
During this unknown time, many of you may be wondering about our summer 4-H activities. Currently we are being directed to make determinations about events around a month out. For now we are going to continue to plan activities for after June 15th, including Fair. We will continue to keep you posted as things get closer. For those of you who are not sure about purchasing animals feel free to wait as long as you need but if you want your youth to still have the learning aspect and responsibility of the project to go ahead and purchase the animal. Currently we are not able to host in person events until after June 15th. The ultimate goal is to have fair face to face. However we have teams looking into virtual options in case that cannot happen this year.
Jamie Goffena's Retirement
With honor and pleasure I have worked with Nebraska Extension and 4-H for 25 years. I treasure the times with those who have delighted my journey. Thank you for all the assists along this path.
Often we don’t know the best blessings until long after an experience. The best blessings realized from 4-H will not be the faded rosettes but will be the knowledge learned, the friendships developed, and the character growth from new adventures.
May 8th I start a new adventure commonly known as retirement. Until the day when I can travel again, I will be content with farm animals, sewing, cooking, reading, gardening, hiking, biking, kayaking and enjoying the beautiful Pine Ridge.
Always take the scenic route! Farewell and God Bless. Love you, kids! Jamie
Jamie Goffena
233 Goffena Road
Chadron, NE 69337
YQCA Trainings
Unfortunately with the new governor’s recommendation, we cannot have in person events until after May 31st. So we have to cancel the YQCA Face to Face training on May 29th. Youth can still complete their YQCA training online at yqca.learngrow.io. After you have completed the training, make sure to email your certificate to Marie Nelson at mnelson82@unl.edu or Melissa Mracek at mmracek2@unl.edu. The 4-H Council has decided to move back the YQCA training deadline until July 1st to allow the youth more time to complete the training. We hope to have a in person training in June if possible.
Wilderness Wonders Camp
Wilderness Wonders Camp has been moved to June 18th and to just a one day camp about water. The camp will still be for youth entering 3rd through 5th grades. They do not have to be 4-H members to attend. The camp will be held at Camp Norwesca from 9 to 5 pm. Youth will participate in fun activities including archery, water rockets, water slide and more! The fee for the one day camp is $40. This camp is limited to 40 youth and registrations are due by June 1st. The registration form can be found at: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/northernpanhandle/event-calendar/.
Speech & Presentation Contest
This year there will not be a regional Speech Contest, instead each county can send 5 intermediates and seniors to the State Speech Contest. The State Speech contest will have youth submit their recorded speech videos online by June 15th. The County Speech and Presentation Contest will be held on May 29th at 4pm via Zoom. PSA’s are to be 60 seconds are less and be around the Inspire Kids To Do theme. The Clover Bud speech length is under 2 minutes, Juniors 1-3 minutes, Intermediates 3-5 minutes, and Seniors 5 to 8 minutes. Again this year, the Russell family will present cash prizes to the top speech contestant in each division and for members that it is their first time participating in the Sheridan County 4-H Speech Contest. For more information about the rules visit the Contest section of the Resource Book at https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/northernpanhandle/2020-sheridan-county-resource-book/. The registration form is due May 22nd and can be found at https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/northernpanhandle/event-calendar/.
To help youth prepare for this contest, we will be hosting a virtual speech workshop on May 12th at 4 pm. Please contact Melissa Mracek at mmracek2@unl.edu for the workshop link.
Volunteer Training
We will be hosting a 4-H Volunteer training on May 21st at 6 pm virtually. Please contact Melissa Mracek at mmracek2@unl.edu for the meeting link. This training will help volunteers complete their necessary screening and is strongly encouraged for any adult hoping to help with 4-H summer events.
Pig 4-H Tag Pick Up
Families will be able to pick up 4-H Pig tags and animal id sheets on Tuesday, May 5th from 8:30 to 4:30 pm at the Extension Office. These forms need to be turned in to the Extension Office by June 1st. At the bottom of the newsletter you can find the animal id sheets attached. They can be emailed to Marie Nelson at mnelson82@unl.edu or Melissa Mracek at mmracek2@unl.edu or mailed to the Sheridan County Extension Office at PO Box 329 Rushville, NE 69360.
Sheep & Goat Weigh-in Cancelled
For the Sheridan County fair, sheep and goats just have to have a scrapies tag. If your animal does not have a scrapies tag, you can pick one up from the Extension Office on Tuesday, May 5th from 8:30 to 4:30 pm along with the registration form. If your animal has a scrapies tag, you can find the registration form at: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/northernpanhandle/sheridan-county-4-h/. This form will need to be turned in by June 1st. At the bottom of the newsletter you can find the animal id sheets attached. It can be emailed to Marie Nelson at mnelson82@unl.edu or Melissa Mracek at mmracek2@unl.edu or mailed to the Sheridan County Extension Office at PO Box 329 Rushville, NE 69360.
YGB Clinic
Box Butte’s 4-H Council is hosting Chastin Legget’s You Gotta Believe Livestock Camp on June 10th at the Box Butte County Fairgrounds in Hemingford. Youth can participate in Beef, Sheep, or Goat portion of the showmanship clinic. The fee for the camp is $125 per exhibitor. Participants will need to bring their animal, water bucket, show halter, collar, and show stick. Sheep will need to be ruff shorn within two weeks before the camp. Lunch will be provided. Youth can only bring one species to the clinic. 4-H Scholarships and 4-H Bucks can be used to help pay for this camp. Registration is due by May 11th. For the registration visit https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/northernpanhandle/event-calendar/. Feel free to register and pay the fee at the camp.
Weekly in Home Project Ideas
Each week Nebraska Extension 4-H Staff are creating Weekly Project Ideas youth can complete at home with the materials they will have at their homes. These items will be posted on the Nebraska Extension Sheridan County Facebook page. These activities are potential fair projects that can be entered in the County Fair this summer. Youth are encouraged to post a photo with a hashtag #NPNE4H.
Our 4th project focuses on your closet! This fair project can be entered in Department C: Consumer Management, Division 240: Shopping in Style, Class 4: Show Me Your Colors. Select 6-8 color photos of you wearing different colors. Half should be what you consider good personal colors and half should be poor personal color choices. Write a brief explanation with each photo describing your selections. Refer to the Shopping in Style manual pg 23 for more information. Entry should be a 14”x 22” poster.
You may be wondering how do you know what colors look best on you? One way you can determine that is just by draping colors over you a better way to help you determine is to utilize the quizzes on one of these websites. This website (https://www.instyle.com/how-tos/how-to-find-best-color-to-wear-for-your-skin-tone) helps you determine your skin tone and gives suggestions of colors that will look good on you as well as those that won’t. If you are struggling on how to determine your skin tone, utilize this website: https://stylecaster.com/beauty/cool-warm-skin-undertones/. Once you have determined the colors that look good and bad on you, you just need to take 3 to 4 photos of you in good colors using clothes in your closet and 3 to 4 photos of you in bad colors. You can utilize what you learned from these websites to help you write your explanation for each photo. Clover Kids can decorate a t-shirt using only the colors that look good on them.
The fifth week 4-H Project Activity youth can do at home is a recipe file (E35004)! The exhibit could be a recipe file or binder. Each recipe must accompany a complete menu in which the recipe is used. This activity can be a State Fair project that can be entered at the county fair this summer. Clover Kids can create a food placemat to enter at the county fair. Find the full Food & Nutrition State Fairbook section at; https://4hfairbook.unl.edu/fairbookview.php/exhibits/20. Don’t forget to balance the menus with foods from the different MyPlate food groups. Attached is a tip sheet for building a healthy meal.
Our sixth at home fair project is a Veterinary Science Poster. Maybe you have seen something different happen during calving season this year or you want to inform people about a disease. Posters should not exceed 22”x 28”. Topics of posters can be maintaining animal health, an animal disease, normal and abnormal characteristics, animal health or safety, public health or safety, animal management, safe livestock working facilities. This exhibit presents the viewer with a design that is simple and direct, unlike a display that usually presents more information. Since it is a science poster, make sure your information is correctly cited. Clover kids can create a poster about an animal breed. This project can be exhibited in H840001 Large Animals or H840002 Small Animals.
Photography Challenge
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday youth and adults will be challenged to take a picture around a certain topic and submit it to the Nebraska Extension Staff. The photos can be emailed to Marie Nelson (mnelson82@unl.edu) or Melissa Mracek (mmracek2@unl.edu). The winners of each photo challenge will be posted on Facebook the following day or two.
4-H Project Kits
Need some fun hands on activities for youth to do? Nebraska 4-H Sheridan County staff have created multiple 4-H project kits youth can pick up when they are getting their meals at the schools. The kits include instructions and some of the supplies you may not have at home to complete the 4-H project or activity. Youth do not need to be 4-H members to participate. The only requirement is to write on a sheet the child’s name and the kit they took. Show us what they have created by posting a picture to #NENP4H. These projects range from Cake Decorating, Animal Wildlife Tracks, Building Birdhouses, and more!
Virtual and At Home Learning
This website has resources for participating in Living Room Learning on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1 pm MT. Also you can learn how to join the Boredom Busters activities on Mondays and Wednesdays at 1 pm MT. You can also locate their recordings from previous sessions. Other resources on this website are the high school Virtual Field Trips, the A Beautiful Day resources for youth ages 1 through 8, along with Clover Kid activities, and STEM at home lessons for all ages. The STEM at Home lessons can be utilized by teachers or parents that want to give their youth hands on activities. Underneath the Self-Paced activities, you can find the Embryology lessons and videos for those that would like to learn about chicks’ development. All these resources can be found at https://4h.unl.edu/virtual-home-learning.
Fort Robinson Horse Camp
Fort Robinson 4-H Horse Camp is June 11 through the 13th. This is for youth and adults. Participants will develop horsemanship skills while exploring the beautiful scenery of Fort Robinson. Participants also get to create a craft and experience the traditional camping experience. The fee for this camp is $50 for youth and $40 for adults accompanying youth. Horse Camp Scholarships are available. The registration form and scholarship form are due to the Dawes County Extension Office by May 15th.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.
The 4-H Youth Development program abides with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.
Copyright ©2020
Nebraska Extension Sheridan County Office
Website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/northernpanhandle/educational-programs/northern-panhandle-4-h/
Location: PO Box 329 Rushville, NE 69360
Phone: (308) 327-2312
Facebook: facebook.com/UNLSheridanCounty
Twitter: @SheridanCounty