Sheridan County Newsletter
November 2020
Calendar of Events
Nov 4 G/R AS Sew Fun at Extension Office from 1-4 pm
Nov 9 Gordon Clover Buds at Gordon Elementary at 3:30 pm
Nov 11 Adult Sew Fun Clinic at Extension Office starting at 6 pm
Nov 13 Clover Bud Kit Activity on Zoom at 10 am
Nov 13 HS AS Sew Fun at Extension Office from 1-4 pm
Nov 13 Livestock Committee Meeting at Extension Office at 6 pm
Nov 18 G/R AS Quilting at Extension Office from 1-4 pm
Nov 20 HS AS Quilting at Extension Office from 1-4 pm
Nov 23 Horse Committee Meeting at Extension Office starting at 6 pm
Important Announcements
· The Council has decided achievement certificates, fair prizes, and premium money will be available to pick up in the office after November 15th.
· 2021 Fair Dates will be July 23rd through July 31st.
4-H Enrollment is Open
4-H enrollment for the 2020-2021 4-H year is now open. Youth can enroll by visiting ne.4honline.com. Members need to enroll prior to participating in Shooting Sports practices. There is a $5 membership fee that can be paid online or at the Extension Office. If you will not be in Rushville, feel free to mail the payment to the 4-H Council at PO Box 23 Rushville, NE 69360.
Diamond Clover - Level Up in 4-H
The Diamond Clover application is a great way for 4-H members to level up in their knowledge and participation of 4-H. 4-H members are encouraged to set goals for themselves to accomplish throughout the 4-H year and the Diamond Clover application is a great way to assist with that process. Youth can view the applications at https://4h.unl.edu/diamond-clover. These applications can be completed throughout the year and turned in next fall to be presented at the next Achievement Banquet.
Suggestion Box
Forms are available at the office to offer your suggestions to make our 4-H program/fair stronger. They are located on the drop box outside. Also, you can submit your suggestions online at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVMme9VhgjNVDOiUpYapu3pHAJZczIY-XoduekdeOnScUpYg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0
Nebraska Fed Steer Challenge
NE Fed Steer Challenge 2021 is now accepting applications! Applications due December 1st and are submitted via Qualtrics. Please find the flyer attached along with a social media graphic to share on your social media channels and in your county newsletters/email blasts. All other information, including the application link, can be found on the website https://4h.unl.edu/fed-steer-challenge
About the program: The Nebraska 4-H Fed Steer Challenge is an opportunity for youth interested in learning more about the cattle industry and is designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders in the Nebraska cattle industry. The goal of the Fed Steer Challenge is to enhance the educational value of the traditional 4-H beef projects by providing an affordable option that rewards production merit and carcass value of the market animal, along with accurate and complete record-keeping, industry knowledge, and producer engagement by the 4-H member.
Components of the Program include two parts:
- Raising a commercial steer
- 4-H member selects and raises a commercial steer to finished market weight.
- Utilize management and nutrition protocols similar to a commercial feedlot.
- Maintain a detailed record book related to the management and feeding of the steer.
- Exhibit steer in the 4-H Fed Steer Challenge class at the Nebraska State Fair where steers will be visually evaluated by a commercial cattle buyer representing a packer.
- Sell cattle on a Quality and Yield Based Carcass Grid.
- Following the live exhibition, steers will be transported to a commercial packer, harvested and carcass data collected.
- Evaluation of 4-H member's knowledge and interpersonal skills
- Knowledge related to their project and the cattle industry as a whole
- Accuracy and details related to a record book
- Interview with representatives from the cattle industry
Youth interested in participating in the Nebraska 4-H Fed Steer Challenge must:
- Be an enrolled 4-H member and at least 14 years of age as of December 31 of the year current year.
- Have the financial ability to purchase a market steer at the current market price in January (~$850) and obtain insurance for the market value of the steer.
- Source a steer on their own or select a steer from a pool of identified program producers.
- Obtain an official starting weight for their steer at a county 4-H weigh-in event. If their enrolled county does not have an official weight-in, youth may attend the weigh-in of any county.
- Provide adequate facilities and adhere to YQCA practices to ensure proper management and well-being of the animal.
- Actively participate in online and face-to-face educational programming offered by Nebraska Animal Science faculty. Must participate in a minimum of 90% of educational opportunities offered between January and December.
- Exhibit Steer in the Nebraska Fed Steer market steer class at the Nebraska State Fair. At that time, steers will be harvested at a commercial packer and participants will be paid based upon the current market value.
- Maintain accurate production records related to raising the animal, complete the record book, and submit no later than October 15.
- Develop and present a Project Showcase highlighting their project and knowledge gained to industry representatives.
- Additional educational and networking opportunities may be identified throughout the year and youth should make every effort to fully participate.
State Public Speaking
Through the 4-H Public Speaking Contest, youth have an opportunity to write a speech or a public service announcement (PSA) that incorporates the topic of 4-H and deliver it to an audience. The 4-H Public Speaking Contest helps youth develop skills for communicating about current issues to real audiences, learn how to organize and prepare a speech, develop speech delivery skills, learn how to present themselves to others, and develop self-confidence. https://4h.unl.edu/documents/guidetomakinggreatspeeches.pdf
After participating at the county level, five (5) contestants in each age division (Intermediate and Senior) in both speech and PSA categories will be selected to advance to the State Public Speaking Contest. Following the contest, winners will be invited to showcase their speeches at the Nebraska State Fair. The State Public Speaking Contest will be held in Lincoln, Nebraska on Wednesday, June 30, 2021.
Achievement Awards
The Achievement Banquet was canceled this year. 4-H youth members are able to pick up their fair premium money and 4-H year pin after November 15th from the extension office. The Outstanding Business Award went to The Twister. The Outstanding 4-H Alumni Award went to Dan Otte. The Jane Beguin Friend of 4-H Award went to the GIVE organization.
The following were the Achievement Application and Career Portfolio Awards:
Abbey Russell: Intermediate Horse Award
Alexa Tonjes: Senior Horse Award
Anna Anderson: Junior Swine Award
Caleb Heck: Senior Beef Award
Gibbsen Nielsen: Junior Sheep Award, Junior Healthy Lifestyle Award
Julia Russell: Intermediate Goat Award
Kayli Rose: Intermediate Beef Award, Intermediate Sheep Award, Intermediate Aerospace Award
Kirsten Heck: Intermediate Beef Award, Intermediate Poultry Award, Intermediate Photography Award
Louisa Scott: Junior Beef Award, Junior Sewing Award
Regan Anderson: Intermediate Horse Award, Intermediate Shooting Sports Award
William Gaswick: Junior Speech Award, Junior Consumer Science Award
The Outstanding Senior Achievement Application was awarded to Alexa Tonjes.
The Outstanding Intermediate Achievement Application was awarded to Kirsten Heck and the Junior Achievement Application was awarded to Gibbsen Nielsen. The Outstanding members were awarded to Kirsten Heck and William Gaswick.
The Clover Bud members were 1st year: Aliyah Bear, Brenna Diers, Bryleigh Sones, Clare Swanson, Ellerie Davis, Ila Nielsen, Jake Roffers, Jayna Cuny, Maxwell Wellnitz, and Thorin Davis.
2nd year: Turner Anderson, Shyann Bostock, Braylee Campbell, John Diereix, Jane Gaswick, Harper Scott, Elizabeth Thompson, and Hattie Williamson.
Virtual Field Trips
Join Nebraska 4-H as we go on-site to learn more about science, agriculture, technology, and more! Virtual Field Trips offer facility tours, educational experiences, and additional resources for teachers. Virtual Field Trips are perfect for youth in 7th-12th grades. Each session will be recorded and made available for on-demand viewing. Youth do not need to be 4-H members to participate.
Fall dates and descriptions for Virtual Field Trips are as follows at 10:00am MT:
November 18th: Mountains of Sweetness—Growing Sugar in Nebraska
Register here: go.unl.edu/nmvi
December 2nd: Fried Shrimp, Shrimp Kabobs, Coconut Shrimp, Nebraska Shrimp—Wait, What?
Register here: go.unl.edu/qgd7
Entrepreneurship Month!
November is National Entrepreneurship Month! Did you know youth entrepreneurship is a program priority for Nebraska 4-H? Through various programs, Nebraska 4-H connects youth to important careers and strengthens their entrepreneurship skills. Entrepreneurship programs aim to increase the number of youth returning to rural communities in business and professions and to increase the number of youth who are entrepreneurs.
In celebration of National Entrepreneurship Month, teachers and educators are also invited to utilize a toolkit of free resources, including:
- Calendar of fun, easy activities to use as bell-ringers, energizers, and simple ways to engage students in entrepreneurial thinking
- Lesson plans designed to introduce students to entrepreneurship and building an entrepreneurial mindset by developing their non-cognitive skills
- Virtual field trips to connect students to real people working as entrepreneurs
- Spark to Start activity book containing activities, games, puzzles, and more to help students learn about starting a business
A sample Spark to Start activities book is also being sent to all 4th-grade teachers in Nebraska.
Rushville Quilting Classes
Hay Springs Quilting Classes
Hay Springs Sewing Fun
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