Sioux County Newsletter
March 2020
Calendar of Events
Mar. 8 -Panhandle Best Shoot at Ogallala starting at 8 am
Mar. 10 -Cooking Workshop at Harrison Bible Church starting at 3:45 pm
Mar. 15 -Panhandle Best Shoot at Mitchell starting at 8 am
Mar. 16 -4-H Council Meeting at Courthouse Meeting Room starting at 6 pm
Mar. 22 -Panhandle Best Shoot at Chadron starting at 8 am
Mar. 28-29-State BB & Air Rifle
Important Announcements
- The District Horse Show is in Scottsbluff this year. Level 2, horse id sheets, and registrations are due by May 8th.
- 4-H pigs for sale in Hay Springs! Families can call Daryl Scherbarth at 308-360-1881 or Travis Binger at 308-430-0564.
Tractor Safety Course
The course provides extensive training on tractor and all-terrain vehicle safety with a variety of hands-on activities. Instilling an attitude of ‘making safety a priority’ and respect for agricultural equipment are primary goals of the course. Any 14 or 15 year old who plans to drive a tractor this summer for someone other than their parents, is required to complete this course.
Teens who are older than 15 and are interested in learning about safe farming practices, are welcome to register for the Nebraska Extension Tractor Safety & Hazardous Occupations Course. Anyone under age 14 is not eligible to take the class.
Cost of the course is $60 and includes educational materials, instruction, supplies, and lunch.
Dates, training site locations, and site coordinator phone numbers are below:
June 3 (first day is online) – Gordon, Fairgrounds, (308) 327-2312
June 29 & 30 – Gering, Legacy Museum (308) 632-1480
For more information or to register, contact the appropriate Extension office above. The registration form is located at kearney.unl.edu.
Rabbit Show
The Monument Bunny Breeders Association is hosting their first ARBA show on April 25th at the Livestock Pavilion on the Scottsbluff County Fairgrounds. This show is for all purebred rabbits. There will be a total of four shows, two youth and two open. It is $3.75 per rabbit per show. This will also be a great opportunity for families to find 4-H rabbits for fair!
Safe the Date - 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.
Safe the Date - Wilderness Wonders
Wilderness Wonders camp is an overnight camp for youth going into 3rd through 5th grade on May 27th through the 28th at Camp Norwesca. Youth will ban together to Survive the wonderful outdoors while participating in a campfire, water slide, archery, and more. The fee for the camp is $80. Registration information will be coming soon!
Safe the Date - LOG N Camp
Youth going into grades 6th and 7th are welcome to join us at the LOG N Camp on June 3rd and 4th in Halsey. Participants will enjoy camp activities such as canoeing, ziplining, and high wires while developing their leadership skills. As 7th graders they will graduate to become a part of our Next Chapter program gaining life skills necessary for the next chapter of their lives.
Upcoming Livestock Judging Contests
The North Panhandle will be hosting three livestock judging contests as a part of the Great Plains Circuit. The scores youth receive at each of these contests will be put into their overall Great Plains Circuit score. The youth who place within the top 5 of within the Great Plains Circuit in either the Senior or Intermediate age division will be recognized at the State Fair and will receive awards. The North Panhandle contests will include 4-H members ages 8 to 18, so young members will have the opportunity to experience their first competition. The first contest will be in Gordon on April 26th. The next contest will be in Chadron on May 21st, and the final one is June 16th in Hemingford. For the Sheridan County contest contact the Sheridan County Office at 308-327-2312, for the Dawes County contest contact 308-432-3373, and for the Box Butte contest contact 308-762-5616.
Results of Panhandle Best Shoots
The Sioux County Shooting Sports members competed in the Box Butte County Shoot on Sunday, February 16th. Chisum Pelster placed sixth in the eight-year-old division. In the nine to ten-year-old division, Boone Button received third. Victoria Turbiville was awarded third and Baxter Reece was awarded 11th in the eleven to twelve-year-old division. In the thirteen to fifteen-year-old division, Jaime Turbiville placed sixth and Becca Reece placed ninth. Baxter, Becca, Boone, and Jaime also participated in the Air Rifle Sporter competition. Boone placed second in the eight to ten-year-old division. He won the Kneeling position. Baxter received tenth in the eleven to twelve-year-old division. In the thirteen to fourteen-year-old division, Jaime received sixth and Becca received seventh.
On Sunday, February 22nd, the members competed at the Kimball shoot. In the eight-year-old BB Gun division Chisum Pelster placed first! He was first in the Prone position. Boone Button was awarded third place in the nine to ten-year-old division. Boone placed first in the Standing position. In the eleven to twelve-year-old division, Baxter Reece placed tenth and Victoria Turbiville placed eleventh. Jaime Turbiville was awarded fifth and Becca Reece was awarded eighth in the thirteen to fifteen-year-old division. In the Air Rifle Sporter contest, Boone was awarded second in the eight to ten-year-old division. In the eleventh to twelve-year-old division, Baxter placed tenth. Jaime received sixth and Becca seventh in the thirteen to fourteen-year-old division. Their next contest is March 8th in Ogallala, then the 15th in Mitchell, next is the 22nd in Chadron, and finally state starting on March 28th.
Horse Level Testing
This year’s District Horse Show will be held in Scottsbluff on June 15th. To participate youth must complete their Horse level 1 and 2 prior to May 8th. Youth can visit the Extension Office to complete their test. Melissa will be hosting a riding skills and demonstration day in Chadron on April 10th from 9 until 11 am. Youth can also coordinate with Melissa Mracek to complete riding testing. For more information and written test prep materials visit https://4h.unl.edu/horse/district-shows.
4-H Bee Keeping Essay Contest
The 2020 National 4-H Beekeeping Essay Competition: Call for Entries is now available at: https://preservationofhoneybees.org/essays/2020-essays.
Please have interested students submit state entries to the UNL Bee Lab (unlbeelab@unl.edu) with the subject header “4H Essay Contest” by March 1, 2020. This year’s topic is a bit challenging, especially if they are new to beekeeping, so if there are students who would like to interview or get in contact with a local beekeeper, they can reach out to the Nebraska Beekeepers Association (https://nebraskabeekeepers.org).
Questions? Contact Judy Wu-Smart, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Entomology at UNL, at jwu-smart@unl.edu or at 402-472-8696.
Nebraska Extension Sioux County Office
Email: mmracek2@unl.edu
Website: go.unl.edu/siouxcofair
Location: PO Box 277 Harrison, NE 69346
Phone: (308) 668-2428
Facebook: facebook.com/UNLSiouxCounty