4 H Focus. January HAPPY NEW YEAR Wishing all our York County 4-H Members and Families a Happy New Year for 2015

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1 4 H Focus January 2015 The York County 4-H Focus is published by the York County 4-H Council and the York County Extension Staff. OFFICE HOURS 8 a.m. Noon, 1 5 p.m. Monday Friday PHONE FAX York-County@unl.edu INTERNET MAILING ADDRESS York County Extension 2345 Nebraska Ave York NE STAFF Gary Zoubek, Educator Eileen Krumbach, Educator Gerald Peterson, Assistant Steph Stanley, Office Manager Sue Stahr, Office Assistant HAPPY NEW YEAR Wishing all our York County 4-H Members and Families a Happy New Year for H Enrollment 2015 Starting in January 2015 all Nebraska 4-H Members will be asked to enroll into the 4-H Program On Line. Visit our website county4h for a link to the website and instructions on how to enroll. If you enroll now, you will need to bring a check to the York Extension Office to pay for your $5 enrollment fee per youth. Soon, you will have the option to use a credit/debit card to pay. For youth and families that don t have access to a computer or would like help, come to the UNL Extension Office in York, and the staff there will help guide you through the process of entering the information. Club leaders, if you would like to enroll everyone during a club meeting, contact the Extension Office we ll help you get everything set up and everyone enrolled. 4-H Recruitment for H Membership and participation can be a year around activity. For 2015 we are challenging our 4-H Members to look for youth that would be a great fit to this great 4-H experience. Ask a friend, a classmate, a relative or even just someone you meet, to become involved in your 4-H club or become an independent member of 4-H. Or if you can just get us their names or a way to contact their families, we would love to show youth what 4-H is all about and the fun families can have with 4-H projects. A goal state wide would be to add just five per cent to the membership in each county and in most cases that would only be one to two new members. Wouldn t it be amazing if each club in York County could add one or two new members to help us--and them--enjoy the 4-H experience?

2 4-H Project Resource Central (Pick a Project) is Ready For 2015 the 4-H Projects available for youth in Nebraska are listed in the new 4-H Project Resource Central. The Project Resource Central replaces the Pick Your Project booklet that has been used over the past several years. The Project Resource Center (Pick a Project) is available for viewing or printing from the Nebraska 4-H web site at then type in Project Resource Central in the search blank or go to the York County Extension web site then click on the 4-H and Youth heading in the bar across the top of the page and look for Project Resource Center. For families without computer access, contact the Nebraska Extension Office in York and we can print a copy for you. Congratulations Ann Wilton Our Congratulations go out to Ann Wilton, who was one of the twenty-three young people representing Nebraska at the National 4-H Congress in Atlanta, Georgia, near the end of November. The National 4-H Congress trip is one of the highlights of youth that complete and compete in the 4-H Career Portfolio Awards program. Ann will be another great resource of information about the 4-H Congress, and we hope she will be available to share some of those experiences. February is Nebraska 4-H Month #iam4h is the theme and logo for Nebraska 4-H Month Nebraska 4-H month is celebrated during the entire month of February. Go online, Facebook and Twitter for more information on the theme used for Nebraska 4-H Month and the National 4-H week last October. Look for more information in the February 4-H Focus newsletter. 4-H Leaders & Volunteers Banquet The York County 4-H Leaders Banquet is scheduled for Sunday January 25, 2015, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Chances R restaurant. The 4-H Leaders Banquet sponsored by the York County serving farm cooperatives including: Henderson Community Cooperative, Farmers Cooperative of Dorchester and McCool Junction, Central Valley Ag. Cooperative and the Aurora Cooperative will mark the 59 th Annual 4-H Leaders Banquet sponsored by the local agricultural cooperatives. The 4-H Leaders recognized during the evening will be those leaders in their second, fifth, tenth and fifteenth years of giving to 4-H youth and the local 4-H Program. 4-H Leader and Volunteer - Youth Protection Screening The Youth Protection 4-H Screening information for the Southeast Extension District in Nebraska update is for all program volunteers that work directly with 4-H Youth. It is this Youth Protection Screening that is designed to help our 4-H members and youth around the program to feel comfortable that the 4-H Program is a safe, fun and educational experience for all. 2 Nebraska 4-H is joining the National 4-H program in asking all 4-H Leaders, program volunteers and others that work with youth involved in the 4-H program, if they have not completed the screening process in the past two years, to complete the Youth Protection 4-H Screening information and forward it directly to the State 4-H Program Administrator, State 4-H Office, 114 Ag Hall, Po Box , Lincoln, NE If you do not remember if you completed the screening in that period, contact the Nebraska 4-H Office, or the Nebraska Extension Office in York and we will try to help you find that information. The Youth Protection 4-H Volunteer Screening form and information can be found on line at then look for the Volunteers heading in the red box, then click on Become a Volunteer and at the bottom of the page is the Youth Protection Screening form and information. The UNL Extension staff in York County will be working with all our leaders and volunteers to bring this information up to date for The sooner the information is complete and updated, the less confusion there will be in the last day or two before 4-H Activities in which our leaders and volunteers are involved. Be assured that the only information that the UNL Extension Office in York and its staff will receive from this screening is the list of volunteers that have completed the screening process and are recognized as being ready to work with the young people and 4-H members of York County. Citizenship Washington D. C. Focus Meeting The first two informational meetings were hosted by Tammy Stuhr for youth interested in the 2016 Citizenship Washington Focus Trip Experience. Youth eligible must be at the time of the trip, June 12-18, 2016 and members of a county 4-H Program. If you are interested, but missed those meetings, please contact the Nebraska Extension Office in York and make your interest known. We will then see that your contact information is with Tammy to keep you up to date. The initial contact information and down payment of $100 must be received by March 1, 2015 to reserve a spot on the trip plans. We can t help you stay informed if you don t let us know of your interest. UNL Red Letter Days Excited to make your college decision? Red Letter Days are an opportunity for you to explore college life at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln during your senior or junior year of high school. While you are there, you ll get to:

3 Explore campus with a current UNL student as your guide Check out your academic intrest area s facilities See what it s like to live in a residence hall Learn how to get involved on campus Find out important admissions, scholarship and financial aid information Red Letter Days have been scheduled for: February 6, 2015 February 16, 2015 February 27, 2015 March 13, 2015 March 16, 2015 April 13, 2015 April 17, 2015 The cost is $10 per person. For more information visit admissions.unl.edu/visit/oncampus/redletterdays.aspx Scholarships for Graduating Seniors UNL Extension in York County cooperates with three different groups that offer scholarships to graduating high school seniors during the winter season. Those scholarships include: * The Dorothy and Howard May Trust Plant Science Scholarship: Last year a new scholarship was established. This $500 scholarship is available to graduating seniors who have been enrolled in 4-H Plant Science Projects in York County for a minimum of five years. The applications and information is due February 15, 2015, at the Nebraska Extension Office in York County. * The York County Corn Growers Scholarship At least two (2) one year $500 scholarships are available to any 4-H or FFA graduating Senior in York County. The applications and information are due February 15, 2015 at the York Chamber of Commerce Office. * The York County Pork Producers Scholarship A one year $500 scholarship is available to any youth that resides in York County or is graduating from a York County High School. The applications and information are due at the Nebraska Extension Office in York by March 1, Applications and additional information can be found at the York County Extension web site: then look for York County 4-H in the left hand column, and scroll down to Scholarships and look for the individual scholarship titles of interest to you. State 4-H Scholarships 4-H Members may also apply for one or more of the statewide Nebraska 4-H Scholarships; criteria and application forms can be found at: then click on the Recognition heading, with a March 2, 2015 application deadline. Those scholarships include: Donna Wampler Endowed Scholarship - $500. Murdoch s Ranch & Home Scholarship - $1,000 Orscheln Scholarship (3) - $1,000 Elbert Dickey and Beth Birnstihl Scholarship (3) $1,000 Horse Scholarship-Grand Island Saddle Club - $1,000 R. B. Warren 4-H Horse Educational Scholarship - $500 Complete scholarship general information and the scholarship application form are found at this web site. 4-H Shooting Sports information York County is fortunate to have an outstanding 4-H Shooting Sports program, highlighted by clubs in the York Community area in the Gresham community area and a new 4-H Archery opportunity in the Waco area. Contact the Extension Office if you have an interest in the 4-H Shooting Sports programs for BB Gun, Air Rifle, Air Pistol, Trap Shooting or Archery, and we ll try to line you up with a club that will meet your interests. Quilt Quest Project for 2015 The Quilt we will be doing this winter will be a quilt of valor. We have had several pounds of fabric donated and will be using the donated fabric to make quilts of valor on three different dates in Dates: Friday, January 2, :00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Saturday, February 7, :00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Saturday, March 21, :00 3:00 p.m. Please call the office and let Eileen know if you want to make a Quilt of Valor or two or three. It is no cost to you. We can take up to ten 4-Her s each time we sew. If you can only attend for a half-day session, we can work with that also. You must know how to sew a ¼ seam allowance and will learn about rotary cutting, fabric selection, and squaring up blocks. CASNR Scholarship Also available is a UNL College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources (CASNR) Scholarship open to any graduating senior planning to attend UNL CASNR with an ACT of 26 or higher may be eligible for a $1,000 scholarship. For more information, contact the Nebraska Extension Office in York. Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program Scholarships Students passionate about becoming an entrepreneur can now apply for scholarships to the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Scholarships are awarded annually to Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship students and renewable up to three years, dependent on student performance, according to Program Director Tom Field. 3

4 To apply, students must complete an application and series of essay questions at Applications are due by Feb. 15, "We encourage students from across various academic programs in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources to apply," Field said. "Our goal is to find students who are committed to building enterprises and who have the drive, passion and dedication to reshape rural economies through innovation and creativity applied to the broad realm of agribusiness. We are looking for students who are willing to accept risk in the pursuit of their dreams and who are willing to go the extra mile." The Engler experience includes the academic minor, travel experiences to learn from outstanding entrepreneurs, networking opportunities, internships and a host of other experiential programming. Students can become part of the Agribusiness Entrepreneurship and Leadership Program: Solutions for the Future, learning community through residence life. More information can be found at The Engler program began in 2010 with a $20 million gift over 10 years from the Paul F. and Virginia J. Engler Foundation. The purpose of the program is to identify students with the entrepreneurial drive and then foster development of professional skills conducive to success in applying entrepreneurism in agriculture and agribusiness. For more information about the program, visit engler.unl.edu. More 4-H Shooting Sports The 4-H Shooting Sports Clubs in York County for BB Gun and Air Rifle, will soon be starting. Clubs for Trap Shooting and 4-H Archery will getting started a little later in the year when the weather gets better. For more information about the 4-H Shooting Sports Clubs or their leaders, please contact the Nebraska Extension Office in York. P.A.S.E. and Life Challenge 2015 The P.A.S.E. and Life Challenge events are scheduled for June 29 and 30, 2015 on the East Campus of UNL. If you have an interest in being a part of the York County teams to participate in any of the events or contests, York County 4-H would enjoy having youth and teams compete in these fun and challenging contests. Contests included in the P.A.S.E. events are livestock judging, skill-a-thon, meats for consumers, poultry judging and Life Challenge contests. Contact the Extension Office for more information. ANIMAL SCIENCE NEWS 4-H and FFA Market Beef Weigh days The second Weigh Day for 4-H Market Beef is set for Saturday, January 31, 2015 at the York County Fairgrounds from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., weather permitting. 4-H Awards and Career Portfolio Hints Some 4-H Members didn t update their 4-H Career Portfolio information for the past year or two for a variety of reasons: maybe they were too busy; maybe it was because the fair premiums weren t linked to 4-H Records; maybe the computer ate the program or maybe you just didn t think about it in time to meet the September deadline--whatever the reason, we strongly encourage you to start to update that Career Portfolio as soon as possible. Hint #2 for 2015: As you start planning your 4-H Activities for 2015, look for a way to tie or connect your 4-H experiences to a non-4-h Activity. Use your 4-H skills and experiences with people, a project or an experience outside of the normal 4-H program. Examples might include: taking pets to a care home. Those More 4-H Animal Identification residents often love animals and pets, but of course, are not able to keep animals of their own. Plan an activity that might be used at a retirement home such as a small, easy craft that young and old hands can create and enjoy. Then make sure you mention this in your 4-H Career Portfolio and in your 4-H story. 4 All York County market beef animals that would like to be eligible to compete in 4-H sponsored market beef activities in the spring and summer will need to be tagged with an official 4-H ear tag and weighed on an acceptable scale. Those market beef animals to be eligible to compete at the State Fair and Ak-Sar-Ben will also need to have DNA samples collected and sent in to the State 4-H Office. Deadline for processing all market beef animals to be eligible for the county fair, the state fair and Ak-Sar -Ben is April 15, 2015, with data collected at weigh days, but animal identification must be made with the state 4-H and Ak- Sar-Ben on line by the exhibitor. Once data is collected, exhibitors will need to identify their animals with complete information on line by the April 15 deadline. On line identification information will be available at the weigh day sites. For York County in 2015, 4-H Beef tags are $1.00 and DNA samples must be accompanied by a $6.00 fee. All 4-H animals other than market beef must be identified by June 15, 2014 to be eligible for 4-H sponsored shows. Those species include: breeding beef, feeder calves, bucket calves, meat goats, dairy goats, dairy cattle, market lambs, breeding sheep, market hogs, market hogs, and horses for county fair use and rabbits for classes other than pets. Horses to be eligible for district and state shows must be identified at entry time around the first weekend of May, For 2015: all 4-H and FFA animals to be eligible to compete at the York County Fair and the Nebraska State Fair will need to have their identification made on line by the exhibitor. The deadlines for online identification are April 15 for Market Beef, and June

5 15 for breeding beef, feeder calf, sheep, swine, goats (both dairy and meat), dairy, rabbits and for York County only horses not eligible for the district and state 4-H Horse Shows. 4-H Horse Identification for animals that may be ridden at district and state 4-H Horse Shows are to be completed along with entry information by May 8, UNL Animal Science Open House You are invited to attend the 2015 Animal Science Open House at the UNL Animal Science Complex, East Campus in Lincoln, on February 23 rd, Check in at 8:30 a.m. and Adjourn at 2:00 p.m. Open House attendees will meet with current Animal Science Students and other prospective students; tour the complex; learn about campus clubs and organizations; and attend an actual Animal Science class. For the registration form,go to the link at or need to do is take the riding portion of the Levels work. Please check the Extension Office for more information or to get your 4-H Horsemanship Levels Booklet. Nebraska 4-H Horse Show Guide A reminder the Nebraska 4-H Horse Show and Judging Guide was updated in The new guide has a red and black colored cover. Please make sure to get one of these updated guides as you look forward to the H Horse Year. Horse Advancement Levels Registration needs to be completed by January 16, Horsin Around 2015 The Horsin Around 2015 at the R. B. Warren Arena in the Animal Science Complex on UNL s East Campus is scheduled for Feb. 28 and Mar. 1, Jeff Mellott, from Andover, KS will be the featured presenter. Mellott is an AQHA Professional Horseman, AQHA and NSBA Judge and AQHA Trainer of multiple World Beef Progress Shows and Congress Champions. Mellott is considered a master of teaching riders to reach their highest levels. Also presenting at the Horsin Around Program are Amy Allen Cook, DVM and Danielle Burns trainer of horses and youth who specializes in Western Pleasure. Registration Fee for Horsin Around in advance for Adults-$30 for both days or $20 for a single day; for Youth the fee is $20 for both days or $15 per day. Registration at the door is $30 per day Just a reminder for our younger riders; if you plan to compete at the District or State 4-H Horse shows, you must have completed Horse Advancement Level II by the time entries are due, May 8, Stop by the office and pick up the blue and tan colored Advancement Levels workbook to get firsthand information what is required for completion of the levels testing. York County is lucky to have leaders and program volunteers that can administer the Horse Advancement Level testing through Level III. Contact the office for more information and examiners names. There are several Beef Progress Shows slated for early in the New Year, and a few of them require a 4-H or other youth program ear tag. If you plan to participate in one of those Beef Progress Shows, plan to weigh and get your 4-H ear tags early. The Beef Progress Show closest to York is the York-Hamilton County Cattlemen s Beef Show scheduled for the last Saturday in March, March 28, Watch for more information directly from the York-Hamilton County Cattlemen s Association. 4-H Horse Stampede The H Horse Stampede will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2015 with entries due in the local extension office by February 13, This is an opportunity to get involved and excited about the horse project and horses before riding weather comes in the spring. Competitions at the 4-H Horse Stampede include Horse Bowl Teams for junior and senior divisions, an art contest, speech contest, and demonstration contest. Watch the next newsletters for more information on stampede events or go to the web site at: More 4-H Horse Info With several young members that are new to the 4-H Horse Projects, the cold weather months are great times to start work on 4-H Horse Advancement Levels. To be eligible to compete at District or State 4-H Horse Shows, riders must have completed Levels 1 and 2 by entry time that is usually in May. In the winter, riders can complete the knowledge and demonstration requirements, so when the weather gets nicer in the spring, all the member would 5

6 4 H Focus February 2015 The York County 4-H Focus is published by the York County 4-H Council and the York County Extension Staff. OFFICE HOURS 8 a.m. Noon, 1 5 p.m. Monday Friday PHONE FAX York-County@unl.edu INTERNET MAILING ADDRESS York County Extension 2345 Nebraska Ave York NE STAFF Gary Zoubek, Educator Eileen Krumbach, Educator Gerald Peterson, Assistant Steph Stanley, Office Manager Sue Stahr, Office Assistant February is Nebraska 4-H Month The 4-H Program in Nebraska celebrates February as Nebraska 4-H Month. The Theme for Nebraska 4-H Month for 2015 is #iam4h. Go online, google it, whatever, but see what #iam4h has for you! 4-H in Nebraska celebrates its involvement of more than 140,000 youth in the learning, challenging and fun activities of 4-H, and its over 42,000 youth members who are a part of a 4-H Club. In York County, over 800 youth are involved in 4-H through club participation, traditional 4-H Projects, in school and out of school involvement and special interest activities. And there s always room for many more. Raising Nebraska Celebrates Nebraska 4-H Month To help celebrate Nebraska 4-H Month, Raising Nebraska is hosting a 4-H Day, Saturday, February 7, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.in the Nebraska Building on the State Fairgrounds at Fonner Park in Grand Island. Guests will be treated to interactive hands-on stations focused on 4-H Programs and information about Nebraska Agriculture. Raising Nebraska is an interactive experience, featuring science and innovation, to community and culture like no other. The event will be a 25,000 square foot interactive exhibit that lets youth become a part of the exhibit in ways they would never imagine. For more information on Raising Nebraska and 4-H Day visit 4-H Enrollment and Mailings Starting in January 2015 all Nebraska 4-H Members will be asked to enroll into the 4-H Program On Line. Visit our website for a link to the website and instructions on how to enroll. You now have the option to use a credit/debit card to pay on line, or you can still bring your payment of $5 to the Extension Office.

7 For youth and families that don t have access to a computer or would like help, come to the UNL Extension Office in York, and the staff here will help guide you through the process of entering the information. Club leaders, if you would like to enroll everyone during a club meeting, contact the Extension Office and we ll help you get everything set up and everyone enrolled. Part Time Position for Summer Programming Part-time temporary position working with the 4-H program in York County. Position will include planning, designing materials, teaching and setting up workshops in the Family Consumer Sciences area. Position will also assist with preparing for and conducting the 2015 York County Fair Family Consumer Science area. Programs will reflect the educational mission of the Nebraska State 4-H Program. Education degree and/or relevant teaching experience preferred; prior 4-H experience helpful. Please submit current resume, letter of interest, and list of three professional references to Gary Zoubek, York County Extension Office, 2345 Nebraska Av., York, NE gary.zoubek@unl.edu Fax: Question Salary commensurate with experience. Driving record review, criminal history background check, and reference check will be conducted. Review of application materials begins February 20. UNL is committed to a pluralistic campus community through affirmative action, equal opportunity, work-life balance, and dual careers. This position is subject to veteran s preference. 4-H Leader / Volunteer Enrollment 4-H Leaders and Volunteers are asked to use the hard copy form found at to sign up for The on line form isn t ready for leaders and volunteers yet. Please use this enrollment method for 2015 to make sure you continue to receive 4-H mailings and information and that 4-H Volunteering stays current for our records. There is no enrollment fee for 4-H Leaders or volunteers. Junior Leader News York County is excited about finally getting a Junior Leader Club organized and active for The Junior Leader Club is for youth that will be 14 to 18 years of age during 2015 and are enrolled members of the 4-H Program in York County. Lori Bruns, the new 4-H Junior Leader Club Leader, is planning a first meeting for February 8 or February 15, at the 4-H Building in York, your preference will help plan the meeting. Please contact Lori by cell phone at or wbruns@stewireless.com or contact the Nebraska Extension Office in York and the information will be forwarded Project Resource Central The 2015 Project Resource Central replaces the Pick Your Project publication with an update of all the 4-H Projects available in the Nebraska 4-H Program. The Project Resource Central is available for viewing or printing from the Nebraska 4-H web site It is then easiest to just type in the name Project Resource Central in the search blank of the site and the listing of 4-H sponsored projects should be available for reading or for printing. The same publication will be able to be found at the UNL Extension in York County web site: just click on York County 4-H and scroll down to the 2015 Pick Your Project link under the enrollment information. Then, if you are unable to download the information, contact the Extension Office and we can get you a hard copy. 2 4-H Leaders Banquet The York County 4-H Council hosted the 69 th Annual 4-H Leaders Banquet on Sunday, January 25, 2015 with fortyseven years of 4-H Program Leadership volunteering being recognized. Special Recognition pins and certificates were awarded for years of service to the 4-H Program: Twenty years as 4-H Leader recognition to Tammy DeBoer; ten year recognition pin was given to Karol Swan. Five year recognition awards went to Xann Linhart, Mike Dey and Kristine DeBoer. A two year leadership pin was awarded to Alivia Peters. The York County 4-H Council extends its sincerest Thank You and Congratulations to these 4-H leaders and the fifty plus volunteers and leaders that were not recognized this year, for their efforts to help youth enjoy a very positive fun and learning experience through 4-H. More 4-H Leaders Banquet 2015 marked the 57 th time that the Agricultural Cooperatives that serve York County have helped sponsor the York County 4-H Leaders Banquet. That is a truly remarkable run of support by those cooperatives for the 4-H Program and the volunteers that make it work. The next time you visit with any of the cooperatives or their staff, be sure to say Thank You ; their support of the 4-H Leaders Banquet is very much appreciated. The Agricultural Cooperatives that serve York County and help sponsor the 4-H Leaders Banquet are: Henderson Community Cooperative; Aurora Cooperative; the Farmer s Cooperative of Dorchester and McCool Junction and Central Valley Ag Cooperative (CVA). 4-H Speech & PSA Contest The York County 4-H Public Speaking and Radio

8 PSA contest is scheduled for April 22, Now is the time to start gearing up for this contest. We will ask that you register by mid April. PSA s are due by that registration date, to make sure they can be played for the competition. All PSA s should include the H Theme of 4-H Grows... There are Speech Contest divisions for Clover Kid (ages 5 to 7,) Novice (8, 9 &10, with no more than 1 previous 4-H speech, not eligible for Regional Speech Contest), Junior Division (8 10), Intermediate Division (11 13) and Senior Division (14-18 years of age). PSA divisions for Junior, Intermediate and Senior (same ages as speech contests divisions). * * * Please check the age divisions in both speech and PSA contests, as there are changes from previous years. * * * Complete guidelines and rules for the York County 4-H Public Speaking Contest can be found at the UNL Extension in York County web site: click on York County 4-H then search for H Public Speaking Contest under project information. Regional 4-H Speech & PSA Contest The Regional 4-H Public Speaking and Radio PSA contest is scheduled for Thursday, May 21, 2015, at the Animal Science Complex on the East Campus of UNL, in Lincoln. You can request your preference for times to present your speech in the contest. Regional 4-H Public speaking contestants are selected at the York County contest H Photography Themes The 2015 Nebraska 4-H Photography themes are structured to encourage 4-Hers to explore potential careers in photography. UNIT II: CAREER EXHIBIT PRINT: Explore a career as an editorial photographer. Editorial photographers take pictures that highlight the topics being written about in books, magazines and newspapers. Editorial photos should creative, powerful images that ell an intriguing story. Let s tell a story about why we love our Nebraska communities. Capture photos that tell a story about your Nebraska Community. UNIT III: CAREER EXHIBIT PRINT: Explore a career as a commercial photographer. Commercial photographers take pictures that are used for promotional purposes. Commercial photographs are often used in print and online communication materials like advertisements, brochures, flyers, web sites, social media, banners, & direct messages. Capture commercial photos that tell a story of 4-H in your Nebraska community. Scholarships for Graduating Seniors UNL Extension in York County cooperates with three different groups that offer scholarships to graduating high school seniors during the winter season. Those scholarships 3 include: * The Dorothy and Howard May Trust Plant Science Scholarship: Last year a new scholarship was established. This $500 scholarship is available to graduating seniors who have been enrolled in 4-H Plant Science Projects in York County for a minimum of five years. The applications and information is due February 15, 2015, at the Nebraska Extension Office in York County. * The York County Corn Growers Scholarship At least two (2) one year $500 scholarships are available to any 4-H or FFA graduating Senior in York County. The applications and information are due February 15, 2015 at the York Chamber of Commerce Office. * The York County Pork Producers Scholarship A one year $500 scholarship is available to any youth that resides in York County or is graduating from a York County High School. The applications and information are due at the Nebraska Extension Office in York by March 1, Applications and additional information can be found at the York County Extension web site: then look for York County 4-H in the left hand column, and scroll down to Scholarships and look for the individual scholarship titles of interest to you. State 4-H Scholarships 4-H Members may also apply for one or more of the statewide Nebraska 4-H Scholarships; criteria and application forms can be found at: then click on the Recognition heading, with a March 2, 2015 application deadline. Those scholarships include: Donna Wampler Endowed Scholarship - $500. Murdoch s Ranch & Home Scholarship - $1,000 Orscheln Scholarship (3) - $1,000 Elbert Dickey and Beth Birnstihl Scholarship (3) $1,000 Horse Scholarship-Grand Island Saddle Club - $1,000 R. B. Warren 4-H Horse Educational Scholarship - $500 Complete scholarship general information and the scholarship application form are found at this web site. Information on other scholarships available that can be found at the York Extension web site: include: CASNR Scholarship Also available is a UNL College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources (CASNR) Scholarship open to any graduating senior planning to attend UNL CASNR with an ACT of 26 or higher may be eligible for a $1,000 scholarship. NACEB Scholarships As our high school seniors are working on their scholarships for the spring, please consider the NACEB Scholarships. The Nebraska Association of County Extension

9 Boards offers one $1000 scholarship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) or in the College of Education and Human Sciences (CEHS) for students entering school for their first year either as freshmen or as transfer students. The applications for the school year must be received by CASNR by March 15, There is also one $500 scholarship for a current student (sophomore or higher) enrolled in CASNR or CEHS. The STEAM Clothing Series This new series of curricula looks at clothing in a whole new way - from the points of view of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Youth will experience the cyclical processes of science, engineering, and design. They will also be introduced to the technology available in sewing and how math fits into clothing construction. These new projects will take the place of current Sewing For Fun, Clothing 1 & 2, Decorate Your Duds, Sewing for You and Tailoring. Beyond the Needle: youth will learn all about the 'A' in STEAM Clothing -- the Art! This youth manual includes activities for three skill levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Youth will learn the design basics and create a portfolio to exhibit samples made to practice specific techniques. Then, youth will be able to create their own fabulous embellishments and treatments on garments. If you love art, then this STEAM Clothing manual is for you! Beyond the Needle replaces Decorate your Duds. STEAM Clothing 1: FUNdamentals, STEAM Clothing 2: Simply Sewing, STEAM Clothing 3: A Stitch Further CLASS 6: Pincushion CLASS 7: Pillowcase CLASS 8: Simple Pillow CLASS 9: Bag/Purse CLASS 10: Simple Top CLASS 11: Simple Bottom pants, shorts, or skirt CLASS 12: Simple Dress CLASS 13: Other Using skills learned in project manual. CLASS 14: Upcycled Simple Garment CLASS 15: Upcycled Accessory DIVISION 221, BEYOND THE NEEDLE (Replacing Decorate your Duds) 4-H members must show their own creativity. Class 1: Beginning Embellished Garment. Class 2: Beginning Textile Clothing Accessory. Shooting Sports Good News, the 4-H BB Gun, Air Rifle and Air Pistol clubs are ready to start up and begin meeting and practicing for The Gresham BB Gun, Air Rifle and Air Pistol Club with Mike Dey and Doug Rafert and the 4-H BB Gun Club in York with Russ Linhart are both having practices and preparing for upcoming matches, plus Archery is being added to the Shooting Sports projects to be offered and in competition at the 2015 York County Fair with clubs in the York and Waco areas. If you have an interest in the 4-H Shooting Sports, contact one of these certified Shooting Sports Leaders or the Extension Office for more information. DIVISION 900, STEAM Clothing 1 Exhibits will be simple articles requiring minimal skills. Follow suggested skills in project manual. May exhibit one item per class number. 4-H'ers who have enrolled in or completed STEAM Clothing 2 project are not eligible to exhibit in STEAM Clothing 1. CLASS 1: Clothing Portfolio CLASS 2: Sewing Kit CLASS 3: Fabric Textile Scrapbook CLASS 4: What s The Difference CLASS 5: Clothing Service Project Beginning Sewing Exhibits: Exhibits must be made from medium weight woven fabrics that will sew and press smoothly, flannel/ fleece is acceptable. Solid color fabrics or those having an overall print are acceptable. NO PLAIDS, STRIPES, NAPPED or JERSEY KNIT. Patterns should be simple without darts, set-in sleeves, and collars. Raglan and kimono sleeves are acceptable State BB Gun and Air Rifle Championships The Nebraska State 4-H BB Gun and Air Rifle Championships are set for March at the Broken Bow High School in NE. BB Gun on Saturday, March 14 and Air Rifle on Sunday, March 15 at the high school. Pre-registration is required for both events. Registration information and entry forms can be found at shootingsportseventcalendar 4-H Camping Camping has always been a big part of the 4-H experience and Nebraska 4-H has another busy season of 4-H camping experiences planned for the summer of The 4-H Summer Camps and Trips brochure can be picked up at the Extension office any time, or camp information can be found at the 4-H web site then look for the Camps & Conferences heading near the top of the page. The York County 4-H Council offers scholarship monies for any county youth to attend a 4-H sponsored camping experience. The scholarships are $25 for camps that are up to 4

10 three days in length and $50 scholarships for camping experiences that are longer than 3 full days. Call the extension office if you have questions. We encourage youth to take part of and the 4-H camping and take advantage of the 4-H Council s camping scholarships. 4 th Annual Innovative Youth Corn Challenge Nebraska Extension and the Nebraska Corn Board are offering the fourth Innovative Youth Corn Challenge contest. This contest, open to 4-H members (age 10 & older as of Jan. 1st) or FFA members (in-school members), guides participants through all aspects of corn production, as well as agricultural careers related to corn production. As a team, youth will be challenged to implement a production practice different than normal to determine if they increased their yield. Economics and sustainability of the practice will also be considered. Yields, cropping history, and production information will be collected in the Corn Yield Challenge management summary. Cash prizes and plaques will be given to the first, second, and third place teams. First place will receive $1,000, second place will receive $500, and third place will receive $250. Sustainability, crop scouting and extra mile awards will also be given, each worth $200. To participate in 2015, interested youth are asked to complete and return an entry form by March 10th to the York County Extension Office. Forms can be downloaded at cropwatch.unl.edu/youth/activities. For more information, contact Gary by phone at or gzoubek1@unl.edu 4-H Plant Science 2014 Thanks to the Dorothy & Howard May Foundation, the 4-H Council will again be providing, seeds and plants for those interested in the horticulture and floriculture areas. This year back by popular demand will be the Container Gardening project which will include hanging baskets, small and medium containers, edible gardens, herb gardens and recycled or re-purposed gardens. Those exhibitors that exhibit will again receive $10 for participating in these special Dorothy and Howard May classes. Special annual flowers and veggies will be: Two varieties of carrots - White Satin Carrot and TBA Yummies Peppers Sweet snackable pepers in red, orange and yellow Mixed Candy Stripe Zinnias It should be a lot of fun in an area of science in which we all can participate and enjoy. In Need of Fair Superintendents, Jr Superintendents and Livestock Committee members The York County Fair offers youth and adults an interesting challenge, encouraging them to take on a leadership or volunteering role. These challenges include Superintendent, Junior Superintendent and Livestock Committee roles where youth and adults become part of the planning and organizational team in many of the areas of programming at the fair. Those superintendent roles allow youth to work hand in hand with adult volunteers to plan, oversee and carry out the wide varieties of contests, shows and events that happen during the fair. 4-H Youth not only are doing community service that looks great in their 4-H Career Portfolio, but that volunteering might serve as community service for their school requirement and best of all, Junior Superintendents provide a very valuable service to the county fair. Usually these Junior Superintendent roles require only limited time, but are valuable learning experiences. If teens, preferably those ages 14 and older, have an interest in serving as a York County Fair Junior Superintendent, please pass the information to the Extension staff with your area of interest, and we ll fit you in to a great experience for youth and the fair. 4-H Career Portfolio Awards Hint #4 Section One: Project Accomplishments of the Career Portfolio asks for the things you did or accomplished while involved in your 4-H project areas. Project accomplishments can mean completing projects, being rewarded for efforts, learning something new and maybe just trying something you haven t tried before. One easy way to add to a list of project accomplishments is to try one new project every year, maybe more than one. If you always make a food item for the fair competition, maybe try a food preservation project this year or maybe try photography to take pictures of your other projects, try building an item(s) in an engineering project, or even though they are not listed as projects, try giving a speech or presentation. All are great additions to your career portfolio information. By adding an experience to what you always do, you will enhance the information in that section of your portfolio. The new project might be fun. You might make a friend taking the project. You might even enjoy it enough to do it again next year. And it will be an excellent addition to your career portfolio. Dates for the 2015 York County Fair are August 6 9, 2015 Mark your calendar-- we want to see you there! 5

11 4-H ANIMAL and LIVESTOCK NEWS Livestock Quality Assurance for 2015 All youth enrolled in beef, sheep, swine, dairy goat, meat goats, dairy cattle, rabbit, or poultry projects are required to complete Quality Assurance. In the past there have been other options for completing Quality Assurance, but for 2015, only the Livestock Quality Assurance Moodle Course (online course) will be supported, meaning most all previously available material has not been updated for several years. If youth have not registered for the course before, they can search for Nebraska Livestock Quality Assurance and register using the enrollment key Nebraska, however, if they are already registered, the course will appear in their course list. For 2015 there will be a $5.00 fee for each participant in the LQA program. The fee is to be used to keeping the LQA program up to date and providing additional videos and lessons as they are needed. Questions concerning registration may be ed to lqa@unl.edu. Livestock and Animal deadlines April 15 - Deadline for market beef identification and DNA sample collection May 9 - District 4-H Horse Entries, ID s and Advancement Levels due May 31 - Deadline for York County 4-H Project enrollment June 15 - Deadline for all animal ID information, ear tagging, ear notches, ear tattoos, and DNA samples where required for all 4-H and FFA market and breeding livestock, feeder calves, (York County Fair only) light horses, and breed rabbits. June 15 - Suggested Deadline for completing the Livestock Quality Assurance Course Canine Companions for Life 4-H Dog Expo The Canine Companions for Life Dog Expo is to be held at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Hastings, Friday and Saturday, May 1 and 2, For up to date information or registration please visit: anscextensioncompanionanimals HORSE NEWS Youth at least 10 years of age and under 19 years of age on January 1, 2015 may ride and compete at District and State 4-H Horse Shows. Junior Division is ages from Senior Division is ages from Entry fees will be $10 per class or contest All riders at District and State 4-H events must have completed the Horse Advancement Levels for the classes in 6 which they are entering: Horse Advancement Level 2 for Western Pleasure, Western Horsemanship, Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Seat Equitation, Reining, Poles and Barrels and Level 3 for Advanced Classes, Trail Horse Class, Working Ranch Horse Roping, plus Two and Three Year Old Snaffle Bit Pleasure classes. Horse Show Dates The 2015 District 4-H Horse Shows nearest York County include: June 15 McCook June 16 Ord June 17 Wayne June 18 - Seward Dates for the State 4-H Horse Show at Fonner Park in Grand Island are July 13 16, Horse Level testing, Horse ID s & District & State Horse Entries are due in the UNL Extension Office in York by 5:00 p.m. May 15, If families or exhibitors are now show eligible at the District and State Show and have questions, please contact the Extension Office and we will try to answer those questions and get you started in the right direction to be eligible to compete in Horsin Around 2015 The Horsin Around 2015 at the R. B. Warren Arena in the Animal Science Complex on UNL s East Campus is scheduled for Feb. 28 and Mar. 1, Jeff Mellott, from Andover, KS will be the featured presenter. Mellott is an AQHA Professional Horseman, AQHA and NSBA Judge and AQHA Trainer of multiple World and Congress Champions. Mellott is considered a master of teaching riders to reach their highest levels. Also presenting at the Horsin Around Program are Amy Allen Cook, DVM and Danielle Burns trainer of horses and youth who specializes in Western Pleasure. Registration Fee for Horsin Around in advance for Adults: $30 for both days or $20 for a single day; for Youth the fee is $20 for both days or $15 per day. Registration at the door is $30 per day. 4-H Horse Stampede The H Horse Stampede will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2015 with entries due in the local extension office by February 13, This is an opportunity to get involved and excited about the horse project and horses before riding weather comes in the spring. Competitions at the 4-H Horse Stampede include Horse Bowl Teams for junior and senior divisions, an art contest, speech contest, and demonstration contest. Watch the next newsletters for more information on stampede events or go to the web site at: stampede

12 NE 4-H Roping Clinic A 4-H Horse Roping Clinic is scheduled for the Lilienthal Indoor Arena near Grand Island on March 21 & 22, Justin and Garrett Nokes will be the main instructors for Tie Down and Breakaway roping and Team Roping. The Nokes Brothers from McCook train roping horses, are PRCA Ropers and are qualifiers for the National Finals Rodeo. Events training fees are $60 per day without a horse or $80 with a horse and overnight stall are available for $15 per night. Spectators are free. To register for the clinic or for more information, contact Monte Stauffer by phone at More 4-H Horse Info With several young members that are new to the 4-H Horse Projects, the cold weather months are great times to start work on 4-H Horse Advancement Levels. To be eligible to compete at District or State 4-H Horse Shows, riders must have completed Levels 1 and 2 by entry time that is usually in May. In the winter, riders can complete the knowledge and demonstration requirements, so when the weather gets nicer in the spring, all the member would need to do is take the riding portion of the Levels work. Please check the Extension Office for more information or to get your 4-H Horsemanship Levels Booklet. Nebraska 4-H Horse Show Guide A reminder the Nebraska 4-H Horse Show and Judging Guide was updated in The guide to use has a red and black colored cover. Please make sure to get one of these updated guides as you look forward to the H Horse Year. Horse Advancement Levels Just a reminder for our younger riders; if you plan to compete at the District or State 4-H Horse shows, you must have completed Horse Advancement Level II by the time entries are due, May 8, Stop by the office and pick up the blue and tan colored Advancement Levels workbook to get firsthand information what is required for completion of the levels testing. York County is lucky to have leaders and program volunteers that can administer the Horse Advancement Level testing through Level III. Contact the office for more information and examiners names. Horse Advancement Levels Work Now is a great time to complete the written portion, the test portion and presentation portions of the Horse Advancement Levels work so when the weather does get better all the work left to complete would be the riding skills portion of the Levels requirements. Stop by the Extension Office any time to pick up one of the Horse Advancement Levels Workbook. Bucket Calf reminder 4-H members looking to exhibit Bucket Calves this year need to identify those calves by official 4-H ear tag by June 15, Bucket calves can be steer or heifer calves, of any breed, (dairy or beef breed, or crossbred), and may be the best experience if born between January 1 and May 1, Members 10 years of age and older are reminded to take pictures of their calves at the beginning of the project and at the end of the project year, as required by the project guidelines. The Extension Office has a booklet of information on the 4-H Bucket Calf Project and the judging of the class at the York County Fair. Contact the Extension Office if you have questions, would like more information or maybe even to help find that bucket calf for the year. Returning Bucket Calf reminder 4-H members with Bucket Calves from 2014 can bring those animals back to the York County fair as Returning Bucket calves in the Market Steer and Market Heifer Divisions or in the breeding heifer show as a Home Raised Breeding Heifer. Those Returning Bucket Calves to be shown in the Market Classes need to be weighed in at the early Market Beef Weighing Tagging days. Those animals are market animals at the fair and only eligible for the special classes for returning bucket calf animals. Beef Progress Shows The York-Hamilton County Cattlemen s Beef Progress Show will be at the York County Fairgrounds, Saturday, March 28, The York-Hamilton Cattlemen will check in entries Friday, March 27 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and from 7:30 to 8:00 the morning of the show. For more information, contact Kim Regier or Gerald Peterson at the UNL Extension Office in York County (402) or by at: gpeterson2@unl.edu 7

13 4 H Focus March 2015 The York County 4-H Focus is published by the York County 4-H Council and the York County Extension Staff. OFFICE HOURS 8 a.m. Noon, 1 5 p.m. Monday Friday PHONE FAX York-County@unl.edu INTERNET MAILING ADDRESS York County Extension 2345 Nebraska Ave York NE STAFF Gary Zoubek, Educator Eileen Krumbach, Educator Gerald Peterson, Assistant Steph Stanley, Office Manager Sue Stahr, Office Assistant 4-H Enrollment and Mailings The deadline for enrolling in 4-H in York County is fast approaching. For 2015, the easiest way to enroll is by using the 4-H Online program, following the instructions on the web site. Families that have enrolled are telling us it is a little scary at first, but turns out to be faster and easier than they thought it would be. All 4-H members are asked to complete the information by March 15, H Clover Kids are to be 5 to 7 years of age on January 1 of the current year. Clover Kid members are eligible to carry the specially designed projects designated as Clover Kid Projects. 4-H members need to be 8 to 18 years of age as of January 1 of the current calendar year (turn 9 during the 2015 calendar year) to be eligible to carry any of the wide variety of 4-H projects listed in the 2015 Project Resource Central booklet. In York County, there is an annual fee for both Clover Kids and regular 4-H members of $5.00 per youth, no matter how many clubs the 4-H Member may belong to or how many projects in which they enroll. 4-H Members may pay the enrollment fee on line with a credit card or by check at the Nebraska Extension Office in York Project Enrollment with animals The 2015 Project Enrollment is for both 4-H members and their market animals. Exhibitors must first complete the member enrollment using the 4-HOnline program, then pay their York County 4-H Enrollment fee of $5.00, then the Animal Enrollment program will allow the members to sign up their market animals for Market Beef, Market Lamb, Market Meat Goat and Market Swine via the web link: Information to be entered is that information from the 4-H Market Beef Weigh Day.

14 4-H Leader / Volunteer Enrollment 4-H Leaders and Volunteers are asked to use the hard copy form found at to sign up for The on line form isn t ready for leaders and volunteers yet. Please use this enrollment method for 2015 to make sure you continue to receive 4-H mailings and information and that 4-H Volunteering stays current for our records. There is no enrollment fee for 4-H Leaders or volunteers Project Resource Central The 2015 Project Resource Central--what used to be the Pick-A-Project -- is available for viewing or printing from the Nebraska 4-H web site It is easiest to just to go to the York County website, click on the heading York County 4-H then scroll down to Project Resource Central. The listing of 4-H sponsored projects should be available for reading or for printing. If you are unable to download the information, contact the Extension Office and we can get you a hard copy. 4-H Speech & PSA Contest The York County 4-H Public Speaking and Radio PSA contest is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at the 4-H building. Now is the time to start gearing up for this contest. We will ask that you register by mid April. PSA s are due by that registration date to make sure they can be played for the competition. All PSA s should include the H Theme of 4-H Grows... There are Speech Contest divisions for Clover Kid (ages 5 to 7,) Novice (8, 9 &10, with no more than 1 previous 4-H speech, not eligible for Regional Speech Contest), Junior Division (8 10), Intermediate Division (11 13) and Senior Division (14-18 years of age). PSA divisions for Junior, Intermediate and Senior (same ages as speech contests divisions). * * * Please check the age divisions in both speech and PSA contests, as there are changes from previous years. * * * Complete guidelines and rules for the York County 4-H Public Speaking Contest can be found at the UNL Extension in York County web site: click on York County 4-H then search for H Public Speaking Contest under project information H Photography Themes The 2015 Nebraska 4-H Photography themes are structured to encourage 4-Hers to explore potential careers in photography. UNIT II: CAREER EXHIBIT PRINT: Explore a career as an editorial photographer. Editorial photographers take pictures that highlight the topics being written about in books, magazines and newspapers. Editorial photos should creative, powerful images that tell an intriguing story. Let s tell a story about why we love our Nebraska communities. Capture photos that tell a story about your Nebraska Community. UNIT III: CAREER EXHIBIT PRINT: Explore a career as a commercial photographer. Commercial photographers take pictures that are used for promotional purposes. Commercial photographs are often used in print and online communication materials like advertisements, brochures, flyers, web sites, social media, banners, & direct messages. Capture commercial photos that tell a story of 4-H in your Nebraska community. Junior Leader News Did you check out the pictures from the first York County Junior Leader Club meeting of 2015 held in February? A few pictures from that first meeting can be found at the York County 4-H facebook page. The Junior Leader Club is for youth as soon as they reach 13 years of age and are enrolled members of the 4-H Program in York County. That age matches state Junior Leader age guidelines. The Junior Leader Club, along with Lori Bruns, the new 4-H Junior Leader Club Leader, are planning more meetings for the spring and a Quad County Junior Leader meeting for a York location later this spring. I f you missed that first fun Junior Leader meeting but are still interested in the group, contact Lori by cell phone at or wbruns@stewireless.com,or contact the Nebraska Extension Office in York and the information will be forwarded. It looks to be a fun organization of 4-H teens. 2 Important CWF Citizenship Washington Focus Trip info For those teens interested or planning to be a part of the Citizenship Washing Focus Trip (CWF) in 2016, an was sent on March 3, 2015 with a reply form asking for basic information from any 4-H teen with an interest in being a part of that tremendous experience. It is extremely important to complete the information and return it on time to keep your name on the list. The trip is limited to no more than forty teens from a 4 to 6 county area. If you do not return the information sheet, you probably will not be included on the trip. We ll try to keep you up to date, but check your , then if you didn t get it by , contact the extension Office in York and we ll get you the information in hard copy. The CWF Trip is one of the 4-H experiences that you will remember for the rest of your lives. Every trip participant that was able to go will tell you how great this experience really is and will tell you how important it is to try to make the trip.

15 Don t hesitate, if you would like to be a part of this experience. CASNR Scholarship Also available is a UNL College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources (CASNR) Scholarship open to any graduating senior planning to attend UNL CASNR with an ACT of 26 or higher may be eligible for a $1,000 scholarship. NACEB Scholarships As our high school seniors are working on their scholarships for the spring, please consider the NACEB Scholarships. The Nebraska Association of County Extension Boards offers one $1000 scholarship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) or in the College of Education and Human Sciences (CEHS) for students entering school for their first year either as freshmen or as a transfer student. The applications for the school year must be received by CASNR by March 15, There is also one $500 scholarship for a current student (sophomore or higher) enrolled in CASNR or CEHS. Shooting Sports Good News, the 4-H BB Gun, Air Rifle and Air Pistol clubs are ready to start up and begin meeting and practicing for The Gresham BB Gun, Air Rifle and Air Pistol Club with Mike Dey and Doug Rafert and the 4-H BB Gun Club in York with Russ Linhart are both having practices and preparing for upcoming matches, plus Archery is being added to the Shooting Sports projects to be offered and in competition at the 2015 York County Fair with clubs in the York and Waco areas. If you have an interest in the 4-H Shooting Sports, contact one of these certified Shooting Sports Leaders or the Extension Office for more information. State BB Gun and Air Rifle Championships The Nebraska State 4-H BB Gun and Air Rifle Championships are set for March at the Broken Bow High School in Broken Bow, NE. BB Gun on Saturday, March 14 and Air Rifle on Sunday, March 15 at the high school. Pre-registration is required for both events. Registration information and entry forms can be found at shootingsportseventcalendar 3 4-H Camping Camping has always been a big part of the 4-H experience and Nebraska 4-H has another busy season of 4-H camping experiences planned for the summer of The 4-H Summer Camps and Trips brochure can be picked up at the Extension office any time, or camp information can be found at the 4-H web site then look for the Camps & Conferences heading near the top of the page. The York County 4-H Council offers scholarship monies for any county youth to attend a 4-H sponsored camping experience. The scholarships are $25 for camps that are up to three days in length and $50 scholarships for camping experiences that are longer than 3 full days. Call the extension office if you have questions. We encourage youth to be a part of 4-H camping and take advantage of the 4-H Council s camping scholarships. 4 th Annual Innovative Youth Corn Challenge Nebraska Extension and the Nebraska Corn Board are offering the fourth Innovative Youth Corn Challenge contest. This contest, open to 4-H members (age 10 & older as of Jan. 1st) or FFA members (inschool members), guides participants through all aspects of corn production, as well as agricultural careers related to corn production. As a team, youth will be challenged to implement a production practice different than normal to determine if they increased their yield. Economics and sustainability of the practice will also be considered. Yields, cropping history, and production information will be collected in the Corn Yield Challenge management summary. Cash prizes and plaques will be given to the first, second, and third place teams. First place will receive $1,000, second place will receive $500, and third place will receive $250. Sustainability, crop scouting and extra mile awards will also be given, each worth $200. To participate in 2015, interested youth are asked to complete and return an entry form by March 10th to the York County Extension Office. Forms can be downloaded at cropwatch.unl.edu/youth/activities. For more information, contact Gary by phone at or gzoubek1@unl.edu 4-H Plant Science 2015 Thanks to the Dorothy & Howard May Foundation, the 4-H Council will again be providing seeds and plants for those interested in the horticulture and floriculture areas. This year, back by popular demand, will be the Container Gardening project which will include hanging baskets, small and medium containers, edible gardens, herb gardens and recycled or re-purposed gardens. Those exhibitors that exhibit will again receive $10 for participating in these special Dorothy and Howard May classes. Special annual flowers and veggies will be: * Two varieties of carrots - White Satin Carrot and TBA * Yummies Peppers Sweet snackable peppers in red, orange and yellow * Mixed Candy Stripe Zinnias

16 It should be a lot of fun in an area of science in which we all can participate and enjoy. 4-H Career Portfolio Awards Hint #9 While it is early in the 4-H year, it is a great time to start making those little decisions that can be a great addition to the Career Portfolio and your Awards book. Find your photographer --start now to line up someone to take pictures of you working on your projects or working on community service projects or, best of all, helping other 4-H members with their projects. Those small changes in pictures with captions can have a large impact on the first impression your awards booklet makes to judges. It s a great time to start planning for your Citizenship or Community Service project for the year. A very large part of the 4-H Awards evaluation or Career Portfolio evaluation is what 4-H members list in Section 2: 4-H Leadership, Community Service, Volunteer, Citizenship & Educational Experiences. Plan a project, list it in the correct Career Portfolio spot and enjoy the rewards and the satisfaction of completing community service. 4 The STEAM Clothing Series This new series of curricula looks at clothing in a whole new way - from the points of view of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Youth will experience the cyclical processes of science, engineering, and design. They will also be introduced to the technology available in sewing and how math fits into clothing construction. These new projects will take the place of current Sewing For Fun, Clothing 1 & 2, Decorate Your Duds, Sewing for You and Tailoring. * Beyond the Needle: youth will learn all about the 'A' in STEAM Clothing -- the Art! This youth manual includes activities for three skill levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Youth will learn the design basics and create a portfolio to exhibit samples made to practice specific techniques. Then, youth will be able to create their own fabulous embellishments and treatments on garments. If you love art, then this STEAM Clothing manual is for you! Beyond the Needle replaces Decorate your Duds. * STEAM Clothing 1: FUNdamentals, youth will gather the tools they'll need to begin sewing, understand textiles through fun science experiments, learn beginning math and engineering techniques in clothing construction, and take their skills a step further, investigating businesses, service learning projects, and modeling. FUNdamentals combines Sewing For Fun & Clothing 1. * STEAM Clothing 2: Simply Sewing, youth will prepare for more advanced sewing techniques and projects, conduct more advanced textile science experiments, focus on advanced engineering techniques, add finishing touches and style to garments, and market and calculate prices of products. This curriculum is a combined leader/youth guide, with pages to print/copy for youth to complete as part of the activities. * STEAM Clothing 3: A Stitch Further replaces Challenging Patterns and Challenging Fabrics (Sewing For You and Tailoring projects), youth will learn the advanced, couture techniques used by designers to create unique garments. Youth will take the science of textiles a step further, and learn to sew garments with challenging patterns and fabrics, learn couture sewing techniques, and learn how to sell your professional-looking garments and accessories. This curriculum is a youth guide, with pages for youth to complete as part of the activities. A Stitch Further builds upon the skills developed in Simply Sewing and FUNdamentals and continues the development of the portfolio. This curriculum is available in both a printed and digital version. You will be able to take the Beyond the Needle project and only 1 Clothing level project, do not try and sign up for Beyond the Needle, Clothing 1 and Clothing 3 this will not be allowed. DIVISION 900, STEAM Clothing 1 Fair Exhibits Exhibits will be simple articles requiring minimal skills. Follow suggested skills in project manual. May exhibit one item per class number. 4-H'ers who have enrolled in or completed STEAM Clothing 2 project are not eligible to exhibit in STEAM Clothing 1. CLASS 1: Clothing Portfolio CLASS 2: Sewing Kit CLASS 3: Fabric Textile Scrapbook CLASS 4: What s The Difference CLASS 5: Clothing Service Project Beginning Sewing Exhibits: Exhibits must be made from medium weight woven fabrics that will sew and press smoothly, flannel/ fleece is acceptable. Solid color fabrics or those having an overall print are acceptable. NO PLAIDS, STRIPES, NAPPED or JER- SEY KNIT. Patterns should be simple without darts, set-in sleeves, and collars. Raglan and kimono sleeves are acceptable CLASS 6: Pincushion CLASS 7: Pillowcase CLASS 8: Simple Pillow CLASS 9: Bag/Purse CLASS 10: Simple Top CLASS 11: Simple Bottom pants, shorts, or skirt CLASS 12: Simple Dress CLASS 13: Other Using skills learned in project manual. CLASS 14: Upcycled Simple Garment CLASS 15: Upcycled Accessory

17 DIVISION 221, BEYOND THE NEEDLE (Replacing Decorate your Duds) 4-H members must show their own creativity. Class 1: Beginning Embellished Garment. Class 2: Beginning Textile Clothing Accessory. The new Steam Project Books are in the office, stop by and check them out and ask for copies of the important pages so everyone gets off to a great start for York County is Still Looking for 4-H Leaders York County is still looking for volunteers to work with existing and potential 4-H groups in York County. No experience required, only an interest in working with youth between the ages of 5 and 18 that may have the same interests that you enjoy. Extension and 4-H will provide you with materials, manuals and what you need to make it a great experience for everyone. If you have an interest, please call the Extension Office we would love to visit with you about a learning, growing and fun experience. 4-H ANIMAL and LIVESTOCK NEWS Livestock Quality Assurance for 2015 All youth enrolled in beef, sheep, swine, dairy goat, meat goats, dairy cattle, rabbit, or poultry projects are required to complete Quality Assurance. In the past there have been other options for completing Quality Assurance, but for 2015, only the Livestock Quality Assurance Moodle Course (online course) will be supported, meaning most all previously available material has not been updated for several years. If youth have not registered for the course before, they can search for Nebraska Livestock Quality Assurance and register using the enrollment key Nebraska, however, if they are already registered, the course will appear in their course list. For 2015 there will be a $5.00 fee for each participant in the LQA program. The fee is to be used to keep the LQA program up to date plus providing additional videos and lessons as they are needed. Questions concerning registration may be ed to lqa@unl.edu. 4-H Market Animal Identification - NEW New for 2015, identifying market animals must be done by the exhibitor/family using the 4-H and FFA Ownership Affidavit Program found at the York Extension web site then in the red ribbon across the page go to York County 4-H then scroll down to the Animal Identification heading and look for Online Affidavit instructions and Online Affidavit Web Link. The information of how to identify your 4-H Market Animals will be found under the instructions heading and the Web Link is the actual program you will use to identify your market animals. The hard copy from the weigh and tagging days will not be accepted at the state level; you must use the on line web program and identify your animals on line. You will still need to bring market beef, market lambs and market meat goats to the 4-H-York Extension sponsored weigh and tagging days, but then take the information home and identify your market animals on line. Swine exhibitors do not bring your market hogs to a central location, but read the ear notches using the universal notching system and collect DNA samples on your own, then bring the DNA samples to the Nebraska Extension Office in York along with the DNA payment and identify your animals on line as are the other market animal exhibitors. If you have questions, please contact the Extension Staff--but you will need to identify your animals on line. Market Beef must be identified on Line by midnight April 15, 2015, all other animals must be identified by midnight June 15, Sorry, there is no grace period. Then remember that the 4-H Exhibitor must be an Active 4-H Member enrolled on line with 4-H Online and paid the $5.00 enrollment fee in York County for the animal information to be accepted by the on line program. Horse, rabbit, breeding beef, breeding sheep, breeding meat goats, dairy and rabbits will still use the hard copy Ownership Affidavits for Those are due in the Extension Office by June 15, Livestock and Animal deadlines April 15 - Deadline for market beef identification and DNA sample collection May 9 - District 4-H Horse Entries, ID s and Advancement Levels due May 31 - Deadline for York County 4-H Project enrollment June 15 - Deadline for all animal ID information, ear tagging, ear notches, ear tattoos, and DNA samples where required for all 4-H and FFA market and breeding livestock, feeder calves, (York County Fair only) light horses, and breed rabbits. June 15 - Suggested Deadline for completing the Livestock Quality Assurance Course 5 Animal Science Day York County has been invited to be a part of this Animal Science Day Program in Geneva on Sunday, March 29, It is a short animal science program (FREE) which will offer a livestock judging contest, a face to face quality assurance program, tips for your

18 livestock projects and other fun hands-on animal science activities. This requires a lot of planning and assistance, so if you are interested in participating, sign up by March 20th. There must be a minimum of 25 youth in order for this program to occur, so invite your friends from neighboring counties too! RSVP to the Fillmore County Extension office at or by Brandy at brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu Please note the Livestock Quality Assurance is a free face to face program. Canine Companions for Life 4-H Dog Expo The Canine Companions for Life Dog Expo is to be held at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Hastings, Friday and Saturday, May 1 and 2, For up to date information or registration please visit: anscextensioncompanionanimals HORSE NEWS Youth at least 10 years of age and under 19 years of age on January 1, 2015 may ride and compete at District and State 4-H Horse Shows. Junior Division is ages from Senior Division is ages from Entry fees will be $10 per class or contest All riders at District and State 4-H events must have completed the Horse Advancement Levels for the classes in which they are entering: Horse Advancement Level 2 for Western Pleasure, Western Horsemanship, Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Seat Equitation, Reining, Poles and Barrels and Level 3 for Advanced Classes, Trail Horse Class, Working Ranch Horse Roping, plus Two and Three Year Old Snaffle Bit Pleasure classes. Horse Show Dates The 2015 District 4-H Horse Shows nearest York County include: June 15 McCook June 16 Ord June 17 Wayne June 18 - Seward Dates for the State 4-H Horse Show at Fonner Park in Grand Island are July 13 16, Horse Level testing, Horse ID s & District & State Horse Entries are due in the UNL Extension Office in York by 5:00 p.m. May 15, If families or exhibitors are now? show eligible at the District and State Show and have questions, please contact the Extension Office and we will try to answer those questions and get you started in the right direction to be eligible to compete in Horsin Around 2015 The Horsin Around 2015 program at UNL has been canceled. 6 4-H Horse Stampede The H Horse Stampede is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, Entries were due in by February 13, 2015, but it is still a great activity for horse enthusiasts. This is an opportunity to get involved and excited about the horse project and horses before riding weather comes in the spring. Competitions at the 4-H Horse Stampede include Horse Bowl Teams for junior and senior divisions, an art contest, speech contest, and demonstration contest. Watch the next newsletters for more information on stampede events or go to the web site at: stampede NE 4-H Roping Clinic A 4-H Horse Roping Clinic is scheduled for the Lilienthal Indoor Arena near Grand Island on March 21 & 22, Justin and Garrett Nokes will be the main instructors for Tie Down and Breakaway roping and Team Roping. The Nokes Brothers from McCook train roping horses, are PRCA Ropers and are qualifiers for the National Finals Rodeo. Events training fees are $60 per day without a horse or $80 with a horse and overnight stall are available for $15 per night. Spectators are free. To register for the clinic or for more information, contact Monte Stauffer by phone at More 4-H Horse Info With several young members that are new to the 4-H Horse Projects, the cold weather months are great times to start work on 4-H Horse Advancement Levels. To be eligible to compete at District or State 4-H Horse Shows, riders must have completed Levels 1 and 2 by entry time that is usually in May. In the winter, riders can complete the knowledge and demonstration requirements, so when the weather gets nicer in the spring, all the member would need to do is take the riding portion of the Levels work. Please check the Extension Office for more information or to get your 4-H Horsemanship Levels Booklet. Nebraska 4-H Horse Show Guide 2015 There is a brand new Nebraska 4-H Horse Show and Judging Guide for The guide to use is back to a green and white colored cover. The Guide dated 2013 will still work for most classes, but there are new materials in 2015 Guide for the Ranch Horse Pleasure Class. The older Red and White book will work for most classes, but if you have an interest in the Working Ranch Horse, Pleasure Class, make sure to get one of these updated guides as you look forward to the H Horse Year. Bucket Calf reminder 4-H members looking to exhibit Bucket Calves this

19 year need to identify those calves by official 4-H ear tag by June 15, Bucket calves can be steer or heifer calves, of any breed, (dairy or beef breed, or crossbred), and may be the best experience if born between January 1 and May 1, Members 10 years of age and older are reminded to take pictures of their calves at the beginning of the project and at the end of the project year, as required by the project guidelines. The Extension Office has a booklet of information on the 4-H Bucket Calf Project and the judging of the class at the York County Fair. Contact the Extension Office if you have questions, would like more information or maybe even to help find that bucket calf for the year. Returning Bucket Calf reminder 4-H members with Bucket Calves from 2014 can bring those animals back to the York County fair as Returning Bucket calves in the Market Steer and Market Heifer Divisions or in the breeding heifer show as a Home Raised Breeding Heifer. Those Returning Bucket Calves to be shown in the Market Classes need to be weighed in at the early Market Beef Weighing/Tagging days. Those animals are market animals at the fair and only eligible for the special classes for returning bucket calf animals. Beef Progress Shows The York-Hamilton County Cattlemen s Beef Progress Show will be at the York County Fairgrounds, Saturday, March 28, The York-Hamilton Cattlemen will check in entries Friday, March 27 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and from 7:30 to 8:00 the morning of the show. For more information, contact Kim Regier or Gerald Peterson at the UNL Extension Office in York County (402) or by at: gpeterson2@unl.edu Market Beef Weigh day by appointment There is one additional 4-H Market Beef Weigh Day set for Friday, March 27, 2015, 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. at the York County Fairgrounds. This weighing activity is by appointment. If you are planning to weigh/check in beef cattle, please contact Gerald Peterson at the Extension Office to make your appointment. The March 27 th date is also the check in date for the York-Hamilton County Cattlemen s Beef Progress Show. Contact the Extension Office if you have questions. Animal Science Events and Teams York County is still looking for youth and adults to be a part of the Animal Science contests at the P.A.S.E. The Premier Animal Science Events are 7 scheduled for June 29 & 30, 2015 at the East Campus of UNL. Youth wanting to be a part of these educational, fun and competitive events for individual and team activities for Livestock Judging, Skillathon, Quiz Bowl, and Meats ID, need only contact the Extension Office and meetings and practices will be set up to meet the interested members schedules. This also serves as great training for youth wanting to be involved in the All-Around Beef Competition and the Premier Exhibitor Contests. There are similar contests for Horse Judging, Horse Bowl and Hippology on the light horse side of animal science. Call the office with your interest or for more information. Dates for the 2015 York County Fair are August 6 9, 2015 Mark your calendar it will be a great fair!

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21 In this issue look for NEW Animal ID information Enrollments for youth and adults NEW Fair Clothing projects Photography themes Speech & PSA contest Scholarships

22 4 H Focus April / May 2015 The York County 4-H Focus is published by the York County 4-H Council and the York County Extension Staff. OFFICE HOURS 8 a.m. Noon, 1 5 p.m. Monday Friday PHONE FAX York-County@unl.edu INTERNET MAILING ADDRESS York County Extension 2345 Nebraska Ave York NE STAFF Gary Zoubek, Educator Eileen Krumbach, Educator Gerald Peterson, Assistant Steph Stanley, Office Manager Sue Stahr, Office Assistant 4-H Enrollment and Mailings The suggested date enrolling in 4-H in York County has passed, but we are still accepting 4-H enrollments and changes (drop and adds) to projects up to May 31, For 2015, members are asked to enroll using the 4-H Online program, following the instructions on the web site. Families that have enrolled are telling us it is a great deal easier than it first appears. Start at All 4-H members must complete enrollment and project sign up by May 31, 2015, to be eligible to exhibit at the York County Fair, the Nebraska State Fair or the Ak-Sar-Ben Livestock Show or compete in 4-H sponsored contests in H Clover Kids are to be 5 to 7 years of age on January 1 of the current year. Clover Kid members are eligible to carry the specially designed projects designated as Clover Kid Projects. 4-H members need to be 8 to 18 years of age as of January 1 of the current calendar year (turn 9 during the 2015 calendar year) to be eligible to carry any of the wide variety of 4-H projects listed in the 2015 Project Resource Central booklet. In York County, there is an annual fee for both Clover Kids and regular 4-H members of $5.00 per youth, no matter how many clubs the 4-H Member may belong to or how many projects in which they enroll. 4-H Members may pay the enrollment fee on line with a credit card or by cash or check at the Nebraska Extension Office in York Project Enrollment with animals The 2015 Project Enrollment is for both 4-H members and their market animals. Exhibitors must first complete the member enrollment using the 4-HOnline program, then pay their York County 4-H Enrollment fee of $5.00. Only then will the Animal Enrollment program allow the members to sign up their 4-H Project Animals for Market Beef, Market Lamb, Market Meat Goat, Market Swine, Breeding heifers, breeding ewes, breeding does, rabbits and

23 feeder calves, via the web link: livestockaffidavit.unl.edu. Information to be entered is that information from the 4-H Market Beef Weigh Day. Later the information will be the information from the lamb and meat goat tagging days or family collected information for swine, breeding animals, feeder calves and rabbits. If a 4-H Club does not have a 4-H Leader the 4-H Club will not retain their Nebraska 4-H Club Charter, may not use the 4-H emblem, 4-H logo or 4-H affiliation, and may not maintain a treasury in the name of a 4-H club. Please help us keep all our 4-H Clubs up to date and operating for the benefits of all of our 4-H members and families. 4-H Leader / Volunteer Enrollment 4-H Leaders and Volunteers are asked to use the hard copy form found at to sign up for The on line form isn t ready for leaders and volunteers yet. Please use this enrollment method for 2015 to make sure you continue to receive 4-H mailings and information and that 4-H Volunteering stays current for our records. There is no enrollment fee for 4-H Leaders or volunteers, we just want to keep our records up to date and to assure that our leaders are not deleted with the computer program turnover. If a 4-H Club does not have a 4-H Leader the 4-H Club will not retain their Nebraska 4-H Club Charter, may not use the 4-H emblem, 4-H logo or 4-H affiliation, and may not maintain a treasury in the name of a 4-H club. Please help us keep all our 4-H Clubs up to date and operating for the benefits of all of our 4-H members and families York County Summer Workshops Gary Zoubek, Elizabeth Peterson and Ann Wilton have been working to finalize the list of Summer Workshops that Eileen and Lori have put-together the past several years. FYI, Elizabeth will be assisting full time and Ann part-time with the many summer workshops as well as getting ready for and helping during the York County Fair. Thanks to several past volunteer presenters as well as several new volunteers and neighboring Extension Educators, we ve got several workshops that hopefully will be of interest to our youth. The list includes: pillows, wildlife, jewelry, sheep & goats, tiedye, quilting, emergency preparedness, pallet planters, clothing, photography, forestry, mosaics, cake decorating, iris folding, foods, batik!, rockets and a clover kids animal camp to name a few. The complete list of workshops were mailed to 4-H Families last week and can be found on line at: county4h 2015 Project Resource Central The 2015 Project Resource Central--what used to be the Pick-A-Project -- is available for viewing or printing from the Nebraska 4-H web site It is easiest to just to go to the York County website, click on the heading York County 4-H then scroll down to Project Resource Central. The listing of 4-H sponsored projects should be available for reading or for printing. If you are unable to download the information, contact the Extension Office and we can get you a hard copy. ORDER YOUR 4-H T-SHIRTS by June 30! In this newsletter you will find an order form for 4-H T-shirts. We have the same design as last year it says 4-H To Make the Best Better York County down along the right side front. It will be a grey T-shirt with black letters (and green clover.) Remember that all animal shows require a 4-H or FFA T-shirt (and yes, all older shirts can still be used!) or you may want to just order one for fun! Please place your order by June 30! H Photography Themes The 2015 Nebraska 4-H Photography themes are structured to encourage 4-Hers to explore potential careers in photography. UNIT II: CAREER EXHIBIT PRINT: Explore a career as an editorial photographer. Editorial photographers take pictures that highlight the topics being written about in books, magazines and newspapers. Editorial photos should creative, powerful images that tell an intriguing story. Let s tell a story about why we love our Nebraska communities. Capture photos that tell a story about your Nebraska Community. UNIT III: CAREER EXHIBIT PRINT: Explore a career as a commercial photographer. Commercial photographers take pictures that are used for promotional purposes. Commercial photographs are often used in print and online communication materials like advertisements, brochures, flyers, web sites, social media, banners, & direct messages. Capture commercial photos that tell a story of 4-H in your Nebraska community. Important CWF Citizenship Washington Focus Trip info For those teens interested or planning to be a part of the Citizenship Washing Focus Trip (CWF) in 2016, the news you have been waiting for was ed last week to those 4-H teens that will be 14 years of age and completed their freshman year of high school. That for now has sign up information. It will be extremely important to complete the information and return it to keep your name on the list. More details will be sent as it becomes available.

24 The trip is limited to no more than forty to fifty teens from a 4 to 6 county area. If you do not return the information sheet early with the down payment by the deadline, you probably will not be included on the trip. We ll try to keep you up to date, but watch your mail, and don t wait to return the information sheet and, if you can, keep our office up to date of your interest. The CWF Trip is one of the 4-H experiences that you will remember for the rest of your lives. Every trip participant that was able to go will tell you how great this experience really is and will tell you how important it is to try to make the trip. Watch your mail and don t hesitate, if you would like to be a part of the experience. Shooting Sports Good News, the 4-H BB Gun, Air Rifle and Air Pistol clubs are ready to start up and begin meeting and practicing for The Gresham BB Gun, Air Rifle and Air Pistol Club with Mike Dey and Doug Rafert and the 4-H BB Gun Club in York with Russ Linhart are both having practices and preparing for upcoming matches, plus Archery is being added to the Shooting Sports projects to be offered and in competition at the 2015 York County Fair with clubs in the York and Waco areas. If you have an interest in the 4-H Shooting Sports, contact one of these certified Shooting Sports Leaders or the Extension Office for more information. 4-H Camping Camping has always been a big part of the 4-H experience and Nebraska 4-H has another busy season of 4-H camping experiences planned for the summer of The 4-H Summer Camps and Trips brochure can be picked up at the Extension office any time, or camp information can be found at the 4-H web site then look for the Camps & Conferences heading near the top of the page. The York County 4-H Council offers scholarship monies for any county youth to attend a 4-H sponsored camping experience. The scholarships are $25 for camps that are up to three days in length and $50 scholarships for camping experiences that are longer than 3 full days. Call the extension office if you have questions. We encourage youth to be a part of 4-H camping and take advantage of the 4-H Council s camping scholarships. 3 Baby Sitting Workshop The Continuing Education classes program is offering a babysitting training/workshop offered for this spring. The workshop is for youth 11 years of age and older. The flyer says Babysitting: Learn safety procedures and fun things to do with children. There are lots of job waiting for you. The date of the workshop is Monday, May 4, from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. with class at the York Middle School, D114 Instructor Kohmetscher. Fee - $15.00 To register or to call for more information contact Lori Suddarth at H Plant Science 2015 Thanks to the Dorothy & Howard May Foundation, the 4-H Council will again be providing seeds and plants for those interested in the horticulture and floriculture areas. If you re involved in the gardening project, stop by and pick up your seeds. The Satin White Carrots, Sugarsnax Carrots and Heirloom Candy Cane Zinnias are in and can be picked up. The Lunch Box Peppers are a warm season plant and will be available in May. Dana Hall and Gary Zoubek will be doing a workshop on pallet gardens. It will be held on June 5th, so if you re interested, signup or contact Gary for more information. It will be interesting to see how these recycled pallets turn out? This year, back by popular demand, will be the Container Gardening project which will include hanging baskets, small and medium containers, edible gardens, herb gardens and recycled or re-purposed gardens. Those exhibitors that exhibit will again receive $10 for participating in these special Dorothy and Howard May classes. It should be a lot of fun in an area of science in which we all can participate and enjoy. 4-H Career Portfolio Awards Hint #10 Spring is here and clubs are getting active so it may be time to start thinking about community service or helping out in your neighborhood. Now is a great time to take a leadership role in planning that community service project or completing one on your own. Community service can be as easy as organizing visits to a local care home with your projects, especially those dog, cat and companion animal projects are warmly accepted by most care home residents. But other projects and activities can work as well. Just make sure that when you take time to plan and visit a facility that you record your plan as well as the activity. Then take pictures to support your activity. While it is early in the 4-H year, it is a great time to start making those little decisions that can be a great addition to the Career Portfolio and your Awards book. Unicameral Youth Legislative Scholarships The Speaker Greg Adams Civic Scholarship program will provide full registration costs for two students to attend the Unicameral Youth Legislature each summer. Applicants are invited to submit a one- to twopage essay answering the following question: What is

25 a prominent problem in your community and how might citizens work with their local or state government to address it? The essays will be reviewed by the Clerk of the Legislature s Unicameral Information Office, which conducts the Unicameral Youth Legislature and other civic education initiatives. The two essays displaying the greatest civic engagement will be selected for the scholarships. The scholarship application deadline is May 1, Thank you Senator Adams for such a wonderful offer. sleeves are acceptable CLASS 6: Pincushion CLASS 7: Pillowcase CLASS 8: Simple Pillow CLASS 9: Bag/Purse CLASS 10: Simple Top CLASS 11: Simple Bottom pants, shorts, or skirt CLASS 12: Simple Dress CLASS 13: Other Using skills learned in project manual. CLASS 14: Upcycled Simple Garment CLASS 15: Upcycled Accessory The STEAM Clothing Series New for 2015 This new series of curricula looks at clothing in a whole new way - from the points of view of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Youth will experience the cyclical processes of science, engineering, and design. They will also be introduced to the technology available in sewing and how math fits into clothing construction. These new projects will take the place of current Sewing For Fun, Clothing 1 & 2, Decorate Your Duds, Sewing for You and Tailoring. * Beyond the Needle: youth will learn all about the 'A' in STEAM Clothing -- the Art! This youth manual includes activities for three skill levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Youth will learn the design basics and create a portfolio to exhibit samples made to practice specific techniques. Then, youth will be able to create their own fabulous embellishments and treatments on garments. If you love art, then this STEAM Clothing manual is for you! Beyond the Needle replaces Decorate your Duds. * STEAM Clothing 1: FUNdamentals, * STEAM Clothing 2: Simply Sewing, * STEAM Clothing 3: A Stitch Further DIVISION 900, STEAM Clothing 1 Exhibits will be simple articles requiring minimal skills. Follow suggested skills in project manual. May exhibit one item per class number. 4-H'ers who have enrolled in or completed STEAM Clothing 2 project are not eligible to exhibit in STEAM Clothing 1. CLASS 1: Clothing Portfolio CLASS 2: Sewing Kit CLASS 3: Fabric Textile Scrapbook CLASS 4: What s The Difference CLASS 5: Clothing Service Project Beginning Sewing Exhibits: Exhibits must be made from medium weight woven fabrics that will sew and press smoothly, flannel/ fleece is acceptable. Solid color fabrics or those having an overall print are acceptable. NO PLAIDS, STRIPES, NAPPED or JER- SEY KNIT. Patterns should be simple without darts, set-in sleeves, and collars. Raglan and kimono 4 DIVISION 221, BEYOND THE NEEDLE (Replacing Decorate your Duds) 4-H members must show their own creativity. Class 1: Beginning Embellished Garment. Class 2: Beginning Textile Clothing Accessory. The new Steam Project Books are in the office, stop by and check them out and ask for copies of the important pages so everyone gets off to a great start for York County is Still Looking for 4-H Leaders York County is still looking for volunteers to work with existing and potential 4-H groups in York County. No experience required, only an interest in working with youth between the ages of 5 and 18 that may have the same interests that you enjoy. Extension and 4-H will provide you with materials, manuals and what you need to make it a great experience for everyone. If you have an interest, please call the Extension Office we would love to visit with you about a learning, growing and fun experience. Tractor Safety Courses Offered Nebraska Extension Tractor Safety/Hazardous Occupations Courses will be offered at seven locations in Nebraska during May and June of Any 14 or 15 year old who plans to work on a farm other than their parents should plan to attend. Classes consist of two days of instruction plus homework assignments. Classes run from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. Closest dates and locations include: May 27-28, Fairgrounds, Kearney June 5-6, Event Center, Lincoln June 11-12, West Center Extension Center, North Platte June 15-16, Fairgrounds, Wayne June 17-18, College Park, Grand Island Cost for the trainings is $60, paid at least one week before the start of the classes at the location. Cost will include: educational materials, testing, supplies, lunches and breaks. For more information or to register contact Sharry Nielson at (308) or snielson1@unl.edu

26 4-H ANIMAL and LIVESTOCK NEWS Livestock Quality Assurance for 2015 All youth enrolled in beef, sheep, swine, dairy goat, meat goats, dairy cattle, rabbit, or poultry projects are required to complete Quality Assurance. In the past there have been other options for completing Quality Assurance, but for 2015, only the Livestock Quality Assurance Moodle Course (online course) will be supported, meaning most all previously available material has not been updated for several years. If youth have not registered for the course before, they can search for Nebraska Livestock Quality Assurance and register using the enrollment key Nebraska, however, if they are already registered, the course will appear in their course list. For 2015 there will be a $5.00 fee for each participant in the LQA program. The fee is to be used to keep the LQA program up to date plus providing additional videos and lessons as they are needed. Online LQA participants must complete three sections or chapters per year. Less than three sections will not certify the member for the current year. Questions concerning registration may be ed to lqa@unl.edu. Livestock Quality Assurance options 2 & 3 Option #2 Option number 2 for completing the H Livestock Quality Assurance requirements is a Test-Out Test. Written tests are available for both large animal and small animals, and for both intermediate age youth and senior age youth. To complete the test, youth may practice online through the Livestock Quality Assurance course at campus.extension.org. Contact the local Extension Office to set up a time. There is no fee associated with access to the online practice tests. Tests must be completed at the office. In order for youth to test-out of their age division, they must have at least a 70% or better on the test-out test. That means youth may not miss more than 9 questions. Youth who are do not pass the test-out tests may still complete the online course or face-to-face livestock quality assurance workshops. animals must be done by the exhibitor/family using the 4-H and FFA Ownership Affidavit Program. The on line program can be found at the York Extension web site then in the red ribbon across the page go to York County 4-H then scroll down to the Animal Identification heading and look for Online Affidavit instructions and Online Affidavit Web Link. The information of how to identify your 4-H Market Animals will be found under the instructions heading and the Web Link is the actual program you will use to identify your market animals. The hard copy from the weigh and tagging days will not be accepted at the state level; you must use the on line web program and identify your animals on line. You will still need to bring market beef, market lambs and market meat goats to the 4-H-York Extension sponsored weigh and tagging days, but then take the information home and identify your market animals on line. Swine exhibitors do not bring your market hogs to a central location, but read the ear notches using the universal notching system and collect DNA samples on your own, then bring the DNA samples to the Nebraska Extension Office in York along with the DNA payment and identify your animals on line as are the other market animal exhibitors. Exhibitors of Breeding Cattle, Breeding Ewes, Breeding Meat Goat Does and Breed Rabbits will need to identify their animals on line. Breeding Heifers will need to be identified by Ear tattoo, and if registered heifers have copies of the Registration Papers brought to the Extension Office by June 15, Breeding Ewes and Breeding Does will need to identify their animals by an official Breed Registry ear tag, Official 4-H Breeding Ear Tag or in some cases breed registry accepted tattoos. Registered Breeding ewes and does will need bring copies of those registration papers to the Extension Office by June 15, Breed Rabbits will also need to be identified / nominated by the exhibitor online with information for Breed, Birth Date of the animal, and ear tattoo. Option #3 York County 4-H and York High School FFA will again be hosting a face to face livestock quality assurance program in early June. This hour plus long session offers hands on information and skill training. This date of a face to face session is yet to be set, but watch the next 4-H Focus Newsletter for date, time and location. There will be a fee for this face to face LQA session in H Market Animal Identification - NEW New for 2015, identifying all market and breeding The only exception to this new online identification are 4-H Horse and 4-H Dairy projects. If you have questions, please contact the Extension Staff--but you will need to identify your animals on line. Market Beef must be identified on Line by midnight April 15, 2015, all other animals must be identified by midnight June 15, Sorry, there is no grace period. Then remember that the 4-H Exhibitor must be an Active 4-H Member enrolled on line with 4-H Online and paid the $5.00 enrollment fee in York County for 5

27 the animal information to be accepted by the on line program. Horse, dairy and for county fair only animals can still use the hard copy Ownership Affidavits for Those are due in the Extension Office by June 15, Livestock and Animal deadlines April 15 - Deadline for market beef identification and DNA sample collection May 15 - District 4-H Horse Entries, ID s and Advancement Levels due May 31 - Deadline for York County 4-H Project enrollment June 15 - Deadline for all animal ID information, ear tagging, ear notches, ear tattoos, and DNA samples where required for all 4-H and FFA market and breeding livestock, feeder calves, (York County Fair only) light horses, and breed rabbits. June 15 - Suggested Deadline for completing the Livestock Quality Assurance Course Sheep and Meat Goat Clinic A Sheep and Meat Goat Clinic is scheduled for May 30, 2015 at the fairgrounds in York. Check the workshop listing for complete information. June 18 - Seward Dates for the State 4-H Horse Show at Fonner Park in Grand Island are July 13 16, Horse Level testing, Horse ID s & District & State Horse Entries are due in the UNL Extension Office in York by 5:00 p.m. May 15, If families or exhibitors are now show eligible at the District and State Show and have questions, please contact the Extension Office and we will try to answer those questions and get you started in the right direction to be eligible to compete in More 4-H Horse Info With several young members that are new to the 4-H Horse Projects, the cold weather months are great times to start work on 4-H Horse Advancement Levels. To be eligible to compete at District or State 4-H Horse Shows, riders must have completed Levels 1 and 2 by entry time that is usually in May. In the winter, riders can complete the knowledge and demonstration requirements, so when the weather gets nicer in the spring, all the member would need to do is take the riding portion of the Levels work. Please check the Extension Office for more information or to get your 4-H Horsemanship Levels Booklet. Canine Companions for Life 4-H Dog Expo The Canine Companions for Life Dog Expo is to be held at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Hastings, Friday and Saturday, May 1 and 2, For up to date information or registration please visit: anscextensioncompanionanimals HORSE NEWS Youth at least 10 years of age and under 19 years of age on January 1, 2015 may ride and compete at District and State 4-H Horse Shows. Junior Division is ages from Senior Division is ages from Entry fees will be $10 per class or contest All riders at District and State 4-H events must have completed the Horse Advancement Levels for the classes in which they are entering: Horse Advancement Level 2 for Western Pleasure, Western Horsemanship, Hunter Under Saddle, Hunt Seat Equitation, Reining, Poles and Barrels and Level 3 for Advanced Classes, Trail Horse Class, Working Ranch Horse Roping, plus Two and Three Year Old Snaffle Bit Pleasure classes. Horse Show Dates The 2015 District 4-H Horse Shows nearest York County include: June 15 McCook June 16 Ord June 17 Wayne 6 Nebraska 4-H Horse Show Guide 2015 There is a brand new Nebraska 4-H Horse Show and Judging Guide for The guide to use is back to a green and white colored cover. The Guide dated 2013 will still work for most classes, but there are new materials in 2015 Guide for the Ranch Horse Pleasure Class. The older Red and White book will work for most classes, but if you have an interest in the Working Ranch Horse, Please Class?, make sure to get one of these updated guides as you look forward to the H Horse Year. Bucket Calf reminder It s not too late to find your Bucket Calf project animals for This year need to identify those calves by official 4-H ear tag by June 15, Bucket calves can be steer or heifer calves, of any breed, (dairy or beef breed, or crossbred), and may be the best experience if born between January 1 and May 1, Members 10 years of age and older are reminded to take pictures of their calves at the beginning of the project and at the end of the project year, as required by the project guidelines. The Extension Office has a booklet of information on the 4-H Bucket Calf Project and the judging of the class at the York County Fair. Contact the Extension Office if you have questions, would like more information or maybe even to help find that bucket calf for the year.

28 Returning Bucket Calf reminder 4-H members with Bucket Calves from 2014 can bring those animals back to the York County fair as Returning Bucket calves in the Market Steer and Market Heifer Divisions or in the breeding heifer show as a Home Raised Breeding Heifer. Those Returning Bucket Calves to be shown in the Market Classes need to be weighed in at the early Market Beef Weighing/Tagging days. Those animals are market animals at the fair and only eligible for the special classes for returning bucket calf animals. Livestock Judging Contest set The York County 4-H Livestock Judging Contest for 2015 will be held in partnership with the Butler County contest on Thursday, May 21, 2015, at the Butler County Fairgrounds in David City, registration at 6:00 pm, contest starting at 6:30 pm. There will be classes for beef cattle, swine and sheep. This is the official contest for York county with awards and premiums paid to each participating York county 4-H Member. Animal Science Events and Teams York County is still looking for youth and adults to be a part of the Animal Science contests at the P.A.S.E. The Premier Animal Science Events are scheduled for June 29 & 30, 2015 at the East Campus of UNL. Youth wanting to be a part of these educational, fun and competitive events for individual and team activities for Livestock Judging, Skillathon, Quiz Bowl, and Meats ID, need only contact the Extension Office and meetings and practices will be set up to meet the interested members schedules. This also serves as great training for youth wanting to be involved in the All-Around Beef Competition and the Premier Exhibitor Contests. There are similar contests for Horse Judging, Horse Bowl and Hippology on the light horse side of animal science. Call the office with your interest or for more information. Breeding Heifer Registration papers Shows will accept original Registration Papers or online registration papers from the breed association. Not photo copies will be accepted. Swine Maximum Weight to be eligible to compete for Purple Awards and Championships is 310 pounds Rabbit Rabbits shown in breed classes Fancy or Commercial must have readable tattoos and match 4-H Ownership Affidavit information. Other Livestock and Animal Activities: Winners Unlimited Livestock Judging Camp, June 5-7 or June 10-12, UNL East Campus, $250 per person. (included in the fee are meals, lodging and materials.) West Central NE Livestock Judging Clinic: May 27, 2015, Lincoln County Fairgrounds, North Platte. Reg. Pre $10, at the door $15. South Central NE Livestock Judging Clinic & Contest: June 2, 2015, Webster County Fairgrounds, Bladen, No fee. Dates for the 2015 York County Fair are August 6 9, 2015 Mark your calendar it will be a great fair! York County animal Updates for 2015 Beef Cattle New age division for heifers Yearling Heifers calved Aug.- Dec., 2013 for each of the breeds New Breed added for Breeding Heifers Miniature Breeds (to include all miniature breeds including but not limited to Lowline Angus and Miniature Herefords. 7

29 4 H Focus June 2015 The York County 4-H Focus is published by the York County 4-H Council and the York County Extension Staff. OFFICE HOURS 8 a.m. Noon, 1 5 p.m. Monday Friday PHONE FAX York-County@unl.edu INTERNET MAILING ADDRESS York County Extension 2345 Nebraska Ave York NE STAFF Gary Zoubek, Educator Gerald Peterson, Assistant Steph Stanley, Office Manager Sue Stahr, Office Assistant 4-H Enrollment and Mailings There are only a couple of days left to enroll in 4-H in York County for York 4-H is still accepting 4-H enrollments and changes (drop and adds) to projects up to May 31, For 2015, members are asked to enroll using the 4-H Online program, following the instructions on the web site. Families that have enrolled are telling us it is a great deal easier than it first appears. Start at All 4-H members must complete enrollment and project sign up by May 31, 2015, to be eligible to exhibit at the York County Fair, the Nebraska State Fair or the Ak-Sar-Ben Livestock Show or compete in 4-H sponsored contests in H Clover Kids are to be 5 to 7 years of age on January 1 of the current year and are eligible for the specially designed projects designated as Clover Kid Projects. 4-H members need to be 8 to 18 years of age as of January 1 of the current calendar year (turn 9 during the 2015 calendar year) to be eligible to carry any of the wide variety of 4-H projects listed in the 2015 Project Resource Central booklet. In York County, there is an annual fee for both Clover Kids and regular 4-H members of $5.00 per youth, no matter how many clubs the 4- H Member may belong to or how many projects in which they enroll. 4- H Members may pay the enrollment fee on line with a credit card or by cash or check at the Nebraska Extension Office in York. 4-H Leader / Volunteer Enrollment 4-H Leaders and Volunteers are asked to use the hard copy form found at to sign up for Please use

30 this enrollment method for 2015 to make sure you continue to receive 4-H mailings and information and that 4-H Volunteering stays current for our records. There is no enrollment fee for 4-H Leaders or volunteers, we just want to keep our records up to date and to assure that our leaders are not deleted with the computer program turnover. The York County 4-H Council will provide insurance for 4 -H Leaders and Volunteers, but they need you enrolled in the program as a leader/volunteer. NEW-- 4-H Council provided Insurance for 4-H Members The York County 4-H Council will again provide Accident Insurance to all York County 4-H Members and York County identified Volunteer Leaders through the American Income Life Insurance Co. The coverage is for members and adult leaders involved in 4-H sponsored activities. The coverage will be for only those persons (members and leaders) named and listed in York County 4-H Enrollment information by June 1, For more information, contact the Nebraska Extension Office in York County. For policy information, go to the American Income Life Insurance Company web site York County Summer Workshops Lizzie Peterson, Ann Wilton and Gary Zoubek have finalized the workshop schedule for Check the 4-H Workshop Schedule sent in May or visit the Nebraska Extension in York County web site at Please note that some are already FULL June 5 Pallet Planter, June 15 Mosaics, June 22-Both Batiks sessions, and June 30 Tie Dye are all full. FYI, Lizzie will be assisting full time and Ann part-time with the many summer workshops as well as getting ready for and helping during the York County Fair. Thanks to several past volunteer presenters as well as several new volunteers and neighboring Extension Educators, we ve got several workshops that hopefully will be of interest to our youth. The list includes: pillows, wildlife, jewelry, sheep & goats, tie-dye, quilting, emergency preparedness, pallet planters, clothing, photography, forestry, mosaics, cake decorating, iris folding, foods, batik!, rockets and a clover kids animal camp to name a few. The complete list of workshops were mailed to 4-H Families last month and can be found on line at: For those teens interested or planning to be a part of the Citizenship Washington Focus Trip (CWF) in 2016, the news you have been waiting for was ed last week to those 4- H teens that will be 14 years of age and completed their freshman year of high school. That for now has sign up information. It will be extremely important to complete the information and return it to keep your name on the list. More details will be sent as it becomes available. The trip is limited to no more than forty to fifty teens from a 6 county area. If you do not return the information sheet early with the down payment by the deadline, you probably will not be included on the trip. We ll try to keep you up to date, but watch your mail, and please don t wait to return the information sheet and, if you can, keep our office up to date of your interest. The CWF Trip is one of the 4-H experiences that you will remember for the rest of your lives. Every trip participant that was able to go will tell you how great this experience really is and will tell you how important it is to try to make the trip. Watch your mail and don t hesitate, if you would like to be a part of the experience. ORDER YOUR 4-H T-SHIRTS! Enclosed is an order form for 4-H T-shirts. We will have the same design as last year--a green 4-H logo printed across the full front on a white shirt. Remember that all animal shows require a white 4-H T- shirt or you may want to just order one for fun! Please place your order by June 30! Fair Food Stand sign up sheet Please fill out and return to us by July 15 at the latest but remember, the first returned get first choice before the schedule starts to fill up. To get your first choice of time, return quickly! Included in this newsletter is the schedule page -- some times have already been filled in since it came out in last month s newsletter. Please look at the empty slots and return your form as soon as possible. York County Fair Theme for 2015 Bin Busting Fun is the theme for the 2015 York County Fair. Fair dates are as late as they can be with the fair set for August 6-9, 2015 with fair activities, contests and entries running from August 1-9, Important CWF Citizenship Washington Focus Trip info Join Us on Facebook! Go to our Facebook page York County 4-H, Nebraska 2

31 and click Join to get information and updates on events and happenings for 4-Her s and their families in York County! We are trying to grow this page so share it with friends and family! Follow us on Twitter! We now have a Twitter account that highlights some exciting activities we have going on here in York County! Go and give us a follow! Best of Luck Regional Speech Contestants! Our best wishes go to Baylie Holthus, Tucker Robinson, Mercedes Kuil, Matt Mittman, and Nicole Mittman, the York County Contestants at the Regional 4-H Speech Contest. Baylie and Tucker competed in the Junior Age Division with Mercedes in the Senior Division of the speech contest. Then Nicole and Matt will be competing in the Radio Public service Announcement PSA divisions. Great work, we are very proud of your accomplishments! like something that you may be interested in, contact Lizzie at the Extension Office to get a copy of the event rules and a registration form. This is a way for youth to network and discover careers in nutrition and food science and learn where their food originates while creating an appetizer with surprise ingredients highlighting Nebraska products. If this sounds like something that you may be interested in, click on the attachment for the official event rules. 4-H Presentation Contest and Show and Tell Contest The 4-H Presentation Contest and Show and Tell Contest will be Wed., July 15, 2015 at 10:00 in the morning. This contest is open to 4-Hers of any age, with the top county presentation selected to compete at State Fair as our Premier presenter. Start planning your presentation now. Preregistration is due by July 9, Favorite Food Show Contest and Company s Coming Contest - July 15. The York County favorite food show and Company s Coming Contest is scheduled for Wednesday July 15, This contest is open to any York County 4-H er, from Clover Kid to 18 years of age. Contestants will be able to start setting up their display at 1:15 p.m. in the 4-H Building on the fair grounds. 4-H Family & Consumer Sciences Quiz The H Family and Consumer Sciences Quiz is ready to use. This quiz, based on FCS subject matter, is designed for 8-12 year olds (Older 4-H'ers are welcome to participate; however, the questions are designed for 8-12 year olds). The intent of this contest is to engage young people interested in family and consumer sciences in a challenging educational experience. Youth can study for the quiz the judge to taste. This gives a by reading and reviewing FCS related Nebraska 4-H curriculum and National 4-H curriculum. Available as paper copy, youth can take the quiz and receive an immediate score from extension staff. Each 4-Her that completes the quiz will receive a ribbon. You can come into the Extension Office to take the quiz whenever you may like! The handout with guidelines and rules is available at the Extension office, so you can pick up and practice before the favorite food show contest. You will need to pick a theme, plan the menu on one card and prepare one of the foods for 4-H er an opportunity to plan a complete meal, learn about setting the table and exhibit a food item that otherwise would not last all through the fair. Preregistration is due July 10, with your name and age, etc. The Company s Coming contest will be held at the same time and for this contest you will be given a pantry list from which you will plan a menu and pick out your place setting, etc. Raising Nebraska: Nebraska Mystery Foods Event This is a way for youth to network and discover careers in nutrition and food science, learn where their food comes H Photography Themes from, and create an appetizer with surprise ingredients highlighting Nebraska products. The appetizer must have at least The 2015 Nebraska 4-H Photography themes are structured to encourage one of the five surprise ingredients. The event is located inside the Nebraska Building at the Nebraska State Fairgrounds in Grand Island on June 12, Youth participate 4-Hers to explore potential careers in photography. UNIT II: CAREER EXHIBIT PRINT: Explore a career as in teams of 2-4 members, either in Division 1 (10-14 year an editorial photographer. Editorial photographers take pictures that highlight the topics being written about in books, olds) or Division 2 (15-18 year olds). The entry fee is $15 per team. Registration is due by Friday, June 5th but there is a magazines and newspapers. Editorial photos should crea- 10 team limit per division so register ASAP! If this sounds 3

32 tive, powerful images that tell an intriguing story. Let s tell a story about why we love our Nebraska communities. Capture photos that tell a story about your Nebraska Community. UNIT III: CAREER EXHIBIT PRINT: Explore a career as a commercial photographer. Commercial photographers take pictures that are used for promotional purposes. Commercial photographs are often used in print and online communication materials like advertisements, brochures, flyers, web sites, social media, banners, & direct messages. Capture commercial photos that tell a story of 4-H in your Nebraska community. pallet gardens. It will be held on June 5th, so if you re interested, signup or contact Gary for more information. It will be interesting to see how these recycled pallets turn out. This year, back by popular demand, will be the Container Gardening project which will include hanging baskets, small and medium containers, edible gardens, herb gardens and recycled or re-purposed gardens. Those exhibitors that exhibit will again receive $10 for participating in these special Dorothy and Howard May classes. It should be a lot of fun in an area of science in which we all can participate and enjoy. 4-H Camping Camping has always been a big part of the 4-H experience and Nebraska 4-H has another busy season of 4-H camping experiences planned for the summer of The 4-H Summer Camps and Trips brochure can be picked up at the Extension office any time, or camp information can be found at the 4-H web site then look for the Camps & Conferences heading near the top of the page. We encourage youth to be a part of 4-H camping and take advantage of the 4-H Council s camping scholarships. York 4-H Council Camp Scholarship Program The York County 4-H Council is again offering Camp Scholarships for youth attending 4-H program sponsored camps. The scholarship amount for camps of three days in length and shorter is $25 and for camps over three days in length, the scholarship amount is $50. Youth may also apply for assistance for funding local 4-H workshops. Check at the Extension Office for more information. A 4-H Council 4-H Camping Scholarship application can be found at the York Extension web site: then look for the Scholarships heading and look for York County 4-H Camp Scholarship. 4-H Plant Science 2015 Thanks to the Dorothy & Howard May Foundation, the 4- H Council will again be providing seeds and plants for those interested in the horticulture and floriculture areas. If you re involved in the gardening project, stop by and pick up your seeds. The Satin White Carrots, Sugarsnax Carrots and Heirloom Candy Cane Zinnias are in and can be picked up. The Lunch Box Peppers are a warm season plant and are now available. Dana Hall and Gary Zoubek will be doing a workshop on Online Horticulture Judging Contest The 2015 Nebraska 4-H Online Horticulture Judging contest is just around the corner. This year the contest will be available from June 12th at 8:00 a.m. until June 22nd at 8:00 a.m. The contest is composed of three parts; general knowledge questions, plant part and seed identification, as well as a judging portion. It is open to all 4-H youth, as well as adults, and even Extension individuals. The password is Nebraska and the two links listed below will take you directly to the contest. nebraska-horticulture-judging-contest When registering, please fill in all of the information completely. Kind of like golf and good sportsmanship, no study materials are to be used while taking the test. It s on your honor. Also, the test should only be taken once by each participant. If it is taken multiple times, the first score entered will be the one used. The contest will allow an opportunity for the participant to review the answers prior to submitting. Once submitted, the participants will see their score, but they will not be able to see which questions they missed. After the contest has ended, the participants can request to see their scores and their answers. Study Materials for the Online Horticulture Judging Contest and the State 4-H Horticulture Judging Contest held during State Fair are the same and they can be found at: zendgiw69xzihhz0ln6bcuysdnhzyj9j Hopefully we ll have a lot of 4-H members as well as adults from York County compete! Give Gary a call if you 4

33 4-H Career Portfolio Awards Hint #11 School is out for the spring but as you start working on your projects whether they are your 4-H Projects or your community service projects make sure to write that information down. Not only is it a great time to be active in your 4- H Project areas but writing it down is part of your record keeping that will serve you well now and long into the future. Most of us dislike, or at least do not enjoy, record keeping, but it will pay huge dividends the next time you start working on your Career Portfolio and trying to remember what you did, who you were with and how you accomplished the goals for that project. Then take pictures to support your activity. with 4-H clubs. If you have an interest in the 4-H Shooting Sports Archery Group, contact the UNL Extension Office in York, Bob Pavel from York or Wayne Bruns of Waco. have any questions. It s nearing York County 4-H Scholarship Time again The deadline for applications for those wonderful privately sponsored scholarships that are available for York County Archery is a great hobby and lifetime sport. 4-H members is rapidly approaching. The Anna Schlechte 4-H Scholarship, the J. D. Hirschfeld Family Scholarship and the Kenneth Jorgensen Memori- 4-H Horticulture Judging Contest al Scholarship all are due in the Extension Office by July 15, Scholarship forms and complete information is available at the Extension Office. Stop by and pick up the forms or go to the York Extension website and print the forms from that location. 4-H & FFA Tractor Driving Contest The York County 4-H Horticulture Contest is set for Thursday, July 30, 2015 at the fairgrounds in York starting at 1:00 p.m. The 4-H / FFA Tractors Driving Contest is scheduled for Monday, August 3, 2015 at the fairgrounds in York. 4-H Council Sponsored Scholarships Those scholarships sponsored by the York County 4-H Council, will be due, September 30, The York County 4-H Council sponsored scholarships include: two 4-H Council Scholarships awarded based on application information from 4-H youth and two Outstanding 4-H Member Scholarships based on the member s 4-H Career Portfolio and Award Application materials. Keep those 4-H records in your 4-H Career Portfolio up to date and watch future 4-H Focus Newsletters for more Tractor Safety Courses Offered information. The updated 4-H Council Scholarship forms and information can be found on the York Extension web site: then click on York County 4-H Scholarships. If you have experience driving a tractor or just want to test your skills against other tractor drivers, plan to compete on Monday of the York County Fair. For more information about the contest or to find the driving patterns for the contest, go to the York County Extension web site: and look at Tractor Driving Contest under the Upcoming Events heading. Nebraska Extension Tractor Safety/Hazardous Occupations Courses will be offered at seven locations in Nebraska during May and June of Any 14 or 15 year old who plans to work on a farm other than their parents, should plan to attend. Classes consist of two days of instruction plus homework assignments. Classes run from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. Closest dates and locations include: June 5-6, Event Center, Lincoln June 11-12, West Center Extension Center, North Platte June 15-16, Fairgrounds, Wayne June 17-18, College Park, Grand Island Cost for the trainings is $60, paid at least one week before the start of the classes at the location. Cost will include: educational materials, testing, supplies, lunches and breaks. For more information or to register, contact Sharry Nielson at (308) or snielson1@unl.edu Archery Information It s time to get out the bows and arrows--it is shooting sports time in York County. York County now has two 4-H Shooting Sports Leaders certified in Archery and working 4-H ANIMAL and LIVESTOCK NEWS 5

34 Sheep and Meat Goat Clinic A Sheep and Meat Goat Clinic is scheduled for May 30, 2015 at the fairgrounds in York. Check the workshop listing for complete information. Gary Kubicek, a nationally known livestock judge will be the clinician for the day. Participants can bring their own lambs for the clinic. 4-H Market Animal Identification - NEW New for 2015, identifying all market and breeding animals must be done by the exhibitor/family using the 4-H and FFA Ownership Affidavit Program. The on line program can be found at the York Extension web site then in the red ribbon across the page go to York County 4- H then scroll down to the Animal Identification heading and look for Online Affidavit instructions and Online Affidavit Web Link. The information of how to identify your 4-H Market Animals will be found under the instructions heading and the Web Link is the actual program you will use to identify your market animals. The hard copy from the weigh and tagging days will not be accepted at the state level; you must use the on line web program and identify your animals on line. You will still need to bring market beef, market lambs and market meat goats to the 4-H-York Extension sponsored weigh and tagging days, but then take the information home and identify your market animals on line. Swine exhibitors do not bring your market hogs to a central location, but read the ear notches using the universal notching system and collect DNA samples on your own, then bring the DNA samples to the Nebraska Extension Office in York along with the DNA payment and identify your animals on line as are the other market animal exhibitors. The only exception to this new online identification program are 4-H Horse and 4-H Dairy projects and for county fair only animals. If you have questions, please contact the Extension Staff --but you will need to plan to identify your animals on line if they are to be eligible for the state fair. Market Beef were identified online in April all other animals must be identified by 5:00 p.m. June 15, Sorry, there is no grace period. Then remember that the 4-H Exhibitor must be an Active 4-H Member enrolled on line with 4-H Online and paid the $5.00 enrollment fee in York County for the animal information to be accepted by the on line program. Horse, dairy and for county fair only animals can still use the hard copy Ownership Affidavits for Those are due in the Extension Office by 5:00 p.m. June 15, Livestock and Animal deadlines May 31 - Deadline for York County 4-H Project enrollment June 15 - Deadline for all animal ID information, ear tagging, ear notches, ear tattoos, and DNA samples where required for all 4-H and FFA market and breeding livestock, feeder calves, (York County Fair only) light horses, and breed rabbits. June 15 - Suggested Deadline for completing the Livestock Quality Assurance Course Sheep and Meat Goat Tagging Days The York County 4-H Council and Extension Staff have scheduled tagging and DNA sample collection days for 4-H Meat Goat and Sheep projects, on the York County Fairgrounds for: Saturday, June 6, 2015, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and again on Tuesday, June 9, 2015 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. All market meat goat and market lamb animals that you would like nominated to be eligible to compete at the Nebraska State Fair and Ak-Sar-Ben, must be tagged and processed at one of these tagging activities, then the families will need to nominate their animals on line. The Online Animal Affidavit information can be found at the Nebraska Extension in York county website then under the York County 4-H heading look for the Animal Identification information. Breeding ewes and breeding does may be brought to the tagging activities or may be tagged and identified at home by your family. Please call if you have questions. Livestock Quality Assurance for 2015 All youth enrolled in beef, sheep, swine, dairy goat, meat goats, dairy cattle, rabbit, or poultry projects are required to complete Quality Assurance. In the past, there have been other options for completing Quality Assurance, but for 2015, only the Livestock Quality Assurance Moodle Course (online course) will be supported, meaning most all previously available material has not been updated for several years. If youth have not registered for the course before, they can search for Nebraska Livestock Quality Assurance and register using the enrollment key Nebraska, however, if they are already registered, the course will appear in their course list. For 2015 there will be a $5.00 fee for each par- 6

35 ticipant in the LQA program. The fee is to be used to keep the LQA program up to date plus providing additional videos and lessons as they are needed. Online LQA participants must complete three sections or chapters per year. Less than three sections will not certify the member for the current year. Questions concerning registration may be ed to District and State 4-H Horse Shows We are wishing the best of luck to the York County riders competing in the District and State 4-H Horse Shows in June and July of If you are interested in attending shows or watching the riders, contact the Extension Office for a complete schedule of dates and times. The 2015 District 4-H Horse Show nearest York County is: Seward, June18th. Dates for the 2015 State 4-H Horse Show in Grand Island are July 13 16, Swine Quality Assurance information Livestock Quality Assurance options 2 & 3 Option #2 Option number 2 for completing the H Livestock Quality Assurance requirements is a Test-Out Test. Written tests are available for both large animal and small animals, and for both intermediate age youth and senior age youth. To complete the test, youth may practice online through the Livestock Quality Assurance course at campus.extension.org. Contact the local Extension Office to set up a time. There is no fee associated with access to the online practice tests. Tests must be completed at the office. In order for PASE for 2015 youth to test-out of their age division, they must have at least a 70% or better on the test-out test. That means youth may not miss more than 9 questions. Youth who do not pass the test-out tests may still complete the online course or face-to-face livestock quality assurance workshops. Option #3 York County 4-H and York High School FFA will again be hosting a face to face livestock quality assurance program in early June. This hour plus long session offers hands on information and skill training. This date of a face to face session is yet to be set, but watch for s for date, time and location. There will be a fee for this face to face LQA session in YORK COUNTY FAIR For Youth Swine exhibitors, when you complete the Livestock QA information on line and then notify the Extension Office of that certification the information will be forwarded to the Pork Board for PQA+ certification for each member. The pork industry is requires that swine exhibitors must complete additional LQA and be certified in PQA+ to be eligible to show and sell market hogs at the county fair and to exhibit and sell market hogs at the State Fair and Ak- Sar-Ben. As a portion of their certification process, Market Hog exhibitors must be certified by a Certified PQA Plus Advisor for Gerald Peterson in the UNL Extension Office in York County is a PQA Plus certified Advisor. Peterson will approve and forward information for those youth completing the LQA Certification in York County, so the youth exhibitor will also receive the PQA+ Certification. Swine exhibitors will need to include Premise ID information as well as the PQA+ number information. The Premier Animal Science Events (PASE) for 2015 are scheduled for June 29 and 30, at the UNL East Campus in Lincoln. State 4-H contests for Quiz Bowl, Skillathon, livestock judging, dairy judging, meats ID and more take place at the PASE events. For more information about PASE or the contests that take place at PASE, or preparing a team or individuals for PASE contests, please contact the Extension Office. York County 4-H would be excited to be represented at the various PASE contests. YCF Beef Show Schedule: There are minimal changes for the York County Fair beef show for The show order will be: 9:00 A.M. - Feeder Calves, followed by Breeding heifers, then showmanship, and followed by the market classes with market heifer first followed by steers. Market and breeding classes switch back and forth in the show order, with breeding classes going first in the odd numbered years and market classes first in the even numbered years. A breeding heifer class was added for Miniature Breeds of Cattle. Those breeds eligible for the class include Miniature Herefords and Lowline Angus. Market and feeder calves from those breeds are eligible for existing classes. 7

36 An age division for all breeding heifer breeds was added for those heifers born between September and December two years before the year date of the fair. This is a state level addition to classes and will be in effect for the state fair as well. YCF Meat Goat Show : A class for home raised Market Meat Goats were added to the premium book. Plan to identify those home raised wethers and does at the tagging days in June. YCF Small Animal Round Robin time moved : The Small Animal Round Robin Showmanship competition has been moved up to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday of the fair to fit the schedule for the Cornerstone Building. NEBRASKA STATE FAIR The 2015 Nebraska State Fair Premium Book can now be found at the 4-H Web site. Go to: then look for the Nebraska State Fairbook near the top of the page. Click on the logo then look for 2015 Fairbook. The premium book is then divided into sections for easy reading and making copies of the section that is of interest to you. Ak-Sar-Ben Broiler Order Ak-Sar-Ben Broiler exhibitors must have their order in to the York Extension Office by Friday, June 26, Orders are for a minimum of 50 birds, (all birds are to be males) with the broilers to be delivered to the families about mid- August. Two family members may share the birds. An exhibitor may enter up to two pens of broilers. A $12 per entry fee per pen will be collected when birds are ordered. Check the Ak-Sar-Ben website for additional rules and guidelines. Ak-Sar-Ben Fitting Challenge entries For 2015, York County Exhibitors wishing to compete in the Show Chow Fitting Challenge at Ak-Sar-Ben will need to turn in team entries by July 31 to the Extension Office. The team must be Ak-Sar-Ben Contest eligible, with team members of both sexes and at least one exhibitor 13 years of age or younger at the time of the contest. The entry fees for the selected teams will be forwarded to Ak-Sar-Ben. State Fair Livestock entry information All 4-H Livestock and Animal entries for the Nebraska State Fair will be the responsibility of the 4-H Members and their families making entries directly to the State Fair using the Showorks Program. Those entries must be made on line by 5:00 p.m. of Monday, August 10, A suggestion: that is the day after the York County Fair so maybe you should make those state fair entries before the county fair and avoid that last minute rush and maybe forget to make the entry after the county fair. AK-SAR-BEN NEWS Ak-Sar-Ben Livestock Show pre-entries for horses and livestock are due at the Extension Office in York by Friday, July 31, The Ak-Sar-Ben 4-H Horse Show is set for September 19 & 20 at the Lancaster County Event Center in Lincoln. The 2015 Ak-Sar-Ben Livestock Show is scheduled for September 24 27, 2015 at the Century Link Center in Omaha. The 2015 Ak-Sar-Ben Livestock Show and Horse Show premium book should be up on their web site in the near future Dates for the 2015 York County Fair are August 6 9, 2015 Mark your calendar it will be a Bin Bustin Fun fair! York County animal Updates for 2015 Beef Cattle New age division for heifers Yearling Heifers calved Aug.- Dec., 2013 for each of the breeds New Breed added for Breeding Heifers Miniature Breeds (to include all miniature breeds including but not limited to Lowline Angus and Miniature Herefords. Breeding Heifer Registration papers Shows will accept original Registration Papers or online registration papers from the breed association. No photo copies will be accepted. Swine Maximum Weight to be eligible to compete for Purple Awards and Championships is 310 pounds Rabbit Rabbits shown in breed classes Fancy or Commercial must have readable tattoos and match 4-H Ownership Affidavit information. 8

37 Other Livestock and Animal Activities: Winners Unlimited Livestock Judging Camp, June 5-7 or June 10-12, UNL East Campus, $250 per person. (included in the fee are meals, lodging and materials.) South Central NE Livestock Judging Clinic & Contest: June 2, 2015, Webster County Fairgrounds, Bladen, No fee. THANK YOU Thank you to all of you for all the things you have done with me and for the citizens of the county and state. It has been wonderful making the best better the past 31 years in York County and the state. I appreciate your help in celebrating my retirement with all your generous words, memories, donations, the beautiful plaque and what a surprise with the difference maker award. It has been great working with all of you over the years. Please continue to pledge your head to clearer thinking, your heart to greater loyalty, your hands to larger service and your health to better living for you clubs, your communities, your country and your world. Again, I say a great big thank you! Eileen 9

38 Address Service Request In this issue look for Enrollment Information Summer Workshop Information T-shirt Order form Food Stand form

39 4 H Focus July 2015 The York County 4-H Focus is published by the York County 4-H Council and the York County Extension Staff. OFFICE HOURS 8 a.m. Noon, 1 5 p.m. Monday Friday PHONE FAX York-County@unl.edu INTERNET MAILING ADDRESS York County Extension 2345 Nebraska Ave York NE STAFF Gary Zoubek, Educator Eileen Krumbach, Educator Gerald Peterson, Assistant Steph Stanley, Office Manager Sue Stahr, Office Assistant It s Almost Bin Bustin Fun County Fair Time! This might be the most important 4-H Focus newsletter of the year for 4-H members and families as they are preparing for the 2015 York County Fair and other 4-H sponsored shows and events for the summer. Please take time to carefully go over the dates, times, deadlines and details, so no one is disappointed as the county fair gets closer. York County Fair dates The York County Fair dates for 2015 are Thursday to Sunday, August 6-9. The 2015 York County Fair theme is Bin Bustin Fun. Many fair activities start earlier in that week and are an important part of the fair, so mark your calendars for August 1 through August 9, We hope to see all of you there. Watch the newsletter for activities and their dates. Fair books are In! The York County Fair Premium Books are now available in hard copy at the Extension Office, at all banks in York, at the York Chamber of Commerce Office, Kilgore Memorial Library, and The Quilt Basket. Plus, it can be found on line at then click on the York County Fair information. This County Fair Premium Book is very important to you as you prepare your entry cards and to make pre-entries for the York County Fair. Each project area has important information and rules that must be followed as you are making fair entries. When you get your county fair premium book, read it carefully and please call with any questions you have. The premium book is a huge help to make sure all exhibits are entered in the appropriate classes. Also watch for the changes that may affect the shows, contests, entry times and general rules for the fair. Along with the Premium book, you can also go on-line or stop in at the Extension Office and pick up your entry forms. There are separate entry forms for different areas. Please make sure you are using the cor-

40 rect form so that your item doesn t get missed. County Fair Entry Forms Forms are due JULY 15 except for horticulture which is due July 28. All York County Fair 4-H exhibits must be preentered to be eligible to compete at the 2015 York County Fair. You can find entry forms for the various areas on our website: and look just below the fair book or you can pick them up in our office. The project areas in which you enrolled at the beginning of the year, are the areas in which you enter items for the fair. Open class livestock forms are also available and due by July 15th. (All other open class exhibits are not pre-entered, just brought in on entry days.) If you have questions, please call the Extension Office and our staff will try to help you with those questions. 4-H Council Pre YORK COUNTY Fair Meeting Please make your entries for fair on time by July 15. ANY and ALL late entries will be required to go before the 4-H Council s July meeting to determine if those late entries may be accepted for participation at the York County Fair. Please don t put yourself in this position get those entries in on time. Entries made after the July 15 deadline will need to be presented to the 4-H Council at their late July 2015 meeting. Last Chance to order the new 4-H T-shirts! ORDER YOUR T-SHIRTS before July 6, and you will have them in time for the fair! The same design as last year will be used: 4-H To Make the Best Better York County down along the right side front. It will be a grey T-shirt with black letters (and green clover.) Remember that all animal shows require a 4-H or FFA T-shirt (and yes, all older shirts can still be used!) or you may want to just order one for fun! The cost is still $9. You must place an order by July 2nd! Interview Appointments All 4-H entries, except for beginning foods, should be interviewed by a judge. PLEASE stop at the Extension Office by Friday, July 31 to make appointments it s almost impossible to complete the schedule and make so many accurate appointments by phone. Clothing Day, Quilt Quest & Fashion Review Contest The 4-H clothing construction, quilt quest and fashion revue judging will take place at the Cornerstone Ag & Event Center on the fairgrounds on Monday, Aug. 3! Each 4-H'er will receive a schedule after the July 15th entry deadline, listing the time(s) of their interview(s). Also, if a 4-H'er is enrolled in both a clothing project and Shopping In Style, they can model three outfits, 2 in construction and 1 in Shopping 2 in Style. The Public Fashion Revue and bed turning will be held Monday evening, Aug. 3 at 7:00 pm in the Cornerstone Event Center. Please enter through the glass doors on the west side. We are in search of 2-3 youth that would be willing to be narrators for the public fashion revue and bed turning on Monday Aug. 3! If interested please call the office and let Lizzie Peterson know soon. Reception and Ice Cream Social Friday at the fair! There will be a reception at the 2015 York County Fair for Gary Zoubek. As you may have heard, Gary is retiring after 42 years serving Nebraska as an Extension Educator. There will be a reception from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7 under the tent with an Ice Cream Social to follow starting at 8:00 p.m. The ice cream flavor will be State Fair Caramel Corn Ice Cream. Please plan to join Extension, 4-H, and many friends at the reception and Ice Cream Social to visit with Gary and thank him for his service. Check out later news releases for more information. Fair Wood Cut Outs The Bin Bustin Fun cut outs will be ready for pick up after July 1. They will be in the shape of a bin this year. Call the Extension Office to reserve yours now, as they only make a few. 4-H Exhibitor Cards for the Food Stand Replaced For 2015 we will have a list of all 4-H members in the 4-H Food Stand. 4-H Members including Clover Kids will be able to get 3 FREE ITEMS of $1.50 or less at the York County 4-H Council s Food Stand, redeemed at the food stand register. Sorry, the free item amounts may not to be credited against a larger item. 4-H Family Pie Donation Each 4-H Family is asked to furnish at least one pie (two pies would be even better) for the 4-H Food Stand during the fair. These pies are great money makers for the 4-H Council s Food Stand, which remains the only money making activity the York County 4-H Council operates for the year. It is asked that the pies be 9 inches in size and fruit pies are preferred as they keep much better than cream pie. Please plan to furnish pies according the following schedule: Bring Pies to the 4-H Food stand by Family Name: Wed. Aug. 5 or Thurs. Aug A through G Fri, Aug H through P Sat, Aug. 8...Q through Z Food stand Workers Still Needed The 4-H Food Stand is still in need of workers to serve in

41 all the 4-H Councils Food Stand locations. A schedule of work times is included in this newsletter. One or more members of ALL 4-H families are expected to help. These food and drink stands are the only fund raisers the York County 4-H Council has throughout the year. The money from the stands is used to provide funds and support throughout the 4-H year for: National 4-H Congress support, 4-H Camp scholarships, CWF support, judging teams, program awards and scholarships. Thanks for fitting the 4-H Food stand into your busy county fair schedule! Home Ec Building Hostess Schedule We have a new hostess schedule for the Home Ec Building this year in hopes that it is more convenient for you! In the past we have had 3 ½ hour shifts. We will now be offering shifts of 2 hours so that it isn t as much of a time commitment. We ask that there is at least 1 adult for every shift. You are more than welcome to sign up for more than one shift and if you can only make an hour or so, that s OK too. Anything helps! Please call or come into the Extension Office to sign up for a shift. We really appreciate it! Friday at the York County Fair Check out Nebraska Extensions Mobile Science Lab. This new mobile science lab will be making its first visits to counties in southeast Nebraska this summer, as it will be housed in the Omaha area for most of the six weeks it will be in Nebraska this summer. The Imagine Science mobile science trailer is to introduce and encourage youth grades 4 through 12 to enhance their science knowledge. The Mobile Science Lab trailer will be on the York county Fairgrounds, Friday, August 7, from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. Plan to stop by the Mobile Science Lab, it should be a fun stop for all ages. Unfinished Mosaic projects If you still need to finish your mosaic project, please call the Extension Office to schedule a time. If you need to grout, it will have to be a day when you can clean it before it gets too dry. We will be putting everything away and getting ready for the County Fair around July 15th. Attention Clover Kids Clover Kids also need to stop in to set up an interview appointment time. The interviews will be held on Tuesday, August 4 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Please stop by the Extension Office by Friday, July 31 to set up your interview appointment time. Then, on Tuesday, August 4 bring your items to the Home Ec. Building on the Fairgrounds a few minutes prior to your interview appointment time. You will, at that time, let us know what items you will be entering. At your scheduled appointment time, you will have a short interview with the judge so you can tell him/her why and how you 3 made your exhibit. If you have any questions, give the Extension Office a call. County Fair Open Class Entries If you plan to enter static exhibits in Open Class, there are entry cards available at the Extension Office for you to pick up and fill out. This can save a lot of time on entry day! Open Class static exhibits are not pre-entered, but just brought on entry day Tues. evening 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. or Wed. morning 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. If you know of anyone else planning to make Open Class entries, please pass this information along to them. If you or someone you know plans to bring open class livestock exhibits (including large animal livestock, rabbits, dog, cats and small animals) to the county fair, those exhibits do need to be pre-entered by July 15 so we can plan room for them. You can find the forms on the website: or stop by our office and filling out a form. Pre County Fair Contests and Events * 4-H Presentation Contest and Show and Tell Contest will be on Wed. July 15 in the morning starting at 10:00 a.m. This contest is open to any 4-Her and the top county presentation will compete at State Fair as our Premier presenter. Start planning your presentation now--see more info in the new fairbook / Dept.B. Pre-registration is July 10. * The York County Favorite Food Show will be held this year on Wednesday July 15. This contest is open to any York County 4-Her, Clover Kid to 19 years of age. They will be able to begin setting up their display at 1:15 p.m. in the 4-H Building on the fair grounds. We have handouts here at the office that you can pick up and practice before the Favorite Food Show contest. You will need to pick a theme, plan the menu on one card and prepare one of the foods for the judge to taste and include the recipe on another card. This gives 4-Her s an opportunity to plan a complete meal, learn about setting the table, and exhibit a food item that will not last all through the fair. Please call and pre-register by July 10 and let us know your age, etc. Horticulture Judging & ID Contest The York County Horticulture Judging & ID Contest will be held Thursday July 30th, at 2:00 p.m. at the 4-H Building in York. Following the contest, Gary will share ideas on exhibiting vegetables and flowers. Be sure and stop by the Extension Office and pick up a copy of the 4-H publication Selecting and Preparing Vegetables, Herbs, and Fruit for Exhibiting at County Fairs and the Nebraska State Fair. Even if you do not plan to enter the contest, be on hand for the ideas on exhibiting vegetables and flowers. It s also available online at:

42 preparingvegetabesherbsandfruit 4-H & FFA Tractor Driving Contest The 4-H / FFA Tractors Driving Contest is scheduled for Monday, August 3, 2015 at the fairgrounds in York. If you have experience driving a tractor or just want to test your skills against other tractor drivers, plan to compete on Monday of the York County Fair. For more information about the contest or to find the driving patterns for the contest, go to the York County Extension web site: and look Tractor Driving Contest under the Project information. Scholarship Deadline Time The deadline for York County 4-H Scholarships sponsored by three wonderful families interested in seeing area 4-H youth continue their education is July 15. Eligible 4-H Youth have until July 15 to complete the application forms and return them with the required materials to the York County Extension Office. These scholarships have value of more than $1300 to be awarded to York County 4-H Members. The three scholarship programs include: the Wilber and Anna Schlechte Scholarship; the J.D. Hirschfeld Family Scholarship; and the Kenneth Jorgensen Family Memorial Scholarship. Call the Extension Office for more information and/or for copies of the scholarship application forms or you can go online at and look for information under 4-H Scholarships. These scholarships are available to only York County 4-H Members, so it may be well worth your time and effort to complete the short applications to be considered for one of these scholarships offered by special families that support the York County 4-H Youth. Thank You to the Schlechte, Hirschfeld and Jorgensen Families. Scholarship recipients will be announced Thursday night at the York County fair. Hint: it will only take a few minutes to update those winter and early spring applications for use with these 4-H specific scholarships. York County 4-H Council Scholarships The York County 4-H Council offers two scholarship programs each year to York County 4-H Members. Each of the scholarship programs will award two (2) scholarships of $500. The 4-H Council scholarship programs have a deadline of September 30, 2015, with complete information due in the Extension Office by that date. Outstanding 4-H Member Scholarship The Outstanding 4-H Member Scholarship Program offers two scholarships to youth based on their 4-H Career Portfolio and 4-H Awards Application for the year. If a 4-H Member is involved in the 4-H Awards program their application is mostly ready for consideration. Those 4-H Career Portfolios and Awards book are due September 30. York County 4-H Council Scholarship The second program, the York County 4-H Council Scholarship program, offers two scholarships with selection based on a Scholarship Application form to be completed by the member. The form asks for an essay and for member information such as what the youth learned through their 4-H experience; how 4-H impacted their life and career decisions; plus the leadership and community service of the individual. Scholarship application forms and complete information for the 4-H Council sponsored scholarships can be found on the York Extension web site then click on York County 4-H and look for the Scholarships heading. 4-H Career Portfolio Awards Hint #9 It s fair time and it is fair preparation time: take pictures, pictures and more pictures and take notes and don t throw them, pictures or notes away. It is a perfect time to get pictures of you helping others or working with a group or creating on your own. Those pictures work great in record books and your Career Portfolio. Inspirational Service Volunteers The York County 4-H Council is looking for talented 4-H ers to help with the Inspirational Services held on Sunday morning at the County Fair this year. If you enjoy speaking and/or singing, let us know at the Extension Office ( ) or contact Jeanette Postier and we ll work you into the service. With everyone s help, this will be a very special service! 2015 Pee Wee Show The Clover Kid / Peewee Pet Show team is seeking volunteers to work with the pre 4-H aged youth and their exhibits on Sunday, August 9 starting at 1:30 p.m. A few teens or parents are needed to help with this show and enjoy these young fair enthusiasts and what they bring to the fair. If you are able to help, please contact the Extension Office. 4-H State Fair Contests There will be contests offered at the 2015 Nebraska State Fair for 4-H Insect Identification Contest, Tree ID Contest, Horticulture Contest and a Weed/Crops/Grass/ Forbs Contest, all on Saturday, August 29, The contests are spread out during the day beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the 4-H/ FFA Youth Building towards the north end of the new state fairgrounds. If any of these contests sound like fun or something in 4

43 which you would be interested or would like to compete, contact the Extension Office for more information or to get your name on the list to represent York County. There will be divisions in each contest for Intermediate (10-13) and senior (14-18) age groups. Each division will recognize the top ten contestants. Participants must enter at the same time other State Fair entries are due, July 29, What a great way for 4-H members with an interest in these project areas to see how your knowledge compares to other interested youth across the state. Deadline for interest sign up is July 24, ANIMAL SCIENCE York County Ag Society Fair Special Notice: For Biosecurity reasons, all persons will be asked to stay out of the livestock and animal areas from 12:00 midnight to 6:00 A.M. The areas will be closed to exhibitors and the general public. Thank you for your support of this important biosecurity matter. Please plan your animal care and management accordingly. No live animal 4-H Poultry at the County Fair There will be no live bird 4-H Poultry Show at the 2015 York County Fair due to the Avian Influenza outbreak, at the request of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. The live animal Show is being temporarily replaced with: Showmanship Class using artificial poultry animals Please check information at the Extension Office for activities for Poultry Exhibitor/members. York County Fair Poultry competitions being considered will match those contests being offered at the Nebraska State Fair. Those competitions include: * Poultry Educational Presentations: An in-person contest which will include class options that address Avian Influenza and Biosecurity Practices. * Showmanship: An in-person contest utilizing a model or visual aid of some type. * Egg Contest: A static entry where youth will bring in one dozen (white, brown or other colored) eggs for grading. * Poster, Video, Display or Binder: A static entry with class options similar to the educational presentations. Livestock Pre-Entry Forms There are pre-entry forms for all livestock and animals to be entered at the York County Fair youth shows, including beef, dairy, goats, horse, poultry, rabbit, sheep, and swine. Go online to to print the forms you need, or stop by the Extension 0ffice. It is very important to turn in accurate information on 5 these forms as barn space and 4-H club areas are assigned based on the information provided. Please don t pad the numbers for extra space as it only adds confusion to stall and pen assignments. Every attempt will be made to provide adequate and fair room for all 4-H clubs and individual member needs. These must to be returned by JULY 15th for 4-H, FFA and Open Class Animal entries. FFA Livestock Entries If you are a FFA member or know someone that is, and plan to enter any livestock for the 2015 York County Fair, please make sure your exhibits are pre-entered with your FFA Instructor prior to July 15 or directly with the Extension Office by JULY 15, 2015! Go to the website or stop by the Extension Office and pick up a FFA livestock pre-entry form, fill it out completely and return it to the Extension Office by JULY 15 or visit with your FFA Instructor about the information needed! If you know of other FFA members planning to exhibit livestock at the fair, please share this information with them. Section H: 4-H Policy Handbook- 4-H/FFA Exhibits 1. Training offered by agricultural education/ffa and Extension Service/4-H contributes to youth s preparation for a future in agricultural production, agribusiness, and other areas. Simultaneous participation in both programs is acceptable and encouraged, if the youth choose to do so. However, there will not be duplication of project animals or other production units. 2. For purposes of exhibition, this means an animal can only be nominated and shown in one organization or the other, not both. 3. Any animal shown as an FFA exhibit is ineligible to be shown as a 4-H exhibit by any exhibitor. An animal may be nominated for either junior livestock show group but not both. Livestock Numbers for County Fair The York County Fair premium book gives the number of animals that may be entered in competition by each 4-H youth member. Please check the premium book by hard copy or on line to make sure you are planning to enter all the animals you would like to exhibit at the fair. Please ask at the Extension office if you have questions. Livestock Quality Assurance The deadline for certification for Livestock Quality Assurance has passed. If you are planning to exhibit livestock at the 2015 York County Fair, the Nebraska State Fair or other 4-H sponsored shows, you must have completed Livestock Quality Assurance for 2015 or received a passing grade on the LQA test. If you have yet to complete LQA Certification, the only remaining opportunity is to complete the Livestock Quality

44 Assurance Moodle Course mentioned in recent 4-H Focus newsletters or go to the York County Extension web site and follow course information to complete the LQA certification on line. It takes longer to get signed in than it does to complete the course segments. Please contact the Extension Office if you have questions. The Livestock Quality Assurance Certification is a state requirement not just a York County requirement. Swine Exhibitors 4-H Members enrolled in the Swine Projects will have your name, address and age information forwarded to the National Pork Producers and you should be receiving a PQA Plus card from that organization or from the Extension office. When entering market hogs at the county fair, state fair or Ak-Sar-Ben, be prepared to use this PQA+ number on your entries along with your Premise ID Number and with complete records for animal and or pen treatments for your market hogs for the entire feeding period. You will need to give your farm Premise ID number and information. Also for exhibitors planning to sell market hogs at the end of the York County Fair, be prepared at check in to tell the swine superintendent which animals will be selling to the cooperating packer. The Premise ID requirement is the demand of the cooperating packers, not the requirement of Extension, 4-H or the fairs/shows at which you are exhibiting. If you need to get a Premise ID number for your farm location, you can stop in at the Extension Office and we can get you the information you need. ID Information and ENTRIES As you get ready to make your animal entries for the fairs, please keep in mind the ownership affidavits (ID sheet's) for all animals eligible to participate at fairs and shows are on file at the Extension Office and have been forwarded to the State Office. Only animals listed on the Online Animal Ownership Affidavit or the hard copy ID sheets that are on file at the Extension Office are eligible for 4-H competition and awards. Please check all animals to be entered against your copy of the ID sheets to make sure there are no problems. (Tags in place, ear notches match, correct sex and color.) If you find a problem such as a lost ear tag, unreadable tattoo or missed notch, please let us know as soon as possible so the problem can be addressed before any check in at any fairs and shows. Bucket Calf Exhibitors Due to the current method of judging the Bucket Calf class, we are asking all 4-H members who will be exhibiting a bucket calf at the county fair to please bring their bucket calf record book to the extension office by Thursday, July 30, Those completed record sheets will be scored prior to the show ring placing. If there is not a completed record book turned in by the exhibitor, no evaluation score can be awarded in that area of the bucket calf class. If you have questions please call us. County Fair Reminders Several topics are either new for the 2015 York County Fair or will be a Point of Emphasis for this year s fair. A short list of some of those areas would include: New Age Division for all breeding heifer breeds in the Beef Show Prospect Pig class for swine weighing 160 to 229 pounds continue Market hog weight limits: 230 lb. minimum; 320 lb. maximum. Market hogs not within the weight limits will be allowed to show but are not eligible for purple ribbons or championship honors. Breeding Gilt classes are provided for breeds of swine, so long as there are a minimum of three registered animals entered for that breed. 4-H and FFA youth program logos are to be worn by exhibitors during the livestock shows, or exhibits will be lowered in their ribbon awards. All other dress code recommendations will be enforced as well. At fair shows, livestock exhibitor numbers will be with the area/specie supt. at or near the show site no need to walk over to the Extension Office. County Fair Bedding & Area Clean-Up The York County Ag Society will again be providing first bedding for livestock at the 2015 York County Fair. There will be wood shavings provided for sheep, goats, swine, poultry and rabbits. There will be wood product bedding provided in the cattle barn. The several hundreds of dollars of bedding provided by the Ag Society go a long way toward making the fair experience a great one for exhibitors and their animals. We can help out the Ag Society and their work force by doing a few things as we look to use facilities and care for our animals during the fair. They include: 1) Please take time to separate bedding and manure from the wire, plastic etc. and then place the materials in the correct receptacles. Wood shavings, manure, etc. should be placed in the large roll off dumpsters located around the grounds. Plastics, wire, cans, bottles, etc. go in the refuse barrels located around the grounds. 2) Use the bedding you need, but please be frugal with the bedding. Livestock bedding, as with all things, is experiencing a major increase in price to the fair. Unused bedding in bales or bags must not to be taken

45 off the grounds for use at home. Use only what you need and let the Ag Society return the unused portion to the vendor to help save expenses. 3) Sunday afternoon from 4 to 6 p.m., is the load out or cleanup time for the fair-- we can use more volunteers and hope you can plan to be represented at the cleanup activity. Not only should bedding be pulled at least three feet away from the walls and tie panels of the barns and pens, but there should be someone to assist with loading it into roll off containers. A few extra hands makes it a lot easier on all the volunteers and fair staff who are responsible for getting the fairgrounds back into shape. We all want to load and get home, but so everyone gets home at a decent time, everyone s help is needed! * * * * Special help will be appreciated in the sheep and goat pen areas. Those areas have been the barn area of the most concern in the recent past years. Please keep track of and pay for any wood shavings beyond first bedding. Payment can be made to the York County Ag Society. Additional shavings can be purchased from the Ag Society at $8.25 per bag. If you have questions or ideas, contact an Ag Society member and they will try to work with you to make the York County Fair a great experience for everyone. Horse Show addition for 2015 The Horse Show event scheduled for Wednesday, August 5, 2015 will be larger this year. In addition to the York County riders, riders from across the state are invited to ride and compete for special awards and premiums at the 2015 York County Fair Open 4-H Rules Horse Show. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three riders (performances) in each age division of each class. The York County Fair Awards, as in past years organized by the York 4-H Council and sponsored by areas businesses, will be presented to only York County 4-H Member riders. The highest placing York County enrolled Showmanship winners in the Senior and Intermediate Divisions will be invited to participate in the Large Animal Round Robin competition on Sunday as in the past. 4-H and FFA ANIMAL and LIVESTOCK NEWS * * * All 4-H and FFA Livestock Exhibitors must have completed their Livestock Quality Assurance certification for 2015 to be eligible to exhibit livestock or sell animals at the end of the York County Fair. * * * Check earlier paragraphs for more information or the Extension Office if you have questions about meeting this important requirement. Livestock and Animal deadlines 7 July 15 - Deadline for pre-entry for the York County fair for all 4-H, FFA and Open class animal entries. July 30 Bucket Calf record sheets due at the Extension Office August 8 Pre-entry forms are due the in the Extension Office for the Ak-Sar-Ben 4-H Livestock Show. August 10 Pre-entry for animal classes for the Nebraska State Fair must be made by 4:59 p.m., August 10, 2015 by the youth exhibitor / family. You must make your entries yourself at index.asp ( See more info below.) 4-H Horse News York County 4-H riders had a great go at the District 4-H Horse Shows with riders qualifying for the State 4-H Horse Expo in all their entered classes. Stacia Brugger earned the Championship honors and awards in the Junior Age Division of Reining and Mackenzie Deprez qualified for the State Horse Expo in both Western Pleasure and Western Horsemanship. Congratulations riders! Dates for the State 4-H Horse Show at Fonner Park in Grand Island are July 13 16, 2015; check your calendar to see if you can watch them compete. County Fair Beef Show Schedule There are minimal changes for the York County Fair beef show for The show order will be: 9:00 A.M. - Feeder Calves, followed by Breeding heifer classes then showmanship, and followed by the market classes with market heifers first followed by steer classes. Market and breeding classes switch back and forth in the show order, with market classes first in the even numbered years and breeding classes going first in the odd numbered years. NEBRASKA STATE FAIR Animal/Livestock Entries 4-H and FFA are sharing an online entry system and are allowing exhibitors/parents to make the entries on line. The link for entering your animals and animal classes has changed for 2015 to Families will find a link to the State Fair Livestock entry website, a PDF with entry instructions and a YouTube video with entry instructions. 4-H and FFA exhibitors and their families are responsible for submitting all livestock entries online this year. This includes: 4H and FFA Livestock entries (including showmanship classes) for beef cattle, dairy, meat goats, poultry, rabbits, sheep and swine

46 4H Companion Animal entries 4H Dog entries 4H Dog Skillathon entries 4H and FFA Premier Exhibitor entries Registration is now open. All livestock entries must be submitted no later than 4:59 p.m. Central Time on August 10, A credit or debit card will be required to submit entries. Please remember Aug. 10 is the day after the York County Fair. Maybe it would be a better plan to make your entries early and substitute animals later, rather than wait to the last minute and miss it. Printed instructions for use in registering/entering animal classes at the Nebraska StateFair can be found at wwwstatefair.org/p/getinvolved/4h-ffa or the York Extension website. If you have technical difficulties with the online registration, please the techmical support team; neshoworks@gmail.com 4-H Static Exhibit Registration Information and contests will be entered by the local Extension Office staff (as has been done in past years). The Extension staff will try to remind you of this deadline, but it is the sole responsibility of the exhibitors and their families to get the entries in by the deadline. Entry Fees for the 2015 Nebraska State Fair: due at online entry time 4-H Beef $18.00 per animal 4-H Dairy $10.00 per animal 4-H Sheep, Swine & Meat Goat.. $ 5.00 per animal 4-H Dog (Obedience & Agility).. $ 2.50 per class Companion Animals..... $ 3.00 per animal 2015 Nebraska State Fair Admission Passes 4-H livestock exhibitors (Beef, Sheep, Swine, Rabbit, Poultry, Meat Goat & Dairy) will receive one (1) State Fair Exhibitor Pin (exhibitor badge). This State Fair Exhibitor Pin (exhibitor badge) is your pass to the fair for all 11 days. Families wishing to purchase additional State Fair Exhibitor Pins (exhibitor badges) may do so at $20.00 each. If the State Fair Exhibitor Pin (exhibitor badge) is lost or stolen, a new State Fair Exhibitor Pin (exhibitor badge) must be purchased for $ No exceptions. It s also recommended that the purchase of additional State Fair Exhibitor Pins (exhibitor badges) be included in pre-registration through ShoWorks. 4-H static exhibitors may purchase reduced price NSF admission tickets or a State Fair Exhibitor Pin (exhibitor badge). 4-Hers who participate in the fashion show, companion animals, dog show, presentations, events, and contests at the NSF will receive one (1) single-day admission ticket for the day they are to participate. 8 4-H judges and volunteers will receive one (1) singleday admission ticket for each day in which they assist with a show. Counties are permitted to order reduced price NSF admission tickets for exhibitors and their families. Sponsors (chaperones) will not receive a free ticket this year Nebraska State Fair Discount Ticket Policy: The following is the process that must be followed to order the $4.00 discount tickets for 4-H Exhibitor Families. The State Fair Board asks that you: Please be realistic in the number of tickets you request as you will be responsible to pay for what you order. There are no refunds. The deadline for County Extension Offices to order $4.00 discount tickets for the State Fair is August 6, Please get your family discount ticket orders to the York Extension Office prior to August 5. Other Pass Information: FYI, outside gate admission will be $10.00, with $5.00 days on Monday, August 31, and Wednesday, September 2. Children 6 to 12 will be $3.00 every day and children 5 and under will be free every day. The State Fair Livestock Parking procedure in 2015 will be: All exhibitors wishing to park a vehicle in the Exhibitor Parking West Swine Lot or Brunk s Lot must purchase a vehicle permit for $15. This permit must be affixed to the driver's side of the windshield. No trailers will be allowed in the West Swine Lot. Trailers can be parked in Brunk s Lot at no charge. No charge to park a vehicle or trailer in Luebbe s East Lot. Any exhibitors that do not wish to buy a permit for their vehicle or trailer must park in the Luebbe s Lot, which is on Stuhr Road east across from the fairgrounds. No trailers or vehicles will be allowed in the Luebbe s Lot until the second weekend. Everyone with livestock will still come through the Check -In Trailer but will not be allowed back into Brunk s Lot to park without a permit. You do not need a parking permit to unload your animals on the fairgrounds. Once you unload, you must exit the fairgrounds. The $4.00 discount exhibitor passes can be ordered through ShoWorks when you are entering your livestock. * * Best Option * * The $15 Parking Permits, $10 Blocking Chute Permits and extra $20 State Fair Exhibitor Pins (exhibitor badges) are ordered through ShoWorks with your livestock entries by August 10. These will all be in your packets picked up at the Livestock Trailer. State Fair Animal Health 2015 The Nebraska State Fair Animal Health regulations for

47 2015: Please find and read those new regulations or visit with your cooperating veterinarian as how those changes may affect you and your animals. At the very least, all animals must be individually identified on a CVI (Certificate of Veterinarian Inspection) within 30 days of the state fair except for sheep and goats that must have a CVI within 10 days of the state fair and will be inspected off site at the state fair before the animals will be permitted to unload at the fairgrounds. Animals with warts that are visible by a hands on inspection will not be allowed to remain on the premises. Cattle must be tested and have a negative test result for Bovine Virus Diarrhea (BVD) to be eligible to exhibit or remain on the fairgrounds. All sheep and goats being exhibited, except whethers, need to be individually identified with a USDA Official ID (Scrapie tag) in addition to their 4-H/FFA identification. For complete Nebraska State Fair Animal Health regulations, go to the fair web site: and look for Health Regulations and BVD Regulations. 4-H beef animals in Beef Showmanship will be shown free of any compounds that are applied by aerosol propellants. Alcohol, water or any water or alcohol-based products with no adhesive qualities are permitted Any compounds that have adhesive qualities or alter the color of the animal are forbidden. Breeding Meat Goat Classes continue Dog Show classes (Advanced Graduate Novice and Graduate Open) continue All Static Exhibits must have received a purple award at their county fair to advance to the state fair. Nebraska State Fair News The Premium Book for the 2015 Nebraska State Fair in now on line at: look for the State Fair logo Fun is in the Fair and click on the heading for Nebraska State Fair resources for the information of interest to you. Call the Extension Office if you have problems finding the areas in which you are most interested. More state fair entries info Be sure to check for all your 2015 Livestock Exhibitors needs and extras including: additional exhibitor badges and parking permits for vehicles. Plan to purchase what you will need at the time you make state fair livestock entries in ShoWorks or share with a friend or neighbor. State Fair Elite Showmanship Contest The Nebraska State Fair will again be hosting a Round Robin Showmanship competition. York County will plan to enter the top placing contestant (4-H or FFA) from the York County Large Animal Round Robin Showmanship Contest s Senior Age Division that has entered beef cattle, sheep or swine at the Nebraska State Fair for Ask Gary or Pete if you have questions. More State Fair There will be herdsmanship judging in 2015 for 4-H and FFA areas There will be selection of a Supreme Champion Breeding Heifer selection at the end of the Breeding heifer show on Sunday of the state fair Market beef classes will be Monday, (Labor day) September 7 with selection of the Grand Champion Market Beef Animal at 4:00 p.m. Beef Showmanship will be broken by age divisions only: There will be no Junior division; Intermediate Age Division (10-13 years 4-H age), and Senior Age Division (14-18 years of 4-H age). Beef Showmanship will be Blow and Go. Animals may be clipped, blown and brushed or combed to enhance their appearance. Ak-Sar-Ben News The 2015 Ak-Sar-Ben Livestock Show is scheduled for September 24 27, 2015 at the Century Link Center in Omaha, while their 4-H Horse Show is set for September 19 & 20 at the Lancaster County Event Center in Lincoln. The Ak-Sar-Ben Livestock Show and Horse Show premium book should be their web site soon at: From early reports, there will be many changes for class breaks and offerings including the breaks for classes and divisions. Check them out. All entries must be made to the Extension Office by Monday, August 11, There will be no Ak-Sar-Ben Broiler show in 2015, due to Avian Influenza but look for it back in For Ak-Sar-Ben 2015 the Speech Contest continues, for those youth interested in using agriculture in their speech, the 4-H Rabbit Show will continue Ak-Sar-Ben entries must be in our office no later than Aug. 5, Ak-Sar-Ben livestock exhibitors must be 10 years old by Jan.1, Entry fees must be paid when entries are made. The premium book for the Ak-Sar-Ben Show should be up in the web very soon at Stop by the Extension Office if you need an area of the premium book the office can print out an individual section of information you need. 9

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49 4 H Focus September 2015 The York County 4-H Focus is published by the York County 4-H Council and the York County Extension Staff. OFFICE HOURS 8 a.m. Noon, 1 5 p.m. Monday Friday PHONE FAX York-County@unl.edu INTERNET MAILING ADDRESS York County Extension 2345 Nebraska Ave York NE STAFF Gary Zoubek, Educator Gerald Peterson, Assistant Steph Stanley, Office Manager Sue Stahr, Office Assistant It seemed like a Bin Bustin Fun fair! With the grey and silver Bin cutouts all over the grounds, well... they just added to a wonderful 2015 York County Fair! A giant Thank You to the 4-H Exhibitors and their families who participated in this year s York County Fair. You helped make it a tremendous success! Very special Thank You s A giant thank you to all our 4-H members and families involved with making the 2015 York County Fair a wonderful fair in which to be involved. Your creativity, work, time, effort and originality in displays, projects and exhibits that highlight what 4-H youth and their families can accomplish, are amazing and helped make the 2015 County Fair a great one. A large Thank You also goes to the York County Ag Society for the great facilities and venues in which to compete and to display the 4-H projects and for ordering pretty nice weather for the fair. The shower early in the week was great for the horse arena and even the shower of rain Friday night did not diminish the enthusiasm for evening activities and the fair concert. Air conditioned buildings are wonderful, but good weather just helps everything. One more important Thank You On behalf of the staff and a great many young people in the York County 4-H Program we would like to extend a giant or three giant Thank You's to Lizzie Peterson, Ann Wilton and Katie Husman, for their wonderful help with the York County 4-H Program and assistance with Nebraska Extension this summer in York County.

50 Their leadership and help around the 4-H Program, the Extension Office and the county fair, was and is greatly appreciated by all of us. The workshops, program planning and smooth operation of much of the 4-H Program at the county fair was due to their efforts, talents and enthusiasm. Thanks again and Best Wishes to Lizzie, Ann and Katie as they return to their more normal lives of continuing their education, and maybe looking towards a career in Extension and the 4-H Youth Program. Fair 4-H Food Stand a Success Also, a huge Thank You goes to Holly Tonniges for her leadership and the management of the 4-H Food Stand for It seemed to be a great success. The planning, organization and operation makes the fair easier and a lot more fun for the rest of us, and still provides the 4-H Council with their largest and only real fund raising activity of the year. Thank You also needs to go out to all those volunteers that helped in the 4-H Food Stand before and during the fair. Many of those faces are familiar, and year after year they provide wonderful service to the 4-H Food Stand, Pop Stand and the Concession Stand in the Cornerstone Building. The pies oh yes the pies were fantastic! We didn t know you could live for days on the great pies at the 4-H Food, but you almost can. We were running low on selection of pies at the end but they were all great tasting. Our hats are off to you Food Stand Volunteers and to those who worked and brought pies, which are a big part of our success: Champions Sweatshirt/Trophy Orders The Sweatshirts/trophies/plaques/trophies being awarded to the 4-H Champions and FFA Champions at the York County Fair will be ordered in the near future. If you received an order form in the mail with your championship honor, or think you should have received one, please check with the Extension Office as soon as possible. The deadline to return the form to our office was Sept. 2, so if you get a letter, please respond as soon as you can. We need those choices as soon as possible to assure you that you receive the sweatshirt/trophy and logo you earned in a timely manner. While we are talking Thank You s You really must send those Thank You cards to the sponsors of all the awards presented at the York County Fair. It only takes a few minutes and creates years of positive good will to let the businesses and individuals that sponsor awards know that we appreciate them. If you believe you should be getting a sweatshirt/ In all honesty, we have one sponsor backing away trophy and did not or have not received an order form, from sponsoring for next year; giving as the reason that please contact the office with your information, we don t the sponsor had received so few Thank You cards over want to miss anyone. their years of sponsorship. It takes so little time and effort; we provide the cards and the stamp is less than any soda or cup of coffee. Please take the time and make the effort York Area Chamber of Commerce Special Premiums to Thank the wonderful people and businesses that sponsor the 4-H Awards program. and the folks at the York County Area Chamber of Com- The great businesses and individuals of the York area If you have questions or need another card, please merce again organized, collected and will be distributing stop by the office and we ll get the information you need. nearly seven thousand dollars in special premiums for placings at the York County Fair. Those exhibitors with exhibits that earned the Special Premiums will be getting Chamber Checks in the mail in the near future. Please send a Thank you to the York Area Chamber of Commerce Ag. Committee, and maybe a business or two on the list of sponsors, to let them know how grateful we are for their interest and their support. What Can We Do? The York County 4-H Council, the Ag Society and the Extension Staff are always looking for ways to make a great County Fair even better. If you have ideas, suggestions or dreams about ways to make the York County Fair even better, please write those ideas down and get that information to 4-H Council members, to the York County Ag. Society or to the Extension Office, and that information will be added to a York County 4-H and County Fair evaluation that will be done 2

51 this fall. Several ideas from your suggestions of the past became positive changes that were evident at the 2015 York County Fair. Updating 4-H in York County The same type of information is needed for the York County 4-H Program as for the county fair. We need your ideas! We need your visions of what can make the 4-H Program more available to even more young people and families. While some project and display areas were larger in 2015, other areas were lower in participation, and we really would like to have every year, every project area bigger and better than the year before. It was wonderful to see Junior Showmanship classes larger in numbers this year. That looks like a bright future for the program. Write those ideas down on a piece of paper and send it to us or your ideas to the UNL Extension Office in York or just carry your ideas to a 4-H Council member, or maybe the Ag Society and we ll try to see that the correct group gets those ideas for evaluation this fall. Don t just wish something was better or different for next year, get those ideas to the groups that can make them happen. Let s make the York County 4-H Program even better for 2016! York County Fair 2016 Dates for the York County Fair for 2016 are set for August 4-7. This seems later by the calendar dates but remains 4 weeks ahead of Labor Day weekend and the state fair. The Ag Society, 4-H Council and Extension Staff do hope that the dates do not conflict with other calendar activities including school, sports and that last family outing for the summer. Plan on a great 2016 York County Fair! We ll see you there. Keeping your 4-H Records up to date Most 4-H members who completed their records in the Career Portfolio format last year will have those completed records on their computer, and that is a huge help to keep those records of your accomplishments; just add this year s information to the 2014 Portfolio information; write a H Story, and you are ready to go. For many 4-H members that have been updating their career records, it would be a shame not to update the information for 2015 as well and apply for local awards and maybe prepare to compete at the state level. It really does get easier every year, or at least it seems we are more comfortable in maintaining records that might serve us for years into the future. There are no new record books, no new record sheets, no special additions, just the 4-H Career Portfolio, a 4-H Story for the year, sign the page along with a parent and 4-H Leader and update your 4-H records for the year and you are ready. More complete information is included in this mailing, just look for the colored sheet of paper, or go the York Extension web site; then click on York County 4-H and scroll down to Career Portfolio (near the bottom of the page) and then Career Portfolio Instructions. County Fair 4-H, FFA and Open Class Premiums For 2015, 4-H Members, along with other fair exhibitors were eligible to receive their 4-H County Fair Premium * * Included in this mailing is a sheet with a complete explanation & directions for completing the year end and 4-H Checks immediately after the fair. Completion of 4-H records, Career Portfolio and 4-H Story are not required for awards application Career Portfolio. * * county fair exhibit premiums for If you have not already done so, please stop by the The 4-H Congress Trip to Atlanta, GA is still there Extension office to pick up your county fair premium check at your earliest convenience. There are no plans to mail Remember that York County will again be represented checks to the all those receiving 4-H, FFA and Open Class at the National 4-H Congress by two of our 4-H Members. Premiums for York County Fair exhibits. Brody Garner and Trevor Friesen made the commitment and earned the opportunity to represent Nebraska and York County at the 4-H Congress for 2015 and you can too. The 4-H Awards and Career Portfolio Evaluation program and earning a trip to the National 4-H Congress is still in place. The National 4-H Congress is a very real and very attainable goal for many 4-H members and their families. If you are interested in the 4-H Awards Program and 3

52 using the 4-H Career Portfolio to be involved in that process, please contact the Extension Office for help. Staff is available to answer one on one questions, or to schedule a program to help a number of youth and families at the same time. It can be done; it has been done several years in a row; and many of the 4-H Members in York County do have the chance to be a member of the next group of Nebraska 4-H youth to travel to the 4-H Congress in Atlanta, Georgia. see if that program may be for you. Complete information can be found at the Nebraska 4-H web site: then type Diamond Clover in the search box or ask staff at the Extension Office in York. York 4-H Council Scholarships Each year the York County 4-H Council offers $2000 worth of scholarships to York County 4-H Members. The 4-H Council s two scholarship programs will each award two (2) scholarships of $500. The York County 4-H Council scholarship programs have a due date of September 30, 2015, with complete information due in the Extension Office by that date. 4-H Club Recognition 4-H Leaders, please remember to complete the 4-H Club of Excellence forms. If your 4-H Club met at least 6 times, elected club officers, had a club project, worked on a community service project and have members that participate in county, district, regional and/or state events, York County Outstanding 4-H Member Scholarship gave speeches or presentations at club meetings and celebrate member accomplishments, your 4-H group is a 4-H The Outstanding 4-H Member Scholarship Program Club of Excellence. offers two scholarships to 4-H Members per year. These scholarships are awarded based on the 4-H Member s 4-H We ask that leaders complete the form that can be Career Portfolio and 4-H Awards Application for the year. found at the York Extension web site, look in York County 4-H then look under Career Portfolio for the form, and return it to the UNL Extension Office in York by September gram, their application is almost complete and ready for If a 4-H Member is involved in the 4-H Awards pro- 30, consideration. York County Outstanding 4-H Member requirements are a completed 4-H Career Portfolio and 4-H Curriculum Story as a part of their 4-H Awards Application, plus the one page application sheet found at the York County Extension Web Site: then click on York County 4-H in the left hand column and scroll down to Scholarships, from there look for the Outstanding York County 4-H Youth Scholarship Application Form. 4-H Diamond Clover Recognition Diamond Clover recognition forms are due at the same time, September 30, The Diamond Clover recognition program is the six layered accomplishment program where 4-H Individuals can be rewarded for their setting and accomplishing a simple set of goals for the year. For the first few levels or years, it is as easy as attending 4-H meetings, exhibiting at the fair, completing projects York County 4-H Council Scholarship and giving a presentation at their club meetings. In the sixth level, the 4-H Member is expected to plan and accomplish a major project or goal for the Diamond Clover Award. For those interested, the Diamond Clover 4-H Award is considered to be on a similar level of recognition as the Eagle level of accomplishment in scouting. York County celebrated as their first member, Keziah Bruns, completed all six levels of the program and was recognized by the State for her Diamond Clover Program Award. Take a look at the 4-H Diamond Clover program and 4 The second program, the York County 4-H Council Scholarship program, offers two scholarships to youth per year with selection based on a Scholarship Application form to be completed by the member. The 4-H Council Scholarship Application asks for an essay and for member information; that includes what the youth learned through their 4-H experience; how 4-H impacted their life and career decisions; plus a listing of leadership and community service of the individual. 4-H Council Scholarship application forms and complete information can be found on the York Extension web site then click on York County 4-H and

53 look for the Scholarships heading and the form is listed as York County 4-H Council Scholarship. Help us Celebrate 4-H for 2015! The York County 4-H Achievement Party will be scheduled for a Sunday in October watch the next 4-H Focus Newsletter for more information and specific dates and times. It s a short afternoon/evening of fun, games, food, stories, and of course, announcement of the 4-H Career Portfolio Awards and the 4-H Council scholarship recipients. Watch the next 4-H Focus Newsletter for more information. We hope to see you there! 4-H Foundation Troy Hansen Memorial Shoot The 2015 Troy Hansen Memorial Shoot is set for Thursday, September 24, 2015 at the Oak Creek Sporting Club in Brainard, NE. The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. with registration and games. Shooting begins at 1:00 p.m. Dinner, auction and a raffle will begin at 5:00. For more information on this Charity Shoot, contact the Nebraska 4-H Foundation at: 210 Mussehl Hall, UNL East Campus, P O Box , Lincoln, NE by phone at or @ne4hfoundation.org County Fair wrap up Thank You to all the 4-H Exhibitors that brought their fabulous livestock, animals and their pets to add to a great county fair display. You are an important part of the success of the York County Fair! The crowds walking through the barns to view the animals, and their owner/exhibitors are a very important part of the entertainment at the York County Fair that draws hundreds, if not thousands, of visitors to the fairgrounds and the community. The weather was sort of good most of the time for 2015, sticky but not as hot as it had been, but the great facilities and your care made the whole thing work very well for all involved. YCF Herdsmanship Wrap up for 2015 The final Herdsmanship scoring for 2015 is as follows: Sheep & Goats: 1st Lively Livestock, 2nd - Movers and Shakers, 3rd; York FFA and 4th Blender Family Swine: 1st - Gresham Livestock; 2nd Underwood Family; 3rd Lively Livestock and 4th Diggers 4-H Club. Cattle: 1st Cast Family; 2nd - Gresham Livestock, 3rd Total Eclipse 4-H Club and 4th Lively Livestock. Thank You to all the clubs that worked to make the York Fair a very welcome and inviting place for the public to visit, walk through and enjoy. 4-H Annual Trail Ride near Halsey Hope to see you at the 2015 Nebraska State Fair The 15th Annual Nebraska 4-H Trail Ride Benefit is York County 4-H has a great display of youth and projects headed for Grand Island. Over 50 youth will have set for October 9-11, 2015, at Nebraska s National Forest near Halsey in the Sandhills of Nebraska. It is a weekend projects on display and be entered in a wide variety of of great horseback or wagon experiences, viewing the state fair contests and activities. largest man made forest in the US, and the great company We have close to 200 static entries entered going in of horse enthusiasts and their animals. the many areas of Home Ec., Foods, Plant Science and For more information, contact Connie Cox at other areas. York County Extension staff and wonderful ccox5@unl.edu or just search for Halsey Trail Ride on volunteers carried exhibits into the 4-H & FFA building for your computers search program. hours Wednesday before the fair. In the animal barns, 30 plus youth have entered over 120 classes with animals Keep riding for a lot of fun and a great cause. from dog to cattle and rabbits to pigs. If you are walking through the 4-H animal areas at the state fair, stop by and say hello to our York County exhibitors and their families. Animal & Livestock Extra If you visit the grounds Labor Day weekend, there will be large displays of poultry, rabbits, sheep, swine, cattle, and meat goats and if you are there at the right time, stop 5

54 by the 4-H and FFA Exhibition Building and maybe catch the York contestants in action, or look for the 4-H exhibits on display in the Exhibition Building. The very Best of Luck to all the York County contestants and exhibitors at the 2015 Nebraska State Fair. More State Fair If you are headed for the State Fair, you may want to go to the 4-H web site to get a schedule of 4-H related activities. Just go to and click on the 2015 Nebraska State Fair Logo and look for schedule on the list of information; or you can go to the Nebraska State Fair site for a more complete listing of events and look for the days schedules. Go Mobile at State Fair Experience 4-H at the 2015 Nebraska State Fair from wherever you might be! Download the 4-H at the Nebraska State Fair App for your ipad/iphone or Android mobile device. With the Nebraska 4-H State Fair app, you can... view the schedule and favorite the events you don't want to miss check out all the results by project type, name, city, or even county view photos and videos keep updated on the latest happenings find your way with the fair maps snap a photo souvenir and dress it up with 4-H gear and other fun accessories (ipad only) The web address is: Ak-Sar-Ben 4-H Horse Show September 19 and 20, 2015 at the Lancaster Event Center in Lincoln. With school, harvest and other demands on families, we are excited that twenty exhibitors--nearly fifty per cent more exhibitors than last year--have entered to this end of the show season fun and competitive activity. Best of Luck to all the York County Exhibitors headed to the Ak-Sar-Ben 4-H Livestock Exposition. American Royal Entry Deadline The deadline for entering market livestock at the 2015 American Royal Livestock Show is September 10, All market livestock must have DNA samples on file with the American Royal to be eligible to compete. For more information go their web site: When visiting the 4-H Exhibit Hall at the Nebraska State Fair, be sure to check out the Seek and Scan game on the 4-H at the Nebraska State Fair App. Use your mobile device to scan the QR codes scattered throughout the building and see a video of the 4-H'er who completed the project, sharing what they learned! Ak-Sar-Ben Livestock Exposition York County will be sending a great group of livestock and horse exhibitors to the Ak-Sar-Ben Livestock Exhibition, slated for Omaha September 24-27, 2015, with the 6

55 Instructions for completing the 4-H Career Portfolio 1. The 4-H Career Portfolio should be placed in an ACCO folder to facilitate handling and judging. 2. Margin and font guidelines should not be changed in the 4-H Career Portfolio. 3. None of the pages in the 4-H Career Portfolio should be placed in plastic sleeves. 4. Each 4-H Career Portfolio should have an Application and Curriculum Form related to that specific Portfolio. A 4-Her can submit two Portfolios in different Curriculum areas but only one trip will be awarded if both Portfolios are selected as winners. The 4-Her must indicate which Curriculum area is their first and second choice on the Application and Curriculum Form. 5. If a 4-Her submits two record books each book must contain a 4-H story and supporting material related to the curriculum area that Portfolio is applying in. 6. Project Record Books should not be included in the 4-H Career Portfolio Hers can use preprinted tab pages or they can print the tab pages with their computer and add a plastic tab to the bottom of the printed tab pages. 8. The back of the tab pages contain instructions and examples for each Portfolio section. 9. Age guidelines for the National 4-H Congress trip can be found on the National 4-H Congress web page. 10. Signature pages should be completed in all 4-H Career Portfolios.

56 4 H Focus November 2015 The York County 4-H Focus is published by the York County 4-H Council and the York County Extension Staff. OFFICE HOURS 8 a.m. Noon, 1 5 p.m. Monday Friday PHONE FAX York-County@unl.edu INTERNET MAILING ADDRESS York County Extension 2345 Nebraska Ave York NE STAFF Megan Burda, Educator Gerald Peterson, Assistant Steph Stanley, Office Manager Sue Stahr, Office Assistant THE FAIR CHAMPION AWARDS ARE IN! If you qualified, please stop in and pick it up soon. York 4-H on Facebook For all those young people and families that prefer your information immediately from your phone or computer? Join us or just follow 4-H in York County at this site: groups/ / * * * Important 4-H Club News * * * We are nearing the end of the H Year and as such, all 4-H Clubs need to prepare a Year Ending 4-H Club Treasurer s Report. No exceptions! Even if your club does not have a bank account, and does not have a treasury, and does not have an EIN Number, please complete the Year Ending 4-H Club Treasurer s Report and bring it to the Extension Office. Extension Staff will forward the information to the IRS for the Form 990 or Form 990 EZ. The filing, even if it not accepted by the IRS computer, will need to be listed as tried to file to make sure your 4-H Club, the York County 4-H Program and the Nebraska 4-H Foundation can maintain their tax status. We do appreciate your help with this important part of your 4-H year and 4-H records. The Year Ending 4-H Club Treasurer s Report form can be found at the York County Extension web site under York County 4-H, then look for the heading.(steph please insert the title you use).... and then look for the Treasurer s Report. Those Treasurer s Reports need to be in to the Extension Office by December 31, For Those NEW 4-H Clubs For new 4-H Clubs, those that organized and applied for the IRS EIN Number, please get those numbers to the Extension Office. If your

57 club applied for an EIN Number and have yet to be notified of that number, please let York Count y Extension know, and we will try to work with you to try to bring that information up to date. Or if your club received an EIN Number after your application of last spring, please get that number and information to the Extension Office in York so that it can be placed in your club s permanent file. Thank you 4-H Club Leaders and Treasurers, for your help with this important information. York 4-H Members recognized at the Achievement Party included: The Outstanding 4-H Members for 2015: Trevor Friesen and Jason Gloystein were selected as the Outstanding York County 4-H members for their 4-H Careers and their 4-H Awards Program information. Both 4-H members will be awarded scholarships in the amount of $500 as a part of their recognition. York County 4-H Council Scholarships The York County 4-H Council awarded a scholarship in the amount of $500 to Ashley Barker-Chandler and Conner Luettel. Curriculum Area Awards based on their 4-H Awards Applications for 2015 were: Consumer & Family Sciences Conner Luettel. Environmental Education & Earth Sciences Leon Linhart Healthy Lifestyles Matt Mittman and William Wilton State 4-H Award Competition York County Awards Program youth were selected to have their Career Portfolios and Awards Applications entered to compete at the State 4-H Awards Competition in curriculum areas for the next 4-H year. Jason Gloystein, Bailey Gocke, Clare Wilton and Nicole Mittman had their awards books and Career Portfolio information selected to be forwarded to that competition in the new year, in at least one curriculum area. Best of luck to those members on their great records and award applications as they prepare for state competition that may earn them a trip to the National 4-H Congress in the fall of For Outstanding 4-H Records-Ages 8 12: Matt Mittman, Tucker Robinson and Wyatt Regier. For ages 13-18: Bailey Gocke, Nicole Mittman and Clare Wilton. Diamond Clover Recognition: York County 4-H also recognized a group of 4-H members in the Diamond Clover Program. Those recognized for Amethyst Award or first year was: Tucker Robinson. 2 Diamond Award or the sixth year level was presented in the past year to Keziah Bruns. Keziah selected as her major project the refurbishing of the Batting Cage at the Waco Ball Fields. Level Six, the highest level of the Diamond Clover Recognition Program was earned by Keziah over the course of two years to plan, carry out and complete the final report needed to meet the program requirements. Keziah is the first member form York County to complete the six levels of recognition. Post Achievement Party Reminders: The 4-H Achievement Party served to help distribute the York County Fair Champions Award items. If you earned a Championship Award at the York County Fair in the 4-H or FFA divisions, you ordered a sweatshirt; trophy or plaque and those items are now ready for pick up at the Extension Office in York. With the cold weather heading this way, those sweatshirts will come handy so get yours as soon as possible. The 4-H Year End Records and Awards Application Booklets are ready to be picked as well. A few families have indicated there were some missed awards, especially in the Diamond Clover program. We ask that you update your record and bring it to the Extension Office, and we will try to update those records and awards listings. 4-H Wrap Up for 2015 In addition to the Champions sweatshirts, plaques and trophies, there are a few left over fair items at the Extension Office. Please stop by the office and pick those up at your earliest convenience. On behalf of the 4-H Council, Ag Society and Extension Staff, a great big Thank You for your help in making the H Year in York County very special. 4-H and County Fair Suggestion Sheets and Listening Session Attached to this 4-H Focus newsletter you should find a suggestion/volunteer sheet. If you have ideas or suggestions that can make the York County 4-H Program or the York County Fair more educational, more exciting or just improved, please complete that form and return it to the Extension Office. The York County 4-H Council and York County Ag Society do not have a Listening Session planned for this fall, so if you have ideas or suggestions, please list those ideas on the sheet and return it to the Extension Office at your earliest convenience. These suggestions are designed to get ideas from, and ideas for, fair volunteers, fair superintendents, Council members and mostly the people involved in the 4-H and county fair activities. The listening sessions are open to talk about

58 or get ideas on almost any topic that is 4-H or county fair related. Some early ideas may be to take a look at: 1) moving fair show activities to different days, 2) 4-H and FFA shared activities, 3) county fair schedule, 4) the trophy/plaque program, 5) committees to assist superintendents at the fair plus year around and the potential for items not yet on the agenda. 4-H Council News The York County 4-H Council s next meeting is set for Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Extension Office North Room in York. The 4-H Council is actively looking for a few interested persons to fill a volunteer role by serving on the 4-H Council. The York 4-H Council has two year terms that start in January. The 4-H Council currently looks like it may have vacancies in three of the county commissioner voting districts and an At Large vacancy that can be from anywhere in the county. The youth positions on the 4-H Council also need a number of volunteers for the H Year. Youth positions are At Large one year roles, and are full voting members of the council. Youth, this is a great way to add some leadership to your 4-H Awards information, besides being able to plan the future of the local 4-H Program. For more information, contact one of the 4-H Council members or Pete at the York Extension Office. Please call the office if you have an interest, or if you know someone that might have an interest, and is just too bashful to volunteer. We ll contact them for you. Now Available, STEAM Clothing Maker's Guide In A Maker s Guide to Sewing Stuff, youth will use the skills learned in STEAM Clothing 1 & 2 to make stuff! Youth will create items to use and wear while they practice their beginning sewing skills. Activities in this manual are for beginning and intermediate sewers looking to improve their skills before progressing into using patterns to make garments. Activities in this youth manual include step-by-step instructions to draw patterns, cut fabric, and sew simple items. There are helpful pictures and illustrations for each activity to guide youth as they make stuff. A copy of STEAM Clothing 1 & 2 should be available for youth to reference as they sew the items. We re excited for you to continue your sewing journey with STEAM Clothing: A Maker s Guide to Sewing Stuff! Buy now at or contact the Extension Office for a copy. Opportunity for Photographers from Across Nebraska An exciting statewide Photography Call sponsored by Hildegard Center for the Arts, in partnership with 3 the Nebraska Tourism Commission and the Nebraska State Historical Society, is currently inviting communities from across Nebraska to serve as a bridge to link history, generations and cultures. The Photography Call is entitled, Bridges: Sharing Our Past to Enrich the Future, and runs through January 4, From Adams to Antelope, Scottsbluff to Sheridan, Dundy to Douglas each of Nebraska s 93 counties is home to historic and hidden treasures from the past. This Call is inviting YOU and YOUR community to highlight historic places and often over-looked treasures found in your own county; historical sites either found on the National Register of Historic Places or places of community/personal significance to the photographer. To see full entry guidelines and to submit photos, go to SELECTED photographs from the Call will be exhibited statewide to help celebrate Nebraska s Sesquicentennial in 2017 and used to promote the state as part of our partnership with the Nebraska State Historical Society and the Nebraska Tourism Commission. All submitted photos will become part of a virtual exhibit Lincoln native and worldrenowned National Geographic photographer, Joel Sartore; University of Nebraska-Lincoln Professor Emeritus George Tuck; and well-known Nebraska photographers/writers Bobbi and Steve Olson, will serve as jurors for this statewide call. 4-H Youth in Action Awards National 4-H Council is now accepting applications for the annual Youth in Action Awards to be presented at the seventh annual Legacy Awards in Washington, D.C. on April 12, As one of the highest honors achieved, the 2016 awards have expanded to honor one remarkable 4-H er within each pillar area: Agriculture and Animal Sciences; Citizenship; Healthy Living; and STEM. As part of this great honor, each of the four Youth in Action Award pillar winners will receive: Scholarship: A $5,000 scholarship for higher education. Public Recognition: An all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. to be recognized at Council's Legacy Awards on April 12, Spokesperson Opportunities: Serve as the National Youth Spokesperson for their recognized pillar area. County Recognition: An additional $5,000 grant will be made to each of the awardees 4-H County. In addition, one overall national Youth in Action Award 2016 honoree will be selected from the four pillar winners and will receive an additional $5,000 scholarship. All applications must be submitted by 12:00 PM ET on Monday, November 30, Prudential Spirit of Community Awards

59 4-H Members can earn statewide or national recognition for volunteering by participating in the 2016 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, an independent awards program that recognizes young people in grades 5-12 on the basis of their volunteer activities. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School principals. In 2014, 168 county 4-H Programs selected honorees for this prestigious youth recognition program. This recognition is extremely beneficial to individual 4-H ers who have volunteered in their communities and to 4-H as a whole. Now through November 3, 2015, 4-H ers can apply online at spirit.prudential.com or A state-level judging committee will select the top youth volunteers in each state, who will receive silver medallions, $1,000 awards, and an-all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for national recognition events. In Washington D.C., a national selection committee will name America s top 10 youth volunteers for They will receive an additional $5,000 award, gold medallion, crystal trophy, and a $5,000 grant from The Prudential Foundation to designate to the charitable nonprofit organization of their choice. If you have questions or need additional information go to: Fontanelle Hybrids Essay Contest Our office received some information from the folks at Fontanelle about the 2016 Essay contest for 4-H and FFA Seniors. Twenty Nebraska seniors will have an opportunity to receive a scholarship valued at $1,000 by submitting a 250 word essay on the topic: What has had the greatest impact on production agriculture in your local community over the past 80 years? Entry period is Oct. 1 Nov. 20, The Extension Office has packet of information available if you d like, just stop by and pick one up. Complete information can be found at: Nebraska Assn. Of County Extension Boards Scholarships Available Stop in our office to get an application and info, or refer to our website: to see this info under scholarships: A $1,000 scholarship is awarded to an incoming freshman ( 16-17) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, attending either the College of Agricultural Sciences (CASNR) or the College of Education and Human Sciences (CEHS). This application requires a one-page statement outlining your careers and goals, with preference to interest in Extension. The winner is expected to make at least one presentation to 4 a local group about the benefits of CASNR/CEHS. Applications are due by March 15, Also, a $500 scholarship is awarded to a current student in one of these 2 colleges. Applications are also due by March 15, LIVESTOCK & ANIMAL INFORMATION Ak-Sar-Ben 2015 Congratulations to all the York County 4-H Exhibitors who were in competition at the 2015 Ak-Sar-Ben Livestock Exposition. It was another great year for York County 4-H Members and their project animals. Brynn Hirschfeld and Josh Garner dominated the Rabbit Show at Ak-Sar-Ben taking five breed champions on their way to Brynn s Havana Rabbit selected at the Grand Champion Rabbit of the Show and Josh Garner taking Res. Grand champion Honors with his Netherland Dwarf Rabbit. Lauren Kaliff exhibited the Champion Team Purebred Barrow with her Spot Barrow; Evan Pohl exhibited the Res. Champion Team Purebred Gilt on a Spot Gilt, and Chase Cotton a York County 4-H Member exhibited the Res. Champion Team Purebred Barrow. Hailee Pohl finished in fifth place and earned a purple awards in Swine showmanship. In all, twelve York County 4-H exhibitors were in completion in beef, sheep, meat goat, swine, and rabbit competitions. It was a strong overall showing for York County Exhibitors and their projects with several animals placing in the top two or three paces in their classes. Congratulations again to all the exhibitors at the 2015 Ak-Sar-Ben Livestock Show-- you had a great run in Omaha! 4-H Beef for 2016 It doesn t seem possible, but 4-H Families are looking to put together their 4-H market beef project animals now and will be throughout the winter. It is expected that there will be an early weigh date hosted in York County in December or early January. If you are interested in the 4-H Market Beef project, contact the extension office for more information.

60 YORK COUNTY 4-H & COUNTY FAIR QUESTIONNAIRE List one schedule item, program, show or idea that seemed to work well for the York 4-H Program. List one schedule item, program, show or idea that did not seemed to work well for the York Fair. List any ideas that you think might help the York County 4-H Council attract more youth and adults to the local 4-H Program; that might make the York County Fair more fun and exciting for its participants in 4-H. Please sign this form so if questions from the 4-H Council or Fair Board, there is a contact person. 5

61 4 H Focus December 2015 The York County 4-H Focus is published by the York County 4-H Council and the York County Extension Staff. OFFICE HOURS 8 a.m. Noon, 1 5 p.m. Monday Friday PHONE FAX York-County@unl.edu INTERNET MAILING ADDRESS York County Extension 2345 Nebraska Ave York NE STAFF Gary Zoubek, Educator Eileen Krumbach, Educator Gerald Peterson, Assistant Steph Stanley, Office Manager Sue Stahr, Office Assistant To all the 4-H Members and Families--the very best wishes to you for the Christmas and New Year s season! PLEASE STOP IN BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR IF YOU HAVE A CHAMPION SWEATSHIRT, TROPHY OR PLAQUE TO PICK UP! End of the year reminders Organizational Leaders for all the York County 4-H Clubs, please complete and return to the Extension Office, the Year End 4-H Club Treasurer s Report by December 31, The York County Ag Society closes their premium account in December to balance their books for the past year. If you still have your fair checks, please cash them before the end of H for 2016 With the New Year just a month away, plans are already underway for the H Year. If you have an idea for a workshop or project training, please get those ideas to the Extension Office to see if they can be worked into the schedule for the New Year. Some ideas have already been received, but we are open to many more. With the exciting changes to 4-H programming, it is never too early or too late to introduce friends, neighbors and schoolmates to the 4-H Program. In about a month from now, clubs will be forming, new projects will be started and the new fun 4-H year will be underway! 4-H Enrollment 2016 Again in 2016 all Nebraska 4-H Members will be asked to enroll into the 4-H Program On Line. Visit our website county4h for a link to the website and instructions on how to enroll. If you enroll now, you can pay on line or you can bring a check to the York Extension Office to pay the $5 enrollment fee per youth. For youth and families that don t have access to a computer or would like help, come to the UNL Extension Office in York, and the staff