Nebraska Extension in Knox County, PO Box 45, 308 Bridge Street, Center NE 68724 Phone: 402-288-5611 - Fax: 402-288-5612 - Email: knox-county@unl.edu Website: http://knox.unl.edu/county4h Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knoxcountynebraskaextension/ June 2016 4 H News Important Dates: Dear Knox County 4-H Family & Friends, June 17 June 20 June 20 June 24 June 27 June 28 June 30 July 4 July 10-14 July 14 July 15 July 18 July 18 July 18 July 19 July 24 July 26 July 29 July 31 July 31 July 31 August 5 August 7 August 10 August 10 August 10 District 4-H Horse Show, Bloomfield 4-H Council Meeting, 7:00 pm, Center Archery Practice 4-H Project Day, Center Archery Practice.22 Rifle & Shotgun Practice 4-H Entomology Workshop Office Closed-Independence Day State 4-H Horse Show Babysitting Workshop, Center Entries DUE for Cook-Off Contest, Food Revue & Presentation Contest Entries DUE for Fashion Show, Clothing & Textiles Exhibits Entries DUE for Shooting Sports Contests Entries DUE for Talent Contest Cook-Off Contest, Food Revue, Presentation Contest BB Gun & Air Rifle Practice Fashion Show, Clothing & Textiles Judging Fair Pre-Entry Forms DUE Talent Contest & Dessert, 2:00 pm, Bloomfield.22 Rifle & Shotgun Contest BB Gun & Air Rifle Practice AKSARBEN Entries DUE Archery Contest Online State Fair Entries DUE by 5:00 pm 4-H/FFA Horse Show BB Gun & Air Rifle Contest Welcome new and old 4-H members and families to the Knox County 4-H Program. 4-H is education for life that uses a learn-by-doing approach. We look forward to knowing and working with each of you! The 4-H newsletter contains information about the year s activities, projects and deadlines. For more information on any of the 4-H projects and events, please contact the Extension Office or visit our website at http://knox.unl.edu/county4h Ruth Vonderohe, Extension Educator REMINDERS: Don t forget to pay the 4-H Dues to the 4-H Council Register by June 17 for Entomology Workshop Register by July 7 for the Babysitting Workshop Register by July 15 to participate in the Cook-Off, Food Revue & Presentation Contests on July 19 The Horse Clinics & Practices in Niobrara have been CANCELLED. BB Gun & Air Rifle Practice Dates Set All volunteers working directly with 4-H youth need to complete the Volunteer Screening Form which has been updated. New form must be used. Don t forget to complete Quality Assurance Training if you are showing animals at the fair (not needed for cat, dog & horse). Words of Wisdom Don t worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition. Abraham Lincoln Nebraska Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United Sates Department of Agriculture. The 4-H Youth Development program abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture. 2016
4-H DUES: The 4-H Council asks that dues be paid by 4-H members each year. The council suggests a donation of $4.00 per member and $1.00 for Clover Kids. Make checks payable to the Knox County 4-H Council and send to the Extension Office. Need Ideas for the Rock Art Exhibit Use your imagination and creative a Work of Art using any type of rock(s). No project enrollment is required and the exhibit can be as simple or elaborate as you like. Awards will be presented to Best Workmanship; Most Creative; and Most Unique. Need ideas, check out Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=rock%20art&rs=type d&0=rock typed&1=art typed 4-H Fairbooks Available The 4-H section of the Fairbook has been updated for 2016 and the books are available at the Extension Office or from your club leader. One book has been allowed for each family. The fairbook has the guidelines for 4-H projects and exhibits, so please check it over carefully. The fairbook is also on our website at http://knox.unl.edu/county4h. 4-H Council Scholarship Six 4-H Seniors applied for the Knox County 4-H Council Scholarship. Congratulations to Chase Ruzicka and Tessa Vogt who each received a $250.00 college scholarship. Upcoming 4-H Workshops 4-H Project Day Friday, June 24 9:30 am 3:30 pm Courthouse Annex Meeting Room, Center 4-H Entomology Workshop Thursday, June 30 9:00 am 4:00 pm Bazile Mills Cost $35.00 Pre-register by June 17 th Babysitting Workshop Thursday, July 14 9:00 am 3:30 pm Courthouse Annex Meeting Room, Center Cost $15.00 Pre-register by July 7th 4-H Clover Kid Camp Reminder for 4-Hers Enrolled in Horticulture and Floriculture As you are doing your gardening, please keep track of your variety names. These are needed when you enter your fair entries. You can do this by saving your seed packets or keeping a garden journal. Cook-Off Contest, Food Revue and Presentation Contest Make plans now to take part in the Cook-Off Contest, Food Revue, and Presentation Contest on Tuesday, July 19 in Center. The Cook-Off Contest and Food Revue will begin at 5:30 p.m. The Presentation Contest will start at 7:30 p.m. See the enclosed fliers for more information on the contests. Call the Extension Office to pre-register by July 15 th. If you have questions about the contests or need helping in preparing, resources are available from the office or can be found at http://knox.unl.edu/county4h Fifty-seven Clover Kids participated in the 4-H Olympics 2016 on Wednesday, June 8 th. Krista Podany with the Farm Bureau Federation in Knox County graciously provided each family with a copy of the The Champion Hare book. The Clover Kids decorated their t- shirts with Olympic rings, designed their very own Olympic medal, created an Olympic torch and catapult, and participated in six different Olympic events. Thanks to all the wonderful helpers who made the day a fun, educational experience for the Clover Kids!
Livestock Quality Assurance Course The 4-H Quality Assurance (QA) Course teaches youth about the quality of meat and food products that come from livestock. Quality assurance for livestock producers means making a promise to the consumers, or the people who consume the meat, eggs, milk and dairy products, from food production animals. The promise made is that products from livestock will be the highest possible quality and producers will do everything possible to make these products safe to eat. 4-H youth ages 8-18, who are enrolled in a livestock project (beef, dairy cattle, dairy goat, meat goat, poultry, rabbit, sheep, and swine), are required to complete QA Training each year. Options to complete the QA Training are: Face-to-Face QA Training by Extension Educator/Club Leader Material is available to conduct face-to-face QA Training at your club meeting. The material has been adopted from some of the earlier items that have been used to conduct training sessions. If you want to conduct QA Training at your club meeting, contact the office for the material. Test-Out Tests - Intermediate and Senior Level youth are eligible to take a written test to fulfill QA age level requirements. Practice tests are available on the online course, however, the actual test must be taken at the extension office. Passing is 70%. Study materials are listed on the Livestock QA Course webpage at http://4h.unl.edu/qualityassurance Online Course: The Livestock Quality Assurance Online Course has been developed to assist youth with learning about major areas of proper animal care, including: daily care and management; prevention; handling; carcass quality; and medication. 4-H youth ages 8-18, who are enrolled in a livestock project (beef, dairy cattle, dairy goat, meat goat, poultry, rabbit, sheep, and swine), are required to complete three modules in the QA Online Course by June 15 of the current year in order to complete that year s QA requirements. The online course has been divided into three age levels: Junior (4-H youth ages 8-10) Intermediate (4-H youth ages 11-14) Senior (4-H youth ages 15-18) Upon completion of each module, youth will be able to print a certificate of completion to give to the extension office or just contact the office that they have completed. All 4-H youth will have to pay $5.00 annually to participate in the online QA program. The QA Online Program can be found at http://campus.extension.org/. To enroll in the self-directed online course, Internet access and an email address (each 4-H youth will need their own unique email address to register) is required. To assist you in getting registered and paying, instruction and other resources are available at http://4h.unl.edu/qualityassurance. Knox County 4-H ers Do Well at Regional Public Speaking Contest The Regional Public Speaking Contest was held in Norfolk on Thursday, May 26 with 34 youth from 10 counties participating. Contestants are awarded purple, blue or red awards with the top four individuals in each division receiving medals. Elizabeth Wortmann was one of the top medal winners in the Junior Speech Division. Other results are: Junior Speech: Receiving blue ribbons were Blake Byerly and Ava McFarland. Intermediate Speech: Receiving a purple ribbon was Martha Witchey. Receiving blue ribbons were Taylor Arens and Ella McFarland. Senior Speech: Receiving a blue ribbon was Kimberly Hines. Public speaking is a communication with many career possibilities. Present 4-H members and 4-H alumni have identified communication skills as some of the most important life skills gained through their 4-H experience. Congratulations to all our Knox County 4-Her s who participated.
Spotlight On 4-H! Leader/Volunteer Newsletter The June 2016 4-H Spotlight Leader/Volunteer Newsletter is available for club leaders. The monthly newsletter gives ideas for club meetings and projects. If you would like to receive the newsletter, please contact the office or it s available at: http://knox.unl.edu/county4h. The following topics are in the June issue: Including All Youth in Meetings 4-H Meetings that ROCK! The Power of Positive Thinking Engaging Youth as Entrepreneurs 4-H Outdoor Skills 4-H Goat Showing Hints, Tips & Tricks Nebraska Summer Reading Connections Mechanical Systems Management at UNL Volunteer Screening Form Updated The Volunteer Screening Form has been updated and the new one must be used. Nebraska Extension asks that ALL volunteers be screened through the Department of Health & Human Services for child abuse and neglect. The database is updated every 4 years on a district rotation. Our district is scheduled to be updated this year, so all volunteers are asked to complete a screening form even if you have done it before. The NEW screening form is available from the extension office or available at http://extension.unl.edu/statewide/knox/leader/volunte er-information/. Return the form to the State 4-H Office (address is on the form) or you may return to the Extension Office and we will be happy to forward it on for you. The screening enables the 4-H program to assure you that we are providing a safe, positive and nurturing environment for your child. If you have questions, please contact the office. Attention Club Leaders 4-H Community Service Project Map Service to the community is an integral part of the 4-H experience and this is a way of gathering the value of 4-H er contributions and a chance for the 4-H ers and clubs to get some statewide recognition for their efforts. Please brag about your community service accomplishments by posting to the 4-H Community Map. Please fill out completely with the total number of hours worked for all volunteers and others, number of volunteers, estimate the dollar value of items donated and a short description of the activity. It takes about 5 minutes to complete. Go to http://4h.unl.edu/4hcommunityserviceprojectmapsubmi ssion 4-H Fashion Show and Clothing/Textiles Construction Judging Tuesday, July 26 St. Mark s Lutheran Church, Bloomfield Registration 1:00 pm; Judging 1:30 pm Public Fashion Show 7:00 pm See the enclosed fliers for more information Do-You-Know Contest - July 26 Plan to participate in the Do-You-Know Contest on Tuesday, July 26 th from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the St. Mark s Lutheran Church in Bloomfield. Participants will test their knowledge in different areas such as: Foods & Nutrition; Child Development; Clothing; and Design. These will be hands-on, simple matching activities to enhance your knowledge in these areas. Horticulture Judging Contest - July 26 It s time to start sharpening your skills for the Horticulture Judging Contest to be held at the St. Mark s Lutheran Church in Bloomfield on Tuesday, July 26 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Review time is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Participants will be asked to identify plants based on the whole plant, leaves, fruit, nut, edible portion, or seed. There are four categories: Flowers and Foliage; Woody Plants and Turfgrasses; Fruits and Nuts; and Vegetables and Herbs. There are 15 items in each category to identify. There is also a written exam to take and there will be some items to judge as well. Come and test your knowledge of plants. 4-H Talent Contest & Dessert Sunday, July 31, 2:00 p.m. Bloomfield Community Center If you sing, dance or play an instrument, plan to take part in the 4-H Talent Contest and share your talent with others. The afternoon will showcase the talents of 4-H members and you can enjoy a dessert lunch. See the enclosed flier for more information.
Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Program Safety first but lots of fun! Learn safe gun handling skills and sound fundamentals of shooting under the guidance of caring and knowledgeable adult volunteers. Promotes positive youth-adult interaction and peer ledership. The focus is on the total development of the young person. Shooting Sports Program Updates Parent s involvement is needed for all the younger kids. Youth will need to provide their own ear and eye protection and ear and eye protection will be required to shoot in the.22 Rifle and Shotgun. Only eye protection will be required for the BB Gun and Air Rifle. Glasses can be purchased from any sporting goods store such as Scheels, Cabela s, etc. Glasses should not be dark as they make targets harder to see. Clear or yellow glass lenses work best. Hearing protection will be available, but the shooting club will have them For Sale. No shooter will be allowed to shoot without hearing and eye protection, this is for the health and safety of the shooter. This applies to both shotgun and.22 rifle. $5.00 fee will be charged for each shooting sports class that the 4-H er participate in. Two practices will be required for all disciplines to participate in the official contest. The $5.00 fee will be paid to the Extension Office with the fair pre-entry forms. Recurve/Long Bow class added to age groups in the Archery discipline. Shells will again be available. Shotgun shells will be available for $5.00/box and.22 LR rifle shells will be available for $1.00/round of 25. These are made possible by our local Pheasants Forever Chapter. We are planning to have shotgun and.22 rifle both practicing together. More practices will be scheduled at a later date. Nebraska 4-H Website Check out the Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports webpage for more information on the program and upcoming events at http://4h.unl.edu/shootingsports BB Gun & Air Rifle Practice Dates Sunday, July 24, 2-5 pm Sunday, July 31, 2-5 pm Location: Softball Park, Verdigre Archery Practice Dates Practices will be held every Monday night in June and every Monday night in July except July 4 th ; the last practice will be on Monday, August 1. All practices start at 7:00 p.m. and will be held at the Bloomfield Airport..22 Rifle & Shotgun Practice Dates Tuesday, June 14, 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 28, 6:00 p.m. Location: All practices will be held at the Knox County in Bloomfield Knox County Official 4-H Shooting Sports Contest Dates.22 Rifle & Shotgun Contests Sunday, July 31, 1:00 pm, Knox County Archery Contest Sunday, August 7, 2:00 pm, Knox County BB Gun & Air Rifle Contests Wednesday, August 10, 3:00 pm, Knox County Volunteers Needed for Shooting Sports Championship The Shooting Sports Championship is June 26 July 1 in Grand Island and volunteers are needed. Please consider spending some time at the competition helping out scoring targets, pulling for shotgun, to providing supervision at the teen dance. Please go to this link to sign up to volunteer http://4h.unl.edu/4hssnationalchamp/volun teer Other Shooting Sports Dates June 26-July 1 4-H Shooting Sports National Championship, Grand Island October 15-16, 2016 - NE 4-H Shooting Sports Instructor Workshop, Broken Bow
Horse News Nebraska 4-H Horse Home Page Check out the Nebraska 4-H Horse Program Home Page for any questions you might have concerning the 4-H Horse Project. http://animalscience.unl.edu/anscextensionequine4hhorse program 2016 District Horse Show - June 17, Bloomfield 2016 Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Show - July 10-14 th in Grand Island Horse Clinics at Niobrara Cancelled Tyler Dimig has cancelled the horse clinics and practices at the Rough Riders Arena in Niobrara due to the lack of participation at the previous clinics. Commancheros Open Class Horse Show Sunday, July 31, 2016, 8:30 am Harm & Tulleys Event Center Knox County, Bloomfield Upcoming Events Contact the office for more information on any of the events. BEEF/SHEEP/GOATS/SWINE: June 17 (Friday) Lamb & Goat Progress Show, Sherman County, Loup City June 18 (Saturday) 4 th Annual Swine, Sheep & Goat Challenge, Nance Co, Fullerton June 19 (Sunday) Stanton FFA Progress Show (sheep & beef), Stanton County June 24 26 (Fri Sun) Wisner Junior Livestock Show, Wisner River Park June 25 (Saturday) Wheeler County Progress Show (Beef), Bartlett June 25 (Saturday) 30 th Annual Papio Valley 4 H Show (goat, sheep, beef), Sarpy County, Springfield June 25 (Saturday) The Final Drive Sheep & Goat Progress Show, Geneva June 27 28 Massey s Show Lamb Camp, Wayne County September 11 (Sunday) Norfolk Beef Expo, NECC Ag Complex, Norfolk September 22 25 AKSARBEN 4 H Stock Show, Omaha HORSE: June 17 (Friday) 4 H District Horse Show, Knox County, Bloomfield June 23 (Thursday) Wisner Horse Show, Wisner River Park June 25 (Saturday) 4 H Invitational Horse Show, Buffalo County, Kearney June 26 (Sunday) Boots & Saddle Club Horse Show, 9:30 am, Carney Park, O Neill July 10 (Sunday) Boots & Saddle Club Horse Show, 9:30 am, Carney Park, O Neill July 10 14 State 4 H Horse Show, Fonner Park, Grand Island July 30 (Saturday) Boots & Saddle Club Horse Show, 2:30 pm, Carney Park, O Neill July 31 (Sunday) Commancheros 4 H Club Open Horse Show, Knox County July 31 (Sunday) York County 4 H Open Horse Show, York County September 10 (Saturday) Boots & Saddle Club Horse Show, 9:30 am, Carney Park, O Neill September 11 (Sunday) Boots & Saddle Club Horse Show, 9:30 am, Carney Park, O Neill September 17 18 AKSARBEN 4 H Horse Show, Lincoln 2017 Poultry Calendar Photo Contest Hit Us With Your Best Shot! The Nebraska Department of Agriculture s Poultry Calendar Photo Contest is open to Nebraska 4-H and FFA members. Photos must be taken by the contestant and feature poultry. Entry deadline is July 15, 2016. Winners will be announced during the Nebraska State Fair and featured in the 2017 NDA Poultry Biosecurity Calendar. Entry forms are available from the Extension Office or at http://www.nda.nebraska.gov/ap hp/2016-poultry-calendarcontest-flyer.pdf
2016 Nebraska State Fair Information The State Fair 4-H Fairbook is available at http://4h.unl.edu/nebraska-state-fair The Nebraska State Fair 4-H Schedule, Complete Livestock Schedule, and Complete Nebraska State Fair Schedule are available at http://4h.unl.edu/nebraskastatefairschedule. State Fair Livestock Entry Link The deadline for livestock animal registration for 4-H and FFA is by Wednesday, August 10 at 5:00 p.m. The entry of livestock for State Fair is done by the families, not by the Extension Office. This is the link directly to the State Fair 4H/FFA page where important documents and the online entry system link is. http://www.statefair.org/p/getinvolved/4hffa 2016 Nebraska 4-H Online Horticulture Judging Contest The 2016 Nebraska 4-H Online Horticulture Judging contest is just around the corner. This year the contest will be available from June 10 th at 8:00 a.m. until June 20th at 8:00 a.m. It 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. No password this year, the link listed below will take you directly to the contest. http://go.unl.edu/2016onlinehortcontest Please have the youth fill in all of their information completely. The online contest should only be taken once by each participant, if it is taken multiple times the first score entered will be the one used. No study materials are to be used while taking the test. 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: http://4h.unl.edu/fairbook/plant-science/horticulture-id http://njha.org/contests-projects-activities/horticultureidentification-judging-contest/ State Fair Premier 4-H Science Award As you plan your 4-H fair exhibits, remember to incorporate 4- H Science into your exhibit. The Premier 4-H Science Award recognizes 4-H youth static exhibits incorporating or demonstrating concepts from the areas of 4-H Science (science, technology, engineering, or applied math) at the State Fair. Exhibits in all curriculum areas will be considered for the award. Youth can identify one exhibit to be considered for the Premier 4-H Science Award. The application must be submitted along with a photograph of the exhibit (to be used for identification only). All projects successfully incorporating 4-H Science, based on the judging sheet, and selected to be exhibited at State Fair will be recognized with a certificate and up to 5 4-H Science exhibits will receive a $100 cash award sponsored by the Nebraska 4-H Foundation. NE State Fair Volunteer Opportunities Do you want to spend a few hours at the State Fair as an important part of the 4-H programming going on during the fair? We need your help! Nebraska 4-H is looking for volunteers to help with exhibit entry day, judging, and serving as 4-H exhibit building hosts and greeters. Volunteers will also be needed for educational activities in the 4-H building, serving as the Lil Green Mascot and assisting with all 4-H contests and events throughout the fair. State Fair 4-H volunteers will receive a fair pass for the day(s) they volunteer. Volunteers can sign-up by completing the 4-H Volunteer Interest Form available online at http://4h.unl.edu/state-fair/volunteer or by downloading the 2016 State Fair Nebraska 4-H Volunteer Interest Form or contact your local extension office for the Volunteer Interest Form. If you have questions about being a 4-H volunteer at the Nebraska State Fair, please contact: Cathy Johnston, Extension Educator, cjohnston1@unl.edu or (402) 472-1762. We look forward to seeing you in Grand Island! State Fair 4-H Culinary Challenge Contest The purpose of the 4-H Culinary Challenge Contest is for youth to demonstrate healthy decision making through nutrition, menu planning, food preparation, and food safety. This contest is similar to our Food Revue Contest. Who Can Enter? 4-H youth, 10-18 years of age that are enrolled in a Foods & Nutrition project. There are 2 age divisions: Intermediate (ages 10-13) and Senior (ages 14 & up). Must be in teams of 2. What Do I Do? Choose a theme and a design a table setting; create a menu; prepare and incorporate the challenge ingredient into one food item and bring that food item to the contest; participate in a live interview with judge; incorporate technology into your table presentation interview. The 2016 Challenge Ingredient is SQUASH, which includes summer squash, winter squash, pumpkins and zucchini. What About the Interview? Interviews are 8-10 minutes for the intermediate division and 12-15 minutes for the senior division. Talk about your table design (theme, nutrition, menu cost, food safety concerns); be knowledgeable about your challenge ingredient; team interviews should be equal participation; technology may include using an ipad or laptop, PowerPoint, picture story, or video. When is the Contest? The contest is held August 27, 2016 at the Nebraska State Fair. Where Can I Learn more? http://4h.unl.edu/fairbook/healthylifestyles/culinary-challenge or contact the office.