Wednesday What-Nots 4/15

We will be ordering 2026 county fair t-shirts soon! Please register ASAP so we can have an accurate count for our vendor.

Get ready! 4-H Summer Workshops go LIVE on 4-H Online April 29th! Be sure to check out next week's What-Nots, where we will include all the details.

Sunday, May 3rd at 4:30pm. This clinic is for Otoe-County 4-H members, ages 8-18, NEWLY enrolled in the air rifle and/or bb gun project area(s).

All registered BEEF & SWINE animals planning to be entered in PUREBRED BREEDING and MARKET classes must present their registration papers at county fair check-in.

Registered BREEDING SHEEP planning to compete in a PUREBRED BREEDING class must also present their registration papers at county fair check-in.

If registration papers cannot be presented, the animal will still be eligible to show, but only in a crossbred or commercial class.

The Nebraska 4‑H Premier Animal Science Event (PASE) features a variety of state-level animal science contests. Otoe County sends individuals and teams to this popular event every year! Complete the Form via the link below to register for the event. Practices for Livestock Judging, Skill-a-thon, and Quiz Bowl start on Monday (we’ll reach out to those who indicate interest regarding times and location).

More info about PASE: https://4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/livestock-program/pase/

Application Review Extended. Apply Now!

Frost can show up when nighttime temperatures dip below 36°F, which is forecasted for our area this week. Follow these steps to prevent damage to your landscape before the next cold snap.

1. Don’t plant perennials outside until after the threat of spring frost has passed.

2. Wait to cut back last year’s foliage, which protects plant crowns from cold injury.
3. Don’t walk or drive on lawns showing frost, or mow or fertilize them.
4. Cover tender plants with staked bedsheets overnight, then uncover in the morning.
5. Unhook garden hoses from spigots prior to freezing temperatures (32°F) to prevent burst fittings and frozen pipes.

The annual 4‑H Horse Camp will be held at the Fort Robinson State Park near Crawford. The sessions include working ranch, horse stretching, riding games, creating a rope halter, and more! The fee includes craft, supper, t-shirt, horse stalls for Thursday and Friday night.

Youth ages 8-18, Adults

Fort Robinson State Park in Crawford

Cost: $75 Youth Ages 8-18 Years, Adults $65 with participating youth, Adult $75

Do you know what it takes to pick the best fruit and vegetables out at the grocery store? Or do you know what judges are looking for when they judge your plants at the county fair? Have you ever wondered, what plant is that!?! We are excited to offer the opportunity to learn these and other important horticulture skills through the Online Horticulture Contest. The contest will be available June 9-23, 2026 at: http://go.unl.edu/online4hhortcontest

Horticulture judging contest consists of three parts. The first is identification of plant material. Participants identify the plants by common name from a plant list. Specimens may be alive or preserved plant parts like stems, twigs, leaves, flowers, seeds, fruits, roots, bulbs, tubers, or plant products.

The second is a knowledge portion, usually in the form of a true/false or multiple choice quiz. Questions will test the contestant's knowledge of cultural practices for horticultural crops, plant science, pesticides, horticultural careers and other topics related to the production, processing and consumption of horticultural crops.

The last portion is judging or placings. This is where four different plants, plates of vegetables, or containers flowers are ranked from best to worst based on a set of criteria. Classes are judged on the basis of condition, quality, uniformity, true-to-type, and size.

Attention current high school sophomores who are an active 4-H member. Applications are now open for the Nebraska 4-H Leadership Academy. This is a one-year opportunity designed for high-potential Nebraska 4-H youth to grow as leaders, build connections across the state, and make a meaningful impact of their communities. Application deadline is May 4th 2026.

🐄🐑🐖 Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program – Year 5! 🐐🐔

The Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program is back for its fifth year, recognizing youth who go above and beyond in their livestock projects! This program promotes learning in selection, production, leadership, and exhibition across all livestock species.

🔹 Open to enrolled 4-H livestock youth
🔹 Species include beef, sheep, swine, meat goat, dairy, rabbit, poultry.
🔹 Three achievement levels: Junior, Intermediate, Senior

🗓 Apply by June 15
🗂 Plans & Reports due August 1
🏆 Members of Excellence will be recognized at the Nebraska State Fair Grand Drive.

👉 Learn more & apply here: https://go.unl.edu/lap

Beyond School Bell's Conservation Management Program is offering a PAID two-week Conservation Management Internship from May 31st – June 13th for students age 15-18.

In this program, students will travel across Nebraska to learn about and actively participate in conservation efforts, explore career opportunities, and engage in meaningful service work. BSB is currently looking for HS students to join the internship and college students to act as mentors on the trip and on experiences. Details and application to be an HS intern here and college student mentor here. HS interns will receive a $500 stipend. Reach out to ahansen@nebraskachildren.org with any questions.

We are excited to announce the 2026 Nebraska 4-H Summer Camp season! Youth are invited to join us and Big Gumdrop Outdoors as we explore the world around us through our Exploring Ecosystems theme. Please share the following message and attached graphic with your 4-H families.

During the 2026 Exploring Ecosystems season, campers will explore Nebraska’s natural world, discover how ecosystems connect, and learn how they can help care for the environment - all while having fun at camp!

The Nebraska State 4-H Camp is offering both day camps and overnight camp opportunities. Camp will return to Chadron for a 5 day overnight session (June 15-19) for youth ages 8–14. Day camps will be held in Grand Island (June 30) and Lincoln (July 22) for youth ages 8–12 providing a great introduction to the camp experience.

Registration is now OPEN! More information on sessions, dates, scholarships, and the link to register can be found at 4h.unl.edu/camp.

During the two-week, overnight camp students will:

• Develop core programming skills and learn innovation concepts through a project-oriented curriculum
• Receive instruction from Raikes School faculty members and experience what classes can be like in the Raikes School
• Visit campus research labs and local employer partners
• Interact with Raikes School students and staff, all of whom play a key role in the competitive selection process to our program each year

Key Details:

• Innovate: The Raikes School Way is a great opportunity for high school students, with priority given to students in the high school graduating class of 2027.
• The camp serves students with little to no experience in computing, as well as those looking to enhance their existing computer science skills.
• Students in the graduating class of 2028 will be accepted on a space-available basis.
• The camp will be held at the Kauffman Academic Residential Center, home of the Raikes School, in the heart of Nebraska's City Campus from July 19-August 1, 2026.
• The fee to participate is $3,000. Students attending a Nebraska high school will receive a $1,000 discount, lowering the cost to $2,000 for Nebraska high school students. The cost covers all housing, meals, instruction, and activities associated with the camp.
• Full and partial scholarships are available - students can apply for scholarships through the Summer Camp application.

Priority Application Deadline: April 1, 2026 - Students who submit their application by this priority date will be notified of admission & scholarship decisions by April 13, 2026.

Final Application Deadline: May 1, 2026 - Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis after May 1 as space is available.

Interested students can find more details and complete the application at https://raikes.unl.edu/summer-camp/.

If you have any questions about the camp, please email me at tluensmann2@unl.edu.

Check out the details for the Big Red Summer Academic Camps for HS students held June 7-12 on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus! Space is limited, and several camps are already full. Sign up today!

The 55th annual Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute (NAYI) will be held July 6-10, 2026, on UNL’s East Campus.

Applications are now available to students who are currently high school juniors and seniors on our website at: www.nda.nebraska.gov/nayi

NAYI RECOMMENDATION FORMS

Students who are applying for NAYI will need to have an adult submit a recommendation form on their behalf. We initiated this form last year, and it worked very well to help streamline the process for our scoring committee. The recommendation form can be found on the NAYI website (www.nda.nebraska.gov/nayi) and will also be due on April 15th.

NAYI APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Please remind students that after submitting the application, they should receive an immediate automated email from Google Forms with their responses that they should keep in their records. They will also receive a confirmation email from a @nebraska.gov address within 1–2 business days. If a student does not receive either email, their application was not received, and they must email myself or agr.youthcouncil@nebraska.gov before the deadline.

NAYI CLASSROOM VISITS

I have a group of eager Nebraska Agricultural Youth Council (NAYC) members that would love to visit your classroom to discuss NAYI with your juniors and seniors. They will be reaching out, but if you know you’d like a visit feel free to reach out to me and I’ll work to get you connected.

NDA POSTER CONTEST

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture is hosting our annual agriculture poster contest for 1st-6th grade students, with entries due to our office on March 2, 2026. If you have a classroom that might be interested in participating – the contest details can be found here: https://nda.nebraska.gov/kids/contest

Tracy Ensor, 4-H Youth Development Associate Extension Educator, tensor2@unl.edu

Ben Jewell, Rural Prosperity Nebraska Associate Extension Educator, bmcshane-jewell2@unl.edu

Megan Anderson, Office Manager, manderson230@unl.edu

Website: www.otoe.unl.edu

Location: 620 1st Street, Syracuse, NE, USA
Phone: (402) 269-2301
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nebraska-Extension-in-Otoe-County