SHERIDAN COUNTY NEWSLETTER

Dec. 2 - Shooting Sports Practice

Dec. 15 - Holiday Maker Day

Dec. 16 - Shooting Sports Practice

Dec. 24-Jan. 1 -Melissa & Wendy out of the office

Feb. 9 - Beef Weigh-in at Sheridan Livestock 2 pm - 4 pm

Deadline:

Dec. 2 - Holiday Maker Day Registration due

Jan. 5 - State Level Achievement Application due date

Jan. 31 - Club Year End Reports due

We are looking for a few new club leaders to help. Please contact the Extension Office if you are interested in helping out. Supplies and resources would be provided for you.

Club Leaders need to re-enroll in 4-H Online. We are utilizing a new screening system so all volunteers need to complete the background check within the system but will not have to do it again for another 5 years. Volunteers will also need to complete the orientation videos. Youth volunteers will also need to complete the background screening. Parents will have to sign a release form.

The beef weigh-in will be held this year on February 9th at Sheridan Livestock from 1 to 3 pm. If families cannot make this date, they can go to Hemingford on January 12th from 11 am to 1 pm or Crawford Livestock on February 8th from 9 am to 11 am.

Get into the Holiday Spirit during this Holiday Maker Day event. Youth can pick 4 projects to complete. The event will be held on December 15th at the Sheridan County Extension Office from 2 to 4 pm. Registration is due December 2nd, they can be sent to Melissa at mmracek2@unl.edu or dropped by the office.

Year end is quickly approaching. As a reminder Year End Financial reports are due to the office by January 31st. The form can be found below.

Fed Steer Challenge: for applications, please apply by December 15th, 2024 for the 2025 program year. @ https://4h.unl.edu/fed-steer-challenge to submit your application.

* There is also a Virtual learning session about the Nebraska 4-H Fed Steer Challenge To be held Wednesday December 11th at 7:00 p.m. CT/6:00 p.m. MT. We will discuss the program outcomes, deadlines, and answer any questions you may have. This session will be recorded and posted on our website. Join Zoom Meeting: https://unl.zoom.us/j/94582695213 Meeting ID: 945 8269 5213

The Nebraska 4-H Fed Steer Challenge is an opportunity for youth interested in learning more about the cattle industry and is designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders in the Nebraska cattle industry.

The goal of the Fed Steer Challenge is to enhance the educational value of the traditional 4-H beef projects by providing an affordable option that rewards production merit and carcass value of the market animal, along with accurate and complete record-keeping, industry knowledge, and producer engagement by the

4-H member.

The Nebraska 4-H Farrowed & Owned Swine Cohort is an opportunity for youth interested in learning more about the swine industry. The program is designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders in the Nebraska swine industry. The goal is to enhance the educational value of the traditional 4-H swine projects by focusing on swine production, accurate and complete record-keeping, industry knowledge, and engagement by the 4-H member.

Youth participating in the Farrowed & Owned Swine Cohort will:

1. Network with 4-H members across the state who are also participating in the cohort experience.
2. Participate in learning opportunities hosted by Extension Swine Specialist Benny Mote about nutrition, feeding, genetics, and more.
3. Gain knowledge related to their project and the swine industry as a whole.
4. Maintain records related to swine management and basic care.

**NEW for 2025**: Exhibit their Farrowed and Owned project animals at any Nebraska county fair. Exhibiting at the 2025 Nebraska State Fair is optional. All cohort members will participate in an interview at the 2025 Nebraska State Fair. Join the first session in February for more details!

Nebraska 4-H is excited to participate in the 2025 Omaha Fashion Week Student Night!

4-H members ages 8-18 are invited to apply for the 4-H Collection to be shown at the Omaha Design Center on February 26, 2025. Garments must have been exhibited at the County Fair in 2024 and should be fashion-forward, runway appropriate, and display high-quality construction.

To apply, complete the online application by December 20th. Visit https://go.unl.edu/25ofw for event details and application process.

As a reminder, the Nebraska 4-H Senior Achievement Applications are DUE Sunday, January 5, 2025. As long as the time stamp comes in no later than 11:59PM CT/MT, it will be accepted. This application enables eligibility for National 4-H Conference in Washington DC in the spring, National 4-H Congress in Atlanta, Georgia, in the fall, and/or the Nebraska 4-H Foundation Scholarships. More detailed information can be found at https://4h.unl.edu/achievement-application. Dependent on certain scholarships, I may be following up with some applicants to complete additional paperwork.

The Nebraska 4-H Foundation does have several scholarships that can be applied and/or received multiple years. There are also a couple of new scholarships that 4-Hers may not be aware of. Please encourage any 4-H’er who has been active and is planning on a May graduation to apply for scholarships, they are a great way to earn some additional money to attend college.

All applications received at the 4HAchieves@unl.edu to date have received a response at this time. If you/you have a 4-Her that you believe should have received a response and did not, please contact me. Youth have the option to submit it via a PDF, MS Word, or a Google Doc. For those using the Google Doc form, please make sure the youth make a copy of the original form, save it to their drive, and then fill it out. If you/your 4-Her is sharing a Google Doc when it is completed, make sure it is shared with the 4HAchieves email address.

The 2025 Special Garden Project will focus on the Goldie Husk Cherry. This old-fashioned fruit from the tomato family has sweet berries inside golden husks. The fruits have many uses and can be eaten raw, dried, frozen, canned, or made into tasty treats like pies, desserts, or preserves. (I assure you the husk cherry is different than a groundcherry, which is a weed in Nebraska, that looks very similar, but isn’t edible)

Families need to contact the Extension Office by February 1st to order seeds and enroll in the Plant Science project in 4-H Online.

4-H Enrollment for the 2024-2025 year is NOW OPEN! Deadline for 4-H Enrollment will be June 15, 2024. Enroll at 4honline.com. Shooting sports members will need to enroll before participating. To be completely enrolled we will have to also have your yearly enrollment fee.

Club Leaders please enroll in 4-H Online and complete your background check as soon as possible.

We are looking for adults and older youth to help at the December Maker Day on December 15th. If interested please contact Melissa Mracek at mmracek2@unl.edu or (308) 327-2312.

These people are YOUR voice! Please contact any of them if you have an idea for a new or existing event or activity, have concerns with the program, or just want to have input in the decision-making process.

David Russell, Wendy Andersen, Michelle Heck, Nicole Janssen, Jake Scott, Kami Scott, Valerie Beel, Tim Campbell, Kris Stumpff, Melissa Mracek

4-H Council:
President - Zach Kearns

Vice President - Jace Stumpff

Secretary - Kaleigh Krebs

Treasurer - Brian Nelson
Members - Clint Vincent, Brad Beguin, Jackie Simonson, Brandon Jancik, and Chet Tausan
Youth Members: Jaxon Kearns, Lain Tausan, Kynsleigh Krebs, and Luke Laws

Extension Board:
President - Matt Albrecht
Vice President - Caleb Peters
Secretary/Treasurer - Paige Stumpff
Members - Trevor Ginkens, Morgan Weyers

Sheridan County Extension Office:

Office Manager - Wendy Andersen

4-H Extension Educator - Melissa Mracek

Livestock Systems Extension Educator - Brock Ortner

Rural Prosperity Extension Educator - Caitlin Roes

Email: sheridan-county@unl.edu
Location: 800 S Loofborrow Street, PO Box 329, Rushville, NE 69360
Phone: 308-327-2312
Twitter: @SheridanCounty