Wednesday What-Nots 11/19

The Extension Office will be closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday on Thursday, November 27th and Friday, November 28th.

Take & Make kits are ready! Pick up at the Extension Office!

Those youth 15-18 that submitted county level achievement applications are now eligible to submit for state-level awards and recognition.

4‑H members ages 15-18 as of December 31 of the current year are eligible to participate in the state-level awards application process regardless of the delivery mode in which they participated.

Be sure to follow the application instructions found in the link: Achievement Application | Nebraska 4-H | Nebraska

13th Annual Otoe County 4-H Foundation Banquet

Join us for an evening of celebration and support for Otoe County 4-H!

📍 Kimmel Event Center, Syracuse, NE
📅 Saturday, January 31, 2026

Doors Open – 6:00 PM
Appetizers – 6:30 PM
Dinner – 7:00 PM

Keynote - Allison Walbrecht, Nebraska CARET Delegate

Tickets: $30 per person
Table Sponsorship: Reserve a table of 8 for $225

All funds raised through this event benefit our Otoe County 4-H program through scholarships, club grants, and more! Hope to see you there.

Please apply by December 15th, 2025 for the 2026 program year. For more information

regarding the Fed Steer Challenge, or to submit an application please visit https://4h.unl.edu/fed-steer-challenge

The Program includes raising a steer purchased at market price, monthly webinars with industry professional and UNL Animal Science Faculty, a special class at the Nebraska State Fair evaluated by a commercial cattle buyer, and harvesting steers to evaluate carcass merit. Monthly content includes: Feeder Cattle Pricing and Starting Cattle on Feed, Winter Feeding & Care of Cattle, Implants & Growth Modifiers, Cattle & the Environment, Risk Management Strategies, Summer Feeding & Care of Cattle, Quality & Yield Grading and Grid Pricing for Carcass Merit.

Calling all artists, creators, and performers! We'd love to see what YOU do best. Submit your work for a chance to be featured at upcoming National 4‑H events.

We're looking for singers, dancers, instrumentalists, as well as visual artists and creators of all kinds. Enter today to showcase your unique talent on this national stage!

Applications from students ages 14–19 are accepted from October 1 through December 1.

More details at: https://4-h.org/youth-artists

Cargill Animal Nutrition (Nutrena Feeds) will be hosting a virtual Fall/Winter Poultry Seminar this Thursday evening. The session will focus on layer-specific care for adult birds, including nutrition during molt, cold-weather feeding strategies, and seasonal management tips. The seminar is free, but registration is required to receive the event link. Participants will also receive a gift package for attending. More details and the registration link can be found on the attached flyer.

On behalf of the Nebraska Association of Fair Managers, attached is the Martha & Don Romeo Scholarship application. Return to the Extension Office by Nov. 30.

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Nebraska Poultry Industries invite applications for the $1,000 Nebraska Poultry Education Scholarship. Applicants must be interested in a career that is directly poultry-based in Nebraska. Application Deadline is December 15, 2025. Details and instructions available at https://form.jotform.com/241074264376154

Attention graduating seniors interested in veterinary science! The Nebraska Elite 11 Veterinarian Program is a scholarship program for Nebraska students aimed at increasing the number of new veterinarians practicing in production animal practices in rural Nebraska. Up to 20 first-time freshmen will receive the Nebraska Production Animal Health Scholarship, which covers 50% of their tuition for the first two years of their study in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with further scholarship opportunities for the 3rd, 4th, and PPVM program years. For more details and application guidelines, visit https://casnr.unl.edu/nebraska-elite-11-veterinarian-program/. Applications are due January 9.

Details can be found in the attached PDF or on our website at https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/otoe/awards-recognition/. Applications due January 7.

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

Kristen Herrick, 4-H Extension Assistant, kherrick3@unl.edu

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

Cheryl Goff, Office Manager, cheryl.goff@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