SHERIDAN COUNTY NEWSLETTER

Dec. 12 - Holiday Maker Day, 1 to 3 pm, Extension Office

Dec. 25-26 - Merry Christmas - Office Closed

Jan. 1-2 - Happy New Year - Office Closed

DEADLINE DATES:

Dec. 5 - Holiday Maker Day Registrations Due

Jan. 31 - Club Leader Reports Due

They are integrating the volunteer orientation videos within the 4-H Online platform for easier viewing for members. Members will also be able to come back to the videos instead of watching them all at one time. However with these changes coming into affect, if volunteers register after January 5th, they will have to watch the videos again. If you are a club leader or council member please visit 4-H Online prior to January 5th in order to avoid rewatching these videos this year.

This year the Beef Weigh-in will be held on February 1st from 1 pm to 3 pm at Sheridan Livestock Auction. If families cannot attend the Sheridan County Weigh-in, Box Butte County will be holding their weigh-in on January 11th from 11 am to 1 pm at the Box Butte County Fairgrounds and Dawes County at Crawford Livestock Auction from 9 am to 11 am on February 7th.

The 2026 Special Garden Project will focus on the Alumia Vanilla Cream Marigold. This marigold produces creamy, yellow flowers on compact plants. This variety not only has a unique color, but it also has a very long bloom time.

To get the seeds, please contact the Extension Office prior to February 15th.

The 4-H Virtual Volunteer Training series is getting started with Achievement Application Training!

Any adult (staff, parent, volunteer) supporting youth completing the state-eligible 4-H Achievement Application is welcome to participate. Training is free of charge and will be recorded. The training format will consist of 30 minutes of content, followed by question and answer. Must register to receive the virtual connection details.

Look for more 4-H Virtual Volunteer Training series topics in the coming months.

Holiday Maker Day is back!! Youth can choose 4 out of the 8 projects to complete on Friday, December 12th between 1 and 3 pm at the Extension Office. The fees for each session varies. Please return your registration by December 5th. You can find the registration below.

Feel like you are too old to participate in Holiday Maker Day but still want to get into the Holiday Spirit? Come volunteer to lead a session and show younger members how to create the items. Please contact Melissa Mracek at mmracek2@unl.edu or (402) 322-0655 for more details.

We are now accepting registrations for the 2026 Farrowed and Owned Swine Cohort! Registration closes on January 30th!

This opportunity is designed to enhance the educational value of the traditional 4-H swine project by focusing on swine production, accurate record keeping, and industry knowledge and engagement by the 4-H member.

Exhibit their Farrowed and Owned project animals at any Nebraska county fair or the Nebraska State Fair. Exhibiting at the 2026 Nebraska State Fair is optional. All cohort members will participate in an interview at the 2026 Nebraska State Fair. Exhibiting your animal at the Nebraska State Fair is not a requirement for the record book and interview portion of the cohort. Join the first session in February for more details!

Visit 4h.unl.edu/farrowed-owned to get started.

Families can reenroll in 4-H for the 2026 Fair Season now! Visit 4honline.com to get started. As a reminder, if you plan to participate in Shooting Sports or the Horse project, you need to add those projects and sign the consents. Other projects are not mandatory to add. Please contact the Extension Office for assistance.

As the year starts to wind down, it is time to think about your end of year club reports. These reports need to be completed and turned into the office by January 31st. The information required is year end treasurer report, inventory, and list of club volunteers. A form below is provided.

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 - 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