March Newsletter

• Stacey Keys, Extension 4-H Assistant, stacey.keys@unl.edu
• Lori Wachter, Office Staff, lwachter3@unl.edu
• Julie Fleischman, Summer Assistant, jfleischman3@unl.edu
• Madeline Pearson, Summer Intern, madelinepearson@nebraska.edu
• Jennifer E. Hansen, Extension Educator (Thurston/Burt, based in Thurston), jhansen6@unl.edu

• June 8-10: Intro to Welding Workshop (Registration Deadline: June 4)

• June 9: Let's Paint Run-A-Ways - Acrylic Painting Workshop (Registration Deadline: June 4)

• June 10: Clover Kids - Dinosaur Explore (Registration Deadline: June 5)

• June 15: DEADLINE DAY

1. 4-H Enrollment ABSOLUTE DEADLINE
2. ALL Livestock Affidavits DUE
3. State Fair Beef, Sheep, Swine, & Goat DNA & Nominations DUE
4. YQCA Certification DUE

• June 18: Blocks & Backstories (Registration Deadline: June 12)

• June 19: Office Closed: Juneteenth

• June 23: Clover Kids - Sky Explorers Camp (Registration Deadline: June 18)

• Tentative June 25: Pie Day I (Methodist Church, Tekamah)*

• June 30: ALL Burt County Fair Pre-entries DUE

• June 30: Horse Level Testing DUE

2026 State 4-H Events

• State 4-H Premier Communication Event – June 16-17, 2026
• State 4-H Horse Expo – July 11-15, 2026

2026 Burt County 4-H Fair Events

• July 1: Bicycle Rodeo @ 6pm (Craig Fire Hall)
• July 2: Favorite Foods Contest @ 6pm (First Presbyterian Church, Lyons)
• July 6: Tractor Driving Contest @ 6pm (Lee Valley, Tekamah)
• July 13: Clothing & Fashion Show Judging, Life Skills Contest @ 9am (Tekamah City Auditorium, Tekamah)
• July 13: Rocket Launch @ 6pm (Rogers Sod Field, Decatur)
• July 15: Shooting Sports Contest @ 8am (Fairgrounds)
• July 17-21: 2026 Burt County Fair - "Load the Wagon"

Thank you to the Burt County 4-H Council for providing snack and drinks to all our clubs, even our independent 4-Her's, to help kick off our summer 4-H Season!! If you are an independent 4-Her stop in the Extension office to get your treat before June 15th. Everyone else don't miss your meetings 🙂

Before June 15th make sure you have all these things checked off…

EVERYONE

• Enrolled at https://v2.4honline.com (all youth and leaders)
• Projects selected on 4honline

LIVESTOCK EXHIBITORS

• Tags from office (Beef, Swine)
• ID Sheets/Affidavits (Beef, Goats, Sheep, Rabbits, Swine, Horses)
• Going to State Fair? DNA for ALL animals & Online nomination https://showstockmgr.com/ (Beef, Goats, Sheep, Swine)
• YQCA Certificates to the office

NEW: Exhibitors that want to show an animal for the NSF and Aksarben Stock Show (AKSS) will be required to submit two separate DNA envelopes and online nominations. AKSS exhibitors will be ordering and purchasing their DNA envelopes through the AKSS website https://www.aksarbenstockshow.com/. The DNA process and online nomination process will be SEPERATE between Aksarben & 4-H livestock shows.

This link will take you to Sign Up Genius which we use for the 4-H Kitchen.

We kindly ask that EACH Burt County 4-H family sign up for 1 (7.5 hour) slot or 2 (4 hour) slots during the fair. Your valuable contribution keeps our 4-H kitchen open and thriving during the Burt County Fair and supports the entire Burt County 4-H Program year round. We also encourage older (8+) 4-H members help in the 4-H kitchen also. Anyone 14 years+ can help behind the counter and younger kids can help with trays and washing tables.

Thank you for showing up, pitching in, and supporting Burt County 4-H! 💚🍀

YQCA is available as an online or face-to-face program for youth everywhere in the United States. We will be using the same website as last year (even with all of it’s glitches) https://yqcaprogram.org/.

Requirements:

Online – 3 modules @ $12 total (to receive full certification you must complete 3)

OR Face-2-Face training @ $3 total

• LAST ONE: June 12, 1PM @ Oakland Methodist Church Basement

OR Test Out for Intermediate @ $36 or Senior @ $48

Any tradition 4-H member (8-18) in your family that is enrolled in a beef, goat, poultry, rabbit, sheep and/or swine project must be certified to show at county and state fair! The deadline for completion to be eligible to show at the Burt County Fair is June 15th! If you have questions please contact us!

Here are some assistances for completing the process. https://yqcaprogram.org/local/youth_parents.php

• Remember, we learned last year that you have to register for the course. And then take a post-course survey before you can access your certificate (which is the part we need).

Family Responsibilities:

• Exhibitors will be required to enroll in 4-H by the June 15 statewide enrollment deadline.
• Exhibitors will review their species fairbooks.
• Exhibitors showing market and/or breeding beef, feeder calves, market and/or breeding swine, market and/or breeding sheep or market and/or breeding goats at State Fair must have a signed and sealed official DNA envelope with hair samples for DNA verification. Every animal nomination (this includes all breeding animals and feeder calves) will require a DNA submission. DNA must be turned into their county office and have completed the online nomination with payment in Show Stock Manager by June 15. Any animal carrying an 840 EID tag will require the exhibitor to obtain a Premises ID. Contact the local Extension Office for details. (It is recommended that you make a copy or a photo image of the completed envelope you turn into your county.)
• Exhibitors will be required to complete Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) certificate by August 10.
• Exhibitors will confirm that the ear tattoo and/or identification tag matches the animal nomination submitted by June 15 for confirmation of legibility and/or accuracy.
• Exhibitors will notify the County Extension Staff of any retags that may occur up to time of check-in at the State Fair.
• Exhibitors will select which animal nominations they have chosen to show at State Fair on the State Fair entry website by August 10. All nominated and validated animals will be automatically listed as a choice option for entry registration.
• Exhibitors will be required to bring the breed registration association paperwork to check-in at State Fair for animals wanting to show in a breed class. The registration papers must show the exhibitor’s name or a co-owner who is an immediate member of the exhibitor’s family and is listed with the online nomination in Show Stock Manager. Family farm or ranch names will not be accepted.

Show Stock Manager is open for livestock nominations for the 2026 Nebraska State Fair!

Website Link: https://showstockmgr.com/

All livestock in contention to exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair will be required to complete an online nomination with payment through Show Stock Manager and submit a DNA collector envelope with a hair sample. This includes all 4-H and FFA breeding livestock, market livestock, and feeder calves. Each State Fair nomination will be $7.00 per animal in Show Stock Manager. 4-H and FFA livestock nominations are due on June 15, 2026.

Refer to the 4-H State Fair Livestock Identification and Nomination Requirements for additional information on 4-H exhibitor eligibility at the State Fair.

If you have any questions on how to submit your online nominations, you can review the 2026 Step-by-Step Nomination Instructions document.

Livestock nominations for the Nebraska State Fair will be verified by the Extension Office using county ID sheets submitted by June 15. Family name(s), exhibitor name(s), and livestock identification must match between the county and State Fair nominations.

We have the official green Burt 4-H t-shirts available in the office for purchase ($10).

LIVESTOCK EXHIBITOR DRESS CODE - FOR 2026

All exhibitors of livestock are required to wear an official Burt County 4-H t-shirt or FFA t-shirt and dark blue denim jeans. IN 2026* - the NEW official Burt County 4-H t-shirt will be the only official dress code.

Exhibitors of large animals and/or horses are required to wear hard-soled shoes. Dog exhibitors need to wear soft-soled shoes. Horse exhibitors see equine section for specific dress code guidelines.

The Burt County 2026 Fairbook is now available for you to pick up or view on our website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/burt/burt-county-fairbook-2026/

Do you like making Pie or just helping for the greater good? Linda Bisanz, our 4-H pie lady, needs help to make pies for our 4-H kitchen! Whether you are pie maker extraordinaire or just want to lend a helping hand, we'd love for you to help make these pie days extra fun and successful.

Mark your calendars and join us for one (or both) of our fun Pie Days:

🥧Pie Day 1:

Thursday, June 25th at 8:00AM

Methodist Church Basement, Tekamah

Bring rhubarb if you can--we're baking up strawberry-rhubarb and apple pies!

🥧Pie Day 2:

Saturday, July 11 at 8:00AM

Oakland Auditorium, Oakland

Come ready to finish making the pies that will be needed for the next week at fair! If we are still making past noon, the 4-H Council will provide lunch for all our wonderful volunteers!

Burt County Pre-Entry time is almost here. Everything MUST be pre-entered online by June 30th!

🔗Visit: https://burt.fairwire.com/ to complete your entries. Please enter even your horticulture and floriculture with what you think you will bring as it's easier to take out a card then add a card on check in day.

No paper forms will be mailed this year, but if you prefer that option, paper forms are available for pick up in the office, if you prefer.

Keep an eye on your email after June 15—we’ll be sending out important 4-H pre-entry instructions you won’t want to miss!

Exhibitors will pre-enter for Showmanship in their respective species by the pre-entry deadline of June 30th.

If an exhibitor has not pre-entered and they wish to participate in Showmanship please notify the superintendent your entry will be added during check in/weigh in time for your animal.

To go with the fair theme of “Load the Wagon” this year’s Burt County Photography Theme is “Wagons.” Take as much creative liberty with this as you’d like, everything from a covered wagons, to wagon wheels, to toy wagons. Make this theme your own! Remember, this exhibit is open to any Burt County 4-H member – you don’t have to be enrolled in the Photography 4-H project.

Would you like to earn money for your club? The Burt County Ag Society is going to give out $100 to whoever wants to help promote the 2026 Fair.

You will get the opportunity to walk in a local parade and hand out fair schedules WHILE you also promote your club and 4-H! Spaces limited to two clubs for each parade.

DATES:

• June 20 - Decatur River Front Days Parade
• July 4 - Lyons Blue Grass Festival Parade
• July 4 - Tekamah 4th of July Parade

Who wants in? Remember this is limited to the first two clubs that sign up for each parade. And yes... you can sign up for more than one parade! Message the Burt County Fair page on Facebook to sign up!

It’s time to become a Fremont 4-H Expo Ambassador. Applications are due June 19th !

https://go.unl.edu/ambassador2026

If you won one of the major livestock or herdsmanship traveling trophies last year, we want to celebrate your hard work!

These trophies will be proudly displayed during the fair in the beautiful livestock office display case for everyone to admire.

To help us create a stunning display, please bring your trophy on Clean-Up Day (Sunday, July 12), or drop it off at the Extension office. At the very latest, please bring it on the first day of the fair. This will give us time to arrange everything and showcase the dedication and accomplishments of our amazing exhibitors over the years.

As you empty those ice cream buckets this year, please save them for the 4-H Kitchen this summer! They come in handy to store so many things in the 4-H Kitchen.

You may bring them to the Extension Office or to the 4-H Kitchen at the beginning of the fair. Also, as you’re planning your garden, don’t forget we’ll be wanting cucumbers for the kitchen!

Click on the button below for more details of each of these Pre-Fair Events!

• June 25: Pie Day I @ 8am (Methodist Church, Tekamah)
• July 1: Bicycle Rodeo @ 6pm (Craig Fire Hall)
• July 2: Favorite Foods Contest @ 6pm (First Presbyterian Church, Lyons)
• July 6: Tractor Driving Contest @ 6pm (Lee Valley, Tekamah)
• July 11: Pie Day II @ 8am (Oakland Auditorium, Oakland)
• July 12: Fairgrounds Clean Up @1pm (Oakland) - bring your traveling trophies
• July 13: Clothing & Fashion Show Judging, Life Skills Contest @ 9am (Tekamah City Auditorium, Tekamah)
• July 13: Rocket Launch @ 6pm (Rogers Sod Field, Decatur)
• King and Queen Ballots - voting deadline is July 14
• July 15: Shooting Sports Contest @ 8am (Fairgrounds, Oakland)

Burt County Sharpshooters Club is up and running! If you are interested contact Leah Miller at 402-720-1355 for more details. AND get enrolled on 4honline with your shooting sports projects. Practices are Sundays at 5pm at the Fairgrounds.

We will be holding the Burt County 4-H Shooting Sports Contest on July 15, beginning at 8:00 a.m. at the Burt County Fairgrounds.

Competition classes available include:

• Archery
• BB Gun

We encourage all eligible 4-H members to participate and showcase the skills they’ve developed throughout the year!

• Sat, June 13 - Poultry Showmanship Workshop (Fairgrounds)
• Thurs, June 18 - Blocks & Backstories (Fairgrounds)
• Tues, June 23 - Clover Kids - Sky Explorers Camp (Fairgrounds)

📣 Announcing the 2026 Agronomy Youth Field Day!

Join us at NCTA Campus, Ag Education Center - Curtis, NE to learn about the world of Agronomy!

📅 June 30, 2026 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

📍 NCTA in Curtis, Nebraska

🔗 Registration available at: http://go.unl.edu/agronomyyouthfieldday2026

Registration due June 23rd.

Grow your knowledge, get your hands dirty, and discover the exciting world of agronomy at the 4-H Agronomy Youth Field Day!

For any questions, please contact the Nebraska Extension Frontier County office at 308-367-4424 or email Katy Snyder at ksndyer2@unl.edu

Youth are invited to join us and Big Gumdrop Outdoors as we explore the world around us through our Exploring Ecosystems theme.

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 day camps camp opportunities. 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. The overnight camp in Chadron is all ready full.

Registration is now OPEN and closes 2 weeks before camp starts. More information on sessions, dates, scholarships, and the link to register can be found at https://4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/nebraska-4-h-summer-camp/.

Looking for a fun club project? Want to unite your club members? Running out of ideas for club meetings? If you answered, “yes” to any of these questions, help is on the way! Nebraska Extension is pleased to present the 11th annual Crop Scouting Competition for Nebraska youth. Youth interested in crops can learn about crop growth & development and basic crop scouting principles.

Don’t know a lot about crops? Ask a local agronomist to assist by providing a short lesson on crop production. You can have the agronomist meet with youth a little during each meeting or outside of the meeting. This is one way to engage those youth interested in crops.

This contest will be held at the Eastern Nebraska Research & Extension Center near Mead, Nebraska on August 6, 2026. The event will include both indoor and outdoor events. Teams of junior high and high school students (those completing 5-12th grades) from across Nebraska are invited to participate. This event is limited to the first ten teams who sign-up!

Clubs or other organizations may enter a team composed of three to five participants. An adult team leader must accompany each team of students. Team leaders could be FFA advisors, crop consultants, extension staff, coop employees, etc.

Top-scoring teams win prizes: $500 for first, $250 for second, $100 for third place. Top two teams will be eligible for regional competition held in Nebraska this year.

Teams will be expected to know the basics of scouting corn and soybean fields. This includes crop staging; looking for patterns of crop injury; disease, insect and weed seedling identification; etc. Other topics many include but are not limited to, pesticide safety, nutrient disorders, and herbicide injury.

More information about the crop scouting competition and instructions on how to register a team are available online at cropwatch.unl.edu/youth. Register at: https://go.unl.edu/cropscoutingreg

Teams must be registered by July 15.

NEW: Exhibitors that want to show an animal for the NSF and Aksarben Stock Show (AKSS) will be required to submit two separate DNA envelopes and online nominations. AKSS exhibitors will be ordering and purchasing their DNA envelopes through the AKSS website https://www.aksarbenstockshow.com/. The DNA process and online nomination process will be SEPERATE between Aksarben & 4-H livestock shows.

This is a hands-on multi-species clinic to learn how to show or gain tips to help improve the showing of your animal at the county fair and beyond!

Saturday, June 13th

8:30-12:30

Ag Park Arena and Green Barn 822 15th St; Columbus, NE 68601

❓Contact Platte County Extension Office 402-563-4901

Blue Ribbon 4-H is hosting a progress show for the following classes: Breeding Heifers, Market Heifers, Market Steers, Feeder Calves, Showmanship & Clover Kids

Saturday, June 20th at the Washington County Fairgrounds, Arlington

This is a Blow & Show with cash prizes. To register scan the QR code on the flyer.

Questions contact Stacy Nelson 402-670-7491.

Goat, Sheep & Beef Show

Saturday, June 27, 2026

Sarpy County Fairgrounds - Springfield, NE

Pre-Entry of Livestock. https://ssp.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cOLB7MCMVcC6uBU

DEADLINE FOR ENTRY WILL BE FRIDAY, JUNE 19TH AT 11:59 PM

This is a Blow & Go Show. No use of tapes, glues, adhesives of any kind.

All goats must be shown in smooth chain collars or halters. NO SPIKED COLLARS. All sheep not shown in hand can use a halter or smooth chain but No Spiked Collars.

Email Stacey or Lori for more information.

Get ready for an unforgettable three-day livestock judging experience! The Heartland Triple Crown Livestock Judging Series is coming June 17–19, 2026, bringing together youth from across the region for competition, learning, and celebration as the Great Plains Judging Circuit wraps up its season. This three-day event is open to all states.

Whether you're a seasoned judge or new to the arena, this is the perfect opportunity to sharpen your skills, meet fellow competitors, and close out the circuit in style.

📅 June 17–19, 2026
📍 Columbus • Bladen • Nelson, Nebraska
🔗 Registration details available at: https://go.unl.edu/lj26

Join us for three exciting days of livestock evaluation, learning, and community. We can’t wait to see you there! More details to come for each day.

We are excited to announce the fifth year of the Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program! This program provides an additional opportunity for enrolled 4-H livestock project youth to strengthen their knowledge and leadership skills across all aspects of livestock projects, including selection, production, leadership, and exhibition.

The program recognizes Members of Excellence in the following livestock project areas: beef, sheep, meat goat, swine, dairy cattle, dairy goat, rabbit, and poultry.

The Livestock Achievement Program consists of three levels designed to support age-appropriate growth and learning. Youth plan and report a broad range of project-related accomplishments by selecting goals from an approved list, with each accomplishment carrying a designated point value.

• Juniors (ages 8–9): Complete 75 points. Submit pictures, posters, presentations, and other learning activities to earn the distinction of Junior Member of Excellence.
• Intermediates (ages 10–13): Complete 100 points of activities to earn Intermediate Member of Excellence.
• Seniors (ages 14–18): Complete 150 points of activities to earn Senior Member of Excellence.

Plan and Report forms, available on the program webpage, provide examples of eligible accomplishments. Members may also propose their own project-related accomplishments with approval from their local Extension educator.

· Applications are due June 15 and must be submitted through the online application form.

· Plan and Reports and Project Records are due August 1 and must be submitted via the online completion form.

Youth who complete the program and earn Member of Excellence recognition will be recognized during the Grand Drive during 4-H weekend at the Nebraska State Fair.

For more information and to apply, visit: https://go.unl.edu/lap

Contacts:
Cole Meador – cmeador2@unl.edu
Brett Kreifels – brett.kreifels@unl.edu
Kelly Schole – kschole2@unl.edu
Ashley Benes – ashley.benes@unl.edu

For 2026, the 4-H Dog Show will take place on Sunday, September 6, 2026 and will be held in the Thompson Food Indoor Arena. We are excited to share that this location will host all dog show classes, including obedience, rally, showmanship, and agility.

Bringing all events together in one location will make it easier for youth to move between classes and will help improve communication from show officials. Additionally, the arena flooring will be leveled and packed to better support dogs’ movement, helping reduce joint stress during activities such as running and jumping.

For County:

JUNE 15: ID sheets are due

JUNE 30: level testing and entries are due

You asked for them, and we delivered! Ready to put your horse science knowledge to the test? Extension Horses has developed three practice contests with Advanced and Introductory Levels to best serve ALL skill levels.

These interactive contests include:

• Slides
• Stations
• Exams
• Scenarios (team problems)

...all in a virtual Hippology-style format!

While awards aren’t provided, you can review your scores, track your progress, and earn a certificate of completion when you score 80% or higher on each section.

Practice as many times as you want during your access period and build confidence before contest day!

Pricing for 90 days unlimited access:

• $20 Individual

• $75 Team (up to 5 seats, designed for 1 coach and 4 team members)

Perfect for teams, coaches, classrooms, and individuals preparing for competition OR simply testing your horse science knowledge.

Enroll today and start learning all about horses: https://catalog.extension.org/catalog?pagename=Hippology

Any questions regarding this opportunity, please reach out to Kathy Anderson kanderson1@unl.edu.

Don’t wait for the next newsletter to stay informed! We share the most recent updates, upcoming events, and new opportunities on our local Facebook page as soon as we receive them. Follow us there to stay up‑to‑date between newsletters. https://www.facebook.com/BurtNeExt

Please sign up for REMIND!! We want to have a quick, easy, instant way to contact you all! If you would like to receive text reminders, text @burtco4h to the number 81010. Or go to this link https://www.remind.com/join/burtco4h. Hopefully this way we all don’t forget the fun 4-H things happening!