Dakota County 4-H News

DAKOTA COUNTY OFFICE STAFF

Angela Abts—4-H & Youth aabts2@unl.edu

Julie Boyle—Food Nutrition and Health julie.boyle@unl.edu

Tammy Dunn—Office Manager tpeterson3@unl.edu

Brenda Sale—SNAP-ED bsale@unl.edu

Email: dakota-county@unl.edu
Website: https://dakota.unl.edu
Location: 1505 Broadway Street, Dakota City, NE, USA
Phone: 402-987-2140
Facebook: facebook.com/UNLDakotaCounty
Twitter: @NEDakota4HExt

Facebook: Nebraska Extension in Dakota County

Instagram: NE Extension Dakota County

JANUARY

6 - Extension Board Meeting

10 - Award and Achievement applications due

20 - Office Closed - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

FEBRUARY

3 - Dakota County Extension Board meeting

4 - NACEB meeting - Lincoln

0 - Joint 4-H Council meeting

15 - Early bird 4-H enrollment due

17 - Office closed for President's Day

23 - Achievement Celebration - Norm Waitt, YMCA, South Sioux City

MARCH

4 - Horse Stampede entries DUE

17 - Dakota~Thurston All Contest Day Registration DUE by 12:0PM

22 - All Contest Day, United Church of Pender

29-30 - 40G Horse Stampede, LIncoln

31st - Dakota County Senior Scholarship due

The University of Nebraska had made a major change to all websites that are associated with the University.

Our Dakota County website is included in those updates. The site will look totally different. As our office is working to move content from one site to another, please be patient.

Not all links or information may be available immediately. If there is information you need contact Tammy.

The web address will be the same.

Enrollment for the 2024-2025 4-H year is now open. Please enroll early. This helps your 4-H Extension staff prepare for the upcoming year. We need to update our mailing list and make sure we are sending information to you that pertains to projects you will be working on.

To enroll: https://v2.4honline.com/#/user/sign-in

Did you know that there is a Dakota County 4-H Council?

Does your club have a representative on the Council? There should be 1 adult and 1 youth from each club.

We only meet a few times a year to discuss our local 4-H programming, finances, fundraising and how we can best serve the 4-H program.

All 4-H club members and an adult representative are welcome attend.

Please check with your club leader and make sure your club is represented

County and State Fair are over for 2024, but that doesn't mean your 4-H experiences have come to a close. You have another step to complete. Get working on your 4-H awards & achievement records. While the Achievement Celebration will not be held until the first part of 2025, you can start compiling the needed information so its ready to go.

To find the application and other resources go to:

https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/dakota/4-h/awards-recognitions-scholarships/

Diamond Clover Information is also available at the above link.

You can find more information for other awards, scholarships and opportunities at: https://4h.unl.edu/awards-recognition

The Nebraska 4-H Volunteer Orientation serves as an introduction to the 4-H Youth Development program in Nebraska. As part of the screening process, the orientation covers a variety of foundational and essential topics. Any interested individuals including current or prospective volunteers, are welcome to complete the orientation. However, all new volunteers serving in direct roles, such as club leader, project leader, or workshop presenter, are required to complete the orientation. Volunteers are also required to complete the orientation as part of the re-screening process.

Contents

The orientation covers:

1. Welcome & Introduction
2. What We Do in 4-H
3. Volunteer Roles & Training
4. 4-H Operations
5. Risk Management for 4-H Volunteers
6. Resources & Support for 4-H Volunteers

Each topic includes a 4-10 minute video followed by several knowledge check questions. The entire orientation should take approximately 45 minutes to complete and may be completed over multiple sessions.

Confirmation of Completion

Upon successful completion, you will receive a confirmation email. Your county Extension office will also be notified of your successful completion.

Re-Orientation

Volunteer screening and orientation is repeated every five years based on geographic location regardless of when the original screening and orientation was completed. When it is time for re-screening and re-orientiation, volunteers will be prompted with instructions for completing the online processes. See Volunteer Re-Screening Schedule.

We are now accepting registrations for the 2024 Farrowed & Owned Swine Cohort! Registration closes on Thursday, February 1.

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.

**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!

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

We have collectively decided to not have a Beef Weigh - In in 2025. If you would still like to attend a weigh-in, there are surrounding counties that will have them. If you need these dates, please contact the Thurston or Dakota extension offices! Thanks

COUNTY FAIR REQUIREMENTS

County 4-H Tags or EID tags or tattoos (breeding beef) are required for beef, Scrapie tags for all sheep and goats, Swine require ear notching and rabbits require tattoos. Paper ID forms are also required at county level.

The information below if for State Fair.

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. 4-H and FFA livestock nominations are due on June 15, 2025.

Any 4-H member planning to exhibit livestock at the Nebraska State Fair must complete the appropriate livestock identification requirements for each potential animal. This process nominates the animals for the 4-H livestock shows at the Nebraska State Fair and provides evidence that the animals are part of the youth's livestock projects. The process makes an individual animal eligible for entry at the Nebraska State Fair.

https://4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/state-fair/livestock-exhibitor/livestock-identification/

We are delighted to announce the Innovative Youth Corn Challenge, a prestigious contest open to 4-H members (aged 8 and older as of January 1st) and FFA members (in-school members). This competition is designed to guide participants through a comprehensive exploration of all facets of corn production, including aspects related to agricultural careers associated with corn production.

Key Features:

• Team Participation: Teams comprising two or more youth participants will collaboratively embark on the challenge.

• Innovative Practices: Youth will be tasked with implementing a production practice differing from the norm, with the goal of assessing its impact on increasing corn yield.

• Data Collection: The Corn Challenge management summary will systematically gather crucial information, including yields, cropping history, and production details.

• Recognition and Rewards: Outstanding achievements will be duly rewarded with cash prizes and plaques for the top three teams:

• First Place: $1,000

• Second Place: $500

• Third Place: $250

• Special Awards: In addition to the top rankings, commendable efforts will be acknowledged through the "Extra Mile" and "Ag Literacy" Awards, each carrying a value of $200.

This competition not only fosters a spirit of innovation in corn production but also serves as a platform for recognizing dedication and excellence within the 4-H and FFA communities. We encourage all eligible participants to embrace this opportunity to showcase their skills and contribute to the advancement of agricultural practices. Registration deadline is April 1st.

For detailed guidelines and participation information, please refer to the https://cropwatch.unl.edu/youth/cornchallenge webpage or contact Brandy VanDeWalle at brandy.vandewalle@unl.edu.

The Special Gardening Project lets 4-H members try their hand at growing unusual vegetables, flowers, fruit, and herbs. The project allows experienced 4-H gardeners to grow something fun, new, and different while letting those new to gardening get their hands dirty in this project area.

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. This project is open to all youth of 4-H ages 5-18 and it will give them the opportunity to learn about growing, harvesting, and exhibiting this unique fruit.

Youth are encouraged to enroll for Horticulture/Plant Science through 4-H Online. Youth will then have to reach out to their local Extension Office to sign up and order the seeds.

Youth in Grades 8-11 who are interested in making a difference in their communities are encouraged to apply to join the FEMA Youth Preparedness Council!

The Youth Preparedness Council (YPC) brings teens together from across the country who are passionate about emergency preparedness and making a difference in their communities. Council members are selected based on involvement in extracurricular activities, leadership experience, and interest in preparedness and emergency management.

Students in Grades 8-11 are eligible to apply.

YPC members share ideas and feedback with FEMA, collaborate to develop preparedness project proposals, and build their leadership and emergency management skills. Youth leaders who are interested in applying to the YPC must submit a completed application form and provide two letters of recommendation.

The application is open January 7 – March 3, 2025.

Learn more and apply today at https://ready.gov/kids/youth-preparedness-council.

More details at: https://ready.gov/kids/youth-preparedness-council

In case you missed it, we have the dates set for PASE 2025. The event is scheduled to be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on East Campus. Additional information about these events will follow in the start of the new year.

Tuesday, June 17th and Wednesday, June 18th, 2025

More details at: https://4h.unl.edu/pase

Nebraska Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture. The 4-H Youth Development program abides with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.