SHERIDAN COUNTY NEWSLETTER

April 6 - Public Speaking Contest in Harrison

April 7 - 4-H Council Awards Committee Meeting at 5:30 pm

April 21 - YQCA Training at Extension Office at 1 pm

April 21 - Sale Committee Meeting

April 25 - Hay Springs Project Day

May 1 - Hay Springs YQCA Training at Lister Sage after school

DEADLINE DATES:

April 1 - Public Speaking Contest Registration

April 15 - Sheridan County 4-H Scholarship Applications due

April 18 - Register for Hay Springs Project Friday

June 15 - 4-H Enrollment

The fairbook is up on the website. You can find the complete book at: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/sheridan/4-h/2025-sheridan-county-fair/

Some changes to note in the fairbook:

• There will be a gilt and barrow division in the swine show
• Decorated cakes will be judged on Tuesday but will go home to a freezer and return for the auction on Saturday.

As a reminder the Fair Schedule for 2025 has changed significantly. Please refer to the attached Fair Schedule for a complete listing of events.

As a reminder Horse participants must complete Horse Testing Level 1 in order to show at the Sheridan County Fair. If members are interested in participating in Break-a-way, they must complete Horse Level 2. Contact the Extension Office to set up a Horse Level Riding test. Written tests may be taken at the office at any time. Study materials can be found at: https://4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/horse-program/horsemanship-advancement/requirements-resources/

The 2025 Sheridan County Fair Theme is Sew It, Grow It, Show It!

Join us for Wilderness Wonders Camp this summer. On June 3rd, the camp is for youth entering in 3rd through 5th grade. June 4th's camp is for youth ages 5-7. The camp will include lunch, t-shirt, activity costs, insurance, and snack. The fee is $50. Registration is due May 5th but spots are limited. 4-H Camp scholarship may be available from the 4-H Council. See the registration below to sign up.

We will also be looking for Camp Counselors. Camp Counselors for this event must be 13 years and older. Please contact Melissa Mracek at mmracek2@unl.edu or (402) 322-0655 if interested.

Come join us at this year's Fort Robinson Horse Camp. Participants will create a lead rope, experience fun interactive sessions, and explore the beauty of Fort Robinson while horseback. Check out the schedule below. There are also scholarship opportunities available.

This year our annual LOG N Camp will be held at Fort Robinson State Park. The youth will get to spend two nights at the camp, learn leadership skills, while being immersed in the rich history of Fort Robinson State Park. The cost of the camp is $80, 4-H scholarships may be available. Check out the application below to apply.

We are excited to have three local Progress Shows this year. The Box Butte Show will include a swine division this year!! Flyers will be coming soon!

Five 4-H robotics teams from Sheridan County competed at the State 4-H STEM Expo on March 21-22 at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The teams had the opportunity to engage with industry partners, meet teams from across the state, and showcase their robotics projects. Wild Robots from Rushville team members include: Sawyer Jech, Lena Conn, Hattie Williamson, Natalia Dolezal, Atticus Rosane, Finn Rosane, Owen Tracy, and Arya Bracken. Hay Springs had two teams competing. The Pixelated Hawks members are Cedar Frink, Ellie Reimann, Andrew Bonsall, Alivia Bonsall, Brecken Starke, Kaitlyn Buettner, and Kylar Scheenen. The Definitely Not Hackers team consists of Willow Frink, Brantley Opitz, Jailyn Jancik, Merritt Albrecht, Erin Albrecht, Gus Reimann, Ransom Buettner, and Ellerie Davis. The Pixelated Hawks team was a finalist for their Innovation Project for the Global Innovation Project award. There were also two Gordon teams. Tiny But Smart members are Jack Child, Nixon Banks, Tranquil Hillion, Braxton Bidroski, and Grant Simmons. The Duck Republic team members consist of Clare Swanson, Denali Hillion, Gage Bidroski, and Avery Kreitman. The Tiny But Smart received a finalist award for their Robot Design.

We will be offering a birdhouse workshop on Friday, April 25th from 9 to 11 am at Lister Sage. We wanted to offer something similar to the Project Fridays in Rushville and Gordon. This event will be free of charge. Youth must be 8 and up to participate. Please contact the extension office by April 18th to register for this event.

The full summer workshop details will be out later this month so be on the look out! Below is a quick snapshot of what we will be offering.

• May 23 - Babysitting Basics with CPR
• June 17 - Fishing
• June 24 - Sewing Workshop
• June 25 - Maker Day

If youth ages 8-18 as of Jan 1 are showing beef, pigs, sheep or goats (this includes breeding, bucket calves and feeder calves), dairy cattle, dairy goats, poultry and/or rabbits at County fair, state fair, AKSARBEN or other shows, they need to complete the YQCA Certification.

There are 3 ways to complete this certification:

1. Youth can complete an online course. This course has 3 sections and youth must complete a quiz in each of the sections and pass with an 80% or better. If youth do not get at least an 80% they are locked out for an hour and should review material. This course also has a fee of $12 that must be paid online.
2. Youth can attend an Instructor Led Session put on by the Extension Office. Youth will attend in-person and actively participate through the 60 minute PowerPoint, as well as some hands on activities at the end. This session has a fee of $3 that must be paid online through the YQCA Website. We also ask that you pre-register through the YQCA website so we can make we have enough supplies for the hands on activities.
3. Youth could complete the Test Out option online at the Intermediate or Senior Level. These courses cost $36 & $48 respectively.

Please visit: https://yqcaprogram.org/ for more information, get registered and pay fees for the in-person course, or take the online course.

Dates for Instructor Led Trainings:

• Monday, April 21 at the Extension Office at 1 pm
• Thursday, May 1 in Hay Springs at after school

Deadline to complete YQCA is June 15th! YQCA Certificates need to be sent (mmracek2@unl.edu) or returned to the office.

Please contact the Extension Office if you have more questions.

Weigh-ins for sheep, goats, and pigs will be on Sunday, May 18th starting at 8 am with pigs. Sheep and goats can begin arriving around 9:30 am at the fairgrounds. Youth not able to make this weigh-in can attend the Box Butte or Dawes County weigh-ins.

Box Butte:

• May 15 from 6-7 pm in Hemingford
• May 22 from 6 - 7 pm in Hemingford

Dawes:

• May 29 from 3 to 6 pm in Chadron (no pigs)

REGISTER NOW! 2025 Tractor & Equipment Safety Trainings are scheduled across the state. Certification from this course allows 14- and 15-year-olds to legally drive a tractor and do field work with certain mechanized equipment. Visit go.unmc.edu/tractor-safety-training to learn more!

Certification is earned by completing a two-day certification course, which includes a written test and a driving exam. Successful completion grants NSTMOP certification, allowing them to operate tractors and certain mechanized equipment on farms and ranches, and obtain a husbandry permit. Youth under 14 can attend Day 1 if accompanied by an adult, at no charge.

No Day 1 at your location? You can attend it at another location, or choose the online option!

Spring into 4-H judging! A training series for 4-H project judges will take place in April 2025:

• Thursday, April 10th (5:30 - 6:30 pm CST): Introduction to Judging 4-H Projects
• Audience: Adults interested in learning about judging 4-H projects at county and state fairs.
• Topics: Ensuring interview judging is a positive experience, the role of Positive Youth Development in the judging process and more!
• Monday, April 14th (5:30 - 7:00 pm CST): 4-H Visual Arts & Foods Judges Training

The Sheridan County 4-H Council wants to recognize 4-H seniors with a scholarship opportunity. Below is the word and pdf version of the scholarship applications. Please complete the application and return it to the Extension Office by April 15th.

We are excited to offer Unified Showing again this summer. We would like to identify our mentors and buddies by May 1st to help introduce the pairs at the spring weigh-in. If you are interested in serving as a buddy, please contact Melissa at mmracek2@unl.edu.

Youth qualifying at the local level can participate at the state event being held on June 19-20, 2025 in Lincoln, NE. There are some great cash prizes for those that win the events! More information can be found at the Premier Communication Event Site. Registration for the state competition is due on JUNE 1st! The office will be in contact with a new registration form if you qualify.

The 2025 What’s the Buzz? season of the Nebraska State 4-H Camp will share the importance of pollinators in Nebraska- why they’re important, how they impact agriculture, and what youth can do in their own communities to support the various native pollinators we have in Nebraska. From bees and butterflies to hummingbirds and bats- it’s going to be a week full of learning and fun!

The Nebraska State 4-H Camp is returning to Chadron and Burwell for summer camp 2025! Youth new to camping can attend a shorter camp session designed to let them experience all the best parts of summer camp in a 3 day/2 night session. Choose from one of two 5 day/4 night sessions for youth 10-14 years old and returning this year is the Leaders in Training camp for high school youth 15-17 years old! Campers will focus on developing leadership skills with an opportunity to put those skills into practice by volunteering at one of our other camp sessions!

Registration is now OPEN! More information on sessions, dates, and the link to register can be found at 4h.unl.edu/camp.

We are excited to announce the fifth year of the Nebraska 4-H Livestock Achievement Program. This additional opportunity for enrolled livestock project youth, is designed to promote all educational aspects of 4-H livestock projects including selection, production, leadership, and exhibition by recognizing youth striving to improve in their livestock project knowledge and leadership.

The program recognizes Members of Excellence across all 4-H livestock project areas, including: beef, sheep, meat goat, swine, dairy cattle, dairy goat, rabbit, and poultry.

The program consists of three levels that require 4-H members to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate and project-related accomplishments. For each level, the Livestock Achievement Program provides a list of accomplishments from which 4-H members choose their goals. Each accomplishment is worth a specific number of points. Junior 8-10 submits pictures, poster, presentation, and other learning activities to receive the distinction of Junior Member of Excellence, no point value, Intermediates, ages 11-13, must complete 100 points worth of activities to receive the distinction of Intermediate Member of Excellence. Seniors, ages 14-18, must complete 150 points worth of activities to receive the distinction of Senior Member of Excellence. The Plan and Reports, linked on the webpage, show examples of the project related accomplishments they can choose, or they can identify their own with approval of their local educator.

Applications/Sign up are due June 15th through the application form link on the website. Plan and Reports, as well as Project Records will be due August 1 via the completion form on the website.

Youth completing the achievement program and receiving member of excellence recognition in the various species will be recognized during the Parade of Champions, 4-H weekend at the Nebraska State Fair.

For more information or to apply, go to: Livestock Achievement Program | Nebraska 4-H (unl.edu)

The 4S Goat Expo would like to extend their scholarship to young goat producers again this year. They will be awarding two - $250.00 scholarships to High school seniors and Freshman in college that apply. The deadline for this scholarship is May 31, 2025. For more information, view the scholarship attached.

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