SHERIDAN COUNTY NEWSLETTER

Aug. 28-Sept. 7 - Nebraska State Fair

Sept. 7 - Office Closed - Labor Day

Sept. 9 - State Fair Projects return to office

Sept. 21 - Robotics is starting in Rushville & Gordon

Sept. 25 - Robotics is starting in Hay Springs

Oct. 4 -10 - National 4-H Week

Oct. 19 - 4-H Council Meeting

Oct. 25 - Achievement Banquet

DEADLINE DATES:

Oct. 5 - Achievement Applications, Diamond Clovers, Project Record Sheets due to the Extension Office.

Oct. 5- Special Award Nominations

Sale Checks will be in soon. We will send out a message when the checks are in.

Premium Money will be ready for pick up at the Achievement Banquet in October.

Your prizes that you selected as awards from the fair will be able for pick up at the Achievement Banquet in October.

The Post Fair insert will be coming out soon. Check it out for all the fair highlights.

Congrats to all of the Sheridan County 4-H members who showcased their hard work at the Nebraska State Fair.

Fashion Show

Tenley Ostrander – Constructed STEAM 2 Garment – Purple

Beef Show

Keila Nelson – Crossbred Steers – Purple

Goat Show

Harper Scott – Commercial Doe Kids – Purple

Harper Scott – Intermediate Goat Showmanship - Purple

Payton Scott – Commercial Doe Kids – Purple

Payton Scott – Market Wethers – Purple

Harper Scott – Market Wethers – Blue

Payton Scott – Senior Goat Showmanship – Blue

Photography

Cameron Heck – Black & White Photo – Purple

Tenley Ostrander – Black & White Photo – Purple

Tenley Ostrander – Candid Photo - Purple

Kirsten Heck – Abstract Photo – Blue

Tenley Ostrander – Creative Composition Photo – Blue

Home Design & Restoration

Hudson Persons – Accessory made from Wood - Purple

Aliyah Bear – Accessory 2D – Blue

Tenley Ostrander – Accessory 2D – Blue

Tenley Ostrander – Furniture Fabric Covered - Blue

Adlei Persons – Accessory Recycled - Blue

Lily Rosane – Accessory made from Metal - Blue

Chay Schultz – Accessory 2D – Blue

Owen Tracy – Accessory 3D – Blue

Quilt Quest

Hazel Anderson – Beguin – Barn Quilt – Blue

Kirsten Heck – Large Quilt – Red

Clothing

Kaisyn Hooper – STEAM 2 Romper – Blue

Tenley Ostrander – Embellished Garment - Blue

Kaisyn Hooper – Fashion Accessory – Red

Consumer Management

Kirsten Heck – Shopping in Style – Purple

Tenley Ostrander – Shopping in Style – Purple

Tenley Ostrander – Revive your Wardrobe – Purple

Conservation & Wildlife

Hudson Persons – Taxidermy – Blue

Foods

Aliyah Bear – Candy - Purple

Tenley Ostrander – Scones – Purple

Kaisyn Hooper – Loaf Quick Bread – Blue

Evelyn Hotz – 1 Jar Jelled – Blue

Safety

Tenley Ostrander – Specific 1st Aid Kit – Purple

Field Crops

William Gaswick – Water and Soil Display – Blue

Floriculture

Kirsten Heck – Fairy Garden - Purple

Cameron Heck – Fairy Garden - Blue

Aliyah Bear – Desert Garden – Red

Veterinary Science

Tenley Ostrander – Large Animal First Aid kit – Purple

Welding

Kayli Rose – Welded Furniture – Blue

Wood Working

Cameron Heck – Woodworking Article – Red

Visual Arts

Hazel Anderson – Beguin – Watercolor Painting – Purple

George Gaswick – Pencil Drawing - Red

Special Recognition

Kirsten Heck – Fairy Garden – Special Recognition

Harper Scott – Intermediate Goat Showmanship – 3rd Place Overall

Harper Scott – 3rd Place Breeding Commercial Doe Kid Division I

Payton Scott – 4th Place Overall Champion Market Meat Goat

Payton Scott – Reserve Champion Division I Market Meat Goat

Payton Scott – 3rd Place Breeding Commercial Doe Kid Division II

The Achievement Banquet will be held on Sunday, October 25th at 5 pm at the Extension Office.

As another 4-H year comes to an end, it is time to recognize all that go above and beyond to help the Sheridan County 4-H program. These individuals will be recognized at the Banquet at the end of October. We want to hear from you for who should win the following awards. To nominate someone it is easy, submit a paragraph of why they should win the award, who you are nominating, and the award you are nominating them for to the Extension Office by October 1st. You can email the nominations to mmracek2@unl.edu.

National Leadership Award (formerly I Dare You Award): is open to youth ages 15–18 who have completed their freshman year in high school and show outstanding qualities in servant leadership. Award recipients receive a personalized award certificate, a copy of William H. Danforth’s classic motivational book I Dare You! and are eligible to apply for the “I Dare You” Scholarship.

4-H Alumni Award: A 4-H Alumni who has continued to be a contributing member of 4-H in Sheridan County. If you have questions about whether or not a leader or volunteer is an alum, please contact the office.

4-H Business Appreciation: A business that really goes all out for 4-H. They may be a major sponsor for awards or just always donating time, energy or their employees to help the 4-H program succeed.

Jane Beguin Award: This award is to honor someone who embraces the 4-H motto like Jane Beguin did. This award is designed to recognize that special someone who goes out of their way time and time again to ‘make the best better’. This award is a great way to honor someone who truly embodies the heart of Sheridan County 4-H.

Achievement Applications are a great way to summarize your 4-H Acheivements and Leadership positions for the year. At a local level, youth will receive project pins and on a state level, these applications make youth eligible to for scholarships as well as the opportunity to attend National 4-H Conference and National 4-H Congress. These applications have a maximum of 4 pages with additional pages added for scholarships or being selected as a delegate for the national opportunities.

Applications are due to the Extension Office or may be emailed to Melissa at mmracek2@unl.edu by October 5th. The Record Book Application form needs to be completed with the application. Below are PDF versions of the applications but for examples and more information visit: https://4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/awards-recognition/achievement-application/

4-H members have the opportunity to win additional cash awards up to $100 by filling out a maximum of 3 Project Record Sheets. The Project Record sheets can be all static, all livestock or a combination. Project Record sheets explain the youth's goals, costs,a nd waht they learned throughout their project. These forms are due on October 5th with the Achievement Applications. Members do not have to complete the Acheivement Application in order to be eligible for this award. Winners will be announced at the Achievement Banquet.

4-H Bucks is a program to help award active members by helping to pay for future workshops and events.

Every year 4-H members can earn up to $50 for 4-H workshops or camps by participating in different activities such as speech contests, horse level testing, workshops, progress show, being a club officer, etc. Each activity you participate in, you recieve a number of points.

If 4-H members who are Juniors earn 5 to points they receive $10, 10 to 15 points they receive $25, and 16 or more points they receive $50. Intermediate members must earn 7 to 12 points to earn $10, 13 to 19 points for $25, and 20 or more points for $50. Senior members must earn 9 to 15 points to receive $10, 16 to 23 points for $25, and 24 or more points to earn $50. Youth can utilize the 4-H Bucks to help pay for 4-H workshops, camps, etc. It is a scholarship program for youth being actively involved in 4-H throughout the year. These sheets need to be turned in on October 5th to help the Council budget for the upcoming year.

Deadline to submit Diamond Clover is October 1. Forms are available on the Nebraska 4-H Diamond Clover website.

The Nebraska 4-H Diamond Clover program encourages 4-H youth to engage in a variety of programs, projects, and activities that will enable youth to acquire skills and abilities that will prepare them for success in the future. The program is designed to reach and recognize all youth engaged in 4-H, from club members and campers to school enrichment, afterschool, and special interest program participants. The program consists of six levels that require a young person to plan and report a broad range of age-appropriate accomplishments.

Rules

• Youth may only receive recognition at each level once.
• Youth may only receive one level of recognition per year.
• Youth should begin at Level 1 and progress through Level 6. However, youth who are older when beginning may opt to start at a higher level (2-4) as is mutually agreeable to the participant and the parent/guardian or leader. In order for older youth to begin at level 5 or 6, the Extension staff must also be in agreement.
• Approval: Levels 1–4 require the approval of a 4-H youth’s parent/guardian. If the 4-H youth belongs to a 4-H club, club leader approval is also required (if 4-H youth belongs to more than one club, choose one leader to work with). Levels 5 and 6 require the approval of a local county extension staff member.
• Accomplishments: Each level requires participants to complete a specified number of accomplishments. The 4-H participant may choose accomplishment listed for each level. The accomplishments are age appropriate and increase in quantity and difficulty for each level. Parents/guardians, leaders, and Extension staff may suggest other accomplishments — comparable to those provided — to improve the individual learning experience of each 4-H youth.

Our robotics groups will begin meeting the week of September 21st. Youth members who are 9 or in the third grade until 14 or the 8th grade are eligible to join. The Rushville Elementary group will meet afterschool on Mondays until 4:30 pm and the Gordon Elementary group will meet at the First Presbyterian Church on Mondays from 5 pm until 6 pm. Hay Springs will meet on Friday at Lister Sage from 9 am until 11 am. Please contact the Extension Office if you are interested in joining.

A huge thank you to Zach Kearns, Jackie Simonson, and Brian Nelson for serving on the 4-H Council the last three years. A huge thank you to our youth members: Jackson Roffers, Luke Laws, MacKenzie Simonson, and Jacob Dorshorst. We greatly appreciate their service and are always looking for people interested in serving on the Council.

• 4-H Council positions are elected via region at the Acheivement Banquet in October.
• We are looking for adults interested in serving on the 4-H Council. Terms are for three years (Jan 2027-Dec. 2029).
• The board usually meets every other month on the third Monday of the month at 6:30 pm.
• During meetings, the Council oversees the 4-H budget, plan programming for the help, and help support the County Fair.
• Contact the Extension Office by October 15th if you are interested in running.
• For questions, please reach out to Melissa
• New Council members will be notified and need to join the January 2027 meeting.

• The 4-H Council invited high school age youth (13-18) to run for one of the four youth positions
• These are one year terms running from January to December of the current year.
• Youth members will be voted on at the Achievement Banquet in October.
• If interested in running, please contact the Extension Office by October 15th.
• Youth members have full voting rights and serve on the awards committee.

It is a wonderful opportunity for youth to voice their opinions. Youth also learn skills such as leadership, budgeting, people skills, negotiations, and responsibility.

Due to some of the limitations with the Remind app, we are going to start making the switch to Band. Band will allow us to have a calendar feature along with a chat feature for different groups. You can scan the QR code below or visit: https://band.us/n/aea1bei80cN4U.

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 - Brian Nelson

Vice President - Brandon Jancik

Secretary - Kaleigh Krebs

Treasurer - Chet Tausan
Members - Brad Beguin, Jackie Simonson, Hannah Hoos, Zach Kearns, and Clint Nielsen.
Youth Members: Luke Laws, Jackson Roffers, MacKenzie Simonson, and Jacob Dorshorst

Extension Board:
President - Caleb Peters
Vice President - Morgan Weyers
Secretary/Treasurer - Paige Stumpff
Members - Mark Haller and Austin Reed

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