Phelps-Gosper County January 2026

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.

1. Save the Dates
2. 4-H Kids Fest
3. Welcome Chris Termunde!
4. Gosper County Office Hours Update
5. Treasurer Reports Due - Jan. 15
6. 4-H Enrollment
7. Shooting Sports
8. Lottery Animal - Sign Up
9. Beef Weigh-in
10. YQCA
11. Statewide Opportunities
12. And More!

2026 Save the Dates

• 4-H Enrollment Due: June 15

• Phelps/Gosper 4-H Fashion Show: July 13

• Phelps County Aerospace Launch: July 13

• Gosper County 4-H Fair: July 21– 25

• Phelps County 4-H Fair: July 26 - 30

• Phelps/Gosper 4-H Horse Show: July 18

• Nebraska State Fair: August 28 - September 7

Sunday, February 1 4:00-6:00 P.M.

Family Games and Fun. Only $5 at the door.

Bring canned food for the food pantry to get in for a $1 discount.

Each club will provide a family-friendly game. Enjoy the petting zoo too!

BINGO and Prizes, only 25cents a game.

Food is included in the cost of entry. Enjoy Walking Tacos, popcorn and cotton candy.

Effective immediately, staff will be adjusting our interim office hours in Gosper County to Tuesdays and Thursdays, following Gosper County Courthouse hours.

This change helps our staff continue to serve both counties effectively while we navigate varying schedules and the current vacancy of an office manager in Gosper County.

We appreciate your patience and continued support, and we look forward to assisting you during these updated hours!

A few things to note:

• All youth must enroll/re-enroll in 4-H each year.

· Project selection is no longer required, with the exception of the horse and shooting sports projects.

· Youth may enroll any time during the year; however, in order to participate in County and/or State Fairs, enrollment must be completed before June 15 (and before participating in 4-H events or club activities).

· Shooting Sport youth must be enrolled before the first practice!!!

· No Enrollment dues are required for Phelps or Gosper youth.

· All club/project leaders must enroll in 4-H each year prior to serving in their role.

· Volunteers who successfully screened last year will not be asked to screen again.

· Any new volunteer will need to enroll, complete the screening and orientation modules. (If you are a new club/project leader, please reach out to the Extension Office for more information.)

· Please call the Extension Office if you have any questions about enrollment!

Club Leaders, it’s time to fill out the annual treasurer’s report. Even if your club does not handle money, if your club has an EIN# the form still needs to be signed & turned into the Extension office.

There is a Club Inventory Report and Club Information Sheet that must be filled out as well.

Forms were mailed to club leaders. Reports are due to the Extension office by January 15th. If you have any questions, contact 4-H Educator Calvin DeVries.

Access all Scholarship information here!

Phelps County 4-H Foundation Scholarships

The local Phelps County 4-H Foundation supports scholarships for both high school seniors and post-secondary students. Applications are due April 1, 2026. You can find the applications on our website, at your high school office, or in the Phelps County Extension Office.

Gosper County 4-H Council Scholarship

The Gosper County 4-H Council supports two $1500 scholarships for high school seniors. Applications are due April 1, 2026. You can find the applications on our website, at your high school office, or in the Gosper County Extension Office.

Phelps-Gosper Cattlemen

The local Cattlemen provide scholarships for local high school seniors. You can find the scholarships on our website, at your high school office, or in the Phelps County Extension Office. Applications are due April 1, 2026.

As you begin making plans for 2026, be sure to check out the Special Garden Project. It offers a unique introduction to plant science. 4-H Members are given seeds and guided through growing and harvesting. Members can exhibit a cut flower or harvested vegetable at the fair if all goes well. Otherwise, youth can share their experience through a poster, story or video.

2026, members will work with the Alumia Vanilla Cream Marigold.

Visit https://4h.unl.edu/special-gardening-project to learn more and to get started.

Call the Extension Office to reserve your FREE seeds! 995-4222 or 785-2390

Beginning January 5, 2026, Nebraska 4-H Volunteer Orientation will move into 4-H Online. Volunteers will complete six short training modules (10 minutes or less each) right within their enrollment profile. Each direct volunteer must complete their own training starting in 2026.

Orientation will now be required every 3 years.
✔️ Volunteers enrolled before Jan. 5, 2026 who already completed orientation this year won’t repeat it until the 2026–2027 program year.
✔️ Volunteers enrolling on or after Jan. 5 will complete the new orientation right away.

Background screenings remain on a 5-year cycle. Updated instructions will be shared soon — thank you for your continued commitment to 4-H!

This six-week program offers opportunities for youth to learn safe gun handling skills and sound fundamentals of shooting under the guidance of caring and knowledgeable adult volunteers. Youth practice for six weeks and compete at a county contest. Be watching for enrollment information.

Practice as a team for Local and State trap shooting competitions. The 4-H Trap team will not be traveling to Aurora for competitions. Fun shoots will be done locally in 2026.

**$30 enrollment fee.

** Must be 12 years or older.

**Must have completed Hunter Safety.

**Must be enrolled in Phelps or Gosper County 4-H before allowed to practice.

Please note, YOU CAN ONLY COMPETE IN ONE COUNTY, you may choose to practice in each county but will not be able to compete in the contest for both.

Gosper County Hot Shots BB Gun Club - The Gosper County 4-H Hot Shots BB Gun Club will resume practices starting in January/February. More details will be shared soon. If you are interested in helping serve as a volunteer to support this program or have youth that would like to participate, please contact 4-H Club Leader Steve Dirgo at sdirgo2451@gmail.com.

Please note, YOU CAN ONLY COMPETE IN ONE COUNTY, you may choose to practice in each county but will not be able to compete in the contest for both.

Go to 4h.unl.edu/shooting-sports for more information about the Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports program & to view the calendar of upcoming statewide shooting sports competitions!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season ahead! What better way to kick off the season of giving than by gifting your 4-H’er a lottery hog or goat? Lottery Animal Sign-Up is now open!

Phelps-Gosper County 4-H is excited to once again offer lottery goats and lottery hogs for youth to exhibit at the 2026 Phelps or Gosper County Fair. Please note that youth may only exhibit lottery animals in one county.

To host each species in each county, a minimum of five youth must sign up per species. To help our team coordinate with producers, please complete the short sign-up survey by Sunday, March 1. After this date, staff will connect with producers to finalize pricing and re-confirm lottery selection dates.

🐖 Lottery Hog Selection will take place at the Gosper County Fairgrounds in Elwood on Saturday, March 28, with a project cost of $175 per hog.

🐐 Lottery Goat Selection will take place at the Phelps County Fairgrounds in Holdrege on Saturday, April 11. Prices will be based on current market value closer to the draw date.

💵 For payment, please make checks payable to the 4-H Council of the county in which you are participating (Phelps 4-H Council or Gosper 4-H Council).

2026 Phelps-Gosper Lottery Animal Sign-Up: https://go.unl.edu/2026phgolotteryanimals

Attention Horse Families! The date for the Phelps-Gosper Horse showis Saturday, July 18 @ 8:00 AM at the rodeo arena at the Gosper County Fairgrounds in Elwood, NE. More details will be shared as our show nears. Make sure to mark your calendars today!

We are excited to announce the official Weigh-In dates for market beef projects participating in the 2026 Phelps or Gosper County Fair Rate of Gain Contest!

During either weigh-in, families are also encouraged to tag/re-tag and collect DNA samples for beef projects planning to exhibit at the 2026 Nebraska State Fair. Please RSVP by contacting the Phelps or Gosper County Extension Office prior to the event you plan to attend. Families from either county are welcome to attend either location. Note: Participation in the weigh-in is not required for the market beef project, but it is strongly encouraged!

📅 Weigh-In Dates & Locations

Saturday, January 10

📍 37 Cattle Co.

11138 County Rd 740, Holdrege, NE 68949

🕙 10:00 AM – Noon

Sunday, February 8 (New Date/Time)

📍 Forster Farms

73847 Rd 434, Smithfield, NE 68976

🕙 2:00 – 4:00 PM

2026 Phelps-Gosper YQCA Save the Dates

· Sunday, February 1 @ 3:00 PM – Holdrege, NE (Ag Center – Middle Room)

· May Date TBD– Elwood, NE (Civic Center – Legion Hall)

·June Date TBD – Bertrand, NE (Immanuel Lutheran Church)

Sign up online for our February training today here: https://yqcaprogram.org/

Make sure to contact the Phelps or Gosper County office for a $3 coupon code per youth prior to signing up! Sign up must be completed online for both online training and in person training. When attending an in person training, these coupon codes will help your family complete this requirement free of cost. Thank you to the Phelps County 4-H Foundation and Gosper County 4-H Council for sponsoring these codes. You will be able to sign up using your previous account.

Nebraska 4-H members ages 8-18, who are enrolled in any of the livestock projects listed above are required to participate in an annual YQCA training. Annual training requirements may be satisfied by completing either an online web-based training course or a face-to-face instructor-led training course.

YQCA certification is required for all 4-H members enrolled in any of the following projects:

· Beef (bucket calf, feeder calf, breeding beef, market beef)

· Dairy Cattle

· Goat (breeding meat goat, dairy goat, meat goat)

· Poultry

· Rabbit

· Sheep (breeding sheep, market sheep)

· Swine (breeding swine, market swine)

Web-based annual training is available through the YQCA learning management system. The online YQCA course costs $12 per individual regardless of age. Face-to-Face YQCA training is also available to satisfy annual training requirements. In-person YQCA training courses cost $3 per individual regardless of age. Remember to call the office for a code(s) to result in free in person trainings and reduced cost for completing the training online!

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, 2026.

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.

Please note that completing the state identification requirements does not automatically enter the animal or exhibitor for the Nebraska State Fair. The exhibitor must still complete the separate online State Fair entry process. Animals that are not identified and nominated using the appropriate state requirements by the deadlines below will not be eligible to be entered or shown at the Nebraska State Fair.

****Phelps and Gosper County offices still require paper ID sheets/affidavits for county record keeping but these will not be accepted as a form of identification for the State Fair.

1. Exhibitors will be required to enroll in 4‑H by the June 15 statewide enrollment deadline.
2. Exhibitors will review their species fairbooks.
3. 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 nomination. DNA must be turned into their county office and have completed the online nomination with payment in Show Stock Manager by June 15. (It is recommended that you make a copy of the completed envelope you turn in to your county.)
   For animals carrying an 840 EID tag, exhibitors must also obtain a Premises ID. Contact your local Extension office for details.
4. Exhibitors must complete the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) certification by August 10.
5. 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.
6. Exhibitors must notify their county Extension office of any retags that may occur up until the time of check-in at the State Fair.
7. Exhibitors will select which animals they have chosen to show at State Fair on the State Fair entry website. All nominated and validated animals will automatically be listed as options for entry registration.
8. Exhibitors will be required to bring the breed association registration paperwork to check in at State Fair for animals being shown 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.

A Farrowed and Owned Breeding and Market Swine division for youth interested in learning more about the swine industry is available for youth statewide in 2026!

To participate, youth must be 4-H age 8-18 as of January 1, 2026, complete YQCA, farrowed their project animal(s) and participate in monthly virtual educational meetings. Please note youth may exhibit their Farrowed and Owned project animals at a 2026 Nebraska county fair or the Nebraska State Fair. 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.

NEW for 2026: virtual tour of the UNL swine facility will be a featured topic!

Register by January 30, 2026! https://unlcorexmuw.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cO9BRcjr0H6jgyO

The Companion Animal Project helps 4-H’ers learn about selecting and caring for companion animals, understanding their daily needs, and recognizing the responsibilities that come with pet ownership. Participants also develop skills in record-keeping, citizenship, sportsmanship, and teamwork. Video lessons and more information can be found at https://4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/companion-animal-program/

An educational event for small and backyard poultry producers and youth

8:30 Registration Dept. of Animal Science, University of Nebraska, Student Commons, 3940 Fair St., Lincoln, NE.

Morning Workshops Available

Afternoon Contests:

Egg Art – Adult & Youth

Poultry Photography- Adult & Youth

Poultry Quiz Bowl – Adult & Youth Teams

Youth Only Teams

Photography and Egg Art Contests

Photography - bring an 8 X 10 photo of your favorite bird/and or bird scene etc. Youth or Photography and Egg Art entries may be mailed in ahead of time.

Young artists are invited to take their creativity to new heights through the 2026 International Aviation Art Contest, themed “Fly to Save Lives.” Nebraska youth ages 6–17 are invited to enter by January 16, 2026.

More information about the 2026 International Aviation Art Contest can be found at https://dot.nebraska.gov/aeronautics/art-contest

More details at: https://dot.nebraska.gov/aeronautics/art-contest

4-H has always been about helping young people become Beyond Ready — for college, career, and life. Share a photo at https://4-H.org/ShareYourStory from your early 4-H days alongside a recent one and describe how 4-H made you Beyond Ready for life and career! Not an alum? No problem! Post your 4-H moments on social using #4HBeyondReady and #NE4H.

More details at: https://4-H.org/ShareYourStory

Read the 4-H newsletter and visit the 4-H website frequently

Stay in the Loop!

Don’t miss anything! The most up-to-date information can be found at,

WEBSITE https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/phelps-gosper/

FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/PhelpsGosperExtension/

State 4-H WEBSITE https://4h.unl.edu/

Be sure to check out photos from our fairs, 4-H school enrichment activities, workshops, field days, and more!

Many of our programs—both in and out of the classroom—are featured.

👉 View Photos Here

UNL Extension in Gosper County (Elwood, NE) is accepting applications for a part-time Administrative Assistant.

This part-time position will offer an hourly wage of $17.50 per hour. To apply for this position, please email a cover letter and resume to 4-H Educator, Calvin DeVries at cdevries2@unl.edu. Position is open and will remain open until a suitable candidate is hired.

Gosper County is an equal opportunity employer.

https://go.unl.edu/gospercoextadminasst

Calvin DeVries, Extension Educator

calvin.devries@unl.edu

Lori Swanson, Extension Assistant

lori.swanson@unl.edu

Tyler Kroll, Extension Assistant

tkroll2@unl.edu

Noah Renken, Office Manager - Phelps

noah.renken@unl.edu

Phelps County Extension Office

1308 2nd St Holdrege, NE 68949

(308) 995-4222

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Monday - Friday

Gosper County Extension Office

507 Smith Ave Elwood, NE 68937

(308) 785-2390

8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Interim 4-H Staff Office Hours: Thursday & Friday

WEBSITE

https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/phelps-gosper/