Thurston County 4-H News
September 2026
Nebraska Extension - Thurston County
Sydney Williams, Extension Assistant, sydney.williams@unl.edu
Bobbie Hingst, Office Manager, bhingst2@unl.edu
Email: thurston-county@unl.edu
Website: thurston.unl.edu
Location: 415 Main Street, P.O. Box 665, Pender, NE 68787
Phone: 402-385-6041
Facebook: facebook.com/UNLExtensionThurston/
Twitter: @UNLThurstonCty
Upcoming Dates
SEPTEMBER
NEBRASKA STATE FAIR – Aug 28 – Sept 7
7 Office Closed – Labor Day
14 Joint 4-H Council Meeting (Pender Fire Hall; 7:00 PM)
16 Farm Safety Day at Pender Park
16 D-T Fair Board Meeting at D-T Fairgrounds; 7:00 PM
24-27 Aksarben Stock Show
OCTOBER
4-10 National 4-H Week
12 Office Closed – Columbus Day
21 D-T Fair Board Meeting at D-T Fairgrounds; 7:00 PM
NOVEMBER
11 Office Closed – Veteran’s Day
16 - Thurston Extension Board Meeting; 6:30 PM
18 D-T Fair Board Meeting at Pender Fire Hall; 7:00 PM
26-27 Office Closed – Thanksgiving Holiday
DECEMBER
4 Thurston Achievement Applications Due
16 D-T Fair Board Meeting at Pender Fire Hall; 7:00 PM
24 Office Closed – Christmas Eve
25 Office Closed – Christmas Day
Thanks for a Great County Fair!
Please remember to personally thank someone that helped this year! Our volunteers are a vital part of the 4-H program, and many of the events at fair and throughout the year would not be possible without their dedication.
If you received a trophy or bonus auction premium, get those thank you notes sent! A few brief sentences about your experience are all it takes to show your appreciation. We want to continue the positive support from all of our donors. So make sure to say Thanks!
Nebraska State Fair 4-H Results
Please congratulate these 4-Hers for all their hard work!
Static: Rayna Kelly, Camden Kelly, Reese Kelly, Kate Hansen, Logan Hansen, Kaitlyn Mahaney, Miles Tremayne, and Brylea Mosser.
Livestock: Jax Fogarty, Jace Fogarty, Jett Fogarty, Shaylee Sanderson, Maddisyn Lampman, and Rowan Paeper.
Remind!
Join the Remind app and the Thurston County 4-H group to receive important 4-H reminders and notifications delivered right to your phone. Stay up to date on upcoming events, deadlines, workshops, fair information, schedule changes, and more—so you never miss an important update! Achievement and Premium Report information will coming out next month so please be checking for that information.
If you are not getting any messages, please contact our office at 402-385-6041 to let us know, thank you.
Thurston County Extension Staff
Keep Up on Facebook!
Share Your Favorite 4-H Photo
Every 4-H fair experience is a chance for youth to put their skills into action. Whether volunteering, exhibiting, showing, or leading, 4-H'ers are demonstrating the confidence, responsibility, and real-world skills at the fair that prepare them to be Beyond Ready for work and life.
Upload ONE favorite photo of yourself, or a favorite 4-H'er, participating in a fair experience that shows those real-world skills in action, or share a favorite fair experience in the guestbook at http://go.unl.edu/ne4hfairseasonphotos!
A statewide fair 4-H photo gallery will be created to share during the Nebraska State Fair, celebrating how the impact of the Nebraska 4-H program goes beyond the ribbon, reaching youth in every county across the state.
Dakota- Thurston 4-H Ambassadors Application Open!
This is an awesome opportunity for our older Dakota or Thurston County 4-H members!!
4-H Ambassador Eligibility:
• Youth 14-18 years of age (age on January 1st).
• Youth will serve a two year term (can reapply for another term).
• Enrolled as a 4-H member (Dakota or Thurston).
• Must be an active member for at least two years prior to application.
Applications are due to the Nebraska Extension Office in Dakota County by Wednesday, October 15, 2026.
Click here to download a copy of the application Dakota Thurston County 4-H Ambassador, application or contact your nearest Extension office for the application.
2026 4-H Project Showcase
Show off your favorite 4-H project -- or even one that didn't go as planned! Every project tells a story of learning, helping youth build the skills to become healthy, productive, and engaged leaders who are Beyond Ready for work and life.
Submit your project for the 4-H Project Showcase by September 15 to be featured during National 4-H Week in October and throughout the year at 4h.unl.edu/project-showcase.
More details at: https://4h.unl.edu/project-showcase
National 4-H Week - October 5-11th
https://4-h.org/resources/professionals/marketing-resources/4-h-week-toolkit
Judge's Registration is now open!
Calling all potential 2027 county and state fair 4-H judges!
Sign up now to be a part of the Nebraska 4-H judging team. Help Nebraska youth be beyond ready for work and life through 4-H project exhibits by serving as a 4-H project judge!
Deadline to sign up: September 30, 2026
Register here: https://go.unl.edu/2027judgesregistration
Join us and help shape the future of 4-H!
2026 Virtual Food Preservation
If you would like to learn the safe, science-based methods of food preservation plan to enroll in the FREE Virtual Educational Series offered via zoom by Nebraska Extension.
Register at least one week ahead of each class. All participants will receive an email link to log-into the ZOOM program. Each class will be held from 12:00 to 1:00PM CT.
May 20 – Making Jams & Jellies
June 10 - Boiling Water Canning
June 17- Dehydrating Foods
July 15 - Freezing Foods
July 22 - Pressure Canning
August 12 - Tomatoes or Salsa
August 20 - Pickling
September 15 - Squash/Pumpkins
More details and registration can be found at:
https://go.unl.edu/virtualfoodpreservation.
For additional questions, contact your local Nebraska Extension office or go to www.food.unl.
Nebraska Youth Beef Leadership Symposium (NYBLS) Save the Date
It’s that time of year again and we’ll be hosting the 20th annual Nebraska Youth Beef Leadership Symposium (NYBLS) here at the Animal Science Complex on November 6-8, 2026. More details about the symposium, the 2025 recap video and the application link can be found at go.unl.edu/nybls. Please note the application deadline of October 1st. Please contact araymond2@unl.edu with any questions that you have.
Apply for FREE to UNL through November 1
High school seniors interested in UNL are encourage to apply for free through November 1st! Use go.unl.edu/apply with the code HUSKER to access the application.
Red Letter Days
High school juniors and seniors interested in Nebraska are encouraged to visit campus on a Red Letter Day! This experience includes a campus tour with a student guide, academic appointments, lunch, financial aid and housing sessions, and clubs and organizations browsing fair. Register at go.unl.edu/visit
