HOLT COUNTY 4-H NEWSLETTER

UNL Extension - Holt County

128 N. 6th, Suite 100, O’Neill NE 68763 Phone: 402-336-2760 FAX: 402-336-1325

http://holt-boyd.unl.edu

May 2010

MOLLY’S MIRACLE Don't miss the following event - JOIN US on

May 30 for Molly's Miracle. Holt County Fairgrounds will be the sight of this year's

fundraiser for cancer cure research. Enjoy the

BBQ, Firework Display by BIG BANG BOOM,

Auction, Raffle, Live Entertainment, Cotton Candy, Snow Cones and more. Make plans this

Memorial Day weekend to have great fun for a

great cause at the HOLT COUNTY

FAIRGROUNDS!!!! Starts at 4:00 pm, bring your lawn chair and enjoy the evening.

QUALITY ASSURANCE TRAINING Quality Assurance Trainings will be held on the

dates listed below. If you are showing meat animals (beef, sheep, swine, meat goats, goats,

dairy poultry or rabbits) at the Boyd County Fair

you must be QA certified. The sessions will last

approximately 2 hours. You can attend either in

Holt County or in Boyd County. Thursday, June 3 - 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. -

Courtroom - Boyd County Courthouse - Butte

Friday, June 4 - 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. - Holt

County Courthouse Annex - O‟Neill Thursday, June 17 - 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. -

Holt County Courthouse Annex - O‟Neill

Thursday, June 17 - 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. -

Holt County Courthouse Annex - O‟Neill Friday, June 25 - 9:30 – 11:30 p.m. -

Holt County Courthouse Annex - O‟Neill

Table of Contents: Molly‟s Miracle; Quality Assurance Training; 4-H

Assistant; Branding Fence; Holt County Fair - Website And Facebook; FCS Web Quiz; Community Service Photos; UNL Extension Tractor/Farm Safety Courses; Horse Id Sheets; Range Youth Camp; Sheep Tag Days; Bunny Tattoo Day; Online

Horticulture Judging & Identification Contest; Quilt Detective; All Other Livestock Id Sheets Due; Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Programs; “History On The Rocks” Geology Camp; Virtual Summer Academy; Calendar: Life Challenge Event Flyer

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4-H ASSISTANT

Megan Lubke from Pierce County will start May 17 as the 4-H Assistant for the Holt and Boyd County Extension offices. Megan has

just graduated from UNL. Please come in and welcome Megan.

BRANDING FENCE A project started by a vision from Scott Halsey in 2008 has finally made its way from the drawing board to realization. Thanks to many

donations we will have the fence up and ready for inserts this summer.

The inserts containing the plasma cut brands can be purchased for

$25.00 by sending your information to Dennis Miller, 85342 488th Road, Chambers, NE 68725. The brand will be given to Hubel Iron to

be cut. A name plate will be attached below the brand. Please print

and fill out the form at www.holtcountyfair.net and send to Dennis.

HOLT COUNTY FAIR - WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK The website (www.holtcountyfair.net) is up and running for the Holt

County Fair. It has information for 4-H, Entertainment, Schedules,

Superintendents, Premium Book, Map with Driving Directions, Fair Board Members, Ranch Rodeo Rules and Contact Information, Demo

Derby Rules and Contact Information, Rodeo Information, Photos and

more. Please visit the website and send questions, comments, information and photos to holtcountyfair@hughes.net . The Premium

Book link is http://www.holtcountyfair.net/Premium%20Book.html .

You can also follow the Holt County Fairground activities on the

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/login.php

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FCS WEB QUIZ Do you like computers? If so, the Family and Consumer Science Web Quiz is just for you! This quiz lets you test how much you know about

things like making food, staying healthy, baby-sitting, and much more.

You can find the quiz on the 4-H website under "4-Kids." (4h.unl.edu).

Before you take the quiz, you might want to look at these manuals: Becoming Money Wise Levels I and II; ESI: Discover the E-Scene; The

Sitter; The Road to Good Cooking; Sewing for Fun; and Youth in

Motion.

This quiz is designed for you to take by yourself. To be fair to

everyone, please do not ask anyone else for help and put your

manuals away before you take this quiz. By doing this, you will find

out what information you know and what areas you need to work on. You may only take this quiz once.

The quiz will be available May 12, 2010 until August 6, 2010. You can

take the quiz anytime. You will have 60 minutes to complete the quiz. Once you take the quiz, your answers will be immediately graded and

you will be able to find out how you did. If you want to receive a

ribbon at the Holt County Style Revue you must have completed the

quiz by no later than July 21. There is a 4 page instruction sheet

(*192 KB pdf file) that will walk you through the registration process. If you happen to be logged out of the quiz (this happens if the quiz is

idle for 12 minutes) or if you are disconnected from the Internet, you

can restart the quiz by going back to step # 9 on the instruction sheet.

Once you are logged back on, you will have the option to continue the quiz. This is a GREAT way to have fun and keep learning!

COMMUNITY SERVICE PHOTOS The State Fair Service Learning (Community Service) Display Committee is looking for pictures for display at the State Fair. The

Committee is looking for visual impact that showcases youth and

would like to obtain pictures from each county depicting youth, leaders

and families involved in a service learning project. Selected photos will be used in the display to honor 4-H youth and families as well as

spread the idea of service learning (aka community service)

throughout the state via the new display at the Nebraska State Fair.

They would like to have five (5) pictures from each county depicting

youth involved in a service learning project that occurred in 2009 to

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place in a Power Point presentation to be shown at the 2010 State

Fair. Please search through photographs. If you think that you have something that represents our county that they could use let us know

at 336-2760 or by email - holt-county@unl.edu ASAP.

The pictures need to have the parental release form signed for each youth pictured. Please include a caption with each one such as: "Road

Clean Up, Hall County" or "Assembling New Neighbor Packets,

Hamilton County". You can also include the club name but please do

not send names of individuals. Please send all pictures in the jpeg format.

Watch for a form that will be coming to help you capture community

service hours, dollars and economic impact from our county 4-Hers

and their families. Please keep track of community service hours from approximately September or October 2009 - July or August 2010. Any

service learning project done in the name of 4-H should be tracked for

the youth hours as well as any family members who helped.

It is their hope that this display will function as a catalyst for future

community projects around the state, that it will honor the great work

that Nebraska 4-H youth and families are doing for their communities

and have an impact on Nebraska communities as people who are invested in their communities tend to stay in their communities.

UNL EXTENSION TRACTOR/FARM SAFETY COURSES University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Tractor/Farm Safety Courses will be offered at seven locations across the state in May and June. To

standardize the training, courses were moved to seven locations

across the state this year instead of many local classes.

Federal law prohibits youth under 16 years of age from working on a

farm other than their parents'. Course completion grants an exemption

to the law allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to drive a tractor and to do

field work with mechanized equipment. The course also is available for

just the safety training if room permits.

The most common cause of death in agriculture accidents in Nebraska

is overturn from tractors and all-terrain-vehicles (ATV), said Bill

Booker, UNL Extension educator in Box Butte County. Tractor and ATV overturn prevention are featured in the class work.

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"There is an obligation to teach safety, and these courses allow us to

do that," Booker said. "These classes will teach respect for the job and the tools involved."

Classes consist of two, eight-hour days plus two, four-hour homework

assignments. Classes are from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. An optional third day of training is available for ATV safety. Dates and locations

include: • May 26-27 - Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Scottsbluff

• June 1-2 - West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte • June 4-5 - Buffalo County Fairgrounds, Kearney

• June 8-9 - Tractor Test Lab, UNL East Campus, Lincoln

• June 11-12 - Northeast Research and Extension Center, Norfolk • June 15-16 - Niobrara Valley Equipment, Ainsworth (5 miles East on

Hwy 20)

• June 22-23 - Southeast Research and Extension Center at the

Agriculture Research and Development Center, near Mead

Pre-registration is strongly encouraged two weeks before a location's

start date. Cost is $60 to cover expenses. For more information,

contact Bill Booker at (308) 762-5616, wbooker2@unl.edu, Sharry Nielsen at (308) 832-0645, snielsen1@unl.edu or the local UNL

Extension office in the county in which the training is offered. To

register, call (308) 762-5616. Information needed when calling to

register: student‟s name, birth date, address, phone number, parent‟s names, and email address.

The first day of class will consist of intensive classroom instruction with

hands-on demonstrations, concluding with a written test that must be completed satisfactorily before the student may continue the driving

tests the next day. The classroom instruction will cover the required

elements of the National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation

Program. The program was developed to offer this exemption training.

Homework will be assigned to turn in the next day. The second day will consist of testing, driving and operating machinery. Students will

have to demonstrate competence in hooking up and then driving the

tractor and trailer through a standardized course. They also will have

to hook up PTO and hydraulic systems. Day One could be at a different location than Day Two to meet schedules

Cost is $60 registration fee includes materials and meals for both

days. Students should be dressed for safety -- that is no shorts, torn or ragged clothing and shoes should cover the entire foot. Dress in a

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manner that would protect them working around machinery. Non-

compliance with the clothing will mean not being permitted to drive.

Attached is the two day schedule that will give you a good idea of what

to expect. This is an intensive class so be aware of that - 16 hours in

two days plus homework. Also attached is a map of the driving test and the skills sheets used to evaluate the students as they drive. Also

attached is a "Release of Claims for Tractor Training Activity" that the

parents or guardians must sign before the student may drive.

NSTMOP stands for National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation

Program and this is the curriculum the course is based on. The website

is: http://www.nstmop.psu.edu/ and includes the task sheets that will

be in the manual the students will receive at registration.

Schedule Skills & Driving Test Layout Map Skills Test Evaluation Form Driving Test Evaluation Form Image Release Release of Claims for Tractor Training Activity

HORSE ID SHEETS

The County Only Horse Identification sheets are

due in the office by June 1 and are available at

http://4h.unl.edu/pdf/f29777.pdf

RANGE YOUTH CAMP

The 46th Annual Range Youth Camp

will be held in June 7-11 at the State

4-H Camp in Halsey. All youth at least

14 but not over 18 by October 1 can attend camp. Campers usually have a

wide variety of experience with range

management. Everyone has a great

time and makes lots of new friends.

Applications are due May 21. For more information, brochure, application and health form go to:

http://www.ianr.unl.edu/srm/forms.htm

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SHEEP TAG DAYS All sheep will need to be tagged on June 1 from 9:00 to 11:00 am at Holt County Fairgrounds in

Chambers or on June 4 from 9:00 am to noon at

the Holt County Annex in O’Neill.

BUNNY TATTOO DAY Bunny Tattoo Day will be held on June 4 from 9:00

am to noon at the Holt County Annex in O’Neill.

ONLINE HORTICULTURE JUDGING AND

IDENTIFICATION CONTEST

There will be an Online Horticulture Judging and Identification Contest.

It will be made available June 14-21st through a website called

ProProfs Quiz Maker. The link will be made available closer to the start date of the contest. Each participant will be required to enter a

password, their first and last names, county, and 4-H age in order to

participate. The password is "Nebraska". The same resources and

references will be used for the Online Horticulture Contest and for the State 4-H Horticulture Judging and Identification contest. No study

materials should be used while taking the online contest. Parents and

other adults are also encouraged to participate. Certificates will be

sent out to the top individuals in the age divisions.

QUILT DETECTIVE

Quilt Detective will be held for 4-H‟ers 12 and over on June 15, in

Lincoln, Nebraska. The event is co-sponsored by the International Quilt

Study Center and Museum; the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Textiles, Clothing and Design; and the University of

Nebraska–Lincoln Extension.

4-H‟ers will be thrilled with the hands on experience at the IQSC

through a scientific eye of quilt inspiration, identification, and preservation. Fabric discovery and Project Runway will be features

from the Textiles Department. Love quilts? Then this day is for you.

Registrations are due by May 15. The cost is $25 per participant,

including 4-H‟ers and adult leaders, which includes the admission to the IQSC and Pizza Party Buffet. LaDonna Werth is planning on taking

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the van. It would hold 7 people including herself. Registrations will be

taken on a first come, first serve basis. Limit: 100 4-H‟ers and 20 adult leaders. Registrations will only be accepted with payment. $25 per

person - Checks made payable to University of Nebraska. Refund or

cancellations will be given only with a written request on or before May

15, 2010. Registration may be mailed to: Janet Hanna, University of Nebraska–Lincoln in Garfield, Loup, Wheeler Counties, PO Box 638,

Burwell, NE 68823-0638. Questions may be sent to Janet at

mailto:jhanna1@unl.edu or at (308) 346-4200.

ALL OTHER LIVESTOCK ID SHEETS DUE All of the remaining animal identification sheets are due by June 15th.

This includes breeding heifer, cow/calf pair, stocker feeder calf, bucket

calf, dairy, goat, market swine, breeding and market sheep, feeder lamb and bottle lamb. Tags are available at the Extension Office and

will be given out when you turn in your identification form. If you are

sending in your form by mail be sure to circle either the word “left” or

„right” so I know which ear you want your tags in. Leave the box empty so that I have room to fill in the tag number for each of your

animals for you. Leave all copies of the form together so the tag

numbers can be written in. If you download the forms from the web

page, just return one copy of each form. I will make the copies needed

for the office and the one to send on to Lincoln.

Please note: I will send these identification sheets on to the Animal

Science Department in Lincoln. Please make sure you fill them out

correctly or it may cause problems in showing your animals. Identification forms can be found at:

Breeding Beef -http://4h.unl.edu/pdf/4HF105.pdf

Feeder Calves - http://4h.unl.edu/pdf/4hf110.pdf

Bucket Calves - http://4h.unl.edu/pdf/4hf110.pdf Meat Goat - http://4h.unl.edu/pdf/4HF111.pdf

Dairy Goat - http://4h.unl.edu/pdf/4HF109.pdf

Dairy Cattle - http://4h.unl.edu/pdf/4hf108.pdf

Breeding Sheep - http://4h.unl.edu/pdf/4HF105.pdf

Market Lambs - http://4h.unl.edu/pdf/4HF106.pdf Bottle Lambs - http://4h.unl.edu/pdf/4HF106.pdf

Swine - http://4h.unl.edu/pdf/4HF107.pdf

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WILDLIFE HABITAT EVALUATION PROGRAMS The 2010 Nebraska 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Programs (WHEP) annual state contest scheduled for April 23-25 at Fort Robinson State

Park near Crawford has been rescheduled for June 20-22. For more

information log onto http://4h.unl.edu/whep/

“HISTORY ON THE ROCKS” GEOLOGY CAMP

History on the Rocks Geology Camp, to be held June 22-24, 2010,

provides a motivating and supportive environment for students to

explore their interests in geology and the fossil record. Students will

examine the ancient history of Nebraska as recorded in world-class

fossils and outcrops of rock. The students will work with a geology professor and graduate students, and interact with peers from across

Nebraska who share an interest in the earth sciences. Major highlights

of the camp will include activities in the University of Nebraska State

Museum (Morrill Hall) and a 1-day field trip on June 23. On the field trip, students will travel to southeast Nebraska and into northeastern

Kansas to examine outcrops and collect fossils from 90 - 100 million

year old rocks that record the presence of a vast interior sea when

dinosaurs roamed the earth.

This exciting and special opportunity is made possible by generous

funding from the National Science Foundation and the UNL Department

of Geosciences. As a result, costs incurred by participants are minimal. History on the Rocks is available for students entering grades 9-12 in

the fall of 2010 (students who graduated in May of 2010 are welcome

to attend). For camp registration information and additional questions,

contact Dr. Tracy Frank at mailto:tfrank2@unl.edu or (402)-472-9799.

Accommodation will be in dormitories on the UNL campus. Meals and transportation for camp activities will be provided. A camp fee of $15

will be due upon registration. Registration deadline is June 3, 2010.

VIRTUAL SUMMER ACADEMY

During the summer of 2010, UNL Extension 4-H will be offering a new

program that is open to ALL YOUTH in Grades 7-9! Virtual Summer

Academy is an exciting, hands-on distance learning opportunity.

Participants in the week-long experience use technology to connect with others who have similar interests! The Academy provides youth a

chance to meet people online from across the state, to spend time

investigating an interest by themselves and with others, to explore

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careers related to this interest, to learn about the University of

Nebraska–Lincoln, and to have lots of fun!

After spending several fun-filled days exploring a specific focus area,

youth will have the opportunity to showcase some of their work online

for family and friends to see! The focus area offered during the 2010 Virtual Summer Academy will be "Discover Baking 101: Science of

Food." To be held the week of July 12-16, 2010, participants will

uncover the scientific principles of their favorite baked foods! Youth in

the Academy will explore the science of baking cakes, bread, cookies, cream puffs, biscuits, and more; they will also create their own

scientific formulas for traditional recipes. Academy Tuition Fees are

$75 if postmarked by May 15; $100 if postmarked by June 15; and

$125 if postmarked by July 1.

Learn more at http://4h.unl.edu/kids/virtualacademy.html. The Virtual

Summer Academy is hosted by the Nebraska 4-H Youth Development

Program and University of Nebraska-–Lincoln faculty members on

campus.

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HOLT COUNTY 4-H CALENDAR

** DEADLINE DATES **May 14 - All entries & level testing for District & State Horse Shows due in Office May 14 – Regional Speech Contest Entries Due May 26-27 – Tractor/Farm Safety Course - Scottsbluff May 26 - Pitzer Horse Judging - Ericson May 28 – Regional Speech Contest – Norfolk June 1 - Horse ID‟s are due in the Extension Office June 1 - Sheep Tagging – Holt County Fairgrounds - Chamber

June 1-2– Tractor/Farm Safety Course – North Platte June 3 – Quality Assurance Training – Boyd County Courthouse - Butte June 4 - Bunny Tattoo Day - Holt County Annex - O'Neill June 4 - Sheep Tagging - Holt County Annex - O'Neill June 4 - Quality Assurance Training – O‟Neill June 4-5 – Tractor/Farm Safety Course - Kearney June 6 - Boots and Saddle Club Horse Show – Carney Park – O‟Neill June 7 - District 4-H Horse Show- Sidney June 8 - District 4-H Horse Show- Knox Co. (Bloomfield) June 8-20 – Citizenship Washington Focus - Washington D.C. June 8-9 – Tractor/Farm Safety Course - Lincoln June 9 - District 4-H Horse Show - Madison Co. June 10- District 4-H Horse Show- Lincoln

June 10-12 - 4-H Horse Camp - Fort Robinson - Crawford June 11-12 – Tractor/Farm Safety Course - Norfolk June 13-18 - Big Red Summer Academic Camp – Lincoln June 15 – All other Livestock Id‟s Due in Office June 15 - District 4-H Horse Show- North Platte June 15 - Quilt Detective June 15-16 – Tractor/Farm Safety Course - Ainsworth

June 16 - District 4-H Horse Show- Taylor June 17 - Quality Assurance Training – Holt County Annex - O‟Neill – 2 sessions June 20 - Boots and Saddle Club Horse Show – Carney Park – O‟Neill June 22-23 – Tractor/Farm Safety Course - Mead June 25 - Quality Assurance Training – Holt County Annex - O‟Neill June 26 – Holt County Shooting Sports Invitational - Holt County Fair Grounds, Chambers

June 28-29 - PASE & Life Challenge-UNL East Campus

July 7 - 4-H Horse Clinic - Carney Park - O'Neill - 9:30 am **July 9 - Sewing, Modeling, Presentation, Favorite Foods, & Talent Entries Due in Office

July 11 - Boots and Saddle Club Horse Show – Carney Park – O‟Neill July 12-15 - State 4-H Horse Show - Grand Island July 22 - Pre Fair Day #1 – Holt County Annex – O‟Neill July 24 - Boots and Saddle Club Horse Show – Carney Park – O‟Neill July 28 – Presentations – Holt County Annex – O‟Neill July 29 - Pre Fair Day #2 – West Holt High School - Atkinson August 10-15 - Holt County Fair August 24-25 - State Fair Entries Due in Office August 26 - State Fair Entries Due - Grand Island August 27-Sept 6 - Nebraska State Fair – Grand Island September 7 - State Fair Entries Released – Grand Island September 11-12 - Boots & Saddle Club Horse Show – Carney Park – O‟Neill October 9-10 – 12th Annual Charity Trail Ride - Halsey December 1 – Romeo and STAATS Scholarships Due Office

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4-H Family and Consumer Sciences

Life Challenge Event 2010

What is it? Life Challenge is a two-day event designed to help you learn about

issues related to Family and Consumer Sciences, explore career

opportunities that are available, compete with other teens from across the state and have FUN! The event is being sponsored by the Nebraska

4-H Foundation with the support of the Nebraska Investment Finance

Authority and the College of Education and Human Sciences.

Opportunities at Life Challenge include: • Family and Consumer Sciences Team Problem Solving

Challenges,

• On-line Team Clover Challenge

• Educational and Fun Workshops!

You can participate in any or all of these pieces. In addition, you will

have chances to explore East Campus, meet with faculty members and

have time for FUN with your friends!

When and Where is it? It will be held June 28–29, 2010 on the University of Nebraska-

Lincoln‟s East Campus.