1

Scotts Bluff County 4-H Newsletter - June 2015.

I t 's Summer! 4 -H is Heat ing Up!

We are excited for another fun-filled summer of 4-H! We

welcome all of our new members to the Scotts Bluff County 4-H

program. We are very thankful to have so many new members, but

also want to make sure that 4-H is a positive experience for

everyone involved. Here are a few ideas to help everyone with their

success in 4-H:

It is recommended that our new members join a 4-H Club. We

have over 20 clubs to choose from and our club leaders are

great at helping new members meet deadlines and complete

projects!

Please remember that our leaders are volunteers and many are

very busy outside of 4-H. We would appreciate your

understanding of this as we start a very full summer.

If any questions come up, please contact the Nebraska

Extension Office at 632-1480. There are no dumb

questions! It is your responsibility to make sure deadlines are

met, but we are here to assist you in the process.

We have many opportunities to help you make the most of your 4-H

experience. Check out our summer workshops! This is a great time

to make new friends and get connected with local clubs!

Email Us

Scotts Bluff Co 4-H Website

Scotts Bluff Co 4-H

Upcoming Events

Last Day for Quality Assurance Training online - June 15

Last Day for State Fair Sheep/Swine/Goat Entries - June 15

Miniature Gardening and Using Herbs Workshop - June 18

Livestock and Sale Committee Meeting - 7pm - PREC - June 18

Scottsbluff FFA Progress Show - Mitchell - June 27

Mitchell Valley Progress Show - Mitchell - June 28

Fashion Fabric Workshop - June 30

Sew Savvy & Modeling Workshop - July 1

Weather/Meteorology and Robotics Workshops - July 7

Cake Decorating Workshop - July 8

Mad Scientist Workshop - July 9

Animal Science Workshop - July12

In this edition:

- Shooting Sports Info

- County Fair

- Upcoming Events

- Rabbit & Poultry Info

- Quality Assurance

- Fair Book Changes

- State Fair

- 2015 Calendar

2

Scotts Bluff County 4-H Newsletter - June 2015.

Summer Workshops 2015 Mini Gardening & Herbs

Thursday, June 18 10am-2pm $20 PREC Ages 8 and up

Create your own miniature garden! Learn how to grow your own herbs and explore different uses of herbs.

Participants will leave with a mini garden ready for fair! Please bring a shallow container to plant your mini garden

in as well as fairy/gnome decorations if you like. Soil, plants, and lunch will be provided. Register by June 10th.

Fashion Fabric

Tuesday, June 30 9am-2pm $15 (includes lunch) PREC Ages 8 and up

Design your own fabric! Learn about design elements and the color wheel. Leave with your unique fabric ready to

be used in your next sewing project. Register by June 25th.

Sew Savvy! and Modeling

Wednesday, July 1 9am-2pm $10 (includes lunch) PREC plus tours of area businesses Ages 8 and up

~Take the fabric you designed in the Fashion Fabric workshop (or other fabric) to create your own pillow

case. Participants will learn the basics of sewing and leave with a project ready for fair.

~Do you want to brush up on your modeling before the county fashion show? Receive advice from the experts

and practice your techniques. Register by June 26th.

Weather and Meteorology

Tuesday, July 7 10am-noon $10 PREC Ages 8 and up

The weather in Western Nebraska is unpredictable! The meteorology workshop covers the different types of

weather and what causes it. We will also be making our own meteorology instruments to track storms, measure

rain, and predict severe weather. Register by June 12th.

Robotics

Tuesday, July 7 12:30pm-3pm No cost PREC Ages 8 and up

Join us for a fun afternoon of exploring the world of robotics . Work with members of the Robotics Club to

program Rover Bots and learn about robotic competitions. Register by July 1st.

Cake Decorating

Wednesday, July 8 9am-3pm $15 (includes lunch & snacks) PREC Ages 8 and up

Learn new skills and techniques, decorate sugar cookies using fondant and icing, and practice before the county

fair! Register by July 2nd.

Mad Scientist

Thursday, July 9 9am-12pm $10 (includes snack) PREC Ages 8 and up

Explore the world of science through this workshop! Participants will experiment with chemical reactions,

electricity, and more. Register by July 6th.

Animal Science

Sunday, July 12 1pm-4pm No cost Scotts Bluff County Fairgrounds Ages 8 and up

~Learn about animal diseases, vaccinations, living conditions, and low-stress handling. Participants will also

learn about meat science, how to identify primal and retail cuts, and how to judge cuts of meat.

~Compete in the Livestock Skill-a-Thon to build your knowledge! Compete as an individual or as a team (2-4

people). Prizes will be awarded for each division (4-H team, 4-H individual, Old-timer team, Old-timer individual).

Register by July 3rd.

Sponsors Needed!

Hello all, there are a number of awards that need to be sponsored in numerous categories for Fair 2015.

Sponsorship is $25, please contact the Extension Office if you are interested!

3

Scotts Bluff County 4-H Newsletter - June 2015.

Attention Shooting Sports Members

If you have not passed the Hunter's Safety Education course, you will need to complete a 4-H Shooting Sports Safety Certification class led by an official 4-H Shooting Leader. Contact your Shooting Sports Leader for training dates. 4-H Shooting Sports members must pass a Hunter's Safety Education course OR complete a yearly 4-H Safety certification to be eligible to compete at the county fair. All 4-H members who are enrolled in a shooting sports project must belong to a 4-H club with a certified shooting sports leader. If you have any questions, please contact your shooting sports leader or the Nebraska Extension Office

Citizenship Washington Focus

It is time to begin planning for CWF 2016. If you would like to spend 10 incredible days in

Washington DC and on the east coast, please let the Extension office know so that we can

help you raise money and plan for this exciting adventure!!! The trip is usually the first part

of June

County Fair Entry Forms

Part of competing in the Scotts Bluff County Fair is to complete your

Pre Fair Entry Forms by July 15. These forms can be found online

here: http://scottsbluff-morrill.unl.edu/scottsbluffcounty4h, they will be

available by June 15th, or you can come to the Extension Office to

complete them. These forms are very important to help our office

organize our large county fair! Fair entry forms MUST be submitted

to the Extension Office NO LATER than July 15. Dog and Cat

vaccination forms, Horse Advancement Level Testing and Shooting

Sports certifications are also due by this July 15 deadline. Thank you

for respecting the deadline

Online Entries You will now have the opportunity to enter your fair entry forms online using ShoWorks for your

convenience. However, you can still fill out paper forms and drop them by the Extension office if that works

better for you. Keep an eye out for an email describing the process if you choose to fill them out online.

County Fair Book

Check out the 2015 County Fair Book (and all other information about the fair!) online at http://scottsbluff-

morrill.unl.edu/fair. The printed fair books will be available early July. If you want a hard copy prior to then,

contact the UNL Extension Office for a printed computer copy.

4

Scotts Bluff County 4-H Newsletter - June 2015.

County Fair Schedule of Events

The 4-H & FFA Youth Activities and Schedule of Events is included in the newsletter. The schedule

includes dates and times for static exhibit and animal check ins, weigh-ins, judging, and shows. You can

also get the schedule from our website at http://scottsbluff-morrill.unl.edu/

documents/135036/21854263/2015+schedule.pdf/96e3c26e-a3cd-4ff7-a3de-25adc1c4c1c0 .

Clover Kid Animals at Fair Clover Kids (4-H members 5-7 years old) are able to experience showmanship with many different animals

at the County Fair. These include: Poultry, Rabbits, Cats, Dogs, Misc. Small Animals, Pigs, Sheep, Goats,

and Bucket Calves. These animals need to weigh less than 350 pounds and will not go through the sale.

Clover Kids can show another 4-Her's animal or they may bring their own to the fairgrounds just for the

show. We ask that you let us know by July 15 if your family is bringing additional animals in for the show so

that we have enough space that day. All Clover Kid Showmanship will be the first class of the respective

show, before FFA and/or regular 4-H classes.

Fair Book Changes

Livestock General Rules:

No shavings for bedding will be provided for the County Fair. Please make arrangements to bring your own.

Grooming rule states: 4-H members are encouraged to wash, groom and fit their project animals by themselves,

but other current Scotts Bluff Co. 4-H members, and leaders are permitted to help when needed along with the

exhibitor actively participating.

Large Animal Round Robin participants will include Grand FFA and Gran 4-H Showmanship winners for a total

of 8 exhibitors.

Dairy/Fiber Goat Dairy Goat show has moved Monday, Show will start at 3pm or following the Swine show, Fiber Animal Show will be on Tuesday, starting at 3pm or following the Swine Show. Beef: Beef Showmanship will not include fitting. A team fitting exhibition contest will be added to Friday. Meat Goat: Goats must have horns blunted. Dehorning is acceptable and preferred. Bracing is allowed. Sheep: Weight brackets will not be determined before fair. Light, Medium, and Heavy weight divisions will be determined after fair weigh-in. Horse: Coggins test is NOT required for this year. Poultry/Rabbit: Check-in will go from 5pm to 7pm on Tuesday No poultry will be exhibited at the fair

5

Scotts Bluff County 4-H Newsletter - June 2015.

Avian Influenza Update

Source: Dr. Sheila E. Purdum, Extension Poultry Specialist

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus has now been positively confirmed in 3 Dixon County flocks as

of May 27, 2015. The depopulation and cleaning of these premises is being handled by qualified

authorities. Unfortunately, our State Veterinarian has had to limit auctions and movement of live poultry

east of Hwy 281 as a result of this outbreak. Chick sales at farm stores has not been limited and all

breeder flocks providing chicks to these stores and 4-H projects are still clean of AI. No restrictions on

County Fair exhibits have been declared as of this time either. We sincerely hope that the AI will be

contained to Dixon County and does not spread to other counties.

For your review, I would like to recommend the following video produced by a turkey breeder veterinarian,

which is an excellent overview of Avian Influenza in birds: www.resources.hybridturkeys.com/health/turkey-

health.

The take home message from the video includes the following facts (taken from http://

www.wattagnet.com/174791.html?eid=89986621&bid=1079591#.VWSGRa8NaHY.email .

1. While all waterfowl can transmit the avian influenza virus, mallards and dabbling ducks are at

the top of the list for shedding and harboring the virus.

2. Small birds like sparrows can be pick up the virus from open bodies of water and carry it on the

farm.

3. High levels of avian influenza virus are shed in feces, which can contaminate water or ground

where it lands.

4. It only takes the amount of virus that would fit on the head of a pin to cause an outbreak in a

poultry house.

5. People and equipment are primary means for introducing the virus in poultry houses.

6. Avian influenza virus can be spread on dust and feathers contaminated with the virus, thus wind

can spread the virus, but only as far as the dust and feathers are carried. The “wind” can be

supplied by a truck that is moving infected birds or manure.

7. Avian influenza virus survives well at low temperatures. It can survive up to a month in feces

below 40 F and it survives very well in water, three to five months at 66 F.

We are no doubt clear of the possibility of this virus continuing to spread in Nebraska. Stringent biosecurity

is our best weapon against spread.

2015 County Fair Fashion Review/Talent Show

Do you have a musical talent you are willing to share? If so, we would invite you to sign up for our Talent

Show that will be in conjunction with the Fashion Review on July 25th. Please contact the Extension Office

@ 632-1480 for more information.

6

Quality Assurance Training is required for all 4-H members showing RABBITS, POULTRY, BEEF,

GOATS, SWINE OR SHEEP at County or State Fair. Members have three options for receiving training.

ONLINE: Complete three modules in the Livestock Quality Assurance Online Course. Course instructions

can be found at this website: http://4h.unl.edu/qualityassurance. To enroll in the self-directed online

course, Internet access and an email address are required. (Each 4-H youth will need their own unique

email address to register.) If you do not have access to the internet, you may complete the course at the

UNL Extension Office. Please call ahead to make sure the computers are available. The course can also

be completed on many mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets.

CLUB TRAINING: Attend a club training. If your club is not conducting any

trainings or you are an independent, you may attend another club’s training.

TEST: If you are an intermediate or senior (12 or older), you may be able to test

out. If you pass the test, you do not have to attend training. This is not difficult! Contact the UNL Extension

office to take the test.

Members must be Quality Assurance certified by June 15 to be eligible to compete at the County

Fair. No trainings will be held after June 15.

Scotts Bluff County 4-H Newsletter - June 2015.

2015 Photography Career Exhibit Print Themes

UNIT II: NEBRASKA PHOTOGRAPHY CAREER EXHIBIT PRINT: Explore a career as an editorial

photographer. Editorial photographers take pictures that highlight the topics being written about in books,

magazines, and newspapers. Editorial photos should be creative, powerful images that tell an intriguing

story. Let's tell a story about why we love our Nebraska communities. Capture editorial photos that tell a

story about your Nebraska Community. SF86.98(2)

UNIT III: NEBRASKA PHOTOGRAPHY CAREER EXHIBIT PRINT: Explore a career as a commercial

photographer. Commercial photographers take pictures that are used for promotional purposes.

Commercial photographs are often used in print and online communication materials (advertisements,

brochures, flyers, web sites, social media banners, direct email messages, etc.). Capture commercial

photos that tell the story of 4-H in your Nebraska community; photos should show the Nebraska 4-H

Program in action. Photos may be used to promote the UNL Extension 4-H Youth Development Program.

SF86.98(3)(6

7

Scotts Bluff County 4-H Newsletter - June 2015.

2015 4-H Online Horticulture Judging Contest

The 2015 Nebraska 4-H Online Horticulture Judging contest is just around the corner. This year the contest

will be available from June 12th at 8:00 a.m. until June 22rd at 8:00 a.m. It is composed of three parts;

general knowledge questions, plant part and seed identification, as well as a judging portion. It is open to all

4-H youth, as well as adults, and even Extension individuals. The password is ‘Nebraska’ and the two links

listed below will take you directly to the contest.

http://go.unl.edu/mfh2 http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=2010-nebraska-horticulture-judging-contest Please youth, fill in all of your information completely. The online contest should only be taken once by each participant, if it is taken multiple times the first score entered will be the one used. No study materials are to be used while taking the test. The contest will allow an opportunity for the participant to review the answers prior to submitting. Once submitted, the participants will see their score, but they will not be able to see which questions they missed. After the contest has ended, the participants can request to see their scores and their answers. Study Materials for the Online Horticulture Judging Contest and the State 4-H Horticulture Judging Contest held during State Fair are the same and they can be found at: http://njha.org/contests-projects-activities/horticulture-identification-judging-contest/ https://unl.app.box.com/s/zendgiw69xzihhz0ln6bcuysdnhzyj9j

New Entomology Curriculum

New 4-H Entomology curriculum available at: http://4h.unl.edu/entomology.

Entomology (4H4120)—replaces Entomology (4H26) Age Range: 10-18 Entomology serves a dual role as a practical guide and instructional curriculum. The manual is full of interesting content and facts about insects, instructions on how to capture, kill, preserve, and store the insects youth collect, and the many career options in the field of Entomology. Hands-on learning and skill application activities are included to make learning the content engaging and fun! By using this manual to its full potential, young entomologists will have the most important knowledge and skills to be an expert in the field.

Nebraska State Fair 2015

State Fair Livestock Information

State Fair Livestock information is available at

http://statefair.org/fair/competitions/livestock.asp. Please refer to

this site for the general information, general rules, 4-H and FFA

rules, youth dairy rules, and health requirements. The 4-H

fairbook can be found at http://4h.unl.edu/nebraskastatefair.

8

State Fair 4-H Culinary Challenge Contest

Demonstrate healthy decision making through nutrition, menu planning, food preparation, and food safety.

Who can enter: What Can You Do?

4-H Youth 10-18 years Choose a theme and a design a table setting

Enrolled in Foods & Nutrition Project Create a menu

Teams of 2 Prepare and incorporate the challenge ingredient into

one food item and bring that food item to the contest

The Challenge Ingredient for 2015 is Apples

Participate in a live interview with judge

Incorporate technology into your table presentation interview

What About the Interview?

Talk about your table design (theme, nutrition, menu cost, food safety concerns)

Be knowledgeable about your challenge ingredient

Team interviews should be equal participation

INTERMEDIATE - Ages 10-13 years, 8-10 minute interview

SENIOR - Ages 10 and up, 12-15 minute interview

Technology may include using an iPad or laptop, Power Point, picture story, or video. Be Creative!

Scotts Bluff County 4-H Newsletter - June 2015.

9

4-H Council Members for 2015 President Patty Pittman Vice-President Dean Pike Secretary Jillane Pike Treasurer Becky Spencer Youth Rep Alexis Souza Youth Rep John Thomas

JUNE

01 – Animal Id Sheets Due - Bucket Calf, Horse, Rabbit,

Breeding Sheep, Breeding Beef, Bull Calf

10 – District Horse Show, Bridgeport

8-9 – Tractor Safety Training

15 – Last Day for Quality Assurance Training online

18 – Weather/Meteorology & Robotics Workshop PREC

18 – Livestock and Sale Committee Meeting - 7pm -

PREC

30 – Fashion Fabric Workshop PREC

28-30 – PASE/Life Challenge, Lincoln

July

01 – Sew Savvy Workshop PREC

03 – Independence Day Observed, Office Closed

07 – Mad Scientist Workshop

13-16 – State Horse Show, Grand Island

15 – PreFair Entry Forms Due

23 – Fair Livestock Exhibitor Meeting/Cleanup,

Fairgrounds

25 – Clothing Day, PREC

25 – BB Gun and Air Rifle Competition

27 – 4-H Council, 7pm

AUGUST

1-9 – Scotts Bluff County Fair

10 –State Fair Entries Due-online

28 – 1st Day of State Fair, Grand Island

Scotts Bluff County 4-H Newsletter - June 2015.

SEPTEMBER 07 – Labor Day-Office Closed 07 – Last Day of State Fair, Grand Island 28 – 4-H Council, 7pm OCTOBER 1 – Record Books Due 1 – Council and Award Nominations Due 8 – Record Book Judging 10-11 – Shooting Sports Leader Training, Scottsbluff NOVEMBER 8 – 4-H Achievement Event 9-Dec 18 – Pick up Premium Money 23 – 4-H Council, 7pm 2 – Thanksgiving Day-Office Closed 27 – Office Closed DECEMBER 18 – Last Day to pick up Premium Money 25-Jan 1 – Holiday Closedown–Office closed PREC = UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center home of the Extension Office in Scottsbluff

2015 4-H Calendar

10

Scotts Bluff County Panhandle Research and Extension Center 4502 Avenue I Scottsbluff, NE 69361 Phone: 308-632-1480

Fax: 308-632-1481 Office Hours: M-F, 8am-5pm http://scottsbluff-morrill.unl.edu

UNL Extension in Scotts Bluff County

4-H Extension Assistant: Jana Schwartz, jschwartz2@unl.edu Extension Educators: Tom Holman-Unit Leader

Kelley Rice, Jackie Guzman, Jim Schild Office Manager: Stacy Brown Secretary/Receptionist: Jeanne Yeoman

Scotts Bluff County 4-H

Panhandle Research & Extension Center

4502 Avenue I

Scottsbluff, NE 69361

Return Service Requested