4-H Kids Ride Through Burt County Fair Parade
August 15, 2017 Leave a comment
The 4-H kids had fun riding through the Burt County Fair Parade. Both Photos Credit of Denise Gilliland/Editor and Chief, Kat Country Hub.
Bohannon and Poppe Crowned Fremont 4-H Fair Royalty
July 21, 2016 Leave a comment
Bohannon and Poppe crowned as Fremont 4-H Fair Royalty….
Jamie Poppe was recently crowned queen of the Fremont 4-H Fair. She has been a 4-H member with the T.E.A.M. 4-H club in Dodge County for 11 years. She is the daughter of Mark and Lisa Poppe of Scribner. Poppe has competed at the Fremont 4-H Fair, Dodge County Fair and the Nebraska State Fair exhibiting over 450 projects. She has served on the Dodge County 4-H Council as Secretary and represented Dodge County as a 4-H Ambassador for two years. Poppe has been a camp counselor for Clover Kid camp and helped with several workshops at the county level and at the club level. One of her greatest 4-H achievements was being selected for National 4-H Congress in Atlanta last fall. She completed her Diamond Clover service project by partnering with the Fremont Area Foundation and Project Everlast to make and donate 55 foster care bags in the Fremont area.
Poppe said: “One of the biggest rewards 4-H has given me is my willingness to serve. Being a good citizen and doing for others and volunteering in my community has made me a better person.” She will attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the fall as a freshman studying Elementary Education.
As a Burt County 4-Her for 11 years, Nick Bohannon has been involved in a variety of projects from woodworking and cooking to public speaking and shooting sports. He has never been the traditional 4-Her in the sense that most of his projects would be in the livestock or home economics areas. Shooting Sports is how he got his start in 4-H and has continued to build on that discipline since day one. As he has progressed, leadership has been a significant part of his 4-H career. This skill has taken many forms including being a club leader, 4-H Council member, Nebraska & National 4-H Shooting Sports Ambassador, and a National 4-H Congress Delegate. He credits 4-H for providing him many opportunities for success but his most prominent achievement occurred in March of 2016. After a year of planning and promoting with the help Nebraska Extension, he created a leadership seminar for Nebraska youth involved in the 4-H Shooting Sports program. The program held its first training in Lincoln in March and he is planning two more in the next year.
Bohannon said: “Much of the reason I was able to accomplish this program was due to my ability to communicate to large groups of people and present myself in a professional manner,” he said. “The skills I learned through Public Speaking & Presentations Contests as well as my Science & Technology exhibits allowed me to promote the idea in an interactive and professional manner and led to the approval of the program.”
“4-H has allowed me to grow as an individual as well as give back to the program that helped me become as successful as I am today,” he added. “My 4-H career has been one of my most outstanding accomplishments, and I hope to stay involved even after I complete my eligibility.” Nick is the son of Vance and Sandy Bohannon of Tekamah.
Nick Bohannon and Jamie Poppe, Fremont 4-H Fair King and Queen. Photo Credit/Mary Loftis.
Burt County 4-H Ag Olympics
August 20, 2015 Leave a comment
The Burt County 4-H Council sponsored the Ag Olympics again at the fair on Monday evening, August 10. Bailey Pelan and Tavis Uhing take their turn at the “Goat Milking Contest.” This consisted of a 5 gallon bucket filled with water with two rubber nipples out of the bottom of the bucket simulating the teats of a goat. The teams raced against each other to see how much “milk” they could get in their team bucket in the time allotted.
Photo Credit/Mary Loftis, Extension Assistant.
Burt County 4-H Members Show Outstanding Exhibits
August 10, 2015 Leave a comment
These Burt County 4-H members proudly display some of the outstanding exhibits they will be sending to the Nebraska State Fair later this month.
Front row: Cody Bachtell, Riley Davis and Ryan Braniff.
Front standing: Madison Enstrom, Miranda Bracht, Hayley Niewohner, Lacey Petersen, Alex Davis, Hannah Rief, Emma Wakehouse and Garret Lindberg.
2nd standing: Justice Rempe, Gavin Enstrom, Layne Miller, Arianne Brokaw, Caleb Schlichting, Elise Anderson, Katheryn Gregerson, Maggie Braniff, Greta Lindberg and Leia Farrens.
Back: Lucas Niewohner, Michael Bracht, Jacob Unwin, Brayden Anderson, Jadyn Fleischman, Amelia Schlichting, Ellie Glup, Anna Wakehouse and Brett Miller.
This group of 4-H members won many awards at the Burt County Fair, and some will move onto the state fair. Photo Credit/Mary Loftis.
Burt County 4-H Updates
June 1, 2015 Leave a comment
By Mary Loftis, Extension Assistant
4-H & FFA LIVESTOCK QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA) CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Both the Nebraska and the Burt County 4-H programs have mandated the Quality Assurance Certification for 4-H member and FFA students exhibiting beef, sheep, swine, dairy cattle, bucket calves, goats, rabbits, and/or poultry at the Burt County Fair, the Fremont 4-H Fair, the Nebraska State Fair and the Ak-Sar-Ben Livestock Exposition. Exhibitors are required to be Quality Assurance Certified through online certification or testing no later than June 15, 2015. FFA exhibitors over the age of 18 will need to be certified by a veterinarian as the on-line program is not equipped to handle post-4-H age exhibitors. Read your 4-H Newsletter for all the details on how to take care of this requirement, or call your local Nebraska Extension office if you have questions.
County Fair Pavers – An Opportunity to be a Permanent Part of the Fairgrounds!
If your 4-H Club, business or family would like to become a permanent part of the fairgrounds you will want to check out this opportunity. Two new improvements are being made on the fairgrounds. One is a full size windmill which will be just to the north of the 4-H Kitchen and the other is a permanent grill installed by the Bill Larson Building. To create a decorative and memorable area around them the Burt County Ag Society is selling granite pavers you can personalize with your club, family or business name. The sizes available are 8”x 8”, 8X 16” and 16” x 16” pavers available. The large size has the capability of having a logo or artwork on it. In order to make sure the pavers are completed and installed by the county fair the deadline to purchase your paver is Friday, June 5. Information sheets including pricing details and the engraving line set-up are available from any Fairboard member or at the Extension Office.
A Pottery Workshop, actually 2 Sessions of a workshop are being offered for the price of one! The first session will be: Tuesday, June 9– Participants will learn how to make two or more hand-built pottery pieces using coil, slab or pinch methods. You may choose from two time slots for the workshops. A morning session will be held from 9:00-10:30 a.m.; and the afternoon session is from 1:00-2:30 p.m. Workshops held at the studio of Marilyn Tenney at 415 Grant, in Lyons.
The Second Session will be on Tuesday, June 16 – Students will glaze pieces made, observe throwing on the pottery wheel and learn about the firing process. Fired projects will be returned to the Burt County Extension Office the following week. The cost for the Pottery Workshop is $30. (The Burt County 4-H Council will pay half for Burt County 4-H members) Registrations are due by June 2.
Painting Workshops – Let’s Paint Run Away’s
There are two opportunities for two different mediums! Both workshops will be held at the Vet’s Building in Oakland on Thursday, June 25.
The Acrylic Painting workshop will be held from 2:00-5:00 p.m.
On Thursday evening from 7:00-10:00 p.m. we are offering the Genesis Painting (Heat Set Artists Oil) workshop.
Don’t miss out on one of these great painting workshops! We’ve had this group help us step by step through the painting process for over 10 years. Connie has promised new ideas for her painting ideas, so be prepared to get excited! The acrylic painting workshop will cost $28/painter or $40 with a frame. The evening session will be $28 as the Genesis painting does not need a frame. The Burt County 4-H Council will pay half the registration fee for Burt County 4-H members. Non-4-H members and adults are welcome to attend. Registrations are due Thursday, June 18.
Fremont Fair King & Queen Applications
Any boy or girl interested in becoming a Fremont 4-H Fair King or Queen Candidate is required to submit credentials to the Fremont 4-H Fair Board. Counties may have more than one king and queen candidate. Former King and Queen Candidates can re-apply as long as they have not previously won the honor of being crowned King or Queen.
For more information on requirements and how to apply visit http://dodge.unl.edu/frfourhexhquide All submissions must be mailed to the Dodge County Extension Office in Fremont by June 9.
4-H End of Year Wrap Up and Reminders
May 29, 2015 Leave a comment
By Mary Loftis, Extension Assistant
End of School Year Programs
It’s been a flurry of activities the past few weeks as I both wrapped up and started new programs at the end of the school year. Here’s a quick rundown and a couple reminders:
Embryology:
The 4-H Embryology Project wrapped up with a decent hatch in all but one classroom. We are checking into mechanical failure as the issue so this problem doesn’t repeat itself next year! All in all, it was a very successful and educational project across the county with first and second grade students taking part in Herman, second graders in Tekamah, third graders in Lyons-Decatur and fourth graders in Oakland Craig.
Babysitting Clinic:
Thirty Burt County students in grades 3-6 took part in the Babysitting Clinic held in Tekamah this year with 26 of them taking part in all three sessions. The final session included a baby diapering demonstration by Danielle McManigal and her daughter Kendal. She was the perfect demonstration subject and all the attention didn’t rattle her a bit!
Home Alone in Rural America:
Staying home alone for any extended period of time is not recommended for students in the third grade, but making them aware of the dangers and challenges is part of the Home Alone Program. Sixty one third grade students in Tekamah and Oakland-Craig took part in this pre-summer vacation program.
Health Fair for Tekamah-Herman Students:
Healthy snacks was the focus of my portion of this event and coming up with a quick snack for 270 students is no small task! They sampled a whole wheat tortilla with cream cheese and shredded carrot along with a small bag of popcorn. The discussion centered on
Regional 4-H Speech & PSA Contest Results:
Seven Burt County 4-H members took their talents to the next level of competition by competing at the Regional 4-H Speech Contest in Norfolk, May 21.
Three of them came home as medal winners, meaning they were one of the top four placing individuals in their age division.
Ellie Glup of Tekamah and Amelia Schlichting of Lyons nearly swept the Senior Division competition as they both came home with purple ribbons and medals. With this finish they are eligible to go on to compete at the state level during the Nebraska State Fair. Ellie and Amelia also served as room helpers during the contest as it was Burt County’s turn to provide assistance for the contest. Also in the Senior Division, was Michael Bracht of West Point and he received a blue ribbon for his first speech contest.
The third medal and purple ribbon winner was Paul Roscoe of Lyons in the Junior Division. Also in the Junior Division was Arianne Brokaw of Lyons who received a blue ribbon.
The Intermediate Division saw Rayna Hladky of Tekamah and Faith Roscoe of Lyons both receiving purple ribbons in what the judges explained as an extremely talented group of speakers.
In the Public Service Announcement Contest, the tapes of the P.S.A.’s were pre-judged, but results were announced at the contest. In the Junior Division: Paul Roscoe and Caleb Schlichting both of Lyons received blue ribbons. Intermediate competition resulted in Faith Roscoe of Lyons receiving a purple (the fifth purple, which made it the only purple not receiving a medal) and Cody Bachtell of Tekamah was awarded a blue ribbon.
Michael Bracht of West Point also competed in the Senior Division P.S.A. Contest and received a blue ribbon.
We are very proud of ALL our 4-H members, but especially individuals (and their families) like these who made the effort to compete at a higher level.
Reminders:
June 1 is a Major Deadline Day:
#1. 4-H Enrollment: It is the deadline for all 4-H members to enroll on-line for 4-H in order to be able to show this year at the county fair. Go to www.burt.unl.edu and then to the Burt County 4-H tab. Under this tab you can open the On-Line Enrollment and start or complete your 4-H and project enrollment.
#2. 4-H Project Deadline: Yes, this is also the deadline to enroll in any 4-H project you think you might want to exhibit in at the fair this year. We do not need to know what exhibit you are taking yet, but you do need to be enrolled in the 4-H project as we will have no opportunity to “fix” things as we have in past years.
#3. Livestock ID Sheet Deadline: All livestock ID sheets are due in the Extension Office by 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 1. This includes rabbits, horses, cows, calves, goats, sheep and swine. If you want to consider taking them to the fair, we need the ID sheets in and these animals identified in the proper manner for their species by this date.
As always, if you have questions please call the Nebraska Extension Office in Burt County at 402-374-2929.
4-H Enrollment Deadline May 1
April 25, 2015 Leave a comment
Don’t wait any longer to join 4-H! The deadline is this Friday, May 1.
Please take a little time to go to www.burt.unl.edu under the Burt County 4-H tab and see how easy it is to enroll online! Remember, you can change and add to your project list until June 1.
Mary Loftis,
Extension Assistant
UNL Extension – Burt County
111 North 13th Street, Suite 6
Tekamah, NE 68061
Phone: (402) 374-2929
Fax: (402) 374-2930
Internet: mloftis2@unl.edu
Burt County 4-H Week
February 13, 2015 Leave a comment
Burt County 4-H Week is February 22-28. These three 4-H members taped their 4-H Public Service Announcement at KTIC/KWPN radio last week to promote Burt County 4-H.
They are: Andrew Schlichting, Lyons; Caleb Schlichting, Lyons and Cody Bachtell of Tekamah. Also taping, but not available for the picture is Faith Roscoe of Lyons.
Photo by Mary Loftis.
Volunteer at the State Fair
August 21, 2014 Leave a comment
J
Mary Loftis
oin the Fun at the State Fair as a Volunteer!
The Nebraska 4-H program is seeking volunteers to help with exhibit entry day, judging, and serving as 4-H exhibit building hosts and greeters. Volunteers will be needed for educational activities in the 4-H building, serving as the Lil’ Green Mascot and assisting with all 4-H contests and events throughout the fair. State Fair 4-H volunteers will receive a fair pass for the day(s) they volunteer. They are looking for volunteers, parents, teens, anyone familiar with the 4-H program who will donate a little time to support 4-H.
Volunteers can sign-up by visiting http://4h.unl.edu/becomevolunteer or by contacting the Burt County extension office. A complete list of volunteer opportunities is also available on the site. If you have questions about being a 4-H volunteer at the Nebraska State Fair, please contact Cathy Johnston, Extension Educator, at (402) 472-1762 orcjohnston1@unl.edu.
Centennial Open House at the State Fair
Join the fun in Grand Island on Saturday, August 30 in the brand new Raising Nebraska Building. UNL Extension will host its final celebration of the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Smith Lever Act which provided the establishment of the Extension program nationwide.
The big event will be from 1:00-5:00 p.m. with demonstrations and activities on two stages. There are also additional activities like a Scavenger Hunt and the opportunity to tape an extension testimonial (see bottom of column for extra details on these events.)
Extension Demonstrations and Activities on the Kitchen Stage
1:00 pm Cooking with Local Products
UNL Extension Food & Nutrition Team
1:30 pm 4-H Commodity Carnival: Risk Ranch
UNL Extension 4-H Youth Development Program
2:00 pm Cooking with Local Products
UNL Extension Food & Nutrition Team
3:00 pm Ice Cream Social
UNL Extension
4:00 pm Blender Bike Bonanza
UNL Extension 4-H Youth Development Program
Extension Demonstrations and Activities on the Presentation Stage
1:00 pm Do you want to be a Millionaire?
UNL Extension Community Vitality Initiative
2:00 pm Raising Nebraska Landscaping Preview
UNL Extension Water, Environment, and Community Team
2:30 pm Centennial Celebration Presentation
UNL Extension
3:00 pm Raising Nebraska Landscaping Walkthrough
UNL Extension Water, Environment, and Community Team
3:30 pm Nebraska’s Biggest Storytime
UNL Extension Learning Child Team & NET Kids powered by a Ready To Grant
4:00 pm Whisper Stethoscope
Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center
4:30 pm Automated Weather Data Network
High Plains Regional Climate Center
Scavenger Hunt
As part of our centennial celebration at the state fair, we are conducting a centennial emblem scavenger hunt. Several centennial emblems will be hidden across the state fair grounds. If you find one, just tweet a selfie with the emblem to #ext100 and be entered to win some UNL swag.
Testimonial Taping
During the Open House in the Conversation Pit, we will be collecting testimonials from Nebraskans on the impact that UNL Extension has had on their lives. We are asking volunteers to give us just 20-30 seconds of their time in front of the camera.
These testimonials will then be combined and made into a short video.
Mary Loftis,
Extension Assistant
UNL Extension – Burt County
111 North 13th Street, Suite 6
Tekamah, NE 68061
Phone: (402) 374-2929
Fax: (402) 374-2930
Internet: mloftis2@unl.edu
4-Hers Attend Painting Workshops
July 1, 2014 Leave a comment
It was a busy, but very fun week in the 4-H world and there is much more to come as the “season” really gets warmed up…no pun intended!
Last week we had the Patriotic t-shirt workshop presented by Jan Cline-Zimmerman at her Creative Connections Studio in Oakland. We had a short crowd for this workshop, but several others have made arrangements to attend one of her other t-shirt sessions on July 3 and 4. If you missed out and want to create a patriotic t-shirt please give Jan a call at her studio 402-685-5885 or on her cell: 402-443-7078. 4-H members may bring these shirts as a Decorate Your Duds exhibit and model them too if they wish…everyone else can just have fun making a wearing a shirt patriotic shirt!
Our annual Acrylic Painting Workshop was held in the 4-H Building in Oakland. We had a great time painting a beautiful robin in a woodland setting during the morning session in the 4-H Kitchen on Burt County Fairgrounds.
In the afternoon I accompanied our painting workshop presenter, Connie Buskohl-Barney to Oakland Heights. She demonstrated the “Art Without Boundries” Mneme Therapy to the Oakland Heights activity director, Nancy Silvey and I with the help of Oakland Heights resident, Marcella Hennig. Connie recently completed this training and is really excited about sharing it with others. From what I saw, I believe Marcella enjoyed the opportunity to paint a pretty picture, even though she said she was no artist!
This type of therapy uses everyday pleasures including singing, movement, painting and storytelling in a unique combination to stimulate dramatic changes in the brain. Beyond the rewarding experience it provides, documented testimonies show significant improvement in some client’s verbal skills, mobility, combativeness, spatial acuity understanding instructions and much more.
Connie is also trying to figure out a way 4-H members could do a painting in the morning for themselves and then help someone else in the afternoon as part of this Mneme therapy. This would provide an outstanding win/win situation for everyone.
While in Nebraska City recently I had dinner at the Lied Lodge. Since I just drove down after work, I still had on my UNL Extension shirt. We had barely sat down when a gentleman came over and asked if I worked with the 4-H program and extension. Of course I said yes, and he said he saw the 4-H Clover my shirt and just had to come over and tell me what an impact 4-H had on his life. He was from North Carolina and was part of a Lutheran Campus Ministry group having their national meeting at the Lied Lodge. He went on to tell me how he had won a trip to National 4-H Congress in Chicago and it had changed his life. His experiences with the 4-H program led him to this wonderful week of great speakers and activities. He made the comment to his Extension Agent that there could never be a better week than he had just experienced, to which the wise educator responded, “Yes, this has been a wonderful week, but now it’s up to you to create something even better…don’t let this be a stopping point…what are you going to do now? ” What a wonderful and insightful challenge to place in front of a young person.
This gentleman became a minister, while his sister worked for many years in Extension in North Carolina. He shared several stories about how 4-H and the Extension program evolved through all the changes in North Carolina. Even in the 1970’s there continued to be racial desegregation as well as sexual desegregation so boys and girls of all races could compete in the same project areas.
What a fascinating chance meeting that was! He even said when they flew to Omaha a group of North Carolina 4-H members were on the plane and were flying on to Lincoln to compete in the National Shooting Sports Competition. Burt County also has a 4-H member competing in this national contest which was held in Grand Island. I’ll follow up on Thomas Hennig’s experiences at this contest next week.
You just never know where life…and 4-H will take you!
Mary Loftis,
Extension Assistant
UNL Extension – Burt County
111 North 13th Street, Suite 6
Tekamah, NE 68061
Phone: (402) 374-2929
Fax: (402) 374-2930
Internet: mloftis2@unl.edu
Elise Anderson of Lyons carefully letters her patriotic t-shirt at the 4-H workshop held at Creative Connections in Oakland. Photo Courtesy of Mary Loftis.
Painter, Connie Buskohl-Barney shares step by step instructions on using a pattern to create the robin in the woods picture while the 4-H members look at examples of the finished product. Taking part in the acrylic painting workshop were: Jayden Fleischman, Mary Tomes, Connor Davis, Riley Davis, Miranda Bracht, Josie Richards, Alex Davis, and Anna Wakehouse.
Photo Courtesy of Mary Loftis.
Patriotic and proud are these three 4-H members as they show off the patriotic t-shirts they created at the 4-H workshop last week. Pictured are: Lacey Petersen, Ashley Bohannon and Emma Wakehouse. Photo Courtesy of Mary Loftis.
Connie Buskohl-Barney assists Marcella Hennig with her painting stroke as part of the Mneme Therapy demonstration at Oakland Heights last week.
Photo Courtesy of Mary Loftis.
Kat Country Hub 
Recent Comments