IN THIS ISSUE

COVID-19 Response Scholarship Info Summer Plans Activities Animal Science News Online Resources

Lori Swanson, Extension Assistant

lori.swanson@unl.edu

OFFICE HOURS 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday ADDRESS 1308 Second Street Holdrege, NE 68949 PHONE (308) 995-4222 WEBSITE phelps-gosper.unl.edu FACEBOOK Extension in Phelps and Gosper Counties TWITTER @gosperphelps

Nebraska Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Re-sources at the University of Nebraska-Department of Agriculture.

Nebraska Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska- Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.

Phelps County April 2020 4-H News

COVID-19 Response Nebraska 4-H takes the health and safety of our community very se-riously and we are carefully monitoring the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation.

While this was an extremely difficult decision, we are putting the health and well-being of our staff/families/youth at the forefront. From March 30 - May 9, Nebraska 4-H programming will resume in a virtual format. This includes all scheduled educational programs, competitive events, and 4-H club and council meetings hosted by Nebraska 4-H. Additionally, there will be no tagging or weigh-in; fam-ilies will be responsible for their own tagging and DNA collection.

We are continuing to plan for summer events and will make determi-nations one month in advance of the event and then continue to monitor the situation up to the event.

We thank you for your continued patience and support as we learn

more from our public health officials and educational partners, and

determine the best way to continue serving young people during this

time. For updates on Nebraska 4-H and the University of Nebraska–

Lincoln’s evolving position on COVID-19, please visit our website at

covid19.unl.edu. We also encourage you to refer to Centers for Dis-

ease Control and Prevention (CDC) website for the most current rec-

ommendations pertaining to health and personal risk factors.

Nebraska needs you. We need your smile, creativity, ideas, kindness, care

and spark. There is only one you, and we need you here.

Storms come and go – but Nebraska roots run deep. Lean on each other. If

you are hurting, it’s OK to ask for help. Those roots will hold you up. Together,

we can get through life’s tests.

Hope is one text away. Free, 24/7 support is available.

Text CONNECT to 741741.

Rural Response Hotline: 800-464-0258

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

Website: https://ruralwellness.unl.edu/ resource for youth and adults

Page 2:April 2020

YQCA

May-Dates to be determined

4-H LEGO Robotics

May 28 in Phelps County

May 29 in Gosper County

Clover Kid Course

June date to be determined

Explore 4-H with LEGO

June date to be determined

Explore 4-H Workshop

June date to be determined

Volunteer and Leader Training

Date to be determined

Be watching the Phelps-Gosper Facebook page and next month’s 4-H Newsletter for dates

and details of future summer programming!

Summer Animal Progress Shows

The Phelps 4-H Council is excited to announce the summer 4-H Progress Shows to be held on

Saturday, June 6, 2020 in Holdrege at the Phelps County Fairgrounds.

4-H Rabbit, Poultry and Small Animal Shows

Beef Progress Show

Returning for 2020 Sheep Progress Show

NEW in 2020 Goat Progress Show

All 4-H members with properly identified animals are eligible to participate.

Mark your calendars for this great event!

The June 6 Livestock Judging has been cancelled.

As the COVID-19 is an ever changing situation, many are asking if we will

have the county fair. As of today, planning for the county fair continues! The

Ag Society manages the fair celebration for the county. 4-H is a welcomed

guest. If any adjustments to the county fair dates need to be made, the Ag

Society will inform the community. We are thankful for their dedication in

creating a safe and inviting celebration for all.

Phelps County Fair-July 26-30

Page 3:April 2020

Citizenship Washington Focus 2021

The Citizenship Washington Focus Conference in 2021 will be here soon! If you will have completed your 9th

grade through 12th grade year in 2021 you are eligible to participate in this once in a lifetime experience. As

part of CWF, youth will travel to historic and civic sites in Chicago, Philadelphia, Gettysburg, New York City

and more, before arriving at the National 4-H Center in Washington, D.C. for a week-long, hands-on confer-

ence getting to see the Capital city of our country. The official enrollment for this conference will be this sum-

mer. However, we are gathering names of those who are interested right now!! There are several optional

fund raising activities to help you fund your conference. If you are interested in CWF, 2021, please contact

Extension Office, ASAP.

What is a 4-H Curriculum Project?

A 4-H curriculum project is an area of emphasis

in which a 4-H’er enrolls by June 10, studies, learns, keeps records and perhaps, brings an exhibit to the fair. 4-H members begin by explor-ing their interests. They may select one or more projects, and receive a project manual which guides them through the activities. 4-H projects are age appropriate. The 16 year old 4-H mem-ber will be expected to do a more advanced pro-ject within their area of interest, whereas the 10 year old might be working with an introductory project or activity. A 4-H’er can complete work in a curriculum project area without exhibiting at the county fair.

What is a 4-H Exhibit?

A 4-H exhibit is an item created by the 4-H

youth, resulting from curriculum/project work.

The 4-H’er may choose to bring the exhibit to

display during the county fair. If the 4-H’er is

bringing an exhibit to fair, let the office know by

entering it in the showorks program by July 10 .

The exhibit will be evaluated by a judge and put

on display during the fair. A 4-H exhibit should

be the best example the 4-H'er has to showcase

knowledge or skills gained by working through-

out the year in a given project area. The exhibit

is the expression and celebration of the learning

that occurred from the 4-H project.

4-H Exhibit examples:

Plate of muffins

Family Tree

Poster displaying food safety information

Watercolor painting

Mounted photograph

Market Animal

And more!

The Pick Your Project is an online database and selection guide for

finding 4-H projects and their resources. Users can search for projects

by keywords or browse by curriculum area, knowledge level, and geo-

graphic level. https://4h.unl.edu/news/pick-your-project

Page 4:April 2020

Scholarship Date Extended to April 15

The Phelps County 4-H Foundation

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

The Phelps-Gosper Feeder’s Association https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/phelps-gosper/phelpsgosper-scholarships/

4-H Photography

Changes

There are major changes coming

to the 4-H Photography classes

for County an d State Fair this year. New photog-

raphy manuals are available the Extension office.

The 2020 Phelps-Gosper County Fair Premium

Book will be available in late spring with all of the

new classes listed. Stay tuned!

Check this online class from Nikon, https://

www.nikonevents.com/us/live/nikon-school-

online/

4-H Volunteer Screening

All individuals volunteering with Nebraska 4-H

must complete the Youth Protection 4-H Vol-

unteer Screening process before volunteering

or working with 4-H in any capacity. This in-

cludes helping with a one-time event or pro-

gram, assisting with or leading a 4-H club,

teaching a workshop, helping at the county

fair, and more. Please note that certain volun-

teer roles within Nebraska 4-H require addi-

tional screening or training.

If you plan to volunteer, or would like to find

out more information about volunteering with

Phelps or County 4-H, please enroll at

ne.4honline.com

Office availability:

The local Extension offices are open, but it is suggested that

you call the office before coming in. The Gosper Courthouse

is closed to the public and open only by appointment. Our

offices will remain accessible by email and phones.

Gosper 308 785-2390 Phelps 308 995-4222.

Virtual and At Home Learning Looking for learning opportunities you can do from home? We've got you cov-ered! Nebraska 4-H is now offering a variety of virtual learning experiences, such as Living Room Learning and Boredom Buster Challenges. We've also collected some of our favorite ac-tivity guides that are perfect for hands-on learning at home. Check out the Phelps Gosper Facebook Event 4-H and Friends Explore, https://go.unl.edu/friends Statewide Events are availa-ble at https://4h.unl.edu/virtual-home-learning.

Page 5:April 2020

ONLINE TRAINING OFFER

In light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the

YQCA Board is announcing a 25% flash sale

on web based certification in April! Here is

how to take advantage of this opportunity.

1. Only offered during the month of April (April 1 –

April 30), YQCA will be offering a 25% discount on

web-based trainings, making them $9.

Those wishing to take part in the flash sale will

need to purchase $9 web-based training cou-

pons from YQCA. Coupon order forms may be

obtained by emailing sales@yqca.org. THIS IS

THE ONLY WAY TO RECEIVE THE DIS-

COUNTED PRICE.

Once the order form and proof of payment is

received, coupons will be issued and returned to

the purchaser within 3-5 business days.

Coupons MUST be used towards a web-

based training by April 30, 2020.

2. Youth who have already paid for a YQCA instructor

-led training (on a date that has not yet passed), may

log into their account and cancel their registration.

If payment was received via credit card, the

payment will be refunded.

If payment was received via coupon code,

that coupon code will be active again. This

coupon code does not expire and would be

able to be used in future years.

To cancel a registered training:

1. Go to https://yqca.learngrow.io and login to the

account.

2. Select the course - you will have an option to

"Cancel Registration.” This will cancel the train-

ing and refund the payment/re-activate the cou-

pon code.

We recognize those who have typically utilized the

instructor-led training option may be unfamiliar with

what users receive with their registration fee. We

have identified those items below and ask that they

be shared with instructors who are pointing their

youth towards the web-based training.

Each session purchased includes three modules –

a knowledge builder, a skills lab, and a quiz.

The knowledge builder is where content is de-

livered, the skills lab provides an opportunity to

apply the content, and the quiz tests

knowledge. To receive a certification, an 80%

must be achieved on the 10-question quiz.

These modules, completed in their entirety, will

provide 2-3 hours of an experience for users.

Features of the online modules include:

o Characters at each age level to guide youth

through the course

o Free navigation within the course so youth can

spend as much or as little time on a particular

topic based upon their personal needs

o Variety of learning opportunities to accommo-

date various learning styles and modalities

o Audio button on each slide so youth can listen

to audio rather than read the on-screen text

Phelps and Gosper In-Person Training

In–Person will be offered as soon as the

COVID-19 situation will allow.

The Cost of In-Person training is $3

Please be looking for details to come.

Page 6:April 2020

2020 Lottery Animals

Due to COVID-19 concerns the state recommends no lottery animal selections to be hosted. Phelps

and Gosper encourage youth to continue in traditional market animal projects.

*Due to complications surrounding the lottery animal selection, no lottery classes in Phelps County.

* Due to complications surrounding the lottery animal selection, only lottery hogs will be allowed in Gosper County.

We thank you for your continued patience and support as we listen to our public health officials and educational part-

ners, and determine the best way to continue serving young people during this time.

4-H Bucket Calf Project Open to 4-H’ers 8-11 years old on Dec 31, 2019. The Calf must be born between January 1 and June 1. All breeds are eligible. In 2020, youth will complete the required record book, participate in a short inter-view and show their animal at 3:00 PM on Monday July 27 before the Junior Beef Show.

Clover Kids (ages 5-7) are also eligible to show a bucket calf in a class just for them! Take advantage of

this great opportunity to have your young 4-Her learn valuable skills in responsibility and patience, and bet-

ter understand the Beef Industry!

ALL 4-H Bucket calves must be tagged with a special 4-H ear tag. The tag is

available to be picked up at the Extension Office.

Second Year Bucket Calf 4-H members who kept and cared for their first year bucket calf from 2019 can show as a second year bucket calf or in the appropriate market/breeding class. The youth and calf can move from Clover Kid to this class if the age of the 4-H is 8 years as of Dec 31, 2019. The calf cannot be entered in more than one class. A Second Year record book is also available in the County Office. **Please note there is no State Fair Bucket Calf or Second Year Bucket Calf Class.

4-H Livestock—a learning experience

A common question surrounding the 2020

County Fairs is “do I purchase an animal?”

Nebraska Extension reminds us,

The project is about creating a learning expe-

rience for your 4-Her

If money is tight, put it off as long as possible

Think about how much you want to spend

Consider where you might market the animal

The animals make life feel “normal” during

this uncertain time

Now is a time to consider the wider array of4-

H projects youth can learn.

Nebraska 4-H has a wonderful website

where youth may “pick a project”. A project

is simply a topic, or subject, that a 4-H mem-

ber wants to explore. The project can focus

on increasing knowledge and skills. Open

the following for a project list and the website.

—>OPEN HERE: *PROJECT LIST

*PICK-A-PROJECT WEBSITE

Page 7:April 2020

4-H Horse Program Updates

Phelps-Gosper Horse Show July 18 in Elwood

District Horse Shows –Cancelled

Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Expo

All youth will be allowed to enter the Fonner Park State 4-H

Horse Expo without qualifying

Entries Due to County Offices by June 15 (New Deadline)

Horse ID due to County Offices by June 15 (New Deadline)

Stampede

Moved to July 12th at Fonner Park in the Bosselman Conference Center

Entries due to the county office June 15

Advancement Levels completed for State entries by June 15

Written exams available online

Skills test-Currently on hold

Demonstration-Currently on hold

Written reports, feed charts and health care papers; email to county office when complete

Due to the concerns surrounding COVID-19,

4-H Riding groups are not to meet until further notice..

Gold Star Award

4-H Heeler Dog Club!!

Even though the club can’t practice

in person, the leader has posted

challenges on the club’s Facebook .

The 4-H families are posting photos

of the youth working with their dogs!

Keep up the good work!

Let the Extension Office know how you are 4-H-ing

during this time! We would love to share your ideas!

Page 8:April 2020

Project Area County Requirement Due to County YQCA Due Premise ID

Market Beef EID Tag , Affidavit Sheet, June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

Breeding Beef ID Affidavit Sheet June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

Market Swine EID Tag and ID Affidavit Sheet June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

Market Sheep Scrapie Tag and ID Affidavit Sheet June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

Breeding Sheep Scrapie Tag and ID Affidavit Sheet June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

Market Goat Scrapie Tag and ID Affidavit Sheet June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

Breeding Goat Scrapie Tag and ID Affidavit Sheet June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

Dairy Cattle ID Affidavit Sheet June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

Rabbits No County Fair requirement NA June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

Poultry No County Fair requirement NA June 10, 2020 June 10, 2020

Horse ID Affidavit Sheet drawing/photo June 15 2020 NA NA

Dog Completed Vaccination Sheet July 10, 2020 NA NA

Cat Completed Vaccination Sheet July 10, 2020 NA NA

Ferret Completed Vaccination Sheet July 10, 2020 NA NA

All youth must be enrolled in 4-H and declare their projects by June 10.

Tags and ID Sheets are available at the Extension Office,

Call the office to set up a time to pick up EID tags/forms.

Mail or email the form back to the office. Office will sign the form and return a copy of signed form to family.

Each Family will tag their own animal.

No Sheep or Goat weigh in.

All exhibits being shown at the county fair must be entered in Showworks by July 10, 2020. This link

will be open and shared out in the June Newsletter

State Fair Livestock Notes

State Fair Livestock Identification, Nomination & Entry can be found at https://4h.unl.edu/

livestock/state-id

Family Responsibilities

Exhibitors must enroll in the appropriate 4-H projects via 4-H Online by their county's enrollment deadline.

Exhibitors showing market animals at State Fair must have a signed and sealed official DNA envelope with hair samples for DNA verification turned into their county office and have completed the online nomination by June 15 . (It is recommended that you make a copy of the completed envelope you turn into your county.)

For animals carrying an 840 EID tag, exhibitors must also obtain a Premises ID.

Exhibitors showing breeding animals at State Fair must complete an online nomination by June 15.

Exhibitors must complete the Youth for the Quality Care of Animals (YQCA) certification by June 10..

Exhibitors must notify their county Extension office of any retags

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.

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 exhibitor's name should be identified on the registration paper.

Exhibitors showing breeding beef, breeding sheep, breeding goats at State Fair will need to complete an online

nomination along with submitting payment online (www.showstockmgr.com) by June 15

State Fair Rabbits and Poultry are not required to have early identification

Page 9:April 2020

Stay Connected with 4-H !

https://4h.unl.edu/companion-rabbit-science

Enjoy links to all of the virtual resources by going to

https://go.unl.edu/f9mx or follow the QR code.