End of the year reports are due: Point Sheets, Diamond Clover reports, nominating volunteers for special awards and

nominating youth and adults for the Cass County 4-H Council! All are due October 1st.

Individual Member Point sheets (chick here) and Club Point Sheets (Click here) due October 1st. One section 4-Hers overlook are the award opportunities listed on the back of the individual’s point sheet. What do you have to do to apply: Write a short story answering the questions, make a poster, prepare a picture story, or make a video, etc!

Leadership Award (what office did you hold or leadership activities did you do) Citizenship Award (what service projects did you do, where did you volunteer, etc.) Volunteer Award (tell about your volunteer activities in 4-H throughout the year) Memorable 4-H Experience (what’s something you’ll never forget!) Hardship Award (what was a 4-H handicap for you this year and why? What did you learn?) Workshop/Event Voucher (tell why you would like to attend a Cass County 4-H Workshops or event) Outstanding Senior 4-Her (story about your involvement, activities and leadership experiences) Outstanding Intermediate 4-Her ( story about your involvement, activities & leadership experiences) Outstanding Junior 4-H Member (Tell in a story about your 4-H experiences)

Diamond Clover records (Click here for information and forms) are due October 1, 2018. Volunteer Recognition Awards (Click here) are due October 1st. Nominations for new 4-H Council members are due October 1st. Please call the office if you are interested, or want to nominate someone for council.

Volume 18, Issue 9 September 2018

Nebraska Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebras-ka–Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United Sates 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.

© 2016

4-H Achievement Day

Mark your calendars and plan to attend Achievement Day on Sunday, November 4th.

Watch the 4-H Friday News Blast for upcoming information.

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In addition to the awards and recognitions for 4-H youth, we are honored to recognize the valuable 4-H leaders and volunteers we have right here in Cass County! Their contributions to youth development make our county a great place to live and grow. Adult volunteers may be nominated by other adults or youth, and may nominate themselves. There are two ways to nominate someone: a fillable form that can be turned in by email/mail/drop-off, and NEW this year is a Google Form option, so nominating someone can be done online from your mobile device! It only takes a few minutes of your time to recognize someone for how hard they have worked this year. Nomination deadline is Monday, October 1st! The county level award winners will be selected by our local 4-H Council from the pool of nominations we receive. Head over to our website at https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/cass/volunteer-recognition-nominations/ to view the award categories. Check out the green RESOURCES box for applications, Google Form link, and Past Winners.

******************** Olga J Livers Outstanding 4-H Leader Award

Olga Livers served as a secretary in the Cass County Extension Office for 25 years. During that time, she served with loyalty and dedication to 4-H Clubs of Cass County. In 1989, the Cass County 4-H Council established an award honoring Olga. This award is presented each year to an outstanding 4-H leader at the annual 4-H Achieve-ment Party.

Meritorious Service Award

This award will be given to a 4-H volunteer, staff member, business, or group who has made a special contribution to or impact on the 4-H program for 10 or more years. This award is given in recognition of a wide range of ser-vices and contributions to the 4-H program at the club, county, district, state or national level. The nominees for this award will have influenced the lives of 4-H members in Nebraska in a positive way and/or influenced the over-all 4-H program. Recipients may be nominated more than once but may receive this award only once.

Tribute to Leader Excellent Award

This award is for current club leaders (co-leaders, assistant leaders, project leaders) who have served the 4-H pro-gram a minimum of 5 years and who have made a special contribution to or impact on youth, the 4-H program, their club and community. The leader must have positively affected the lives of youth and created a standard of ex-cellence that helps motivate and encourage others. Recipients may receive this award once every five years.

Heart of 4-H Award

This award will recognize volunteers, 4-H supporters and/or companies or organizations who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and/or volunteer service to 4-H, have made a special contribution to the 4-H program, or provided a significant number of service hours to 4-H. Volunteers may receive this award once every 5 years. The Nebraska 4-H Foundation will provide one plaque to each county each year.

Outstanding 4-H Alumni Award

This award will recognize 4-H alumni who have given service or support to the 4-H program and/or have promoted 4-H positively in the community. Alumni from any county or state are eligible to receive this award. Recipients may receive this award once every 5 years. The Nebraska 4-H Foundation will provide one plaque to each county each year.

More information regarding Cass County Volunteer Awards ...

Page 3 More information regarding 4-H Council ….

The 4-H Council is a group of 9 adults and 9 youth (14 years 4-H age and older) which provide support to the Extension staff, assist in determining the direction of the 4-H program, provide support and assistance to 4-H volunteers, help before and during the fair, and support 4-H members in the program. Strong councils provide local input to the 4-H program. 4-H councils help with fundraising for scholarships, special programs, and awards. And have a strong local council is critical to a strong 4-H youth development program. It’s an honor to serve on the 4-H Council. If you are interested in running, simply contact the Extension Office (402) 267-2295 or email Sondra at sondra.buell@unl.edu.

Several positions are open for 2018:

Three adult positions are available

Nine youth positions are available.

Adults serve three year terms.

Youth (14 and older) serve one year. Voting will take place on-line before the Achievement Party. Watch the News Blast for when and how to vote. Deadline for nominations ... October 1st. Let us know if YOU want to run. Let us know who you think would make a terrific council member and nominate them. Just call the office and tell us the name(s).

Thank You!!! Cass County Fair 2018 We know that many 4-Hers have already written thank you notes. That’s great! There are other groups of people that deserve our thanks, and we don’t always think of them because they are either be-hind the scenes, or have done some very special volunteer work. This would be the perfect opportunity to thank theses special people: Cass County Ag Society, send notes to this address: 8420 144th Street, Weeping Water , NE 68463 The Ag Society puts in countless hours to prepare the fairgrounds for us, makes sure the fair runs smoothly and is organized, clean and beautiful. They help us get supplies on the 4-H side of things, and move fences, bleach-ers, and benches around. They watch out for our safety and coordinate special events that make the fair very fun. The Cass County Agricultural Society Officers: Mark Rathe, Weeping Water, Alan Horn, Weeping Wa-ter, Gary Sickmann, Louisville, Kevin Albert, Louisville, Sherry Kuntz, Weeping Water, and Steve Wehrbein, Plattsmouth. Directors: Josiah Graham, Alvo, Carol Bley, Murdock, Steve Hauschild, Weeping Water, Duane Uhe, Nehawka, Susan Platt, Murdock, Scott Platt, Elmwood, and Matt Miller. Cass County 4-H Council, send notes to this address: 8400 144th Street, Suite 100, Weeping Water , NE 68463 The 4-H Council assists the extension staff, 4-H’ers and families in numerous ways, provide monies for tro-phies and awards, runs the cake auction, and helps with promotion and marketing. 2018 Council members: Adults: Heather Ackman, Teresa Hawks, Dennis Heim, Brandi Lambert, Diane Mills, Cindy Penke, Stephanie Shafer, Jenny Schroll, and Doug Wehrbein. Youth: Austin Hawks, Lily Korytowski, Morgan Mills, Erin Muntz, Lexi Penke, Teara Rieflin, Alison Uhe, Shay Uhe, and Kate Zakaras. 2018 Fair Superintendents: send notes to this address: Attn: (name), PO Box 134, Weeping Water , NE 68463 Hours of work, attention to detail, and a vision to make the best better, we thank our superintendents: Joan Brown—Fashion Show; David Wehrbein—Tractor Driving; Joe Bockman, Dennis Heim & Lynn Roe-ber—Beef; Arland Schroder, Judy Wehrbein & Geoffrey Edwards—Sheep; Don Mills, Russell Roeber, & Doug Wehrbein—Swine; Dan Staben & Gary Sickmann—Dairy; Gary Stander & Geoffrey Edwards—Dairy Goats & Meat Goats; Kim Cawley—Other Goats, Tim & Tina Beck and Derek & Donna McMains—Horses; Jean Thomassen, Kim Scholting, Harold Thomassen, & Carol Thomassen—Poultry & Miscellaneous Small Animals; Chris Abbott & Carol Thomassen—Rabbits, Heather Larson—Dog, Dennis Heim & Krystl Knabe—Livestock Auction, Heather Bornemeier—Cake Auction, Les Hlavac and James Kavanaugh—Shooting Sports, Preforming Arts—Margaret Stamp, Table Setting Contest, Melissa Marquez, Brandi Lambert—Miscellaneous Static; Heather Ackman and Tammy Cavanaugh—Photography; Diane Bolin—Clothing; Krystl Knabe & Leisha Ahrens—Home Environment; Teresa Hawks—General Areas Engineering; Annette Dougherty & Dana Dougherty—Plant Science; Ruth Ann Hlavac & Chris Jenson—Foods; Peter Brown—Clover Kids; Reneé Thakur & Joan Brown—Community Service. Kan-Equip, send notes to Attn: Mark Rathe. 11716 Hwy 1, Weeping Water , NE 68463 Kan-Equip sponsored a 4-H BBQ on Wednesday night of the Fair. This was a great event for all the 4-H Fami-lies who attended. We appreciate their generosity and the wonderful food!

Look at this long list of Volunteers with a Heart for Service …. Page 4

Thank you Auction Supporters….

Addressed envelopes for the Cake Auction buyers and the Premi-um Livestock Auction buyers were included with the auction checks and mailed to each 4-H’er. If you haven’t written your thank you(s) yet, please do so soon.

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2018 Cake Auction Buyers: Kenny Ahrens Scott Lubben, DVM Don & Jan Ahrens Leisha Ahrens Janette Freel Mark Meyer & LeRoy Kreifels Pinnacle Bank John Knabe Green Thumb Kim Streich Christ and Sue Snyder Corn Growers State Bank Brandy Ahrens Nick Murdoch Erin Beth Designs Korytowski Family Krystl Knabe Neumeister Show Cattle Creating Family Choices, Inc. Shafer Angus Farm Drake Farms Nick DePuy Dennis & Taylor Heim Duane Lutz Avalon Hospice Sharon DePuy Ackman Farms DP Storage Lawrence Vogler Cass County Bank Rhonda Zierott Rob Clements Steve Hauschild Hallie Mills Fusselman Allen Harvey DL Bridal & Embroidery Bill Fleischman Keep It Simple Antiques Lutz Family Anne Riha Val Vanderheiden American Professional Plumbing Jenny Guzinski Monica Uhe Sandhills Aviation Cedar Springs Farms Bryan Freel James Zierott Judy Pasko

2018 Livestock Auction Buyers: Westover Rock and Sand Agri Builders Corn Growers State Bank Nutrien Zoz Farms Green Thumb Snodgrass Seed LLC Kenny Ahrens Hauschild Feed and Construction Lubben Veterinary Services Pinnacle Bank Nebraska City Animal Hospital Dan & Myrna Bornemeier HyVee Mick’s Diesel Repair Vogler Cattle Company Roloff Construction Company Ron Baxter Josh Bornemeier Bob Staben Syracuse Veterinary Service, PC Ryan Downs Schafer Angus Nehawka Bar and Grill Michele Berry Bornemeier Farms Meyer-Earp Auto Center JSM Construction Lawrence Vogler 4th Street Market Walter Oehlerking Dave & Ronda Lambert Vogt Family Cattle Company First National Bank North Platte Bob’s Construction Roeber Show Cattle Cupp/Whiteman Bill Fleischman Fastenal Midwest Title Inc. Sharon DePuy Stohlmann Show Cattle Burr Feed Roger Wehrbein Pankonin Inc. Abby & Kalby Wehrbein

Those who financially support the Cass County 4-H Premium Livestock Auction and the 4-H Cake Auc-tion at the Cass County Fair are a special group of people. The 4-H Council wants to give a hearty

THANK YOU to the following people and businesses for their GENEROUS support to our 4-Hers who work hard to prepare and display their projects. The buyers financial support helps defray costs associat-

ed with 4-H, and their moral support helps our youth grow to be outstanding individuals in our community and beyond! Thank you!

Page 6 4-H Council Fundraiser - Tractor Raffle ….

KUDOS to the nine clubs that sold tractor raffle tickets. Checks have been sent to each of the following clubs, receiving 25% of their sales.

Bridle and Saddle Hamma Lamma Slammers Triple B Fairland Giants Nehawka Swine Monster Hares Hare Raisers Stove Creek Cass County Creative Cats

Total sales of tickets and extra donations for the drawing of the John Deere A Tractor were $8116.00. Total amount going to clubs is $1610.00. Thank you to Dr. Schlichtemeier for the generous donation of the tractor and to all the clubs and people who supported the Cass County 4-H Program through this fundraiser! Good things will most certainly come from these monies!

Congratulations to LeRoy Kreifels, (pictured below) winner of the

John Deere A Tractor at the Cass County Fair.

Things you’ll want to know...

Congratulations! There's no place like the Nebraska State Fair and we are proud of our 4-H’ers who got to show-case their best exhibits! Thank you for represent-ing Cass County with pride! Exhibit Results for the State Fair can be found on the State Fair re-sults link. Click on this link: http://www.nebraska4hresults.com/

Thanks to the 4-Hers/families who have already picked up their State Fair exhibits. We have a few more here at the Extension Office to be picked up. We still have a few county fair pro-jects, too, that haven’t been picked up. Please come at your earliest convenience. Thank you.

Nebraska 4-H Camping Update

FYI ... Starting in summer 2019, the Eastern Nebraska 4-H Center will transition from an overnight residential facility to a Day Camp Facility offering week long day camp pro-gramming for youth and families. Nebraska 4-H will now offer overnight residential ex-periences exclusively at the Nebraska State 4-H Camp in Halsey. The Eastern Nebraska 4-H Center will continue to serve overnight groups in our shoulder seasons for outdoor education, retreats and rental groups. The complete strategic plan will be available in the Spring of 2019. The camping staff is thrilled to be working closely with their part-ners at Nebraska Game and Parks and the Nebraska 4-H Foundation to explore new opportunities to engage youth in innovative educational experiences.

Fairgrounds Clean-up

KUDOS to our 4-Hers and those who helped clean up after the fair. The Fair Board had prizes for those who helped:

Electric Scooter went to Jase Borne-meier

Skateboard went the Justus Barnes

Rip Stick went to McKenna Rodwell Congratulations and thanks for lending a hand! Many hands make light work (and it's fun when extra prizes are included!)

JOANN Fabrics Promotion

Current & lifetime 4-H members, parents of members, volunteers and 4-H staff can save 15% off total in-store and online purchases at JOANN Fabrics every day with 4‑H Re-wards. JOANN will give a minimum of 2.5% of every eligible transaction to 4‑H. Vis-it http://www.joann.com/4-h/ to get started.

The Equine Webinar Series is a great oppor-tunity for 4-H Leaders and/or parents and senior aged youth to gain knowledge in many different areas. Each month will cover a dif-ferent topic and have various experts in those areas. The webinars are hosted online using Zoom, a video conferencing service. Equine Webinars will be hosted on the 2nd Monday of every month at 6:00 PM CT. Visit https://4h.unl.edu/horse/webinar-series for the new schedule. This link will also take you to all the past webinar recordings which you can watch anytime. For questions, contact Lena Luck at lena.luck@unl.edu

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Project News…..

Nebraska 4-H Trail Ride The 2018 Trail Ride will be held October 6-7 at the Nebraska Forest near Halsey. Additional infor-mation can be found here: Registration Form Participant Letter Early bird registration ends September 28th.

Did you know you could join an on-line 4-H Cat Club?

Meetings are hosted via ZOOM at 6pm

September 13, 2018 @ 6:00 PM CT

October 11, 2018 @ 6:00 PM CT

November 8, 2018 @ 6:00 PM CT

December 13, 2018 @ 6:00 PM CT

January 10, 2019 @ 6:00 PM CT

February 14, 2019 @ 6:00 PM CT

March 14, 2019 @ 6:00 PM CT

April 11, 2019 @ 6:00 PM CT

May 9, 2019 @ 6:00 PM CT Information about the on-line cat club can be found

at: http://4h.unl.edu/companion-animal/cat-club You love cats and want to learn more about cats

through an awesome on-line 4-H Club …. Register today and get started!

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A free 4-H Rabbit Clinic will be held Saturday, Oct. 13, 9 a.m.–noon at the Lancaster Extension Education Center, 444 Cherrycreek Road, Lincoln. It’s open to all youth and families. This is a great opportunity to learn about the 4-H Rabbit Program which is open to all youth ages 8–18. For more information, call Kate at 402-441-7180.

4-H & YOUTH — Rabbit Clinic, Oct. 13

Make It With Wool Contest Enter the Make It With Wool Contest! The object of the contest is to promote the beauty and versatility of wool fabrics and yarns; to encourage personal creations in sewing, knitting, crochet-ing, spinning and weaving of wool fabrics and yarns; and to recognize creative skills. The 2018 State Make It With Wool Contest will be November 17 at the Dawson County Extension Office in Lexington, NE beginning at 9:00 a.m. Eve-ryone is invited to the public Fashion Show at 1:00 p.m. The divisions determined by age as of January 1, 2018 (national rule), are as follows: Preteen – age 12 and under Junior – age 13 to 16 Senior – age 17 to 24 Adult – age 25 and over Made For Others Entry forms, fees, wool samples and wool testing fees are due October 15, 2018 to Andrea Nisley. The fabrics/yarns used for the wool contest must be 100% wool or wool blend (minimum 60% wool or specialty wool fiber) for each fashion fabric or yarn used. Specialty wool fibers include alpaca, angora, camel, cashmere, llama, mohair, and vicuna. More information is available on the National Make It With Wool website: (http://www.nationalmakeitwithwool.com).

More information ….

The Fed Steer Challenge is a new oppor-tunity for youth and is designed to culti-vate the next generation of leaders in the Nebraska cattle industry.

The goal of the Fed Steer Challenge is to enhance the educational value of the traditional 4-H beef projects by providing an affordable option that re-wards production merit and carcass value of the market animal, along with accurate and complete record keep-ing, industry knowledge, and producer engagement by the 4-H member. For application form, schedule of events, information flyer, etc go to: https://4h.unl.edu/fed-steer-challenge

Share Your Story: Apply for

the 2019 4-H Youth in Action Awards!

National 4-H Council is looking for 4-H'ers with a great story to tell and a passion for Agriculture, Citizenship, Healthy Living or STEM to tell their stories through the 2019 4-H Youth in Action Awards. Through these awards, 4 youth will receive a $5,000 scholarship for higher education as well as all expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. for the National 4-H Council's Legacy Awards. The application is open August 1 - October 22. More information is available on the web-site, https://4-h.org/parents/4-h-youth-in-action-awards/ Click on the "How to Apply" tab to find the appli-cation guidelines as well as a link to helpful re-sources for 4-H educators to use. Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVmPqs7FvS0&feature=youtu.be

Experience the Power of Red

High school students and their parents are invited to explore opportunities available to help them prepare for a future in agriculture. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Agriculture & Natural Resources is hosting an event on Saturday, October 6 on East Campus begin-ning at 9:00 a.m. "Power of Red" will provide youth with an oppor-tunity to learn about 30+ majors with CASNR, interact with faculty and staff and experience East Campus. Registration is due September 28th. Register for the event here: http://go.unl.edu/casnrvisitday 9:00 a.m. - Registration/Browsing Session 10:00 a.m. - Welcome & Overview 10:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. - 3 interactive sessions 12:45 p.m. - Lunch/Wrap-Up/Scholarship Draw-ing 1:30 p.m. - East Campus Tour (Optional) 2:30 p.m. - City Campus Tour (Optional)

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2018 Nebraska Youth Smallbore Silhouette Invitational Registration

This year’s annual Nebraska Youth Smallbore Silhouette Invitational (previously known as the Nebraska High School Smallbore Silhouette Championships or the Pressey Shoot) will be held on Saturday, September 29th at the Pressey Wildlife Management Area. Located 17 miles south of Broken Bow and 30 miles north of Lexington. This is a “free” competition, open to all youth age 11 years old or older who have successfully completed Hunter Education and who have not yet graduated from high school. Proof of Hunter Education certification is required prior to being allowed to compete. Shooters should bring either their Hunter Education card or certifi-cate to show at registration. All first time shooters at the event will receive one free box of .22 ammo! The range will open for practice at 7:30 a.m., with registration continuing until 9:30 a.m. Matches will begin at 10:00 a.m. and conclude mid-afternoon. Competitors will be grouped in various classes according to age, rifle weight, sight type, and experience level, competing against others in their own class. Individuals and teams are encouraged to enter. Teams should consist of 4 shooters from the same school or 4-H club. Teams may also enter in the “open” category if they do not fit the requirement for school or 4-H teams, however, open teams will not qualify to win the Overall Team Award. Trophies or medals will be awarded to the winners of each class.

Pre-registration due online by noon on Thursday, September 27. Individual Registration: https://goo.gl/forms/cU2q7ht9egvbR0sm1 Team Registration: https://goo.gl/forms/sxoRoGEWEEGXgkvR2

Contact Matthew Haumont at (308) 872-2348 or nebraskasilhouette@gmail.com with questions

Shooting Sports …. Page 10

They come from Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming to compete in National Western Stock Show’s longest running program of practical beef cattle management. In just over 80 years, the Catch-A-Calf Contest

has awarded nearly 3,000 steers to 4-H members hailing from the western United States. The program began in 1935 when 10 boys caught 10 sponsored calves. The contest quickly caught on, and the program grew to include 52 calves by 1942. Soon after World War II, the program settled at 40 calves per

year, which is where the number continues to stand today. The program is designed so successful participants catch a calf, feed it, and return with the animal one year later as a market steer. The market animals are judged on rate of gain, quality of fitting, and carcass quality.

The exhibitor is judged on showmanship, their record book, and a personal interview.

National Western Stock Show Catch a Calf ...

Date: September 18, 2018 From: Rob Eirich, Nebraska Extension Re: Catch-A-Calf Publicity Release 2019 NATIONAL WESTERN 4-H CATCH-A-CALF APPLICANTS WANTED

A limited number of 4-H members have the opportunity to catch a calf each January during the National West-ern Stock Show held in Denver, Colorado. Successful catchers will receive their calf in May 2019 to begin feeding the calf to market finish. Youth must show and sell their calf at the 2020 National Western Stock Show. The calves used for this contest are bought with money donated by business sponsors. Top achievers of the Catch-A-Calf Contest are recognized for their record keeping abilities, relationships with sponsors primarily through correspondence, and showmanship skills. Rate-of Gain and carcass value are also important in evaluating top achievers along with the live animal evaluation. 4-H members from Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, and Kansas are eligible to submit applications. However, any 4-H member who has previously caught a calf in the 4-H Catch-A-Calf Contest is not eligible to apply. 4-H members may apply online at: http://www.nationalwestern.com/livestock-shows/catch-a-calf-contest or check with your Nebraska Extension Office. To apply, applicants must be between the ages of 12 and 18 as of December 31, 2018 and must be enrolled in 4-H at the time of application. Applicants must have parental as well as Extension Educator consent in order to submit an application. Selected 4-H member applicants will be sent details regarding participation before Jan-uary 2018. Applications and forms are due no later than December 1, 2018. Information about the Catch-A-Calf Contest can be found on the National Western Stock Show website at: http://results.nationalwestern.com/catch-a-calf/. Contact your local Nebraska Extension Office or Rob Eirich at 308-632-1230 for more information and an ap-plication regarding the 2019 National Western Stock Show Catch-A-Calf Contest.

Catch-A-Calf Program

One of National Western’s Most Loved Traditions

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To honor our hardworking Nebraska youth in agriculture, the Midwest Messenger is featuring a new 4-H Club/FFA Chapter of the Week spotlight. Each week, a new club or chapter is highlighted on a sponsored full page display in the paper, featuring a photograph of current members and a brief biography of the club/chapter’s history and accomplishments. Finally, to boost their organization’s endeavors, the Midwest Messenger is giv-ing each featured group a $50 gift card.

As this is a new program, we are hoping to lean on our state Extension agents and ag advocates to help spread the word about this recognition to 4-H leaders — and FFA educators, whenever applicable — within their counties, so that all Nebraska 4-H and FFA groups can start taking advantage of this honor. Please consider forwarding this information to your local ag youth leaders, and any other contacts who may be interested in nominating a 4-H Club or FFA Chapter for this accolade.

The nomination form can be found on our website at https://www.agupdate.com/midwestmessenger/forms/f4h_club_ffa_chapter_of_the_week/

The 4-H Club/FFA Chapter spotlight will appear each week in the print edition of the Messenger, as well as online at www.midwestmessenger.com and our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/midwestmessenger.

For any questions about this program or submitting a nomination, please contact Katy Moore at (402) 374-2225 ext. 122, katy.moore@lee.net.

Thank you for helping us celebrate the accomplishments of Nebraska’s ag youth — the next generation of America’s proud farmers, ranchers, and ag advocates.

Sincerely,

Katy Moore

Field Editor

Help your Club Receive Recognition ...

Thank you “Friends of 4-H”….

Cass County 4-H is strong, thriving, and making a difference in the lives of our 4-Hers and their families. Many thanks go to those who support 4-H and it’s programs. At fair time, some people sponsor individual trophies, medals, or other awards (as indicated were listed in each contest program). Other people support the whole 4-H program by giving a general gift and be-coming a “Friend of 4-H.” These general gifts offset both the cost of awards throughout the year as well as educational opportunities and scholarships for 4-H youth. There are five tiered levels in the “Friend of 4-H” sponsorship:

$25-$50 … Blue Ribbon Donor $51-$250 … Purple Ribbon Donor $251-$500 … Reserve Champion Donor $501-$1000 … Grand Champion Donor Over $1000 … Supreme Champion Donor

A sincere thank you goes to all our supporters, trophy sponsors and Friends of 4-H sponsors.

If you would like to become a sponsor of a specific trophy next year , or become a “Friend of 4-H” sponsor, please contact the Cass County Extension Office any time at 402-267-2205, or email cass-county@unl.edu.

Brett Kreifels: Cass County Extension Educator Tracy Ensor: Cass County Extension Assistant Sondra Buell: Cass County Office Manager

Nebraska Extension Cass County 8400 144th Street, Suite 100 Weeping Water, NE 68463

2018 “Friends of 4-H” include: Weeping Water Whiz Kidz

First State Bank Nebraska

American Exchange Bank

Stove Creek Farms

Bromm, Lindahl, Freeman - Caddy & Lausterer

State Farm Insurance - Linda Conrad

Behrns Family Seed

Cindy Penke and Family

The Korytowski Family

Roger and Carla Lambert

Rick & Teresa Hawks

Lubben Veterinary Services, LLC

Midwest Farmers Coop

Weeping Water Dental

Hamma Lamma Slammers

Kara Hadfield

April Cover, Attorney

Cornerstone Bank

Mick's Diesel Repair

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Agriculture & Other Announcements from Cass County….

Cass County DinoCapture Pro Digital Microscope

Did you know? … In the Cass County Extension Office we have a digital microscope camera. If you have leaf damage, weeds, bugs, etc., bring a specimen to the office. We will take a photo with our microscope camera, send it to the university for diagnostics, and will report back to you what it is, suggestions as to what to do, etc. Questions, call the office 402-267-2205.

Have questions about gardening? Here’s the link to an ex-cellent, easy, informative way to get answers. Type in a question and receive a expert answers and help from Extension/University staff and volunteers from across the United States.

https://ask.extension.org/ask

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2018 Medicare Part D The Nebraska Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) will be presenting Plan Comparison/Enrollment Events in southeast Nebraska. These SHIPP events will be hosted by SHIPP Counselor, Mary Ann Holland, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Educator Emeritus and trained SHIPP Professional. If you are on Medicare and would like assistance in selecting the best drug plan for your needs, call the Exten-sion Office at 402-267-2205.

Cass County Electronic Recycling Event The Electronic Recycling Event is open to Cass County Residents only; no commercial quantities. Keep Cass County Beautiful will pay half of the recycling fee of one item per household up to a total of $1,000 for the collection. The event will be held Saturday, October 6, 2018 from 9 a.m. to noon. It’s held in Plattsmouth, NE at the east end of Main Street over the railroad tracks. Click here for specific information

Helpful, Interesting, and Timely Horticulture Articles

The Extension Service provides literature, written by Educator Sarah Browning, on all kinds of topics related to horticulture. We have many of them posted on our website at: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/cass/nebraska-extension-horticulture-columns/

Nebraska Master Gardener Do you have a strong interest in gardening? Do you enjoy helping others? Become a Nebraska Extension Master Gardener volunteer? To be considered for participation in the 2019 training program, complete an online application by January 18, 2019. Classes begin in February. Trainings are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will be held at the Lancaster Extension Education Center, 444 Cherrycreek Road, Lincoln, NE There is a non-refundable registration fee of $190.00. For more information and an online application, go to http://lancaster.unl.edu/mastergardener

Cass County 4-H Calendar ….

Note: Nebraska Extension Cass County office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We are open over the lunch hour. If you miss the office hours and need to drop off some paperwork at the office, there is a drop box by the front door. Thanks!

AkSarBen Stock Show—Omaha, NE Sept 27-30

On-Line Cat Club 6:00 pm

4-H Council Meeting

at 6:45 p.m. at the

Extension Office

Outstanding Leader Award Nominations Due to the

Cass Co Ext Office October 1st

Nebraska State Fair

Pick up State Fair Exhibits at the Cass Co. Extension Office

Office Closed

For Labor Day

Nominations for 4-H Council Due October 1st

Member Point Sheets

And Club Point Sheets Due October 1st

Diamond Clover Records Due October 1st

Career Portfolio Records

Due October 1st

On-line Horse Zoom Meeting

6:00 pm

AkSarBen Horse Show, Grand Island

AkSarBen Horse Show Grand Island

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