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One community is innovative in addressing long-term issues and situations related to quality of life, economic impact, and demographic renewal.  Another community is not. What is the difference? What can communities do to be ready for change?  What role can Extension play in helping a community address complex situations such as identifying new leaders, being competitive in a digital economy, creating healthy communities, or attracting new populations and retaining exciting community members? One key to success is assessing community readiness for change.

Are you interested in how agriculture technologies can improve nitrogen management on your farm?

When done correctly, windrow grazing provides the best of both worlds, allowing harvest to occur at the optimal time for yield and quality, while eliminating the cost and labor of baling, storing and feeding hay. (Photo by Aaron Berger)

Dry edible bean harvest by undercutting the bean plant roots and placing cut plants in a windrow. (Photo by Gary Stone)

Adults interested in judging county and state 4-H projects, including live animal shows, static exhibits, and contests are invited to complete the statewide Judge Registration. While not required, the registration process gets your name added to the statewide list of judges which is available to 4-H staff across the state who are looking to hire new judges for fairs, contests, and shows. Adults interested in being added to the 2022 judge list must complete the online registration process by September 30, 2021. 

Judge Registration

Short pastures and hay prices have some farmers considering an early corn harvest to provide more grazing options.

Nebraska 4-H is proud to partner with the UNL Rodeo Team to offer a new opportunity for 4-H members enrolled in the horse project. The State 4-H Rodeo provides youth an opportunity to showcase their skills in working with their equine partners through speed and agility contests, including goat tying, barrel racing, pole bending, tie down roping, break-a-way roping, and dally team roping. This new event will be held on Saturday, October 9 at the Lancaster Event Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Entry for this event is open now through September 17th. No late entries will be accepted. 

Learn More

Nebraska 4-H is proud to host Launching Nebraska-nauts, an in-flight educational downlink connecting students across Nebraska to astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Through this once-in-a-lifetime experience, educators and students across Nebraska will have the opportunity to interact with astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An in-person experience will be hosted at Raising Nebraska in Grand Island on Wednesday, October 13, 2021, including learning opportunities, guest speakers, and exhibits for participants to interact with! 

Students of all ages and classes of all grade levels are invited to participate. A limited number of people will be able to attend the live, in-person event at Raising Nebraska, and registration is now open for those interested. Satellite sites will also be selected across the state, where students and educators may also join in person.

Nebraska 4-H is also looking for sponsors and exhibitors for the live event. Make a financial donation to support the Launching Nebraska-nauts program, or sign up for an interactive booth space during the live event at Raising Nebraska on Wednesday, October 13, 2021.

Learn More

Image Source: Kara Kohel

Grandparents Day 2021 is fast approaching. Have you bought your cards? Ordered flowers? If not, don’t rush out to do so. This year, consider returning to the origins of Grandparents Day and celebrating the day as the founders intended.

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. This national proclamation followed several local proclamations and a grassroots effort, led by Lucille Herndon McQuade, to recognize the important role of grandparents and older adults in society.

Although cards, flowers, or gifts have become one way of recognizing grandparents on this day, the originators of Grandparents Day had something else in mind. They envisioned a day dedicated to

• Honoring Grandparents
  • Giving Grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children
  • Helping children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer

Lucille’s vision for families and communities on Grandparents Day was about connection: being together, having a reunion, or sharing in a community gathering. As recognition of the day became national, public affirmation of the importance of grandparents and older adults in families and society became another priority.

Organizations like Generations United and The Legacy Project encourage people of all ages to do something together during Grandparents Day and the following week. Generations United, in particular, encourages young and old to participate in intergenerational civic engagement for the week following Grandparents Day. Above all, it is an occasion for mutual sharing among the generations.

Shared Reading is an especially great way for young children to connect with the older adults in their lives. Visit your local library and ask about books that feature grandparents or have an intergenerational theme. Some titles I recommend include:

• I love Saturdays y Domingos, by Alma Flor Ada
  • My Grandfather’s Coat, by Jim Aylesworth
  • A Little Something, by Susan V. Bosak
  • Mr. George Baker, by Amy Hest
  • Thank You, Omu, by Oge Mora

Older youth may enjoy “interviewing” grandparents and older adults about their life. A great addition to this activity is to have the grandparent interview the youth, too. Then, each person writes a story about the other. Storytelling is a great way to talk about similarities, differences, and shared hopes and dreams for the future. Creating a family tree together is another great activity that provides an opportunity to share stories of the past and hopes for the future.

These activities can be done in-person or virtually!

Finally, participating in community service or advocating for a shared cause that impacts all generations in your community or nation is a great way to observe Grandparents Day. It can be as simple as writing a letter to a local representative together or volunteering in your community. 

Image Source: Kara Kohel

We’d love to hear how you celebrate Grandparents Day! Share with us on Facebook (@UNLExtensionthelearningchild), Twitter (@UNLExtensionTLC)

Linked Resources

• Generations United, Grandparents Day: https://grandparentsday.org/
• The Legacy Project: https://legacyproject.org/index.html
• The Power of Storytelling: https://learningchildblog.com/2018/06/01/the-power-of-storytelling/

KARA KOHEL, EARLY CHILDHOOD EXTENSION EDUCATOR | NEBRASKA EXTENSION

Peer Reviewed by Jaci Foged, Linda Reddish, and Lynn DeVries Early Childhood Extension Educators, Nebraska Extension

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

Rural Prosperity Nebraska is offering 10 grants, up to $5,000 each, focused on community development. By coupling University of Nebraska–Lincoln faculty with Husker students, the RPN Competitive Grants Program continues a tradition of faculty- and student-led community engagement and service-learning programming.

“Community engagement and service-learning efforts foster opportunities to establish partnerships among faculty, students and community organizations,” said Dave Varner, interim dean of Nebraska Extension.