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In this episode, Dr. Caro Cordova discusses the roots of her passion for soil, why soil health is critical for agriculture and steps producers in Nebraska and elsewhere can take to improve soil health.

Outside the York County Fairgrounds 4-H Building stands a historical marker titled “Nebraska 4-H Clubs Began in York County.” Tuesday evening, 15 4-H volunteer club and project leaders walked past this marker. They gathered, not for a 4-H Club meeting but rather for the Nebraska 4-H Volunteer Road Show.

The evening started with a session titled “The Magic of 4-H.” It introduced volunteers to the “4-H Thriving Model.” It laid the groundwork for the following sessions. Tanya Crawford, Nebraska Extension educator, explained how 4-H helps youth thrive by providing a place for them to belong, matter and explore their personal spark.

Igniting sparks through 4-H projects

To help youth discover their spark, volunteers were introduced to various entry-level projects and bite-sized activities that can lead to fair exhibits.

During the environmental education session, Molly Brandt, Nebraska Extension educator, led volunteers in making molds of animal tracks. Volunteers saw firsthand how this activity could be conducted in a club setting. Brandt also shared ideas for forestry projects, including club projects, community service activities and fair exhibits.

Many young people come to 4-H to explore a spark for animals. The poultry and rabbit projects were showcased as ideal entry-level animal projects. Brandt shared how she found her spark through the 4-H rabbit project. Her passion for rabbits came through as she covered basic care, breeds and fair classes.

“Chickens are great for kids,” Rachelle Staehr, York FFA adviser, said. She explained that bantams and docile breeds, like Cochin, are easy to handle. With a bantam Cochin hen in hand, Staehr gave a poultry showmanship demonstration. She shared tips for preparing, handling and presenting poultry during showmanship.

Many young people find their spark through creativity. Jill Goedeken, Nebraska Extension educator, led volunteers in an activity they can use to teach kids about color schemes. Goedeken described how this activity can be used in visual arts, home environment and consumer management projects.

Fostering belonging through club projects

Club projects bring youth together and foster a sense of belonging. Throughout the evening, Goedeken reminded volunteers of the opportunities for club or group projects. During the final session, volunteers learned how to guide clubs in selecting those projects. They practiced using basic parliamentary procedures in the “Let’s Make Trail Mix” activity.

Strengthening local support networks

The face-to-face and interactive nature of the event fostered an engaging environment. The room was often filled with laughter, conversational chatter, idea sharing, and informal discussions throughout the evening. During the parliamentary procedure activity, the room erupted in laughter when a motion was made to add an entire bag of M&M’s.

The event strengthened relationships between volunteers and Nebraska Extension staff. Some local staff even attended as participants. Volunteers represented nearly every experience level and background. One individual was in their second year of volunteering, and another had 60+ years of experience.

The Nebraska 4-H Volunteer Road Show is a training and development opportunity offered each fall at various locations across the state. To learn more, visit 4h.unl.edu/volunteer-road-show.

Rural Prosperity Nebraska successfully organized a groundbreaking Leadership Chautauqua in Kearney, bringing together approximately 120 community leaders from Nebraska and Iowa for a day of transformative discussions. The think-tank-style discussions aimed to reshape community leadership development (CLD) in Nebraska, focusing on innovative strategies and collaborative approaches.

We all know about the 4-H livestock, cooking and sewing projects. But with nearly 50 projects to choose from, there are likely some you aren’t familiar with. These five often-overlooked projects offer real-world skills and unique experiences.

1. Special plant science projects

The Special Garden Project and Special Agronomy Project offer unique introductions to plant science. Members are given seeds and guided through growing and harvesting. If all goes well, members can exhibit a cut flower or harvested vegetable. Otherwise, they can share their experience through a poster, story or video. Even with all these options, there were only 38 exhibits at the 2023 Nebraska State Fair.

2. Financial (consumer education) projects

Financial projects may sound boring, but they can pay dividends. Young people learn money management by creating income inventories, tracking expenses or completing money personality profiles. For all their value, only 38 financial exhibits were entered at this year’s State Fair.

3. Safety projects

With 53 exhibits at the State Fair, the safety project can be easily overlooked. The practical benefits are not. Fair exhibits include items every family should have, like first aid kits, disaster kits, and home fire safety plans.

4. Citizenship projects

Citizenship projects help youth become well-informed citizens and active community members. Fair exhibits allow members to document a community service activity, make a care package or donate a Quilt of Valor to a veteran. Despite their meaningful impact, there were 83 citizenship State Fair entries this year.

5. Veterinary science projects

Veterinary science projects are great for those who love animals, whether they own one or not! Despite this, there were less than 100 entries at this year’s State Fair. Members are challenged to research an animal care, health or safety issue. Fair exhibits allow youth to present their learning through a poster, notebook or display.

While they tend to see low participation numbers, these projects offer practical benefits and unique opportunities. They might just spark a lifelong passion!

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On an early autumn morning, dozens of Native American middle and high school students gather to harvest and prepare their garden for winter. But these children aren’t farmers. They live in Lincoln and come to East Campus each Saturday as part of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Indigenous Youth Food Sovereignty Program.

Leaving stubble at the end of the growing season is a great way to catch snow, which will provide insulation to and prevent evaporation from the soil, protecting forages in the process. Extension educators review the nutritional value of cornstalk grazing and importance of leaving stubble at harvest to help build snow cover.

Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA. As of Nov. 5, Nebraska winter wheat was in 50% good to excellent condition. Soybean harvest only progressed 3% from the prior week, standing at 95% complete.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Loft Gallery is featuring 4-H’ers artwork selected from over 600 entries at the Nebraska State Fair.

The 4-H visual art projects included in the show were completed this year but demonstrate mastery developed over many years in the project. The works were selected based on creativity, originality, and attention to detail. The show features a variety of mediums and techniques.

Young people with artwork in the exhibition include:

• Rylee Ward, 14
  Valentine, Cherry County 4-H
• Hayden Minchow, 14
  Seward, Seward County 4-H
• Taylor Honeyman, 14
  Omaha, Douglas County 4-H
• Sofia Schoeneck, 15
  Cedar Bluffs, Saunders County 4-H
• Isabelle Soden, 13
  Ceresco, Saunders County 4-H
• Emily Greenquist, 15
  Hastings, Adams County 4-H
• Faith Rasmussen, 18
  O’Neill, Holt County 4-H
• Piper Dather, 17
  Bloomfield, Knox County 4-H
• Mandy Sandoval, 17
  Wayneta, Chase County 4-H
• Mya Zohner, 17
  Battle Creek, Madison County 4-H
• Brooklyn Hightree, 14
  South Sioux City, Burt County 4-H
• Caydence Schumacher, 15
  Clearwater, Antelope County 4-H

The exhibit is in the Loft Gallery through December 2023. The Loft Gallery is located on the third floor of the East Campus Union. It is open to the public from 6:45 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to midnight Saturdays, and 9 a.m. to midnight Sundays.

The purpose of the 4-H visual arts project is to help youth develop life skills like critical and creative thinking, confident communication, decision-making, problem-solving and goal setting. 4-H is America’s largest youth development organization–empowering nearly six million young people nationwide and 140,000 across Nebraska with the skills to lead for a lifetime. Learn more at 4h.unl.edu.

USDA’s Agricultural Projections to 2033 report will be released in February 2024, and will feature full discussion of the commodity supply and use projections, and projections for farm income and global commodity trade. The tables to be released on Nov. 7 will include 10-year projections for major U.S. crops and livestock products.

Learn more about how to distinguish female Palmer Amaranth plants from their counterparts, and techniques for mitigating seed dispersal during corn harvest.

This farm succession webinar features discussion by Lisa Quist, the central regional vice president for Nationwide’s Land As Your Legacy® program, a division of the Nationwide Retirement Institute®. When it comes to transition planning, there is a close relationship between how well a family communicates and the probability of success. This webinar explores ways for families to communicate successfully.

All sessions of the 2024 Agricultural Outlook Forum will be livestreamed, and virtual attendance is free. See registration link below for more information. At the 2024 forum, more than 100 experts from government, industry and academia will share insights on commodity and food price outlooks, U.S. and global agricultural trade developments, agricultural innovations, climate change and the bioeconomy.

Richard Faflak, KZValve mechanical engineer, adjusts a valve at the annual Panhandle Agriculture Research and Technology Tour before a tour group goes by in June. (Photo by Chabella Guzman) The new value, created by KZValve of Greenwood, Nebraska, has self-power generating capabilities that could potentially be used in partial variable rate irrigation.

Nebraska Extension Educator Gary Stone counts bean loss after a combine has passed during harvest of an on-farm research study field in Alliance, Nebraska. An Alliance-based farmer recently finished his second season of research on the harvest management tool Pod Ceal, and Nebraska Extension educators are eager to share his results at the annual On-Farm Research Update meetings in early 2024.

In 2023, Nebraska 4-H lowered the age limit for participation in the Nebraska State Fair for all in-person events to nine years of age.  That change increased participation and provided more opportunities for youth to engage in learning experiences. 

Based on feedback and program objectives, the age of eligibility in 2024 will be eight years as of Jan. 1 of the current year for all in-person State Fair events as well as the Fonner Park State 4-H Horse Expo, Premier Animal Science Event and Premier Communications Event.  

Note: Some events will maintain different age eligibility requirements due to program-specific rules, such as shooting sports and FIRST robotics events. Always consult specific event information for age-eligibility requirements. 

All workshops during Ag SmartMoney Week are free to attend, but registration is encouraged. See details below. The series will include three in-person workshops across the state and seven online webinars covering topics related to risk management, estate and transition planning, land leasing and rental rates, human resources and technology.

Quality hay probes and good sampling techniques are important factors for accurate hay test results and will help producers save money on supplemental feed during the winter. Extension educators review considerations for managing livestock nutrition during the winter, from grazing pastures to feeding quality hay.

With the 2023 TAPS competition coming to an end, final results and winners will soon be announced. A brief summary of the irrigation decisions made in the TAPS sorghum, popcorn, SDI corn and sprinkler corn competitions this year.