Box Butte County Extension Board
Meeting Minutes
May 12, 2026
Roll Call: Steve Benzel, Marie Rine, Callan Ackerman, Denise Koozer
Tory McVicker-Absent
John Thomas, Ag Educator; Melissa Mracek, 4-H Educator- Absent
Brett Ditsch, County Commissioner
The meeting was called to order at 5:02 p.m. Steve moved to accept the agenda, and Denise seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously with all ayes from Steve, Denise, Marie, and Callan.
Denise moved to accept the consent agenda, and it was seconded by Steve. The motion passed unanimously with all ayes from Steve, Marie, Callan and Denise.
John shared a short Nebraska Extension Livestock Systems video.
John recently conducted field sampling and evaluation of winter wheat crops in Sheridan, Box Butte, and Morrill counties. Initial frost damage appeared manageable on many wheat heads; however, additional frosts have since occurred and may have caused further crop damage. Final assessments will need to wait until the crop progresses further, and producers may need to work with crop insurance as needed.
He published an article in Crop Watch discussing the use of inoculants on dry edible beans in nitrogen-deficient environments. The article will also appear in additional agricultural publications. John continues planning for multiple 2026 On-Farm Research projects currently in development.
On April 9, he attended the Yonts Water meeting in Scottsbluff. Interest was high, with approximately 270 people attending to learn more about current drought conditions and projected available water supplies.
John also gave a presentation for the Alliance Public Library garden group on soil fertility and soil preparation prior to planting a garden. The group is currently renovating a growing area for a new vegetable garden.
Melissa was finishing up programing at the after-school program and was unable to attend the meeting. In her report Melissa talked about the programs she was wrapping up for this school year including embryology for kindergarten, 3rd & 4th graders in 8 different classrooms. The first-grade class at Emerson are learning about Butterfly life cycle, beginning with caterpillars and watching them change into Butterflies.
Melissa and Tessa have been busy coordinating field day opportunities for area schools throughout the month. They hosted STEM field days for students from Hemingford, Hay Springs, Gordon, and Rushville. During these events, students participated in hands-on activities including performing laparoscopic surgery simulations, creating egg helmets, flying drones, and building cardboard creations that could move and light up.
In mid-April, they hosted Inventure Day for 7th and 8th grade students in Crawford. The following day, they organized an Ag Safety Day event for Crawford students in kindergarten through 5th grade, utilizing older 4-H members as presenters and mentors for the younger youth.
To round out the month, they hosted an Animals Inside and Out Field Day for students from Alliance, IELS, and Crawford schools.
Both Melissa and Tessa attended statewide training in Lincoln. During the training, Melissa helped train staff members on the STEM Foundation program and learned more about the video game creation app used in the Esports program.
The new Esports group for local middle school students started off well, with approximately eight students attending.
John shared several communications with the board, including information on the NACEB Summer Conference scheduled for June 20, as well as a job listing for the Horticulture, Landscape, and Environmental Systems Team opening at the Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff.
In old business, an update was given on our summer internship positions, applications will be accepted until May 15th for the second opening. Ayla Foster has been hired and will start work on May 27th. Interview will be held in the coming week for the second position.
In new business an update was given regarding the county budget planning process. Our office will review our current budget and turn in a new budget proposal in June for the 2026-2027 budget year.
An update was provided on the county cost-share for Tessa Reece’s 4-H Educator position. The state is expected to send invoices in May, with claims to be submitted in June.
The next meeting will be held on June 9, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
With no other new business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:34 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Marie Rine,
Acting Secretary