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Boone & Nance Co Happenings
BOONE & NANCE COUNTY HAPPENINGS
STATE FAIR CONTESTS
All 4-H members planning to participate in any 4-H contest must be entered in ShoWorks before 8:00 PM CST on August 10. This entry process must be completed by the 4-H member (or their family). Fees must be paid for using a debit/credit card. There are no other payment options. Contest participants will not be entered by the county Extension office.
Fashion Show is considered a CONTEST and will be held Saturday, August 29, 2025, Raising Nebraska, State Fairgrounds - Grand Island, Nebraska. Entry must be made in advance via ShoWorks at https://nebr.fairwire.com/. The ShoWorks site closes at 8:00 p.m. Central Time on August 10. If you are eligible for the Fashion Show, you should have received a detailed letter.
Other available contests at the Nebraska State Fair are the Dog Skillathon on September 6; and Identification contests on August 30: Horticulture Judging Contest, Insect Identification Contest, Tree Identification Contest, and Weed and Grass Identification Contest. Entry must be made for all contests at https://nebr.fairwire.com/ by 8:00 pm on August 10.
The website will close at that time, and there are no provisions for late entries. Please call the Extension Office if you need assistance.
Contest schedules are available at https://4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/state-fair/schedule/
State Fair & Aksarben Livestock Deadlines
AUGUST 10, 8:00 PM – STATE FAIR ENTRIES DUE IN SHOWORKS
https://nebr.fairwire.com/ (NOW OPEN!)
THE NEBRASKA STATE FAIR RUNS FROM AUGUST 28 TO SEPTEMBER 7, 2026
AKSARBEN NOMINATIONS
For 4-H/FFA families who are planning on nominating the same animals for the Nebraska State Fair and the Aksarben Stock Show, you must obtain additional DNA envelopes for Aksarben at https://www.aksarbenstockshow.com under Livestock Show.
*Their deadline for ordering DNA envelopes is June 26 at noon.
*Envelopes must be ordered prior to nominating animals.
*Nominations must be done by 11:59 pm on July 1.
*DNA envelopes must be postmarked by July 1. Mail to:
Aksarben Stock Show
PO Box 1387
Grand Island, NE 68802
*Online entry window: August 1 - September 4.
More information about the Aksarben Stock Show nomination process is available at https://www.aksarbenstockshow.com/p/livestock-show/entries Please follow their recommendations.
AKSARBEN STOCK SHOW RUNS SEPTEMBER 24-27, 2026. https://www.aksarbenstockshow.com
STATE FAIR ONLINE ENTRY INFORMATION
The 2026 Nebraska state Fair 4-H & FFA entry site is open and accepting entries! The site is located at https://nebr.fairwire.com/.
Step-by-step instructions can be found at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JKS0eC8hmDkWGp0vQpH8WuXoUpPBNj0-/ed…
Deadlines for online entry:
4-H & FFA Livestock Deadline: 8 pm on August 10
4-H In-Person Events (contests, fashion show, robotics showcase, Culinary Challenge): 8 pm on August 10
4-H Static Exhibits: Entered by County Staff, please bring items to the Extension office by 4:30 pm on August 19.
4-H Horticulture and Food Entries: Entered by County Staff, please inform Extension office what items you are bringing by 4:30 pm on August 19, and bring the actual items to the office by 10:00 am Tuesday, August 25. Items will be transported to the Nebraska State Fair on Tuesday, August 25.
NUMBER OF ANIMAL ENTRIES –
4-H has different entry limits for each species:
Dogs: A 4-H’er may exhibit up to 5 dog classes.
Beef: A 4-H member is limited to exhibiting up to 5 beef
Swine: A 4-H member is limited to exhibiting up to 6 hogs
Sheep: A 4-H member is limited to exhibiting up to 4 sheep
Meat Goat: A 4-H member is limited to exhibiting up to 4 goats
Rabbit: A 4-H member is limited to exhibiting up to 6 rabbits
Poultry: A 4-H member is limited to exhibiting 6 live bird entries (egg production trios are considered one entry).
Egg entries are not considered in the live bird limit. Egg entries are limited to one dozen per exhibitor.
ENTRY FEES - The entry fees provide for items such as wood bedding for beef, meat goats, sheep, and swine and for drug testing fees for market animals. All livestock and contest entry fees are non-refundable.
Species Entry Fee
Breeding Beef $50.00
Market Beef $50.00
Feeder Calf $50.00
Breeding Sheep $22.50
Market Lamb $22.50
Breeding Goat $22.50
Market Goat $22.50
Breeding Swine $22.50
Market Swine $22.50
Rabbit/Poultry $5.00 per entry
Dog $5.00 per entry
Judging & ID Contests $5.00 per entry
Culinary Contest $5.00 per entry
Robotics Showcase $5.00 per entry
Fashion Show $5.00 per entry
Optional Purchase Item Fee
11-Day Fair Admission Wristband $25.00
Daily Gate Pass (Maximum of 20) $5.00
Livestock Exhibitor Lot Parking Pass
(3A/3B Lot) $25.00
4-H and FFA Beef Blocking Chute Permit
(Can be used both weekends) $25.00
4-H and FFA Sheep/Goat Stand Permit
(Can be used both weekends) $10.00
Optional Purchase Item Fee
4-H Extra Beef Stall (First Weekend Only) $50.00
4-H Extra Swine Pen (First Weekend Only) $25.00
4-H Extra Sheep Pen (First Weekend Only) $25.00
4-H Extra Goat Pen (First Weekend Only) $25.00
FFA Extra Beef Stall (2nd Weekend Only) $50.00
FFA Extra Swine Pen (2nd Weekend Only) $25.00
FFA Extra Sheep Pen (2nd Weekend Only) $25.00
FFA Extra Goat Pen (Second Weekend Only) $25.00
Note: All Beef, Swine, Sheep, Goat, Rabbit and Poultry 4-H/FFA exhibitors will automatically receive an 11-day admission wristband at no cost. Exhibitors will not have to select a wristband as it will automatically be provided with the livestock, rabbit, and/or poultry entry. 4-H Dog Exhibitors and other non-livestock in-person entries (4-H Contests, Fashion Show, and the Robotics Showcase) will receive a free daily gate pass. All purchased items will be in the exhibitor packet when the exhibitor checks in at the Livestock Check-In Trailer.
2027 Boone County Calf Roundup
- Only participants enrolled in 4-H or FFA the current year are eligible. Must sign up by October 1st and put down a $500 deposit payable to Boone County 4-H Council.
- Contestants must be nine (9) years but must be under nineteen (19) years of age as of January 1, 2026, to apply for the 2027 project year.
- Applicants entering this contest do so at their own risk and acknowledge that they could be injured by their participation. The Boone County 4-H Council and Boone County Fairboard will not be responsible for any injuries connected with this contest. In addition, the Boone County 4-H Council and Boone County Fairboard will not be responsible for any harm caused by the calf during the ownership period of the participant.
- Steers are sourced from one herd and can vary in breed from year to year. They will be acquired by the Boone County 4-H Council directly from the producer or if there are no producers willing to sell calves for the program they can be bought at the sale barn out of a single group of calves.
- Participants will pay market value for the steers based on weight and current market economics. Participants must pick up the steer from a designated location to be announced later.
- Steers are randomly given a tag number, and participants will randomly draw a tag number and that will be their project for the year.
- It will be the exhibitor’s responsibility to feed, halter break, care for the steer. The 4-H Council can offer guidance or resources to help if needed.
- The exhibitors will keep a record book of what they learned through the project, participate in an interview with the 4-H Council, and exhibit their steer in the beef show at the County Fair
- The Boone County Calf Roundup steers are eligible to compete in showmanship. They will have their own division during the steer show that consists of the other Boone County Calf Roundup steers. The winner of the division will be eligible to come back for overall champion.
- The steers are also eligible for the Rate of Gain contest as long as they are weighed in at one of the scheduled dates.
- The exhibitors own the steer from this project, and it will be their responsibility to have a plan on what to do with the steer after the fair.
- The Boone County 4-H Council reserves the right to take the calf away from any member who does not abide by these rules, including record-keeping, or does not properly feed the calf or does not take full responsibility for the calf. If any calf is taken away, returned, or forfeited, no allowances will be made for any expenses incurred.
Please complete the Fillable Application by October 1st and put down a $500 deposit payable to Boone County 4-H Council.
Cornhusker Economics
Check out the market value of ag land in Nebraska, and the cash rental rates. Download the "Nebraska Farmland Values and Cash Rental Rates in 2026" (updated March 2026).
To view other articles, go to Cornhusker Economics.
2026 Nebraska Agricultural Custom Rates Report
Nebraska Custom Rates Surveys and Reports for farm and ranch operations provide custom operators with average market rate data for dozens of common custom services provided across the state.
Actual rates paid for custom services may vary from those listed in these survey results due to differences in the operators responding and those providing services across the state.
A downloadable report provides an introductory summary along with a Nebraska state summary of the most popular custom rates reported from the 2026 survey.
