Nebraska Extension in the Central Sandhills

Check out the new October 4-H Newsletter here

Hello Central Sandhills Area 4-H Volunteers!

Nebraska 4-H is excited to bring the 4-H Volunteer Road Show to volunteers statewide this November! The 4-H Volunteer Road Show will rotate host locations each year, get registered today at the location near you OR attend the virtual session! NEW for 2025: All registered participants will go in a drawing for a Shop 4-H digital gift card! 

The Volunteer Road Show is a great opportunity to experience project training and new ideas to bring back to your 4-H community. All 4-H volunteers, parents/caregivers and any adult wanting to find THEIR spark while volunteering with 4-H is welcome!

Visit https://4h.unl.edu/volunteer-road-show for more specific information and registration link. Registration closes one week prior to each Road Show session. Registration is $15 per person and includes a meal and all supplies for in-person attendees. Registration for Virtual attendees is $10, they will receive a packet of supplies to use during the program.

Schedule for In-Person Locations

5:30 pm           Arrive, Eat, Welcome

6:00 pm           Avoid 4-H Volunteer Burnout: Avoid 4-H Volunteer Burnout by learning how to implement some practical steps for your own 4-H club structure. 

6:30 pm           Building Strong Relationships with Youth at Every Stage – Are you looking for ways to build a strong relationship with you through each stage of their 4-H experience? Learn ways to intentionally build relationships with youth of all ages.

7:00 pm           Curriculum Training 

Human Development – Searching for your next club project? Experience a hands-on Human Development project! This includes a lesson and fair exhibit idea(s) ready to take back to the 4-H experience you lead. 

Beyond Ready – Discover how volunteers can ensure youth are Beyond Ready for life and work by experiencing a lesson you can take back to the 4-H experience you lead! Ready to provide your 4-H members with some career exploration activities - this is perfect for you!

8:00 pm           Safe Travels Home

Thursday, November 20th
Hall County Extension Office, 3180 US-34, Grand Island, 68801

This comprehensive eight-hour course prepares participants for the FAA Aeronautical Knowledge Exam, a key requirement for earning a Remote Pilot Certificate to operate drones commercially.
Registration is $275, which includes lunch and study materials. Educational discounts are available—interested participants should contact instructor Dirk Charlson to apply. 

Contact Dirk Charlson at dirk.charlson@unl.edu or call/text 402-460-0742 

Pre-registration is required by Monday, November 17, at go.unl.edu/part107course.

This free workshop explores mapping and spatial analysis in an interactive setting. This Workshop takes place after the Remote Pilot Exam Thursday, November 20, from 6:30 pm - 9 pm.

Hall County Extension Office, 3180 US-34, Grand Island, 68801

Pre-registration is available at go.unl.edu/GISworkshop.
For more information,
contact Kurt Elder at
KElder@lincoln.ne.gov
or call 402-441-7874.

Nebraska Extension in the Central Sandhills Area Welcomes Back 4-H Alum Brittney Walker
“Making the Best Better” Comes Full Circle

The Central Sandhills Area Extension Office is thrilled to welcome back one of its own, Brittney Walker, as the new 4-H/Youth Assistant! A proud Hooker and Grant County 4-H alum, Brittney returns to her roots with a deep passion for youth development and rural communities, ready to inspire the next generation of 4-H leaders.

Raised on her family’s ranch just east of Whitman,  Brittney's 4-H journey began at age nine. She quickly found her stride as a member of the Grant County Sharpshooters, competing at both state and national levels in BB gun and air rifle. She also showed market steers and made several sewing and baking exhibits for the Hooker County Fair.  Among her favorite 4-H memories? Long summer days spent in the kitchen and sewing room with her grandma, learning the timeless skills that would help shape her future.

Brittney carried her passion for agriculture and leadership to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she earned a degree in Grazing Livestock Systems with a minor in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications in December 2022. She hit the ground running, serving as the 4-H Assistant in Seward County from January 2023 to August 2025.

Now, she’s coming home not just to familiar faces, but to a region she loves and knows by heart.

In her new role, Brittney will lead school enrichment programs and organize youth workshops across Blaine, Thomas, Hooker, and Grant counties. She’ll also work closely with local 4-H Councils and Clubs to support the hands-on learning experiences that define the 4-H tradition.

Her journey is a testament to the power of 4-H and now she’s ready to give back to the same community that helped shape her into the leader she is today.

Welcome home, Brittney!

For more information on 4-H in your area or how to get enrolled, Brittney can be reached at bemerson4@unl.edu or (308) 645-2267.

POLL SHOWS MOST RURAL NEBRASKANS HAVE ECONOMIC CONCERNS

 Lincoln, Nebraska, Nov. 1, 2024 — Most rural Nebraskans are at least somewhat concerned about their household’s cost of living, income and financial situation, according to the most recent report from the 2024 Nebraska Rural Poll, which focuses on the economy and trade policy.

Eight in 10 rural Nebraskans surveyed are either somewhat or very concerned about their household’s cost of living, nearly seven in 10 are concerned about their household income, and just over six in 10 are concerned about their household’s personal finances.  

 This is especially true for lower income households, the poll shows.

 Persons with the lowest household incomes are more likely to be concerned about their personal finances. Almost eight in 10 respondents with household incomes under $75,000 are at least somewhat concerned about their finances, compared to 44% of those with household incomes of $100,000 or more.  

 “In earlier released results from the 2024 Rural Poll, we found rural Nebraskans have been increasingly pessimistic about their current situation,” said Brad Lubben, Nebraska Extension policy specialist. “These economic concerns may be a primary factor behind the declining general sentiment of rural Nebraskans. Higher consumer prices due to higher inflation rates of the past few years have spiked the cost of living and left many rural Nebraskans with concerns for their economic well-being.” 

 The 2024 Rural Poll also asked a series of questions about trade policy and its importance to Nebraska.

 Fifty-five percent of rural Nebraskans surveyed think international trade is good for the state’s economy, while just 8% think it is bad. However, residents of the Panhandle are less likely than residents of other regions to agree. Just over a third of Panhandle residents surveyed (36%) say trade is good for Nebraska’s economy, compared to 66% of residents of the north-central region. While most respondents statewide think trade is good for the state’s economy, a smaller percentage (43%) think it is good for creating jobs in the state, compared to 16% who think it is bad. 

 Rural Nebraskans are less positive about international trade’s impacts on them personally, said Becky Vogt, the manager of the Rural Poll. At least four in 10 respondents think trade is good for their standard of living, while 35% think it is good for their job or business. Many rural Nebraskans think international trade is neutral for these items, according to the poll, but most respondents in agricultural occupations (67%) see international trade as good for their job or business. 

 When asked which factors should be used in determining U.S. trade policy, six in 10 respondents think protecting American jobs should be very important. Just over half think creating new export opportunities for the state’s agricultural producers and other businesses (55%) and lower prices for consumers (51%) should be very important considerations. Less important considerations include strengthening economic relationships with other countries (41%), strengthening and safeguarding political relationships with other countries (39%), creating choices for consumers (39%) and using trade policies to pressure countries that challenge U.S. economic and political priorities (27%). 

 “The Rural Poll findings help illustrate the complexities of trade and the economic impacts on Nebraskans,” Lubben said. “Trade provides consumers access to a global supply of goods and services that can increase choice and decrease costs. But trade can have differing implications for producers, where exports are good for the bottom line, but imports compete with domestic production.”  To learn more about rural Nebraskans’ perceptions of the economy and trade policy

Listen to previous and future webinar recordings at https://ruralpoll.unl.edu/webinars/.

The Center for Ag Profitability's webinar series focuses on topics related to farm and ranch management, profitability, economics and farm survival for producers and ag industry professionals in Nebraska and beyond. The live webcasts are typically presented at noon Central time on Thursdays. Registration is always free. View upcoming webinars and watch past recordings at CAP Webinars