Nebraska Extension in Dakota County | Nebraska Extension

Our website is under construction! If you are having trouble accessing for finding information, call 402-987-2140 and ask for Tammy!

A simple act of kindness can spark a ripple of good—and you can be the spark! Beginning on October 9 and leading up to the release of Wicked: For Good on November 21, we’re celebrating the power of young people and communities everywhere to make a difference by putting their heart and hands together to create a wave of kindness.

Just like Elphaba and Glinda in Wicked: For Good, your choices can change the world. This challenge is open to everyone—youth, families, schools, workplaces, and community groups—and it’s your chance to show how one good deed can inspire another.

How to Get Involved?
Join the “For Good Challenge” with Wicked: For Good and 4-H and be part of a movement to create a kinder world in your school, workplace, or community.

How to join the #4HForGood Challenge:
1) Do Something Good: Big or small, every act counts! Help out, give back, or simply show someone you care.
2) Share Your Heart Hands: Snap a pic of your heart hands and write a short post about your good deed.
3) Post It Online: Use the hashtag #4HForGood and tag 4-H
4) Challenge Your Crew: Tag 4 friends and invite them to keep the good growing!

Social Media Handles
• Facebook: @4-H and @nebraska4h
• Instagram: @national4H and @nebraska4h
• LinkedIn: National 4-H Council
• X (formerly Twitter): @4H

More details at: https://4-h.org/about/blog/4-h-and-universal-pictures-wicked-for-good-encourage-youth-to-lead-with-their-heart-and-hands-as-part-of-the-national-4hforgood-challenge

Connect with Us

LOCAL EXPERTS

We are here for you!

Winter Ready Landscapes

Take action now to prevent damage to vulnerable plants before temperatures dip below 36°F. This means watering and mulching soils around plants and trees thoroughly, especially for new plantings. Don’t fertilize or prune trees this late in the growing season and don’t walk or work on lawns showing frost. To save tender plants from a cold demise, bring them inside or cover with staked bedsheets overnight until the morning.

Learn more about frost and weather-ready landscapes at https://hles.unl.edu/

Do your herd and your bank account a favor by testing your hay! Contact your local Extension office to borrow a hay probe: https://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch/do-your-herd-and-your-bank-account-favor-test-your-hay.

Leftover pumpkins can be salvaged as a feed resource for cattle. A win-win for pumpkin growers and cattle producers! Read more at https://newsroom.unl.edu/announce/beef/4452/25555 or watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-zkRL-a4AA.

Researchers at the University of Nebraska are exploring strategies to reduce enteric methane production while maintaining cattle productivity and animal welfare. Learn more at https://beef.unl.edu/news/understanding-and-mitigating-methane-emissions-cattle/.

Food Safety

Thanksgiving Central

Preparing a Thanksgiving meal can be overwhelming. Check out all our resources to help get ready for Thanksgiving with food preparation and food safety tips. https://food.unl.edu/article/thanksgiving-central #UNLFoodSafety

Plan for the Thaw

The USDA recommends thawing your turkey in the refrigerator. This is the safest method because the turkey will thaw at a consistent, safe temperature. This method takes some time, so allow one day for each 4 - 5 pounds of weight. If your turkey weighs 16 pounds, it will take about four days to thaw. Once thawed, the turkey is safe for another two days. https://go.unl.edu/turkey-time https://go.unl.edu/turkeythawing #UNLFoodSafety

Turkey Temps

The USDA recommends that for safety and doneness, the internal temperature should be checked with a food thermometer. The temperature of the turkey and the center of the stuffing must reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. Check the temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. https://go.unl.edu/turkey-time #UNLFoodSafety