State Fair Eligible. Youth experience a crop that is grown, was grown or has the potential to be grown in Nebraska by growing it, researching it, researching traits of that crop and determine viability of that crop in the part of the state they live. Youth must have notified and received seeds from Extension Office of current year to exhibit in the Special Agronomy Project. A different seed will be selected every year. Youth will grow seeds in their garden or pots. Written resource materials will be available for youth, in addition to virtual, live or recorded videos/field trips.
Premium: Purple $4.50; Blue $4.00; Red $3.50; White $3.00
G 750 11 EDUCATION EXHIBIT - Educational exhibit based on what was learned from the project. Present information on a poster 14”x22” either vertical or horizontal arrangement or in a clear plastic report cover. The 4-H member’s name, age, and county must be on the back of the poster or report cover. Each display must have a one-page essay (minimum) explaining why the exhibitor chose the area of display and what they learned from the project. Include any references used.
G 750 12 VIDEO PRESENTATION - Exhibitor designs a multimedia presentation related to the crop. This could include narration of the growing process, presenting facts about the crop or any other innovative multimedia practices. The presentation should be at least 2 minutes in length and no more than 5 minutes in length, appropriate graphics, sound and either a video clip, animation or voice over and/or original video clip. Presentations are to be uploaded to a video streaming application and 4-H member must provide a hard copy QR code for viewing. 4-H members are encouraged to test their codes or link on several devices to check for appropriate permissions for public viewing.
G 750 13 FRESHLY HARVESTED CROP - Plant exhibits must be the result of the current year’s project. Depending on the type of crop selected for the current year:
- Corn - 10 ears or 3 stalks (cut at ground level with no roots or soil and bound together)
- Grain Sorghum - 4 stalks (cut at ground level and bound together)
- Soybeans - 6 stalks (cut at ground level and bound together)
- Small grains (oats, barley, wheat, triticale) - sheaf of heads 2 inches in diameter at top tie with stems about 24" long.
- Other crops (alfalfa, millet, etc.) - sheaf of stems 3 inches in diameter at top tied with stems cut at ground level.
Supporting documentation (½ to 1-page in length) should include the following:
- Economic Analysis and/or research that supports feasibility of this crop in Nebraska or how the crop has evolved over time.
- Other topics to discuss are past/current commercial production of this crop. This includes: the selection of variety or hybrid, impacts of tillage and conservation practices, inputs (fuel, fertilizer, irrigation, labor, pesticides, etc.), any observations made during the growing season about this crop and what you learned from your crops project. This ½ to 1-page summary counts as 50% of the total when judged.
- In addition to the summary, grain and plant exhibits will be judged on condition, appearance (i.e. disease and insect damage, grain fill), uniformity (size, shape, color, maturity), and quality of exhibit.