402-444-7804
May 2021
NE Ext. in Douglas-Sarpy Co. News - May 2021
Community Environment
Need Gardening Help?

Extension Master Gardeners are here taking your calls Monday -Friday from 9 am - noon and 1- 4 pm.

402-444-7804
4-H & Youth Development 
4-H Sign Up
Families that sign up between now and our June 15 deadline will be able to get a yard sign while supplies last!
For information about the yard signs, please contact Tayler Wickham tayler.wickham@unl.edu.
Check out a step by step tutorial to enroll in 4-H here.
Food and Nutrition
FREE Food Preservation Virtual Learning Series
Join us for our FREE Food Preservation Virtual Learning Series! Each session will include a short presentation and time for discussion and question/answer on any food preservation related topic. All sessions will be taught online through Zoom.

May 11, 2021, 7:00 to 8:00 pm CST - Jams and Jellies
June 10, 2021, 7:00 to 8:00 pm CST - Canning 101
June 23, 2021, 7:00 to 8:00 pm CST - Pickles and Relishes
July 8, 2021, 7:00 to 8:00 pm CST - Tomatoes
July 13, 2021, 7:00 to 8:00 pm CST - Salsa

Registration is required. Learn more here.
Child and Youth
Children Thrive Outside 1000 hours Challenge
Nebraska Extension’s The Learning Child Team is excited to bring you the Children Thrive Outside Challenge. Childcare providers and teachers can sign their program or classroom up for the challenge here: https://go.unl.edu/ctochallenge.

To help show you have accepted the challenge and are committed to getting children outside, Nebraska Extension will send you a window cling and trackers to count and keep track of your outside hours. We also invite families to join the challenge!

The goal for the program is to work toward 1000 hours outside. That might seem like a BIG number, so we are creating mini challenges of 50–100 hours at a time. learn more here.

The challenge launches on May 15. Learn more about 1000 Hours Outside, download a tracker sheet and sign-up at https://1000hoursoutside.com.
Community Environment
GROBigRed Virtual Learning Series - Pollinator Gardening!

Join our statewide Community Environment team on Tuesday evenings in May for our next GROBigRed Virtual Learning Series - Pollinator Gardening! Learn about different pollinators, developing a pollinator habitat, and how you can have blooms that feed pollinators all season long!
 

The Family & Community Education Association of Douglas-Sarpy County offers a $500 scholarship as a means of encouraging students to continue college work beyond the freshman year. Learn more here
4-H & Youth Development 
Local 4-H Leader Recognized

Nebraska 4-H has selected 12 individuals, as recipients of a new statewide awards program that honors outstanding contributions of 4-H volunteers.

This year's winners include our program's Rebecca Dunn!
Rebecca Dunn has created a new 4-H club, engaged new 4-H families and worked with local 4-H staff to provide enriching, educational opportunities to club members. She has worked with the Ralston Public Schools district to have her education students lead as peer mentors in the Health Rocks 4-H Mentoring program. She also led the way forming a partnership with a Ralston elementary school where the 12 high school mentors would meet with their 30 mentees in grades 3-6. Rebecca is a stellar 4-H volunteer and has made a big impact on the families and future teachers.
See the complete list of winners here.
Community Environment
What Words Really Mean
What do the terms organic, non-gmo, and natural mean on that seed packet or pesticide label?
Nebraska Extension Educator John Porter tries to decipher what certain words mean on horticultural product labels in his Backyard Farmer segment here.
4-H & Youth Development 
4-H - Teaching How To Calculate
 the Cost of Higher Education
Learn how to research and calculate exactly the full cost of higher education.

Kids might hear people talk about “tuition” when discussing paying for college. Tuition is the cost of studying at a college – but that is only part of the overall costs. Books, room and board (lodging and food), transportation, and other fees are among the other costs of going to college. This activity will help you understand the total cost of paying to go to college, and how to find out exactly what that is at different institutions.
 
This is the first in a two-part series of activities about paying for college for youth in grades 7-12.

Check out this 45 minute interactive class here.
Child and Youth
Gardening with Kids
It is not always easy preparing healthy meals that your entire family will eat without complaining. If you have picky eaters, it makes that job even more difficult. One tool to help children establish life-long healthy habits is growing a garden.
 
Nutrition: There have been many studies that show children who help garden are more likely to consume what they planted. This equates to more fruits and vegetables! They are also more likely to help choose more fresh produce at the grocery store. This makes it a little easier to prepare meals and increased nutritional status is a plus.
 
Physical Activity: Another positive that comes from gardening with your children is the benefits that come with physical activity. Teaching them to work the soil, and plant, weed and water are all great things. They also require movement, and utilizing muscles you may not use all the time. Bending, squatting, hoeing-these all use large muscle groups and are great for anyone! Hauling soil, harvesting tomatoes and picking beans-these are also life skills that will stay with your children the rest of their lives.
 
Learn more here. 
Food and Nutrition
Seasonal and Simple
Wondering what fruits and vegetables are in season? We have help in an easy to use app.

Seasonal and simple is a guide to help you select, store and prepare fresh fruits and vegetables. The recipes use simple preparations and seasonings, so you can taste the goodness of a fruit or vegetable at the peak of its flavor.

See more about this app here.
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402-444-7804

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