Upcoming Events
April 1
Ag Innovators Teen Facilitator Training
The Ag Innovators Experience, sponsored by National 4-H Council and Bayer, helps develop critical workforce skill in young people and show that agriculture can be relevant and fun. This annual interactive activity, led by Teen Facilitators, challenges young people to apply critical thinking and STEM skills to a real-world agricultural challenge.
The program reaches more than 7,000 youth in five select states with an annual interactive activity that challenges youth to apply critical thinking and STEM skills to address a real-world agriculture challenge.
To bring Ag Innovators to your community – please contact Megan Hanefeldt, Extension Educator, at mhanefeldt2@unl.edu OR Julia Schultz, Extension Educator, at jschultz28@unl.edu
April 20
Family Ag Night – Sustainability
Join us on the Third Thursday for Family Ag Night! We will be talking about Environmental Sustainability with our friends from the National Forest Service as we prepare for Earth Day.
Family Ag Nights are family-friendly drop-in events with a different theme/topic each month, from 5 pm to 8 pm. Each evening will feature hands-on activities that people of different ages and abilities can engage with. This program will be very informal with the goal being engagement, not presentation. The evenings will be free to the public, thanks to our partners and sponsors.
April 28
Nebraska Horse Racing Awareness Seminar at Fonner Park
May 11
Beef for Heart Health
May 17
Family Ag Night – Beef
Join us on the Third Thursday for Family Ag Night! May is National Beef Month, so we are celebrating Beef with our friends from the Nebraska Beef Council.
Family Ag Nights are family-friendly drop-in events with a different theme/topic each month, from 5 pm to 8 pm. Each evening will feature hands-on activities that people of different ages and abilities can engage with. This program will be very informal with the goal being engagement, not presentation. The evenings will be free to the public, thanks to our partners and sponsors.
May 19 through 21
Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighters Association Fire School
Classes that are part of the 86th Annual Nebraska Fire School will be held in Raising Nebraska again this year. This year’s school will consist of 29 classes in all phases of firemanship, fire investigation, rescue, fire safety, leadership, officer training, fire prevention and EMS. The men and women who attend these courses are volunteers in their communities who have stepped up to serve others. Course held at Raising Nebraska have included “Farm Emergencies & Extrication Practices” and Fire Prevention Education.
To learn more about the NSVFA or to register for Fire School, please visit https://www.nsvfa.org/
May 30 and 31
Tractor Safety Training
Nebraska Extension and Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health, will host the “tractor safety” training courses at Raising Nebraska this May.
Teens 14 or 15 years of age who work on farms, or others who are interested in learning about safe farming practices, are encouraged to register for the certification course. Students under age 14 are not eligible for certification but the hands-on events are open to everyone in the community. Children under 14 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Federal law prohibits children under 16 years of age from using certain equipment on a farm unless their parents or legal guardians own the farm. However, certification received through the course grants an exemption to the law allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to drive a tractor and to do field work with certain mechanized equipment.
The hands-on events and the online course will cover the required elements of the National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program, including quizzes which students must pass to attend the driving portion of training. Once a student is registered, they will be sent instructions, materials, course paperwork and a link to the online course if they will not be attending the a hands-on event.
The onsite driving training and exam will include a driving test and equipment operation and ATV safety lessons. Students must demonstrate competence in hitching and unhitching equipment and driving a tractor and trailer through a standardized course. Instructors will also offer education about safe behaviors and laws for ATVs, utility-task vehicles (UTVs), and other off-road vehicles (ORVs).
The cost of the course is $35 and includes educational materials, the online learning link (if applicable), and supplies. Payment will be made at the time of the driving exam. Only checks and cash can be accepted.
Please Click Here for Registration form
If you have questions please contact Randy Saner, Extension Educator for Lincoln-Logan-McPherson County Extension, at randy.saner@unl.edu or Vicki Neidhardt, Support Staff for Lincoln-Logan-McPherson County Extension, at 308.532.2683 vicki.neidhardt@unl.edu, or contact Ellen Duysen ellen.duysen@unmc.edu.
June 10
Nebraska Beekeepers Association Bee Fun Day
Without bees, there is no agriculture. Raising Nebraska is excited to partner with the Nebraska Beekeepers Association to host a hands-on, educational event is open to the public, but pre-registration is required. For more information about Bee Fun Day, please contact Megan Vetter at meganvetter@gmail.com or Luke Norris, Apiary Manager for the UNL Department of Entomology, at lnorris9@unl.edu
To register, please visit www.nebraskabeekeepers.org/event-details/bee-fun-day-2023
June 15
Family Ag Night – Tractors
Join us on the Third Thursday for Family Ag Night! We will be kicking off the Red Power Round-Up at Fonner Park by talking about all things Tractor!
Family Ag Nights are family-friendly drop-in events with a different theme/topic each month, from 5 pm to 8 pm. Each evening will feature hands-on activities that people of different ages and abilities can engage with. This program will be very informal with the goal being engagement, not presentation. The evenings will be free to the public, thanks to our partners and sponsors.
July 20
No Family Ag Night – Hall County Fair
One of the best ways to learn about Agriculture is to see it in action! Instead of joining us for a Family Ag Night at Raising Nebraska, spend your Third Thursday at the Hall County Fair – right here at Fonner Park!
August 24
No Family Ag Night – Nebraska State Fair
Raising Nebraska and all of Fonner Park will be getting ready for the Nebraska State Fair the next day. We hope that you will join us for part of the 11 days of the Fair as well celebrate all of Nebraska Agriculture.
August 25 to September 4
Nebraska State Fair
We will be sharing our list of cooking demonstrations, 4-H Contests, and informational booths right here as they are finalized. We are continuing to add to the offerings we have here at Raising Nebraska, so check this online schedule for the latest information.
September 21
Family Ag Night – Topic To Be Finalized
October 19
Family Ag Night – Pumpkins, Squash, and Vegetables
Help us celebrate our Giant Pumpkin (and other squashes and vegetables) on Family Ag Night!
Family Ag Nights are family-friendly drop-in events with a different theme/topic each month, from 5 pm to 8 pm. Each evening will feature hands-on activities that people of different ages and abilities can engage with. This program will be very informal with the goal being engagement, not presentation. The evenings will be free to the public, thanks to our partners and sponsors.