Our First Long Stretch - Part 1

This blog is a lot longer than what they have been in the past because we’re getting to the heart of fair season… each town is its own little adventure though, read all the way through! Thanks!

Webster Co. Fair- Bladen, NE

We left the office about noon on Thursday, July 15 and headed down the scenic Highway of 136 to Riverton to drop Reese off, leaving Molly all by her lonesome for the evening. (Reese went to the Hall County Fair to see Merle Haggard in concert with her boyfriend Ben. It was great!

Molly took a gravel road to Highway 4 and arrived in Bladen about 4 p.m. She met with the Extension Assistant Liz and set up camp next to the Pork BBQ. Webster County was so well organized with 4-Hers arriving in shifts every half an hour to sell tickets bringing fresh spunk and motivation!

We sold several tickets that night and earlier in the day 4-Hers went around selling tickets also, encouraging people to come see the truck that night. The Junior Leaders also sponsored a boot scramble for kids before the rodeo making the evening hectic for the group! We commend the youth for staying cool under the pressure and the energy they brought selling tickets! This was a great group of kids… we see excellent leaders for our future coming out of Webster County!

Frontier Co. Fair- Stockville, NE

The next morning we met in Holdrege and somehow managed to dress the same. That just goes to show that we spend too much time together and think alike a lot! Everyone asked if we always dressed to match! :)

This was both of our first time in Frontier County and we fell in love! It was beautiful! It was a county of contrast with pastures full of steep hills and canyons next to pivots of corn and wheat! If you have never been, take the time and visit, it’s breathtaking!

We took Highway 23 to Farnam and took a county road to connect to Highway 18. Road 408 was our connection and we meet everything from a farmer in pickup and harvest crew to a maintainer! We made great time and arrived in Stockville over an hour early so we decided to sightsee.

We were greeted with a population sign of 36, welcoming us to the smallest county seat in Nebraska! It only took about 10 minutes to see the town but as we were reading a historical marker we decided to check out the Medicine Creek it talked about. Apparently it was used as a transportation and trade route from Ft. McPherson!

Being the farm girls we are we decided to go “exploring” like we did as kids and headed down into the creek by a bridge! Reese has a rock collection (odd yes!) and she wanted a rock from the creek so she headed down to the water and stepped onto what she thought was sand… as it turned out it was mud and she sank past her ankles! She got a rock but spent a long time attempting to clean the mud out from between her toes!

We then went into Curtis, about 10 miles away, and got gas at the Ag Valley Convenience Store, our first gas up NOT at a Casey’s! When we were done we headed back to Stockville and arrived at the Frontier County Fair. The Extension Educator Barb warned us that Stockville was the smallest county seat in the state but she promised that it “came to life” for county fair and she was right!

We sold several tickets and had some very energetic girls who ran all over the fairgrounds selling tickets! We loved Barb, she was a great salesperson and was such a joy to work with! She even got us shaved ice, Molly got Strawberry Daiquiri flavored and Reese got half Green Apple half Tigers Blood! They came with whipped cream and a gummy bear on top!!! Thanks for everything Barb, you where phenomenal!

Nuckolls County Fair

Nuckolls County Fair- Nelson, NE

We had a very scenic drive to Nelson on Tuesday afternoon on Hwy. 77 and Hwy. 136. It was felt great to be out of the city and off the interstate! We stopped for gas at Casey's in Beatrice and enjoyed the windy Highway 136 to Nelson.

When we got to the fairgrounds we were greeted with a 4-H flag flying high and clovers painted on the road, leading us to the entry gate! The Nuckolls County fair grounds were very nice with well maintained buildings and plenty of friendly folks!

We set up shop between two concession stands and caught the rodeo crowd. Unfortunately our tent broke but there was a well placed shade tree that provided us with some relief in the 95 degree weather! Hopefully we get it fixed soon!

We headed back to Lincoln for the night and decided to take a short cut through Henderson to the interstate from Highway 6... when they say via county road, they mean it! We took a gravel road that came to a T in the middle of some daunting corn fields... luckily it just jogged a little and we ended up back on a paved road! It was an adventurous few miles that's for sure!

The interstate was a lot less eventful and before we knew it we were pulling into the parking garage after another successful evening on the road! Thanks Nuckolls County!

Boone County Fair

On Sunday, July 11th, we headed to Albion, NE to attend the Boone County Fair. We arrived an hour early, so we stopped at The Boot Barn and then the Junction Cafe for a bite to eat. Yummy!

Once we arrived at the fairgrounds, we lined up for the Boone County Fair Parade. We had the privilege of towing the Boone County Jr. Leaders 4-H group and also the Boone County 4-H King and Queen! The parade was very impressive! It lasted over an hour and a half and had lots of creative floats, shiny vehicles, tractors, and even animals! The parade route was different than what we've been on before as it zig-zag'ed around the town to the nursing homes allowing the older generations to enjoy the event!

We set up shop at the 4-H Building and then moved to the Team Penning Contest were we sold most of our tickets! We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Albion and hope to return some day! Thank you Boone County!

Clay County Fair

On Saturday, July 10th, Reese and Molly headed to Clay Center for the Clay County Fair. We enjoyed the scenic Highway 6 along the way! It was beautiful weather that evening creating perfect conditions for selling tickets!

We were there for the Figure 8 races which brought several people out to the Clay County Fairgrounds. They had to walk right past the 4-H Truck to get into the races. The loud cars made talking to people maybe a little difficult, but still enjoyable!

We had several comical guest buyers towards the end of the evening that made our night more entertaining!

Thank you Clay County residents for making our trip a successful one! Also, we would like to thank the Nunnenkamp family for opening up their home to us!

Franklin County Fair

Franklin County CWF members selling tickets!

Reese & Molly's first funnel cake of the summer!

The 4-H Truck's first wash of the summer!

WooWho! Fair season has officially started! The Franklin County Fair, in Franklin, NE, is one of the earliest fairs in Nebraska! What a great way to start our Fair Journey!

Our day started by taking the 4-H Truck for a wash! We kind of looked at it as the Truck's first haircut! :)

Our next stop, was to a local Midwest Ford Dealer. We were VERY impressed by their knowledge and service about the 2010 Ford F150. Thank you!

Finally, we headed "On the Road to Excellence" to Franklin, NE to the County Fair! We got to talk with Franklin County residents from Franklin, Naponee, Macon, and Riverton. We even met a few vacationers from Iowa who bought tickets!

We were set up outside by the entrance to the Mud Drags which was sponsored by the local Citizen Washington Focus (CWF) group. These 4-H members are raising money to attend a leadership conference in Washington D.C. next summer. The Mud drags is one of their main fundraisers, and it attracts a lot of people from the area. We enjoyed working with this entertaining group that helped sell tickets!

As we were leaving, we found it funny that the only way to the exit was to drive through the center of loud, flashing carnival rides and groups of people! We nosed along in the 4-H Truck while waving to people as they moved. Then we jammed out to the SYNC technology and made our way to Molly's farm in Minden! The last song on our playlist just happened to be Chris Ledoux's 'County Fair,' which we thought was appropriate for the occasion - our FIRST county fair! Thank you Franklin County for a great start! :)

PASE - Gov. Ag Excellence Awards

4-H Foundation Board Meeting

Governor Ag Excellence Awards

This was Reese and my first experience at the PASE-Life Challenge events at the UNL East Campus! Although we couldn't spend the day with them, we had a blast at the picnic/awards ceremony that evening! We even brought the 4-H Truck to show off!

Each summer, over 500 4-H'ers convene at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus to test their skills in animal science and family and consumer sciences during PASE (Premier Animal Science Events) and Life Challenge. Teens compete in a variety of different contests including: livestock, meats and poultry judging, livestock skillathon, livestock quiz bowl, life challenges and clover challenge. While on campus, young people have the opportunity to take part in faculty-led workshops, campus tours, and special sessions by UNL recruiters. For more information about PASE-Life Challenge visit the 4-H Webstie!

We also had the privilege of participating in the Governor Ag Excellence Awards. This year's awards were sponsored by the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA). These awards recognize 4-H Clubs for the work of the individuals in the club and community service work of the entire club. Twenty-five clubs are recognized each year. Each club receives a $500 check from NIFA to complete their community service project.

Director of the Department of Agriculture, Greg Ibach, spoke at the ceremony. Tim Kenny, Executive Director of NIFA, and Dudley Beyer, also from NIFA, were also in attendance to present the Governors Ag Excellence Awards.

Congrats to this years winners! You all were outstanding!

After the awards ceremony, we enjoyed the picnic catered by the UNL Dairy Store! Yummy peach ice cream too!

Earlier in the day, we had the opportunity to meet the members of the 4-H Foundation's Board of Trustees. Reese and I would like to thank them for allowing us to have our internships and provide us with the opportunity of traveling the state and meeting some amazing people! Without their support and love of 4-H, we would not have been able to have this experience!

NebraskaLand Days - Lincoln County

Our first adventure outside of Lincoln! This truck is AMAZING! It rides soo well! You can hardly tell you are driving on pot holes.

First stop for Lincoln County was the Buffalo Bill Rodeo. We even managed to snag a couple FREE tickets from a generous Lincoln County couple! Thanks!

At 6:45 the next morning, we attended the Pork Chop Breakfast. First time we both have ever had a 'pork chop' for breakfast! It was yummy! It was the best service we ever had - getting asked if we needed more coffee by little boy scouts.

The rest of the morning we spent at Cody Park checking out the elk, fountains, and VERY full Platte River! We even went for a little walk in the river!

Around noon, we lined up for the NebraskaLand Days Parade - spot G1. We soaked up some sun and hung out with the Lincoln County 4-Hers until the parade started! Even managed to get some air time on the radio with 107.3 fm! We drove through the parade 'handing' out candy, green pom poms, and even some t-shirts! We both even got awesome tans - Molly on the drivers side got a tan on her left arm and Reese on the passenger side got a tan on her left arm. Next time, we'll have to rotate! :)

Soon after we hit the road back to Lincoln, missing our friends in Lincoln County! Thanks Brenda and Randy for the hospitality!