NCTA and Nebraska Extension: Year-round Partners
June 20, 2016
By NCTA Dean Ron Rosati, PhD
The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture benefits from a strong and productive collaboration with our partners from across the University of Nebraska system.
We have especially close relationships with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the College of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, and Nebraska Extension.
NCTA has a statewide mission, as does Nebraska Extension. Our faculty and staff work alongside extension educators and specialists in a variety of youth and adult educational venues.
From the Urban Agriculture program in metro Omaha to working with 4-H youth, exhibits and livestock at county fairs, our staff and faculty are on board.
We are quite fortunate at NCTA to host Frontier County Extension and its 4-H programs headquartered here in Ag Hall. The Extension Office is easily accessible on first floor of Ag Hall along with our Residence Life office, Alumni Room and Aggie Bookstore.
NCTA administrative and business offices, conference room and several faculty offices are on the Ag Hall second floor, with AgriBusiness Management Systems and more classrooms on the third floor.
Take a look at the NCTA summer calendar of events and you see it is dominated by many local 4-H activities, most of which are located here at NCTA facilities. We appreciate our partnership with Nebraska Extension and we applaud the productivity and quality of their programming.
Kathy Burr, Frontier County Extension Educator, and Peggy Smith, office manager, coordinate a busy schedule in 2016. The West Central Youth Animal Science Field Day on May 26 kicked off a fantastic season with nearly 200 youth on campus.
Many extension educators, professors and staff from Extension and NCTA helped with the science presentations and livestock topics. Students come from throughout the region for this popular day.
Other 4-H workshops or day camps this summer include photography, computers, poultry and rabbits, summer reading, energy, cat club, horticulture and nature, agronomy and presentation events.
Just last week summer interns for Frontier County Extension and the Rural Futures Institute shared in the fun with Kathy Burr and Tee Bush, NCTA horticulture professor, in some unique learning activities.
The interns organized a recycling relay as a method of educating youngsters about the importance of repurposing and recycling many things we use in daily life. I heard plenty of laughter during the recycling game, and community youth went home with some valuable new insights about science, nature and conservation.
Watch for more details about upcoming summer youth activities and programs for adults, too, including our NCTA-RFI Community Garden and Extension workshops.
Dr. Brad Ramsdale, NCTA agronomist, invites youth ages 9 to 14 to the Agronomy Youth Field Day on August 10. Parents and adults are welcome too, for hands-on activities in crop growth, soil management, precision farming and center pivot irrigation technology. The day includes lunch so be sure to pre-register at the Extension Office by August 5.
I appreciate the outstanding agricultural partners NCTA has at UNL, CASNR and Nebraska, and give a huge shout out of thanks to Nebraska and Frontier County Extension. Have a fun, educational summer!
Campus Events in June:
24 – 4-H Robotics Small Group session
27 – 4-H Presentations Practice, 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., NCTA Livestock Teaching Center
28 – Nebraska Energy Camp #2, 1:30-5 p.m., NCTA Education Center
30 – 4-H Presentations Contest, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., NCTA Livestock Teaching Center
NCTA Mission:
The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is devoted to a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology, food and related industries. The college provides open access to innovative technical education resulting in associate degrees, certificates, diplomas and other credentials.