Nebraska Extension in Douglas-Sarpy Counties

Check out our favorite recipes for making pickles and pickled products at https://food.unl.edu/recipes-making-pickles-and-pickled-products/

Support the Future of Agriculture!

The Douglas-Sarpy 4-H Livestock Booster Club is looking for supporters to help invest in our 4-H youth who show livestock. These young people are gaining valuable life skills and helping shape the future of agriculture, our farmers of tomorrow!
The Boosters would like to invite businesses, families, 4-H alumni, and community leaders to join them and become Livestock Boosters. Your support helps provide opportunities and recognition for these hardworking youth.
As a thank you, donor names will be:
✔️ Listed on show bills at the fair
✔️ Displayed on a banner during livestock shows
Interested in supporting? Check out the form and mailing information in the image below to get involved!
Thank you for helping us grow the next generation of agricultural leaders!

Keep Your Roses Healthy and Blooming

Remove spent rose blooms by cutting just above a five-leaflet leaf to encourage healthy new growth and continued flowering. Prune stems to improve air circulation through the shrub, which helps reduce problems such as black spot and powdery mildew. When pruning, cut above outward-facing buds to create an open, well-shaped plant structure.

Learn more about seasonal rose care:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPsdM7yPySg
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/rose-care-season

Rose Care by Season Learn how to care for your roses month to month. This complete guide helps you complete the garden tasks necessary to have beautiful blooming roses at the right time of year.

Grazing Field Day

Are you a cattle owner, landowner, conservation professional, or interested in public-private grazing partnerships?

Join us at Hitchcock Nature Center on Wednesday, June 17th, for a Conservation Grazing Field Day. The morning session will include discussions on grazing public lands, the benefits of native forage, and conservation grazing strategies. Lunch will be served, and a field tour will follow. Field tour highlights will include fire-grazing interactions, mobile mineral feeder impacts, exclosures, hiker gates, and solar water pumps.


https://www.pottconservation.com/calendar/grazing_field_day/2026-06-17/

Protecting Surface Roots Around Shade Trees

Do you have tree roots growing above the soil surface? Surface roots are common around mature shade trees, but mowing over them can damage both the tree and your lawn equipment—not to mention create a tripping hazard.

Instead of mowing over exposed roots, consider:
Expanding the mulch ring around the tree
Planting shade-tolerant groundcovers between the roots

These simple changes help protect your tree's health, reduce maintenance, and create a more attractive landscape.

Your trees will thank you!

Looking for a refreshing meal for a busy weekend? Try our Chicken Pasta Salad that includes summer squash, peppers and peas.

https://food.unl.edu/recipe/chicken-pasta-salad/

Prevent Summer Weeds in Your Lawn

Thin lawns and areas with a history of warm-season annual weeds, such as crabgrass and prostrate spurge, may benefit from a second application of preemergence herbicide. Pairing this treatment with a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer can help strengthen turf and encourage healthy summer growth. Always read and follow all label directions when applying lawn care products.

See:https://turf.unl.edu/sites/unl.edu.ianr.agronomy-horticulture.turf/files/media/file/Eastern-NE-TurfCoolSeasonLawnCalendar-7-7-23.pdf

The Sarpy County Fair & Rodeo is 53 days away! Our 4-H youth are busy getting their projects ready! Check out the Sarpy County Fair schedule and make plans to head out to the fair and support our program! https://sarpyfair.com/fair-events/

Sweet potatoes are more than just delicious, they're packed with nutrition!

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, which supports healthy vision, immune function, and cell growth. They also provide vitamin C, which helps your body heal cuts and wounds and supports a healthy immune system. Plus, they're a good source of fiber, helping you feel full and satisfied.

Recently, our Health and Wellbeing interns found the biggest sweet potato we've seen in a long time from No More Empty Pots Micro Market.

Thinking about adding more sweet potatoes to your meals? Check out our tips for selecting and storing sweet potatoes, along with some tasty recipes to try at home:

https://food.unl.edu/article/sweet-potatoes/

4-H: Learn by Doing!

4-H encourages youth to build creativity and confidence through hands-on learning, truly learning by doing. Through projects in visual arts, robotics, woodworking, culinary arts, and more, members take their ideas from concept to creation. This process not only sparks creativity, but also builds problem-solving skills in a supportive, encouraging environment.

Pictured here are some of our 4-H’ers hard at work creating their projects for the fair!

4-H enrollment must be completed by June 15 in order to participate in this year’s fair.

Sign up TODAY at https://douglas-sarpy.unl.edu/4-h-youth-development/join-4-h/

We can’t wait to see what our youth create this year!