Nebraska 4-H held the 4th year of the 4-H Livestock Achievement Program.
The program is designed to promote all educational aspects of 4-H livestock projects including selection, production, leadership, and exhibition by recognizing youth striving to improve in their livestock project knowledge and leadership.
The program recognizes Members of Excellence, in three age divisions, across all 4-H livestock project areas, including: beef, sheep, meat goat, swine, dairy cattle, dairy goat, rabbit and poultry.
At the beginning of the 4-H year, youth must apply to participate in the program. Upon acceptance into the program, participants plan what to accomplish. At the end of the 4-H year, they report on their completed accomplishments.
The program has seen positive participant outcomes in its inaugural year, with 70 youth from 27 Nebraska counties receiving their member of excellence distinction.
The 2024 participants included:
Members of Excellence in Beef:
Blakely Katz (Gage), Charlie Wilke (Platte), Cooper Wilke (Platte), Dustyn Douglass (Merrick), Jaden Naber (Saline), Korbin Kunc (Saline), Landon Pesek (Jefferson), Luke Burnes (Dawes), Zane Anderson (Webster), Addison Darlymple (Custer), Ava Myers (Hamilton), Emma Hackbart (Seward), Jolie Kreifels (Otoe), Luke Katz (Gage), Trapper Wilcox (Antelope), Trevor Lindquist (Sarpy), AJ Pospichal (Holt), Justus Kreifels (Otoe), Kathryn Naber (Saline), Loganne Barta (Saunders), Tatum Wright (Sarpy), Tristain Wright (Sarpy), and Troy Lindquist (Sarpy)
Members of Excellence in Dairy Goat:
Tenley Bauman (Lancaster)
Members of Excellence in Meat Goat:
Graham Mueller (Dodge), Drew Luethje (Douglas), and Jackson Luethje (Douglas)
Members of Excellence in Poultry:
Andrew Ondracek (Saunders), Ella Ondracek (Saunders), Emerson Myers (Hamilton), George Nygren (Saunders), Lillian Polacek (Madison), Brooke Faltys (Platte), Carson Myers (Hamilton), Franklin Polacek (Madison), Grant Meister-Colborn (Douglas), John Ondracek (Saunders), Karis Kersting (Platte), Mallory Beethe (Sarpy), Anne Nygren (Saunders), Janae Oberg (Frontier), Joseph Ondracek (Saunders), and Tony Ondracek (Saunders)
Members of Excellence in Rabbit:
Claire Mueller (Dodge), Marshal Pospisil (Saline), Pierce Pospisil (Saline), Piper Bauman (Lancaster), Adelaide Metcalf (Lancaster), Collin Batterman (Clay), Haley Dorram (Sarpy), Lucy Faltys (Platte), Mallory Beethe (Sarpy), Natalie Faltys (Platte), Levi Dorram (Sarpy), May Frain (Lancaster), and Tenley Bauman (Lancaster)
Members of Excellence in Sheep:
Makamry Jones (Custer), Jillian Muntz (Cass), Lena Gropp (Saline), Maysa Jones (Custer),
Arabella Rolfsmeyer (Buffalo), Mahaya Jones (Custer), and Cora Roth (Boyd)
Members of Excellence in Swine:
Bryson Gaul (Scotts Bluff), Eli Beel (Brown), Kendal Goedeken (Platte), Ty Valdez (Custer),
Deven Dose (Hamilton), Kristen Knake (Otoe), Lena Gropp (Saline),Conner Oberg (Frontier), Linden Anderson (Burt), and Olivia Beel (Brown)