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HARTINGTON - Cedar County 4-H honors individuals who have demonstrated exceptional achievement, community involvement, and personal growth. Two members were so recognized for their Service and Achievements at the Cedar County 4-H Council meeting.
To qualify for these prestigious awards, members must have completed at least five years in the Cedar County 4-H program and were a junior or senior in high school during the 20242025 school year. Their 4-H story, submitted to the awards committee, must showcase a diverse range of projects, leadership roles and community service.
This year’s Outstanding 4-H Service Award was presented to Ava Stewart, daughter of Laura and Austin Stewart, Newcastle. Ava is a member of the Needles & Nails 4-H Club.
Stewart has been interested in agriculture from a young age, and through 4-H she has been able to cultivate her interest in agriculture. She began her 4-H career as a Clover Kid at the age of 6, showing a bucket calf and has grown over the years to where she now has her own purebred Charolais herd. She has shown cattle at the county, state, and national levels over the years, and has become active in the American International Junior Charolais Association. Stewart loves the challenge of showmanship when showing her livestock. The last two years she has competed in the Round Robin Contest in which the top showmen of each species of livestock compete to see who the overall top showman is. Stewart has received the Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion title respectively each year. Ava was also selected to participate in the Nebraska Youth Beef Leadership Symposium in 2023 and 2024.
Over the years, Stewart has also shown pigs and chickens at the Cedar County Fair, exhibited multiple static projects, and participated in public speaking, presentations contest, modeling, and the Favorite Food Review.
Stewart credits 4-H for impacting her leadership skills. She has served several office positions at her Needles & Nails 4-H Club and has served as a youth representative on the Cedar County 4-H Council. Through the Ag Innovators project Ava was selected to teach teen leaders throughout Nebraska on crop health and food safety.
Stewart has been active in numerous community service projects. Through her club, she has helped build and manage the “Little Pantry” in Hartington. She has sewn hair towels and blankets for those in need, and donated meat from her Fair pigs to the Yankton Food Pantry. She is currently trying to implement local beef and pork into the area schools.
“I would like to pursue a career in veterinary science, and 4-H has definitely lit my spark of love for livestock and their care,” said Stewart. “My experience and background, provided through 4-H, is what will push me to be a leader in the industry.”
Stewart is currently a senior at Cedar Catholic High School.
This year’s Outstanding 4-H Achievement Award was presented to Breah Steffen, daughter of Jackie and Brad Steffen, Hartington. Steffen is also a member of the Needles & Nails 4-H Club.
Steffen began her 4-H career at the age of 5, and remembers the excitement of her first Fair, first modeling, first fairgrounds clean-up night, and first pop stand shift. These “firsts” shaped her 4-H journey.
Steffen overcame her fear of showing a bucket calf to sparking a passion for animals. Over the years, she expanded into the beef and goat projects and now owns her own goat herd. Her passion for her livestock also led her to join FFA, where she continued to grow as a leader.
In addition to showing livestock, Steffen has exhibited many static exhibits at the Cedar County Fair. One year she received the Most Exhibits Award for making over 50 projects. She said that they were more than just proj ects, they were meaningful opportunities to create and learn alongside others, helping her to discover which project areas she liked best.
Steffen’s participation in 4-H public speaking cultivated into competing in junior high and high school speech meets. It gave her the confidence to serve as a lector at Mass and deliver witness talks for her school.
Breah has participated in the Favorite Food Revue and exhibited many cooking projects where she earned several awards and was selected to exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair. The skills she learned through these projects assist her as a childcare provider, planning and preparing nutritious meals for the kids she cares for.
Steffen says one of her greatest accomplishments has been in the sewing project. Progressing from learning the basics of sewing to sewing a king-sized Aztec quilt and making her own clothing alterations. Steffen credits her Nana and Great-Grandma Betty for her sewing skills and treasured their time together. i Steffen has served several officer positions in her Needles & Nails 4-H Club, served as youth representative to the Cedar County 4-H Council, attended the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute, taught Ag Innovators programs to libraries and classrooms, and volunteered to assist younger 4-H members during workshops, camps and the Cedar County Fair. Steffen has also volunteered for many community service projects.
“Through 4-H, I have built connections, discovered my strengths, and developed my passions,” said Steffen. “It has taught me leadership and communication skills, responsibility, and the importance of service to my club, community, country, and my world. They are tools I will use for the rest of my life.”
Steffen is currently a senior at Cedar Catholic High School, seeking to pursue a career as a speech-language pathologist, where she can make a meaningful impact on the lives of others.
Each recipient received a plaque sponsored by the Cedar County News. Each recipient also receives a cash award, sponsored by the Cedar County 4-H Council. The winner’s names will be added to the Outstanding 4-H member plaque which is sponsored by the 4-H
