members of 4-H working in a garden with a club leader
Like these 4-H youth tending to a plot of squash, participants in the new Green Clover Gardeners 4-H club will learn garden basics while growing healthy produce for local food pantries this spring and summer.

New 4-H club hosted by Hancock County Extension to focus on gardening basics

March 21, 2026 4-H, Counties, Hancock, News

ELLSWORTH, Maine — University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H in Hancock County is offering a new Special Interest (SPIN) club dedicated to learning about gardening basics from 3:30–5 p.m. on select Mondays, March through August, at Hancock County Extension Office, 63 Boggy Brook Road in Ellsworth.

The Green Clover Gardeners, for youth ages 8-14, will explore topics including soil health, composting, garden environmental relationships, food safety and more. This club will raise produce at the Hancock County Extension office gardens, in collaboration with Master Gardener Volunteers, to donate to local food pantries and the Maine Harvest For Hunger program. 

The deadline to register is March 23, 2026. To register or request a reasonable accommodation, email leah.mccluskey@maine.edu or call 207.667.8212. 

University of Maine Cooperative Extension

As a trusted resource for over 100 years, Extension has supported UMaine’s land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. UMaine Extension seeks to build thriving communities and help grow the food-based economy. Extension also leads Maine’s 4-H program, the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in the state. 4-H programs are grounded in the belief that kids learn best by doing and suit a variety of backgrounds, interests, budgets and schedules. Participants complete hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and civic engagement in a positive environment where they are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles.