Aroostook 4-H Newsletter May 2019

Dates to Remember

June 1:  Animal Approval Form
June 1:  Intent to Participate
June 28-July 3:  Northern Maine Agricultural Fair

State Events

May 11:  4-H Dog Fun Day
May 31 – June 1:  4-H @UMaine
July 19-21:  Maine 4-H Days
There are many 4-H summer camp opportunities.  Follow the website for more information.

Happy Birthday to all 4-Hers born in May!

Alyssa S
Daniel R
Destiny M
Jacklyn R
Jasmine L
Kryssah G
Patrick B
Shannel B
Sidney S

Club News

‘Paca Pals

This month, Paca Pals has been working on their planting tubs to be entered at the Fair. Each member is personalizing their ‘garden’ with decorations on the exterior, and planting their individual flowers/veggies/herbs at home.

We are meeting Saturday, 4/27 to work with the alpacas for the first time this year. Everyone is excited to experience these gentle animals!

Here are pictures from the painting session at our last meeting 4/13.

 

 

Follow a researcher

We’ve posted our introduction video of Mariama Dryak at followaresearcher.org, and would love for you to check it out – it’s exciting for us to be working with a 4-H alum!

Mariama will be available on Thursday, May 2 from 1 – 2 PM (eastern time) on Twitter to answer questions from youth.  We’d love for you to join us if you can. If you can’t join live, but have questions you’d like to have answered, feel free to email them to (laura.wilson@maine.edu).
Mariama is also available to visit schools/groups in Maine – again, contact me to see if we can schedule something for you!
And don’t forget, we have great tweets (look for the #UMaineFAR hashtag) from another grad student, Meghan Spoth, who was recently on a research BOAT TRIP !  She will also answer questions from kids as she sees them – she’s @UMaineFARm on twitter.

Spring is here

That means the planting and growing season will soon be getting underway and people are pursuing outdoor activities. We have resources to educate you about pruning trees and shrubs, starting seeds at home, insect repellents and mosquitoes. Fiddlehead season is here, and we have information on cooking and pickling fiddleheads, and an instructional video.

Here are just a few publications that may interest you……..
#2751  Starting Seeds at Home
#2762  Growing Vegetables in Container Gardens
#4198 Facts on Fiddleheads
#4060 Facts on Edible Wild Greens in Maine
#2067  Growing Strawberries
#2422  Growing Fruit Trees in Maine
#2172  Raspberry and Blackberry Varieties for Maine
#2411  Planting and Early Care of Fruit Trees 
#5108  Insect Repellents
#5110  Mosquito Management

You can find many more publications when you visit Cooperative Extension’s Publication Catalog

Northern Maine Agricultural Fair
Friday, June 28 to Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Theme for 2019 – “Fun, Farms, and Fireworks”
Fair is just around the corner.  To help you start planning, you will want to look over the 4-H Livestock Exhibitors Handbook and 4-H Contests and Exhibit Hall Project Guide.

Intent To Participate Forms

The Intent To Participate forms, for the Northern Maine Agricultural Fair, are due by June 1st. These forms will be available on the Aroostook County 4-H website and at the county offices.

4-H Membership Cards

Each 4-H member and 4-H Volunteer will receive a 4-H Membership Card.  These will be mailed to your Club Leader in early May. The Membership Cards are your passes to get into the Northern Maine Agricultural Fair. Each member’s card will also allow the accompaniment of one parent for free. This is the policy at the Northern Maine Fair.  All members wishing to use their 4-H card to enter the Northern Maine Agricultural Fair are encouraged to enter through the livestock gate on State Street. You may be redirected if you attempt to enter through another entrance.

4-H Exhibit Hall

4-H Exhibits entered at the Exhibit Hall should reflect on-going work done by the member in their project area during the current 4-H year. 4-H Exhibit cards must accompany each project and Cloverbuds have their own Exhibit Card. Both sets of cards are available at any of the Aroostook County Extension offices.  Although project records are not required at fairs, they are strongly encouraged. They help to give the judges a clearer understanding of the project and your work and will also earn each member $1 for every exhibit that includes an on-going or completed project record. 4-H members from any county in Maine may enter exhibits but should check with the UMaine Extension Aroostook County for rules that may differ from those in their county.

Entry Deadlines for Northern Maine Agricultural Fair (NMAF) Exhibit Hall:  Projects must be delivered to the 4-H Exhibit Hall on Wednesday, June 26, 4:00-6:00 PM or Thursday, June 27, 12:00-2:00 PM.

Each club will be responsible for setting up their member’s entries. Judging will take place at 5:00 PM, Thursday, June 27. 4-H members, parents, and volunteers may not be present during the judging.

4-H Cloverbud Exhibit Card

Name___________________________

Club/Unit _______________Age_____

Item Name_______________________

What I learned in this project:____________________________

Instructions

  1. Complete all of your personal and club information.
  2. Please fill in the item’s name.
  3. Use a highlighting marker to highlight at least two sections of the Life Skills Wheel.
  4. Under the “What I Learned” section, please give a brief summary of something that you learned by completing this project.

 

 

 

 

4-H Exhibit and Judging Card

Life Skills Wheel

Name ____________________________

Club/Unit ____________________  Age________

Division #____________Division Title__________

Class#_______________Class Name____________

Item Description____________________________

What I learned in this project:

_________________________________________

Instructions:

  1. Complete all of your personal and club information.
  2. Use the Northern Maine Agricultural Fair 4-H Contests and Exhibit Hall Project Guide to determine the Division #, Division Title, Class #, and Class Name.
  3. Use a highlighting marker to highlight at least two sections of the Life Skills Wheel.
  4. Under the “What I Learned” section, please give a brief summary of something that you learned by completing this project.

4-H Food Booth at NMF

The 4-H Food Booth is a fabulous way for all Aroostook County Clubs to make a LOT of money in just one day! If you have younger members maybe you could consider joining forces with another club or only taking 1/2 a day. Youth must be 16 or older to work on the fryolater and grill, but youth ages 12-15 can make sandwiches, etc., and wait on tables. Youth 12 and under can roll silverware, set and clear tables, serve bottled soda, etc. There is something for everyone to do!  Please let the 4-H staff know if your club would like to take a day during this year’s fair.

All 4-H members who are working in the Food Booth should watch this training video.  You will want to start at the 7:00 minute mark unless you are in charge of the fryolater or grill.

Don’t forget to enter the Bartlett Farm sign contest!

The purpose of this sign contest is to educate the public about your animal, in a fun and creative way. Click here for complete rules, please feel free to call the office (532-6548) if you have any questions.   Please let 4-H staff know you are participating in this contest so your sign can be judged.

Proof of Insurance

All 4-H members who are bringing animals to the Northern Maine Agricultural Fair must provide proof of insurance by June 1st.  One simple way to obtain insurance is through the Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors. M.A.L.E.’s membership year is from July 1 of the current year to June 30 of the following year. Dues: Family — $40; Individual — $25   For information and an application form go to Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors.

State 4-H News

  1. Maine 4-H Days – Registration Opens May 10th
    Maine 4-H Days will take place July 19 – 21 at the Windsor Fairgrounds. Get ready for a fun-filled weekend full of exciting Enrichment & Livestock activities! From Tie-Dye to Relay Races; Fairy Gardens to Composting; Meet an Alpaca or sign up for Poultry Camp – we’ll have something for everyone. Registration opens on May 10th – go to https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/maine-4h-days/.If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity, please contact Jessy Brainerd at brainerd@maine.edu or 207.581.3877.
  2. Register Now for 2019 4H@UMaine May 31 – June 1!
    Have you ever wondered how optical illusions work? Want to find out how much you can learn from a zebrafish? Perhaps you’d like to make paper like a chemical engineer. What is it like to live on a college campus?  For answers to these questions and more, 4-H@UMaine invites you (6th-10th graders) to participate in our fun, interactive overnight on the UMaine campus with career role models and kids from across the state.Register Onlinehttp://umaine.edu/4h/youth/4-h-events/4humaine/.  It’s open TODAY and limited space is available!! Deadline: May 3rd. For more information about 4-H@UMaine, contact Greg Kranich at kranich@maine.edu or 207.581.3292.
  3. 4-H Dog Fun Day – May 11th
    A day of fun and learning for all 4-H youth and leaders interested in a dog project. The fun dog day will be held on May 11th in the Chute Arena at the UMaine Witter Farm, 160 University Farm Road, Old Town, very close to the campus.  The event will be held from 8:00 am. to approximately 12:30 pm.Our guest this year will be Megan Arey, who is a 4-H Leader from New Hampshire. Megan works with the New Hampshire Dog Program. Megan will review with attendees and their dogs’ showmanship, obedience, and agility, as well as provide a demonstration on the “Sporting Breed” Megan raises and works with Labrador Retrievers.Proof of current veterinary vaccination is required for all dogs attending, as well as a kennel, leads, water and treats. A mid-morning snack will be provided for participants. If you would like to attend, please contact Wendy at robertson@maine.edu or 942-7396 to RSVP.
  4. 4-H Camp Opportunities for Children of Military Families
    There are numerous wonderful programs being offered to children of military families through special grant programs. These Adventure Camps are sponsored by the Department of Defense to provide quality outdoor experiences for children of Service Members in the active, reserve, or guard components. Specific questions about eligibility should be made to the Tanglewood office at 789.5868 or extension.tanglewood4h@maine.edu.Programs are designed to build self-esteem, trust, teamwork, friendships, skill building, and appreciation of nature through outdoor adventures. Staff of UMaine 4-H Camp and Learning Centers and key outdoor education and adventure partners lead camps. Open sessions for ages 14 – 18 include: Ocean Adventure (6/25 – 6/28 and 6/30-7/5), Coastal STEM Challenge (6/23 – 6/28 and 6/30 – 7/5), and for ages 8 – 14, Make and Create STEM Challenge (7/28 – 8/2). Learn more about all sessions at: https://extension.umaine.edu/tanglewood/tanglewood-lincolnville/4-h-military-partnership-youth-programs/.To register for these programs, go to: https://extension.umaine.edu/tanglewood/registration/.