4-H July Newsletter
July 19 – Aroostook 4-H Project Workshop 4:00pm
July 21-22 – Maine 4-H Days Workshop List Schedule & Registration
July 31 – Fair Exhibit Hall entries due to Extension offices if you can’t, drop off on Aug 2nd.
Aug 2 – Exhibit Hall Entries due by 12:00 to the exhibit hall
August 2 – 4-H Aroostook Valley Baby Beef Club Steak Dinner
Aug 3-6 – Northern Maine Fair (Schedule below)
Aug 26 – Aroostook Extension Open House
Congratulations Class of 2023 Graduates!
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- Mia C.
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- Frankie P.
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- Megan R.
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- Brody S.
Congratulations to Megan R. , recipient of The Wilma Winslow Post-Secondary Aroostook County 4-H Leader’s Association College Scholarship.
Greetings Aroostook 4-H’ers and Families!
We are just under a month away from the Northern Maine Fair, August 3-6. Fair is a time for our youth to showcase their talents, knowledge and have fun. We hope to see our members out and enjoying all that fair time has to offer as well as joining us for our 4-H activities.
There are only a few minor changes to our schedule from years past. We will be holding a DEMO EX as our public speaking event this year (more info on the schedule below) and also adding a scavenger hunt with a prize drawing as a fun activity for members. We would like to see more judging opportunities for our members in the future so this year’s clinic will include judging information, most likely with sheep as we have several members who have expressed an interest in raising and showing sheep with 4-H.
The Exhibit Hall is a great way to get involved and earn premiums (ages 9 and up). Cloverbuds (ages 5-8) receive an honorarium from the NM Fair for submitting items to the exhibit hall. All members receive a dollar from the leaders association for each project record they submit to the fair for judging and Junior and Senior members can earn additional premiums for placing in various categories. Reminder, members are expected to complete one Project Record by September, so having it done and submitted for the Northern Maine Fair is a great idea! Please see the list of 4-H events and activities that are scheduled for the fair below. Let us know if you are interested in helping with any of these events.
2023 Northern Maine Agricultural Fair 4-H Schedule
Wednesday, August 2nd
12:00 PM Exhibit Hall Entries Due
If you are not able to drop off entries on the 2nd, please have your submission to your nearest extension office by July 31st and we will transport it to the fairgrounds. Honorariums awarded for each Cloverbud entry.
6:00 PM AVBB Steak Dinner- Tickets can be purchased from Baby Beef Club members.
Thursday, August 3rd
3:00 PM Bartlett Sign Contest – Contest Information
Open to all members! Share some information about your 4-H Animal or Project. All entries must be hung by 3:00.
5:30 PM Weighing 4-H Baby Beef
6:00 PM Walking of the Baby Beef – Livestock Show Ring
Friday, August 4th
9:00 AM 4-H Horse Show – George Allen Arena
4:00 PM 4-H Baby Beef Show – Livestock Show Ring
Saturday, August 5th – 4-H Day!
All Day Scavenger hunt – Start at the 4-H Office
Pick up a scavenger hunt form at the 4-H Office (between the grandstand and food booth). This activity will lead you on a hunt around the fairgrounds searching for 4-H clovers with information about the NM Fair and 4-H. Return the completed form to the office to be entered in a prize drawing. Only fully completed forms will be accepted.
10:00 AM Judging/Showing Clinic
Participation is encouraged for any member interested in showing their animals. We also hope to include instruction in how to judge or a judging contest. If you don’t have an animal on site you are welcome to join us with a stuffed animal or to observe.
12:00 PM 4-H Animal Costume Show – Livestock Show Ring
Dress up yourself and your animal or stuffy and join us for a costume contest.
2:00 PM 4-H Relay/Obstacle Course – Livestock Show Ring
Fun for all ages! Make your way through the obstacle course, challenge your friends, and see who has the best time.
1:00 PM 4-H Demo Ex – 4-H Grandstand
Demo Ex is designed to allow our members to showcase their unique talents and interests. Traditional public speaking presentations are welcome as well as animal demonstrations, project demonstrations, tutorials, or skill demonstrations, we also welcome talent demonstrations so long as there is an education piece that accompanies it (ex: dance demo with an explanation of steps, health benefits, etc). Youth will be judged on their ability to communicate effectively, answer questions, and poise. Time limit: Juniors/Seniors 5 minutes, Cloverbuds 3 minutes. We hope youth will feel comfortable sharing their knowledge in a supportive environment and may consider continuing with more traditional public speaking events in the future. We would appreciate knowing ahead of time if a member is planning on participating in this event, but pre-registration is not required.
4:00 PM 4-H Baby Beef Auction – Livestock Show Ring
Important Fair Notices & Reminders
- Have Fun!
- The bathrooms will be open in the 4-H area, but for anyone staying on site we have been told the locker rooms in the Forum are available to use and are much better condition for showering.
- Remember your 4-H membership card for your free admission to the Fairgrounds. Look for your cards in the mail, the end of this week or beginning of next.
- Please come prepared and dressed appropriately for the weather and any event you will be participating in. Closed toe shoes if you will be working with animals.
County News
4-H Animal Clinic
We had a great turn out and the rain even held off for the 4-H Animal Clinic held at Treystar Farm in June. Sadee Mehuren, our State 4-H Animal Science Liaison as well as the Putnam’s walked members through animal care and handling for cows, sheep and horses. Members got some amazing hands-on experience with the animals. AVBB member, Ainsley Putnam demonstrated proper handling and leading with her Baby Beef Project Steer “Mudflap” and her pony. Youth were also able to band lamb tails and learned why lamb tails are docked. As an extra treat we even got to snuggle some kittens.
A huge thank you to Sadee for coming up and assisting with the event as well as the Putnams for hosting and sharing their animals and knowledge.
Due to the popularity and success of this event we intend to host a follow up clinic in the fall focusing on animal health and first aid. Stay tuned for details!
4-H Ag Explorers
A new installment of the Ag Explorers Program is under way with the Bridgewater Rec Department this summer. Members and non-members are working their way through their Ag Adventure Book exploring different areas of agriculture and how it relates to them.
Participants had a great time at Bradstreet Farms during a recent farm visit. Youth participated in some basic horse care activities like grooming, feeding, and safety. They also got a lesson in cleaning and polishing saddles as well as the different tack used to ride. The kids then got to have a quick ride. They ended the day collecting eggs and having an egg and spoon race.
A huge thank you to Emma and her very patient horse Baron for giving us a great experience.
We will be using this farm visit to introduce a lesson on animal care at our next meeting. The kids (and adults) are very excited to visit Smiths’ Farms in July for a first hand look at growing, processing, and packaging.
Aroostook Valley Baby Beef Club
The Baby Beef Club is getting ready for their steak dinner on Wednesday, August 2nd at 6:00. Tickets are on sale now and are available from any club member. Tickets are $25.00 and the menu includes, Steak, New Potatoes, Peas, and Strawberry Shortcake. For further information, feel free to reach out to emily.dow@maine.edu or megan.cook@maine.edu and we will get you connected for tickets.
State 4-H News
July, 2023
Maine 4-H Days is Back!
Maine 4-H Days is back in 2023! You are invited to join Maine 4-H for a fun filled day of
workshops on Saturday July 22nd! We will kick off the weekend with evening activites on Friday
July 21st and have camping available for those who wish to stay overnight! Workshop space is
limited, so register soon to secure your spot. For a complete schedule or to register for the event
please visit extension.umaine.edu/4h/maine-4h-days/.
To request a reasonable accommodation please contact the Kennebec County Cooperative
Extension office at 207.622.7546 or email alisha.r.targonski@maine.edu
Registration is Open Through July 31 st for New 4-H Teen Leadership Program: YOUth Have
a Voice!
YOUth have a Voice!: Youth in Governance and Civic Engagement is a nine-month program open
to teens and recent high school graduates who are interested in taking a more active role in
serving their local communities, the state, or the country. Youth will learn leadership skills and
ways to participate in civic action by completing a service project in a topic of their interest. Youth
projects will be in one of three categories:
1.) Youth Board Member: Join a board or advisory council as a youth representative
2.) Policy Leader: Provide input to a policy or rule being developed
3.) Public Service Leader: Carry out a community service project.
Teens will be mentored by adults to assist their learning of civic processes and ways to meet their
project goals. The program will be from late August 2023 to May 2024 and the total time
commitment may vary from 30 to 80 hours depending on the type of project.
The program will be open for teens ages 14+ years old or entering high school in the fall of 2023.
Interested teens will need the following items to register for the program:
Fill out the application form.
Two letters of recommendation from adults who are not related to the applicant
Briefly describing (100 to 500 words) why you are interested in this program
A signed Program Requirement Summary Form
Registration is open through July 31, 2023. The program will be limited to 16 youth.
To register or learn more, visit our website. Individuals with questions or who need to request an
accommodation, please contact Andrew Hudacs, andrew.hudacs@maine.edu, (207) 581-8204
Mainely Dish: Creamy Blueberry Shake
Even though we have had a rainy summer in Maine so far, a refreshing frozen drink is always nice! This Creamy Blueberry Shake only uses six ingredients and makes four servings so you can prep this ahead of time and have them ready to drink for your next snack or to share with your family or friends. I also love adding cinnamon to this recipe, about 1 teaspoon, and then when I serve it I add some extra frozen blueberries to make a beautiful presentation. To decrease the added sugar you can use plain yogurt instead of vanilla and decrease the amount of added sweetener.
My favorite trick to reduce food waste is to freeze overly ripe bananas. I recommend removing the bananas from their peel, placing them in a freezer grade bag or container, and labeling what it is and how much is in the bag. You can keep the bananas whole, break them in half, or mash before freezing, depending on what you are planning to use it for. I personally break the bananas in half if I intend to use it for smoothies, or if I am planning to make banana bread I mash the specific amount of bananas ahead of time so it’s easier to incorporate into my recipe later on.
Resources
- Creamy Blueberry Shake (UMaine Extension)
Maine Harvest of the Month
July is Summer Squash, check out the link for some great information.