September 4-H Newsletter 2022
Happy Birthday to 4-H’ers born in September
Dear 4-Hers, 4-H Leaders, and 4-H families,
I am delighted that this month’s newsletter finds us welcoming Megan Cook to Aroostook county 4-H. I had the privilege of serving on Megan’s hiring team and the pleasure of working with her a few times already – Aroostook 4-H is in wonderful hands! Although I officially took a different position with Cooperative Extension quite some time ago, it has been my joy to continue my partnership with Emily Dow until Megan started. I have loved working with all of you and Aroostook 4-H will always have a special place in my heart. Megan and I will still work together as I get to mentor her through this first season and I can’t wait to hear how all of you shine in the days, weeks and years ahead.
All my best,
Mari
Northern Maine Fair 2022
It is great to be back at the fair! Lots of fun, laughter, comradery and great friendly 4-H competitions. Thank you to all the volunteers, parents, staff and members that made it an enjoyable fair.
4-H Baby Beef Show
Grand Champion – Olivia McCarthy
Reserve Champion – Isabella McCarthy
4-H Horse Show
Senior English Grand Champion
Tie: Hannah Ferreira & Ella Suitter
Reserve Champion
Megan Robinson
Senior Western Grand Champion
Megan Robinson
Reserve Champion
Ella Suitter
Senior Games Grand Champion
Mia Casavant
Reserve Champion
Tie: Megan Robinson and Mallory Williams
4-H Public Speaking
Juniors
1st – Oliver Parks
2nd – Timber Parks
Cloverbuds
Oakley Parks
Colton Smith
4-H Baby Beef Auction
The Aroostook Valley Baby Beef had a great successful auction raising a total of $54,697.15. The 12 Members of the A V Baby Beef club received an average overall price per pound of $4.11. The twelve steers weighed in for a combined weight of 13,292 pounds.
Seniors
RE-enrollment time approaching
Hard to believe, but this 4-H year will be coming to an end, September 30, and re-enrollment will begin October 1st with a deadline of December 31st. Keep an eye out for more information on how to re-enroll in ZSuites.
Looking for 4-H Alumni & Members Attending UMaine!
If you are a current or former 4-H member planning to attend UMaine this fall, know of a 4-H member currently attending UMaine, or know of a recent 4-H alumni attending UMaine, read this! Collegiate 4-H is an opportunity for 4-H alumni and college students interested in supporting the mission of 4-H to be involved in 4-H after high school. We are currently exploring starting a Collegiate 4-H Club at UMaine with an anticipated start date for the 2022 fall semester. Simply fill out this short form to let us know if you think you might be interested!
Save the Date for the 4-H Unconference
Maine 4-H Unconference will be an organized forum for 4-H volunteers, club leaders, afterschool providers, teachers, parents and teen leaders to gather. UMaine 4-H Unconference is intentionally designed to have YOU teach and learn from each other. There is no agenda; you come with 4-H ideas and topics you want to talk about or learn more about, and we’ll guide the process to get folks into groups where YOU are the experts. Save the dates: Saturday, October 22nd and Friday, November 11th. Come to one or both. Watch this website for more information as it becomes available.
Maine 4-H Survey Request
From: Andrew Hudacs, the new member of the Maine 4-H team, whose work supports 4-H teen leadership and career exploration statewide:
If you are 11 years old or older, please help me learn more about your interests in 4-H activities by completing the following SHORT survey (about 30 questions/7 minutes). The survey results will be used to improve statewide 4-H program planning. If you are a parent of a 4-H child receiving this message, please have each child 11+ years old complete one survey. If you have any questions, I can be contacted at andrew.hudacs@maine.edu, (207) 581-8204, 24 Main Street Lisbon Falls, ME 04252. Thank you in advance for your support!
Public Speaking Workshop
The Maine 4-H Communication Science Team invites all enrolled 4-H members to the October 19th meeting for an open workshop. The meeting will be held via zoom from 6 – 7 pm. Team members will teach tips and tricks to improve your presentation skills. Please contact cathy.gray@maine.edu for more information. To join the zoom, click : Join Zoom Meeting, or go to zoom.us, and enter the meeting id: 86067599466 and passcode: 468314.
2022 4-H National Trip (Conference and Congress) for Senior 4-H Members ages 14-18
National 4-H Trip applications are due September 30, 2022 for National 4-H Conference and Congress. We recommend you look at the requirements ahead of preparing your materials, as most of the pieces required are something you are already doing for your yearly record sheets. 4-H trips are excellent opportunities to meet 4-H members from across the nation. Participants learn about many career options, and learn through educational workshops at Congress or become part of a team, making recommendations to the National 4-H Council at Conference. We will be holding interviews for National trips on the week of October 10-16, 2022. These will be via Zoom. We will be interviewing for the National 4-H Congress, which will be held in Atlanta, GA on November 25 – December 1, 2022, and the National 4-H Conference, which will be held on April 14 – 19, 2023 at a conference hotel in or around Washington, DC. The Maine website pages for both conferences have been updated. Once your application has been received we will contact you for a convenient time for all to do the “Zoom” interviews. Hopefully, next year, we will be back to our normal “National Interview Schedule” that will be held in April/May 2023. Please feel free to email Heidi Palmer, State Activities Coordinator at: heidi.thuotte@maine.edu for any questions.
2022/2023 4-H Volunteer Training Opportunities
As we get ready for the new 4-H year, we are looking forward to offering a variety of learning experiences (both in person and virtual) for our 4-H volunteers. Sessions are free of charge, but require registration. Some sessions have limited space. Visit the 4-H Volunteer Calendar of Training Opportunities to learn more and register!
Farm Service Agency Youth Loans
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes loans to youth to establish and operate agricultural income-producing projects in connection with 4-H clubs, FFA and other agricultural groups. Projects must be planned and operated with the help of the organization advisor, produce sufficient income to repay the loan and provide the youth with practical business and educational experience. The maximum loan amount is $5,000. Youth Loan Eligibility Requirements: Be a citizen of the United States (which includes Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) or a legal resident alien, – Be 10 years to 20 years of age, – Comply with FSA’s general eligibility requirements, – Be unable to get a loan from other sources, – Conduct a modest income-producing project in a supervised program of work as outlined above, Demonstrate capability of planning, managing, and operating the project under guidance and assistance from a project advisor. The project supervisor must recommend the youth loan applicant, along with providing adequate supervision. For help preparing the application forms, contact your local County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
Raffle Update for Maine 4-H Teen Leadership and Program Development Survey – Ages 11+
Hello 4-H Community! The Teen Leadership and Program Development Survey now includes a raffle for the following seven items: – Two 4-H T-shirts – Three Lunch Totes – Two 4-H Positive Vibes T-Shirts. The SHORT survey (about 30 questions/5 minutes) is for any 4-H participant age 11+ since 2017. We want your voice included! The survey results will help us learn more about 4-H participant interests and improve statewide 4-H program planning. If you are a parent of a 4-H child receiving this message, please have each child age 11+ who has participated in 4-H since2017 complete a survey. If you are a club leader, please pass along this information to your club members! To enter the raffle, simply add your contact information (email, phone #, etc.) to any of your typed responses in the survey or send it to me in a separate email or phone message: andrew.hudacs@maine.edu, 207-581-8204. The drawing for the raffle will happen in early October. Link to the survey: https://umaine.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5yXj7Bb1UdPYvqK. Lastly, please let me know if you have any questions or would like to see a summary of the survey results, please contact me at andrew.hudacs@maine.edu or (207) 581-8204.
EFNEP Recipes: Time for Breakfast
Where did the summer go? It seems as if school just let out, and here we are in back-to-school mode. The excitement of new teachers, classes, and connecting with friends. As we start to settle into our school routine, we need to remember that breakfast is a huge part of a successful school day. The word breakfast means to “break your fast”, and fasting is when you do not eat for a certain period of time. Your body needs the calories from the food you eat to help you concentrate and give you more energy. While you sleep, the body is still working, and when you wake up, it’s time to recharge with a hearty breakfast. Below are a few great breakfast choices from our Mainely Dish Video series (Baked Oatmeal, Egg Bites, and the Brunching Burrito). If you don’t have time for a full breakfast a quick grab-and-go could be an apple with peanut butter or an Oatmeal, Strawberry, Banana Smoothie. Start your day off right with a good breakfast! For more delicious recipes, check out our UMaine EFNEP Mainely Dish Video Series. By Debbie Barnett (EFNEP CEA in Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo counties -deborah.barnett@maine.edu)
Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) offers FREE nutrition education classes to income-eligible adults with children, or young adults 19-25 years old, and if you are eligible for programs such as SNAP, WIC, or Head Start. Find out more online.
Preserving your harvest
Whether you have a few pots of tomatoes and greens on your porch, grow a garden full of vegetables and fruits, or buy fresh produce from your local farmers market, you won’t want to let it go to waste.
Food Preservation, How to videos
Maine Harvest of the month
Maine Agriculture in the Classroom publishes a wonderful resource each month to help teach about different Maine crops and proteins. For September, the focus is on tomatoes. Check out the clickable Harvest of the Month PDF to learn more!