July 2025 4-H Newsletter
Table of Contents
Upcoming in Cumberland County 4-H
- July 10-13: Ossipee Valley Fair
- July 16: FUN WITH 4-H, 3:00-4:00 p.m., Windham Public Library, 217 Windham Center Rd., Windham
- July 16 – August 13: Summer SPIN Programs
- July 18-20: State 4-H Dairy Show
- July 23: 4-H STEAM Club, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Soldier Library, 85 Main St., Hiram
Kids Can Can 2025
Garden Programming at Tidewater Garden/UMaine RLC
4 weeks from July 16, July 23, July 30, August 6, 2025, 9-11 a.m.
Minimum Age: 9 (younger based on if older sibling is coming, etc.)
Cost: $10 per youth for all 4 weeks
Registration is Full for 2025!
Blueberry jam, pickles, and tomato sauce—all of these foods can be made from scratch with fruits and vegetables grown in your garden. Join UMaine Extension staff and volunteers in this hands-on, interactive program that will teach kids ages 9+ how to grow and preserve the garden’s harvest. Each session will begin in the University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Tidewater Gardens as we harvest the fruits and vegetables needed to make jam, pickles, tomato sauce, and more. Then we’ll move to the UMaine Regional Learning Center Demo Kitchen and prepare a batch of delicious preserved foods. Each participant will take home samples of what we make.
Fun With 4-H
Dates: Wednesday, July 16 and August 20
Time: 3-4 p.m.
Grades: K-5th
Location: Windham Public Library, 217 Windham Center Rd., Windham
Cost: Free drop-in program
No registrations are needed for these sessions.
Have questions? Contact Allison by email at allison.pollock@maine.edu or by phone at 207.781.6099.
4-H STEAM Club
Dates: Wednesdays, July 23 and August 13, 2025
Time: 3:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Ages: 5-12 year olds
Location: Soldier Library, 85 Main St., Hiram, Maine
Cost: Free
Registration is required.
Register using the 4-H STEAM Club 2025 Form!
One Wednesday afternoon each month during the summer, we will offer a themed hands-on activity for youth ages 5-12, including crafts or science. 5-8-year-olds must have an adult present for assistance, and some projects encourage adult assistance for all ages. Current 4-H enrollment is not necessary for participation. Registration ends the Friday before each class or when full (maximum of 10).
Fairgrounds 5k and Mile, August 31
Fairgrounds 5K August 31, 9 a.m. at Cumberland Fairgrounds: Proceeds will be donated to CCLA and two other non-profits. They’re encouraging 4-H families to participate in either the one-mile or 5K walk/run events, and are seeking a 4-H Event Ambassador and kids who are willing to attend with their animals for a portion of the day. Find more information on the Fairgrounds 5k and Mile website. Please let Allison know if you want to help out during this event or be an event ambassador.
2025 Pig Raffle Tickets Available Now
The Pig Raffle is one of the most interesting fundraisers that Cumberland County 4-H does each year. The Pig Raffle raises funds to support 4-H scholarships, trips, and other awards for 4-Her’s in our county. If you would like to purchase or sell these tickets to start raising money before the Cumberland Fair, please contact our office, 207.781.6099. Tickets may be mailed or picked up in the office. Tickets may also be picked up by contacting Jenn Grant, at findviewfarm@juno.com or 207.318.9166.
Volunteers Needed: 4-H Kitchen Fundraiser and Pig Raffle Ticket Sales at the Cumberland Fair, September 21- September 27, 2025
The 4-H Kitchen and Pig Raffle Booth is looking for volunteers for the week of the Cumberland Fair to prepare and serve foods as well as sell pig raffle tickets. This is the primary fundraiser held by the Cumberland County 4-H Leaders Association to support all of the scholarships, camperships, County events, and programs. Shift times:
- 6:30 a.m. – 8:30-9:00 a.m.
- 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
- 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- 4:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Please email Nicole Foster at 4Hkitchencentral@gmail.com or call 207.615.7558 for more details or to sign up – individuals, families, or clubs are welcome!
Maine Fair Season Insurance
Maine fair season is upon us! Most Maine fairs now require proof of insurance in order to exhibit livestock. Proof of insurance usually is requested for individuals including the exhibitor (4-H member), owner of the animal, and anyone who may be responsible for maintaining the animal at the event (ex. parents or volunteers).
Some fairs no longer allow homeowner insurance policies. Please check your specific fair to see what they accept. Most fairs do accept the Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors (MALE) insurance.
The MALE annual membership renewal is in June. The year’s membership ended on June 30. A benefit of being a member of this association includes liability insurance at specific events, including Maine fairs. Please refer to the events that it does cover for the state. More information is available on the Memberships page of Maine Association Livestock Exhibitors website.
4-H Project Records
It is time to start thinking about Project Awards in the fall… are you keeping up your 4-H project records? You should do a project record for each project you will complete. Why do 4-H Project Records and Portfolios?
- Opens doors to the wider 4-H program.
- Your project isn’t done until the records are in.
- The feeling you get when you are finally done!
- You should document all of your hard work this year.
- Your 4-H Leader will smile.
- The nagging will go away!
- You will get your premiums for the fair.
- It is a start towards 4-H Scholarships and National Trips in high school.
- Chris Clover says so!
To access a copy of the records and portfolio, visit the 4-H Project Records Page.
Club Happenings
Your 4-H Club Happenings could be featured here!
Your 4-H Club Happenings could be featured here! Just email Zsuzsa at zsuzsanna.romanne@maine.edu by the 28th of each month with information about your club meetings, events, or fundraisers. Pictures are always a plus!
State 4-H News
Skip the Stress – Get Into College with 4-H Direct Admissions!
Great news for Maine 4-H high school juniors and seniors: applying to college just got a whole lot easier. With 4-H Direct Admissions, you can be automatically considered for admission to all seven of Maine’s Public Universities—no Common App, no test scores, no essays, no recommendations, and no application fees required!
If you’re enrolled in any 4-H program in Maine, you’re eligible. Just click to opt in, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Complete and submit the Maine 4-H Direct Admit Opt In form to opt in. We will do the rest.
Visit the Direct Admissions for 4-H Youth webpage to learn more about 4-H Direct Admissions
This is your future—made simple. #BeyondReady
Maine 4-H State Dairy Show
Maine 4-H invites you to participate in the 2025 Maine 4-H State Dairy Show! This year’s event will take place from July 18 to 20 at the Windsor Fairgrounds. The contests are open to all 4-H dairy project members ages nine and above and include a grilled cheese and milkshake cookoff, a dairy cattle fitting contest, and dairy cattle show. For a complete schedule and registration information, visit the Maine 4-H State Dairy Show page.
For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact Sadee Mehuren at 207.342.5971 or Allison Pollock at 207.781.6099.
Big E Ruby Morris 4-H Scholarship
Every two years Maine has the opportunity to select an Eastern States Exposition participant to receive a $500 scholarship towards continuing his or her education beyond high school, and this is one of our years! This is a scholarship that was established by The Morris Family who are longtime concessionaires at ESE. A total of three $500 scholarships are awarded each year. In 2025 and future odd-numbered years, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont will each name a scholarship recipient. In even-numbered years, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut name a scholarship recipient.
Visit the Big E Ruby Morris 4-H Scholarship website for all information about applying. Materials must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, August 15, 2025. If you have any questions, contact Jessy Brainerd at 207.581.3877 or jessica.brainerd@maine.edu.
4-H Tick Project
The 4-H Tick Project is a community science project engaging K-12 youth and educators, made possible through a partnership between 4-H Youth Development, UMaine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab, Maine Forest Tick Survey, and members of the Learning Ecosystems Northeast partnership. The project provides youth an opportunity to explore ticks and tick-borne diseases, which is a connected story of climate, ecosystem change, and public health.
All educators interested in teaching about ticks in Maine are encouraged to participate in the project at no cost to you. This is a great project for 4-H clubs, SPIN clubs, homeschool groups, and more. For more information and to register, visit the 4-H Tick Project webpage.
Tri-County Sampler: Nature Art
July 29, 5:30-7 p.m.
Location: Lakeshore Park 16 Crockett Rd., Dexter, ME
Please pre-register on the Tri-County 4-H Sampler Registration site so we can bring plenty of snacks and supplies!
Join Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Somerset County 4-H staff for July’s Tri-County 4-H Sampler “Nature Art” at the Lakeshore Park in Dexter. We’ll break the ice with parachute play, then make dirt babies and explore the park for bits and pieces to create foraged friends. Parents are welcome to participate and encouraged to learn more about how 4-H can fit into their families’ lives. We can chat at the handwash station, over the DIY trail mix bar, and as we’re guiding youth to set up their dirt babies and foraged friends for display. Our evening will conclude with young participants telling the rest of us about their creations. Enrolled Cloverbuds and 4-H’ers may go home with an exhibit or two for the Fair!
For more information or a request for reasonable accommodations, contact Emily Pigeon, Community Education Assistant, Penobscot County 4-H, Phone: 207-942-7396, Email: emily.pigeon@maine.edu.
Maine 4-H Celebrates “The Year of Youth in Agriculture” with New Ag Challenge
The state of Maine has officially declared 2025 as “The Year of Youth in Agriculture,” an exciting initiative to highlight the vital role young people play in the future of our state’s agricultural landscape. In celebration of this significant declaration, Maine 4-H is thrilled to encourage all our members to delve deeper into the rich and diverse world of Maine agriculture.
Agriculture is a cornerstone of Maine 4-H as well as the economy and heritage of our state, offering a vast array of unique and rewarding opportunities, from traditional farming and livestock management to innovative food production, sustainable practices, and agricultural technology. This is the perfect time for our 4-H members to explore the many facets of this dynamic industry.
To help you do just that, Maine 4-H is launching the 4-H Ag Challenge! This special challenge is designed to guide members through an exploration of the unique and vast opportunities within Maine agriculture. To complete the challenge, members must complete activities from each section, with the number of required activities varying by age group:
- Cloverbud (ages 5-8): 2 activities per section
- Junior (ages 9-13): 3 activities per section
- Senior (ages 14-18): 4 activities per section
Find more information on the 4-H Ag Challenge Download (PDF).
Once you’ve completed your activities, please return the form to the 4-H Ag Leadership team at extension.4hagleadership@maine.edu or to your local UMaine Extension office. As a special reward for completing the challenge, you will receive a specially designed Maine 4-H Ag Challenge hat! Prizes will be mailed to those who complete the challenge. This challenge will run through the entirety of 2025, giving you plenty of time to explore!
If you have any questions, please contact Megan Cook, 4-H Youth Development Professional, Aroostook County, megan.cook@maine.edu, 207.532.6548.
Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News
UMaine Extension Cumberland County offers many different workshops throughout the year. To learn more about our workshop offerings please visit the Cumberland County Calendar of Events.
The Cumberland County 4-H Newsletter is published monthly.
For questions or more information, contact Allison Pollock at allison.pollock@maine.edu or Zsuzsanna Romanne at zsuzsanna.romanne@maine.edu.
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