August 2019

Cumberland County 4-H News

4-H Calendar
State 4-H News
4-H Club Happenings
Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News


Cumberland County 4-H News


Important Dates

August 15: 4-H Exhibit Hall Cleanup, Pizza Party, and Leader’s Association Meeting at the Cumberland Fairgrounds at 5:00 p.m. Please bring a dessert to share.


4-H Exhibit Hall Cleanup, Pizza Party, and Leader’s Association Meeting at the Cumberland Fairgrounds on Thursday, August 15, at 5:00PM

The Cumberland County 4-H Leaders Association is having their annual clean up of the 4-H Exhibit Hall at the Cumberland Fairgrounds on August 15, at 5:00PM.  All 4-H members, volunteers, and leaders are encouraged to come help! The Leaders Association will provide pizza after all our hard work is completed. If you are able to, please bring a dessert to share.

After cleaning the grounds and having some pizza, leaders are invited to stay and join the Leaders Association at their August Leaders meeting to get ready for the fair. We look forward to seeing you there!


2019 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 starts, please contact our office, 207-781-6099 to have some mailed to you, or stop in to pick some up!


Volunteers Needed: Food Booth Fundraiser and Pig Raffle Ticket Sales at the Cumberland Fair, September 22 – 28, 2019

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:

  • 5:30 – 8:00 a.m.
  • 8:00 – 11:30 a.m.
  • 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
  • 4:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Please email Nicole Foster at 4Hkitchencentral@gmail.com or call 207.615.7558 for more details or to sign up your family or club.

Cumberland Fair, September 22 – 28, 2019

All 2019 Cumberland Fair 4-H information is available on the Cumberland Fair 4-H Information page. Please be sure to look over the page carefully for important information. Livestock entry forms will be due to Mark Cooper by September 1. Here are some helpful suggestions for you while you are getting ready for the fair:

  1. Club Exhibits: Be sure to bring everything for your display, including a table no larger than 4 ft. by 4 ft., if it will be needed!
  2. Projects: Pay close attention to the details on your projects and allow time to complete them and not leave things to the last minute. Last year was a record year for number of exhibits in the 4-H Hall…will you enter one project (or a few) to help us meet or beat 2018’s number?!
  3. Exhibit Forms: Be sure to get your Cumberland Fair Exhibit Hall Entry form (Google Form) filled out early so we can make sure we have room in the hall for your exhibits and enough judges. Please also make sure each project you enter has a Skills Card and Exhibit Form filled out completely and attached. The Life Skills Wheel side of the skills form DOES NOT need to be filled out in 2019.
  4. Fair Passes: Same as last year. Your 4-H member cards will NOT work as gate passes. Livestock members and families showing at the fair will receive fair passes from Mark Cooper, Livestock Superintendent. Those exhibiting in the 4-H Exhibit Hall who are 13 and older must see Sara Conant during project drop off (Please note new times: Friday, September 20th, 10:00 – 11:00AM, OR Saturday, September 21, 9:00 – 11:00 AM) in the 4-H Exhibit Hall if you need passes, or arrange a time to pick them up from the 4-H office prior to the start of the fair.

Save the Date Annual Meeting and Pie Contest, Wednesday, September 4, at 5:00PM.

4-H leaders and members are invited to the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Cumberland County Extension Association to be held on Wednesday, September 4 starting at 5:00PM at the UMaine Gardens at Tidewater Farm in Falmouth. Along with volunteer awards for Friend of Extension, Horticulture, Master Food Preserver, Homemakers, and the Helen Mohn Award for the Eat Well Program, we will also honor a specific 4-H Leader!

Appetizers will be provided. For dessert we will enjoy the delicious results of the annual Pie Bake-Off ! Do you have a favorite pie recipe?  We invite you to enter the bake-off sponsored by King Arthur Flour and share your scrumptious dessert! For directions, guidelines for the Pie Bake-off, and more information visit the Pie Contest Rules page. Whether you choose to enter the pie bake-off or not, we look forward to seeing you there!

To register your pie bake-off entry by September 4, or for more information contact us at 781.6099 or 1.800.287.1471 or email extension.rlreception@maine.edu.


Come Watch The Training Of A Mustang!brown, yearling mustang horse
Hemlock Ridge Farm will be holding 4 clinics throughout the summer thanks in part to partial funding from the Paul Merrill Fund! Sherrye Trafton, of Sable Oakes Equestrian Center in Brunswick ME, will be teaching Natalie D. training techniques at these clinics. You can come watch the training of her yearling mustang named Bear and learn some new training.
Bear is a mustang that is part of a 90 day training program through The Mustang Heritage Foundation. He is being trained by Natalie D. Come watch and see their progress!
All 4-Her’s are welcome to audit for free! General public is encouraged to make a $10 donation.
Clinic Dates: August 14th, and August 26th
Location: Hemlock Ridge Farm, 28 Poland Rd, Freeport, ME
Time: All clinics will start at 6:00pm and will last about 2 1/2 hours

Bring your own chair. There will be a bake sale by the White Pines Equine 4-H Club of Cumberland County.


Cumberland County 4-H Members Help Local Food System

Caleb, Katie, Bea, Gavin, Olivia, William, and James are all members of the Cumberland County 4-H program who raise market hogs and lambs to be sold annually at the Cumberland Fair 4-H Livestock Auction. Again this year in addition to raising their own animals and soliciting buyers for those animals, they are also participating in a community service project that will benefit both 4-H’ers and their local food pantries. They would like to raise enough money so that the Gray and New Gloucester Food Pantries can purchase four market hogs and two market lambs at the 4-H Auction. In order to reach this goal they are hoping to raise $3,600 from the community by September 25, 2019.

The Gray Community Food Pantry serves 40-70 families with emergency and home deliveries. The New Gloucester Food Pantry serves 60-70 families in a year. Since meat is one of the more expensive items for clients to buy, having fresh pork and lamb available from local sources is a win-win-win for these food pantries, 4-H members, and the local food system.

Donations of any amount can be sent to GNG 4-H Food Pantry Project, P.O. Box 1012, Gray, Maine 04039. Checks may be made payable to: GNG 4-H Food Pantry Project.



State 4-H News August 2019


Eastern States Bus Trip, Saturday, September 21, 2019

UPDATE: Due to a schedule conflict – the date of the bus trip has been changed to September 21, 2019. There are still spaces available.

It’s time to reserve seats for the buses traveling to Eastern States Exposition (ESE or also called the “Big E”) in West Springfield, Massachusetts for Maine Day on Saturday, September 21, 2019.

This one-day trip is sponsored by the Maine Trustees of the Eastern States Exposition to encourage
Maine 4-Hers who don’t presently participate in events at ESE to see the activities that go on for 4-H youth in hopes to bolster their enthusiasm to participate in the future.  A bus is reserved for us, the northernmost bus will originate in Bangor, and there will be stops at several points on I-95, locations based on where passengers are located.  Seats fill up quickly, and we will begin taking registrations immediately.

All youth must go with a chaperone, but because this event is primarily for youth; seats are limited to no more than two adults per child – chaperones must be the parent or legal guardian of the 4-H member, or an enrolled VOLT trained volunteer.  The bus ride and admission to the “Big E” are free, and all individuals on this trip are expected to march in the parade at 5 pm.  It works well if you wear a 4-H t-shirt if you have one, and for clubs to bring their club banner to display during the parade.

Items you might want to bring along with you are: light snacks, water, a good book, Rated G movies (there is a DVD player on the bus), a pillow, and a blanket.  There will be a rest stop along the way.  Other items to consider bringing: clothing to identify your club, a comfortable pair of walking shoes, a hat with a visor, sun glasses, sun screen, a back pack, personal spending money, a camera, and a watch.  If you have a cell phone, it will be helpful for logistics.  Please include your cell phone number when you register. Please leave valuable items at home.  We are not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Reservations can be made online or by emailing Jordan Rhoten.

When you register, please give the name, age (for adults, just state “adult”), address, home phone, and cell phone number of each person in your group.  Reservations are due by Friday, August 30th (call after this date to check on seat availability).  A confirmation email will be sent to you a week before the trip giving you your time and pick up location.  Pick up will be bright and early in the morning, and both buses will be leaving The Big E at 7:00 pm.

Volunteers are needed to serve as Bus Monitors.  Bus Monitors will serve as the contact person for other passengers on their bus, and will make sure everyone gets back on the bus at the rest stop.  If you’d be willing to serve in this capacity, please let us know when you sign up.

If you have questions, please contact Jessy Brainerd at 800.287.0274 or 207.581.3877.


4-H Horse Show at Union Fair
Maine 4-H Horse members: You are invited to participate in the 4-H Horse Show at Union Fair on Wednesday, August 21 starting at 9:00 am at Union Fairgrounds in Union, Maine. Open to all 4-H members, 4-H ages 9-18, in the State of Maine who are enrolled in a 4-H Horse Project. For more information and entry form, visit http://unionfair.org/  to download the Premium Book under Information>Printable Documents. Questions? Pamela Doherty, 207.832.0343, pamela.doherty@maine.edu.


Big E Ruby Morris 4-H Scholarship
This year Maine will select 1 recipient for the $500 Ruby Morris 4-H Scholarship. Potential candidates must have been a 4-H program participant at the Big E for at least one year, the year of the scholarship presentation, or prior.  The scholarship must be used for two or four Year College, professional training, technical schools, etc.

Additional information and application materials can be found at: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/annual-events/ruby-morris-scholarship/.


WABI Covered the ribbon-cutting of Lafayette and Rawcliffe 4-H Science and Engineering Learning Center
WABI(channel 5) covered the ribbon-cutting at the Lafayette and Rawcliffe 4-H Science and Engineering Learning Center, established by University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine 4-H Foundation. “We’re fully connected via technology… if we need the ability to bring youth here in this area and connect them with other folks around the state and around the world,” says Hannah Carter, dean of Cooperative Extension. Youth can participate in workshops and connect with UMaine faculty and student researchers. The building also will house 4-H STEM Ambassadors, the 4-H STEM Toolkit Lab and Lending Library, Follow a Researcher™, 4-H Science Saturdays, and 4-H@UMaine.


Congratulations to the following 4-H members for their selection to the Maine State 4-H Equestrian Team
Riders: Jordyn M. (Andro/Sag), Sophie P. (Cumberland), Jessica F. (Cumberland), Izabelle H. (Aroostook), Natalie D. (Cumberland), Anna R. (Aroostook), Ashlyn B. (Oxford), Mallory W. (Aroostook), Caitlyn P. (Franklin), Alex M. (Hancock), Carianne C. (Franklin), Mariah M. (Somerset), Ryan I. (Waldo), Emily C. (Waldo), Shannon R. (Cumberland), Mia W. (Franklin), Bailegh M. (Aroostook). Teen Leaders: Zoe S. (Hancock), Bailey C. (Andro/Sag), Abbie K. (Waldo), Samantha B. (Waldo) & Alternate Alison S. (Aroostook). Educational Horse Track Delegates: Emily G. (Waldo) & Grace W. (Franklin).

Congratulations! We are proud to have you represent our state at the Big E on September 18-21.


New England 4-H Horse Education Poster Contest
Situation: 4-H members and their horses are on display for the public at The New England 4-H Horse Program Activity at Eastern States Exposition. Most of those who go through the horse barn and watch the 4-H horse show are not knowledgeable about horses or safety around them. They often put themselves, their children, 4-H members and horses in potentially dangerous situations because of lack of knowledge.

Purpose: To educate the public about safety around horses and general horse knowledge.
How: A Horse Safety/General Horse Knowledge Poster Display in the horse barn.
Who: Any 4-H member is invited to submit a poster for the contest.
When: Posters must be at the Androscoggin/Sagadahoc Counties office or with an Eastern States Horse Team Member by Friday, Sept 13, so the posters can be transported to ESE for judging.
What: The poster may illustrate any aspect of Equine education or general horse safety. It can be a drawing, a cartoon, a collage, printed instructions, etc. The poster must be a minimum of 11″ x 14″ in size, or a maximum of 22″ x 28″ and should be readable at 30′. THIS POSTER SHOULD BE YOUR OWN WORK. Check with your 4-H extension office for tips on making posters and/or further information.

Divisions for posters: 5-8yrs (Novice), 9-13yrs (Juniors) and 14 to 19yrs (Seniors) Each division will be judged separately All posters will be displayed in the 4-H Horse barn during the 4-H Horse Activity at The Big E

For entry forms please contact Kristy Ouellette in the Androscogggin/Sagadahoc office at kristy.ouellette@maine.edu.


4-H National Trip and CWF Winners
We recently held interviews for National Trips. Please join us in Congratulating the following winners for this year’s National Trips and also the delegates selected to attend 2019 Citizenship Washington Focus.  We are proud to have you represent Maine 4-H!

Four Winners for National 4-H Congress will be headed to Atlanta, GA on November 29-December 3, 2019. Representing Cumberland County will be Don S, Matthew D., and from Kennebec County will be Andrew D., from Piscataquis County will be Gabrielle H, and the 1st Alternate is from Waldo County,  Abbie K.

Four Winners for National 4-H Conference will travel to the National 4-H Center in Washington DC on March  28-April 2, 2020.  Representing Cumberland County will be Natalie D, and Lauren P., and serving also from Cumberland County is 1st alternate Alyvia C, from Androscoggin-Sagadahoc will be Jordyn M., and from Piscataquis County will be Ingrid H.

Thirty Delegates for Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) will be traveling to Washington DC on June 29-July 6, 2019.  Delegates include: from Cumberland County: Emma H, Alyvia C, Aidan E, Eliana B, Nimo A, Marwo S, Salima K, Plamedia N; from Somerset County: Mackenzie J, Abigail G; from Knox-Lincoln County: Sadie O, Jeremy D, Savannah D, Nathan D; from Oxford County:  Marina L; from Franklin County: Jack S, Johathan C, Alexis M; from Piscataquis County: Tyler L, Susannah H; from Penobscot County: Elizabeth D; and from Androscoggin-Sagadahoc:  Marissa M, Maddie G, Reginald B.


Club Happenings


White Pine Equines and Caprines
brown mustang yearling horse with teen girl trainerBridge F.

On Monday July 8th Hemlock Ridge Farm held their 1st of 4 clinics. Sherrye Trafton of Sable Oaks Equestrian center, Brunswick ME came to teach a clinic for Natalie D. Sherrye taught (and will continue to teach) training techniques and more for Natalie to use with her new yearling mustang, Bear, who she is working with for the 90 day training program through the Mustang Heritage Foundation. We welcome you to come and audit the next clinics on, 7/24, 8/14, and 8/26. A bake sale and drinks will be available. Natalie and Bear are doing so great!

In other news, we are going to start meeting at Skyline soon, and we are exited to ride!


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 https://extension.umaine.edu/cumberland/upcoming-events/