August 2020
Cumberland County 4-H News
4-H Calendar
State 4-H News
4-H Club Happenings
Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News
4-H In-Person Programming Update
At this time all in-person 4-H programming, including club meetings is still suspended. A statewide 4-H reopening plan has been submitted to UMaine Leadership and we are awaiting more information. We are planning to have an update, along with a checklist for programs and meetings, and trainings for volunteers, available by September 1st. It is important to remember that when 4-H programs reopen it will not be 4-H meetings per usual, things will look different, and we hope everyone will be patient and safe during this process. Remember we’re all in this together and we’re here to help!
4-H Meet & Greet Mondays – August 10th – Trivia!
4-H Meet & Greet Monday will be offered virtually the second Monday of each month June – August, 3:30-4:30 PM via Zoom video chat. We’ll start by getting to know everyone on the call, play some trivia games, and use the rest of the time to chat. Open to both youth and volunteers! The recurring meeting link is available in the August 4-H Newsletter email.
The Pig Raffle is On for 2020!
Tickets have been ordered and will be available soon for our ONLY fundraiser of the year for the Cumberland County 4-H Leaders Association! Because a bulk of ticket sales traditionally come from the Fair we’re relying on all of our 4-H families and extended family to promote the pig raffle this year and sell some tickets! We will be providing promotional sample posts for social media and a video that can be shared to family and friends soon.
Even though the physical tickets haven’t arrived yet you can still begin selling! Tickets will be $1 for 1, or $5 for 6 and can be paid by cash or check made payable to the CC 4-H Leaders Association. You may collect the money, name/address/phone of the ticket buyer and fill out the ticket for them once tickets arrive.
For more information about the Pig Raffle please visit https://extension.umaine.edu/cumberland/4h/events/cumberland-fair/pig-raffle/.
Cumberland Fair Livestock Auction
Due to the uncertainty surrounding in-person 4-H events due to Covid-19, the Livestock Auction at the Cumberland Fair will not be a 4-H-sanctioned event. The Cumberland Fair is still planning to hold Market Animal Shows and a Livestock Auction on September 30th for youth from Red & White Faces, Cumberland County Sheep, & Cumberland County Swiners clubs. We will share with you any information about the auction that we receive from the Fair. Youth who have raised a market animal in one of these clubs and choose not to participate in the Livestock Auction may sell their animal privately but must make arrangements for slaughter on their own, as Windham Butcher Shop is only holding slots open for animals that sell through the auction. Contact Mark Cooper at 207-892-7276 with questions.
Cumberland County 4-H Members Help Local Food System
Katie, Bea, Gavin, & Olivia are all members of the Cumberland County 4-H program who raise market hogs and lambs to be sold annually at the Cumberland Fair’s 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 market hogs and market lambs at the Cumberland Farmers Club Youth Auction.
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, youth, 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.
4-H Virtual Disease Detectives: Operation Outbreak Project Webinar
Want to help 4-H members test their investigative skills and help 4-H adapt to this pandemic? Interested in epidemiology (how we can track and prevent the spread of germs and diseases)? Consider leading the 4-H Virtual Disease Detectives: Operation Outbreak Project! The Virtual 4-H Disease Detectives Project will help youth learn about disease outbreaks, virus transmissions, public health investigations and how protective actions like hand washing, wearing masks, vaccinations, and herd immunity help manage negative public health outcomes. This project is designed for virtual delivery to 4-H members that are at least 12 years old. For more information and training on leading this project, please join the UC 4-H Healthy Living Leadership Team for a webinar on August 13, 2020 from 7:00pm – 8:30pm PST. The training will also be recorded if this time doesn’t work for you. Register here: https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=31737
Contact Anne Iaccopucci at amiaccopucci@ucanr.edu with any questions.
State 4-H News August 2020
Coming Soon: Maine and Northeast Regional 4-H Dog Photo Contests
Enter the Maine 4-H Dog Photo Contest. Photos will be uploaded and judged. Winners in each of five categories will move on to the Northeast Regional 4-H Dog Photo Contest to compete against winners from several other states. ALL enrolled 4-Hers may enter, not just dog or photography project members. Go to this web page: umaine.edu/4h/animal-science-resources/dog/dog-photo-contest/ for more information as it becomes available.
Fryeburg Fair Virtual 4-H Animal Project Show (No Market Animals)
A Note from Fryeburg Fair: While we cannot be together in person this year, Fryeburg Fair would love to have you participate in our 4-H Animal Project Virtual Show. Please create a 30 to 45 second video and provide a photo of you and your animal. The video and photo should be taken as if you are in the show ring and the camera is the judge. This event is an exhibition of projects and not a judged event. One entry per person per animal type.
Submit one form per animal type (One Entry Per Person Per Animal Type), you may use the “submit another response” link after each submission. Entry deadline is 9/1/2020. Click the following link to view all events and contests: https://www.fryeburgfair.org/p/events/virtual-fair1. All submissions become the property of the Fryeburg Fair.
2020 Big E Has Been Canceled
It has just been announced that the Big E has been canceled for 2020. The official statement from them “The Big E is so much more than just a fair, it is tradition, it is celebration, it is the showcase of everything we are so proud of in New England. This is why our hearts are heavy as we bring you this news. For the safety of our fairgoers, staff, vendors, entertainers, exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers and the broader community, the 2020 Big E has been canceled. Thank you all for your support and we’ll see you September 17-October 3, 2021, when we can all celebrate together again.”
Club Happenings
Your 4-H Club Happenings could be featured here! Just email sara.conant@maine.edu by the 25th of each month with information about your club meetings, events, or fundraisers. Pictures are always a plus!
Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News
Livestock Nutrition & Processing Webinar Series
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Windham Butcher Shop are pleased to announce a series of livestock nutrition talks that cover basic nutrition and feeding needs of Small Ruminants, Beef Cattle, Pigs, and Poultry. Join Dr. Colt W. Knight as he discusses the nutritional demands for livestock, differences among feeds, and why a properly balanced ration is crucial to profitability, reproduction, and animal health. The final lecture in this series will discuss what you should expect from processors and what processors expect from you.
August 6th 6:00-8:00 PM – Beef Cattle
August 13th 6:00-8:00 PM – Small Ruminants (Sheep and Goats)
August 20th 6:00-8:00 PM – Swine
August 27th 6:00-8:00 PM – Poultry
September 3rd 6:00-8:00 PM – Processing Expectations
This workshop is free but registration is required: umaine.edu/register/product/livestock-nutrition/
UMaine Extension Food Preservation Webinar – August Topics
Summer in Maine is fully underway, and August brings some of our favorite fruits and vegetables for preserving. Learn how to capture those fresh summer flavors with four new food preservation webinars from UMaine Extension staff. These 45-minute sessions are full of useful ways to preserve local food with safety and flavor in mind. New topics for August include:
August 4 – Freezing Fruit
August 11 – Steam Canning
August 18 – Freezing Tomatoes and Freezing Corn
August 25 – Canning Salsa and Tomatoes
Registration is required; a $5 donation per session is optional. If you can’t attend the session live, register to receive the follow-up email with recipes, resources, and the link to the webinar recording. Register here: https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/food-preservation/food-preservation-webinar-series/
For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, call or email Kate McCarty at (207) 781-6099 or kate.mccarty@maine.edu
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/