February 2020
Cumberland County 4-H News
4-H Calendar
State 4-H News
4-H Club Happenings
Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News
Important Dates
February 1: Dairy, Dog, Goat, Horse, and Sheep ESE Intent to Participate Forms due
February 20:
- Fashion Revue: Project Drop-Off at UMaine Extension in Falmouth by 4:00PM
February 22: Fashion Revue: Judging and Fashion Show at the Little Falls Recreation Building, Gorham – All are welcome to watch the show @ 2:30PM
Curtain Creation for 4-H Hall – Volunteers Needed
In an effort to spruce up the 4-H Exhibit Hall a bit, new 4-H Fabric has been purchased to make curtains for all the windows in the hall. We are in need of a few 4-Her’s or volunteers to sew some of the curtains for us by August. Fabric will arrive in the 4-H office by mid-January and would make a great Fashion Revue and/or community service project! Please let Sara know if you’d like to make a set of curtains or two by emailing sara.conant@maine.edu, or calling 207-781-6099.
Save the Date & Call for Presenters – Mini-Forum March 21st, 2020
Mini-Forum will be held Saturday, March 21st at USM Gorham, Bailey Hall. Do you have ideas for a Mini-Forum workshop? Do you know someone who would make a fun and interesting presenter?
We are offering 1.5 hour “tracks” in the morning and one-hour “sampler” programs in the afternoon. If you would like a morning slot but only have an idea that can take 45 minutes, please let us know and we will try to pair you with another similar activity. If you or someone you know would like to be a presenter at Mini-Forum please sign up using the Cumberland County 4-H Mini-Forum Workshop Presenter Form (Google Form) by Wednesday, February 19th.
Email Sara at sara.conant@maine.edu or call 207-781-6099 with your ideas and for more information on how to help. Mini-Forum is open to any youth ages 5-18 regardless of 4-H membership, so tell your friends!
True Leaders in Service 2020 – Donation Drive & Service Event – March 21, 2020
In an effort to expose our members to more service, and opportunities around leadership in service, we are offering our first annual True Leaders in Service Event, planned by the 4-H Teen Council! There will be two opportunities for 4-Her’s to participate. The first is a Donation Drive for items for the Ronald McDonald House, organized by the Humanitarian Assistors Portland High Club. The second is a fleece blanket making event to be held during the general session at Mini-Forum 12:00 – 1:30. Blankets will be donated to Lucky Pup Rescue and a local nursing home. If anyone has other suggestions for organizations in Cumberland County that would like handmade fleece blankets please email or call Sara!
The PHS 4-H Club wants to collect 100 items for Ronald McDonald House in Portland by Mini-Forum on March 21st! The items are to help families who have sick children at Maine Medical Center. To donate, each club should bring their items to the March Leaders Association Meeting (03/19 in Gorham), or to Mini-Forum where a PHS 4-H teen will collect them.
Please make sure to identify in some way which club(s) are donating the item so we can recognize everyone! Please only include new, un-used, non-expired items. The items that Ronald McDonald House needs include:
- Individually-packaged snacks
- Sugar
- Ketchup
- Non-dairy creamer
- Tissues
- Paper Towels
- Trash bags – 4 gallon and 13 gallon
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Spatulas
- Dishwasher detergent
- Laundry detergent
- Shaving cream
- Travel size shampoo & conditioner
- Pledge
- Lysol Spray & Wipes
Additional needs are on the Ronald McDonald House Wishlist:https://rmhcmaine.org/wish-list/
For more information about Ronald McDonald House go here: https://rmhcmaine.org/about-us/mission-vision-history/
Upcoming 4-H Volunteer Training at Mini-Forum, March 21
If you know anyone in your club or community who would like to become a 4-H Volunteer, an in-person training will be held at Mini-Forum on Saturday, March 21, during Session 1, 10:00-11:30 AM at Bailey Hall, USM Gorham Campus. All adults who will work directly with 4-H youth for 8 hours or more in 2020 should become trained. This is a great opportunity for 17 and 18 year old club members to complete training so that they can be ready to volunteer upon aging out of 4-H. In order to register please email sara.conant@maine.edu or call 207.781.6099.
2020 4-H Member Cards Must Be Requested Annually
4-H Member Cards will only be printed by request. Please note that while the Cumberland Fair does not accept Member Cards, some fairs do still use member cards for entrance passes, so please check with any fairs you will be planning to attend this year to see what their entrance requirements are.
If you or your club would like member and leader cards please email or call Sara, sara.conant@maine.edu, 207.781.6099 by April 1 to be on the list for a printed 4-H Member Card. If you do not signup you will not receive a member card but will still receive a Cumberland Fair pass if you plan to exhibit.
Campership Applications Now Available
Campership applications will be due on Thursday, April 09, 2020 at 4:30PM. Camperships are scholarships for youth to attend a summer camp of their choice. Applications are now available on the 4-H Camperships page. Please mail completed application to UMaine Extension, Attn: 4-H Camperships, 75 Clearwater Drive, Suite 104, Falmouth, Maine 04105.
The Maine 4-H Foundation has camp scholarships ranging from $100-$200 available for 4-H members to any one week of 4-H camp. Try one of our University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Centers at Blueberry Cove, Bryant Pond, Greenland Point and Tanglewood. Call the camps to ask for a scholarship. Scholarships are based on need and first come, first serve. https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/camps/
4-H Scholarship Applications Now Available
Cumberland County 4-H Scholarship applications are due Thursday, April 9, 2020 at 4:30PM. If you need help applying for any of these scholarships or have questions, please call or email Sara at 781.6099, sara.conant@maine.edu. Please note that the application for the 4-H Leaders Association, Linda Clark/Margy Justice Memorial, and Susan P. Grover Memorial Scholarships are all the same but the requirements for each are different. The Extension Homemaker’s Scholarship has a different application form. Applications should be mailed to UMaine Extension, Cumberland County, Attn: 4-H Scholarships, 75 Clearwater Drive, Suite 104, Falmouth, Maine 04105. For more information and applications please visit the 4-H Scholarships page. A packet with scholarship applications and information will be mailed mid-February to all seniors currently enrolled in Cumberland County 4-H.
The Maine 4-H Foundation provides a number of scholarships for graduating seniors. The applications are found on line and are due in the county office by March 1. Please see the rubric and application requirements on line at https://extension.umaine.edu/4hfoundation/funding/.
Master Gardener Plant Sale – Educational Opportunity for 4-H Clubs
This year the Plant Sale is scheduled for Saturday, May 16th at the Barron Center in Portland. In the past, they have focused on environmentally-focused agencies to fill out their educational offerings, but this year Master Gardeners would like to feature UMaine Extension Programs. They are looking for volunteers (youth and/or adults) to offer interactive demos and educational information on the 4-H programs. If any clubs or individuals are interested in staffing a booth for 4-H to share information and maybe some demonstrations with sale attendees please email sara.conant@maine.edu, 207-781-6099.
4-H “Pen Pal” Request with Edwards County Illinois
The 4-H Leader of the Blue Ribbon 4H Club in Edwards County Illinois is interested in reaching out to different areas of the country to find another club that they could “pen pal” with as a fun and educational to learn how other parts of the country participate in 4-H. If your club is interested in this you can reach out to club leader Meghan Fearn, fearnblasting@yahoo.com, 618-919-2133.
Rabbit Breed ID Contest – 02/15/20 in Westbrook
Cumberland County Rabbit Breeders Double Youth/Open Show
When: February 15, 2020, 11:00 – 12:30pm, Winners announced at 1:00PM
Where: Westbrook Eagles Club, 89 Saco Street, Westbrook, ME
FMI: Cumberland County Rabbit Breeders Facebook, or email 4-H leader Amy McDevitt, appalachianchic@gmail.com
Local 4-H Staff Receive National Diversity & Inclusion Award and Excellence in After School Programming
University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H youth development program staff were recently honored by the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA) as Northeast regional and national winners of the Diversity & Inclusion: Expanding the 4-H Audience Award and the Excellence in After School Programming Award.
UMaine Extension staff honored at the NAE4-HA conference, held Nov. 7 in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, were Extension 4-H professor Kristy Ouellette of Litchfield; Extension 4-H assistant professor Mitchell Mason of Portland; Extension 4-H Professional Abdallah Ali of Portland; Extension 4-H Community Central program coordinator Laura Personette of Topsham; Extension 4-H science professional Sarah Sparks of New Gloucester; and community partners Lewiston Housing Authority, Lewiston 21st Century Learning Program at McMahon School and Portland Housing Authority.
The Diversity & Inclusion award recognizes outstanding effort and accomplishments in achieving and sustaining diversity in the NAE4-HA organization, programs, and/or audiences.
The Excellence in After School Programming Award encourages and recognizes exceptional work in 4-H after school programming by NAE4-HA members.
State 4-H News February 2020
Come to Orono for the 2020 4H@UMaine May 29 – 30, 2020
Planning has started and the wheels are in motion thanks to the efforts of a tremendous team! We are always looking for individuals interested in helping with pre-event planning or attending the event itself! Stay tuned for details. For more information about 4-H@UMaine, contact Greg Kranich atkranich@maine.edu or 207.581.3292.
Save the Date for 2020 Maine 4-H Days
Maine 4-H Days will take place July 16 – 19, 2020 at the Windsor Fairgrounds. If you are interested in helping to plan next year’s event, please contact Jessy Brainerd at jessica.brainerd@maine.edu or 207.581.3877.
UMaine 4-H Unconference – not your average volunteer forum!
UMaine 4-H Unconference – a volunteer forum led by 4-H volunteers for 4-H volunteers. UMaine 4-H Unconference will be an organized forum for 4-H volunteers, club leaders, afterschool providers, teachers, parents and teens 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. All experience levels are welcome and no one person has all the answers. Door prizes will be given at the end of the day. Register online at: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/volunteers/unconference/.
Join us for one or both of these awesome dates! Registration begins at 8:30 and door prizes will be drawn by 3:00:
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- Ellsworth (Ellsworth High School 24 Lejok St. Ellsworth, ME), Saturday February 8, 2020 (snow date February 29, 2020 – location TBD)
- Lewiston (USM Lewiston Auburn Campus – 51 Westminster St. Lewiston, ME) Saturday, March 14, 2020
National 4-H Trips (Conference and Congress)
National 4-H Trip Applications are due March 20th, 2020 (Conference and Congress). National 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 a part of a team making recommendations to National 4-H Council at Conference. To learn more about these trips, visit: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/national-trips/. For specific questions, please contact Heidi Palmer at heidi.thuotte@maine.edu
Maine 4-H Project Records Survey
The final survey regarding the Maine 4-H Project Records is available. You are invited to participate in a statewide research project being conducted by Kristy Ouellette and Jennifer Lobley, Extension Educators at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. This is the third of three surveys. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to complete an on-line survey with questions pertaining to your attitudes and beliefs regarding 4-H project records in Maine. The survey will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete. You will be entered in for a drawing of a Hannaford Gift Card. The survey is available here: https://umaine.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_78SczkYK7t5bMIl
National 4-H Dairy Conference – Goat & Cattle
The 66th National 4-H Dairy Conference will be held September 27 to September 30, 2020in Madison, Wisconsin. It will be held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo and attendees will have the chance to visit Expo as part of the conference agenda. Additionally, the conference will offer opportunities to learn more about careers in agriculture, seminars on dairy topics, and a wealth of chances to interact with dairy 4-H members from across the country.
More info about the conference can be found here (check back for updates as they happen): https://national4hdairyconference.org/2018/11/07/join-us-in-2019/
The Maine 4H Animal Science Dairy Committee would love to try and send/support a team of motivated kiddos who are involved with the Dairy Goat, or Dairy Cattle Project Areas for this very unique and meaningful opportunity.
The National 4H Dairy Conference requires that 4H team members: Have spent at least 3 years in those project areas, and be at least 15 years old but not yet older than 18 (4H age).
We are also looking for potential VOLT Chaperones who might like to help organize and facilitate this trip. If we have an idea of how many kids are interested we can plan our fundraising efforts accordingly. Interested parties can contact Tara marble at tara.marble@maine.edu, or 207-778-4650 at the Franklin County Office.
4-H Dairy Team Dates
The summer show season is fast approaching and it is time to start preparing for the 2020 Eastern States Exposition. Please save the dates below for Eastern States 4-H Dairy team tryouts and events. More information on the Eastern States Exposition 4-H dairy team and how to get involved in a 4-H dairy project can be found at https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/animal-science-resources/dairy/. Please contact Tara Marble at tara.marble@maine.edu or Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu with any questions.
Note: In order to be eligible for participation on the 2020 ESE 4-H Dairy Team youth must:
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- Be enrolled in a 4-H dairy project for at least one year
- Be 12 years old or older by December 31st of the current 4-H year
- Submit an ESE dairy team intent to participate form by Feb. 1, 2020
- Participate in at least one state tryout event
- Submit their animal approval form to their county office by May 1st (if they intend to bring an animal)
- Participate in the Maine State 4-H Dairy show in July
Maine 4-H Dairy Team Dates:
- 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl Team Tryouts: 2/15/2020, at 10:00 am at UMA in the Randall Student Center, Room 218 (snow date: 2/16/2020 same time and location)
- 4-H Dairy Judging Team Tryouts: 4/18/2020, time and location TBD
- Animal Approval and Lease Form Due Date (for ESE participants): 5/1/2020, in your local County Extension Office
- Animal Approval and Lease Form Due Date (for non-ESE participants): 6/30/2020, in your local County Extension Office
- Maine 4-H Dairy Show (including 4-H Grilled Cheese Contest and 4-H Dairy Fitting Contest): 7/18/2020 – 7/19/2020 at the Windsor Fairgrounds
Club Happenings
Tails & Trails
Reporter: Bridge F.
On December 7th, 2019 our club took a trip to MSSPA along with the Loose Shoe 4H club from Litchfeild, ME. We saw trainor Chris Lombard working with Clyde, a horse at the shelter. Chris was quiet and gentle, and talked us through his methods. It was a great learning experience. We also took a tour of the barns and met some horses up for adoption there. It is a beautiful property.
On December 11th, we held our annual 4H banquet. We all brought lots of good food, and certificates and calendars were handed out. It was fun to catch up with the Goat Club. Jack M. collected donations of animal food and toys for the AWS Animal Shelter.
Also, congratulations to Natalie D. for being accepted into the Pre-Vet program at UMO!
Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News
Young Adults Financial Assistance for Maine Garden Day
March 14, 2020
8:15 AM – 4:00 PM
We are pleased to announce that we are bringing back Maine Garden Day (after a five-year hiatus). This information-rich gardening conference will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2020 at Lewiston High School.
Register Online
General Admission: $60/person
Student Admission: $30/person
Registration deadline is February 20, and non-refundable after February 28.
Eight young adults (ages 15 to 21) will be awarded full financial assistance to attend Maine Garden Day. Young adults may apply by submitting this online application or a paper application (PDF) by February 20, 2020.
Limited partial financial assistance is also available for adults. Please contact Pamela Hargest at pamela.hargest@maine.edu or 207.781.6099 for more information. Financial assistance for young adults and adults will be awarded on a first come, first served basis.
We are Hiring for a 4-H Professional for Community Central in Greater Portland Area
- Experience working with diverse audiences and supporting equal opportunity, affirmative action, and civil rights goals.
- Demonstrated skill in designing and delivering community-based educational programs with an emphasis on youth development.
- Collaborative work skills with other agencies and organizations.
- Independent as well as teamwork skills; must be self-motivated and directed with the ability to achieve measurable results and manage multiple tasks in an autonomous work environment.
- Work schedule flexibility depending upon the needs of clients.
- Fluency in one or more of following languages: French, Somali, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, Lingala, Swahili, or Kinyarwanda (Preferred not required).
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/