September 2021 4-H News
Cumberland County 4-H News
4-H Calendar
State 4-H News
4-H Club Happenings
Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News
September 8: Cumberland County Extension Association Annual Meeting & Pie Contest
September 16: CC 4-H Leaders Association Board of Directors Meeting, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Online & Gorham Public Works, 80 Huston Road, Gorham
September 26 – October 2: Cumberland County Fair, a chance for our members to really shine! There are livestock shows, projects can be shown in the exhibit hall, and key fundraisers happen.
In-Person Programming
Please review all of the Covid-19 meeting procedures at the link below prior to holding any 4-H meetings or attending 4-H events. The checklist has been updated as of August 20, 2021. Training and the meeting approval form can be found here as well: https://extension.umaine.edu/plugged-in/return/restarting-educational-programs/
CCEA Annual Meeting, Wednesday, September 8, at 5:00PM
4-H leaders and members are invited to the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Cumberland County Extension Association to be held on Wednesday, September 8 starting at 5:00PM at the UMaine Gardens at Tidewater Farm in Falmouth. 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 7, or for more information contact us at 781.6099 or 1.800.287.1471 or email extension.rlreception@maine.edu.
Cumberland Fair, September 26 – October 2, 2021
All 2021 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 1st. Here are some helpful suggestions for you while you are getting ready for the fair:
- 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!
- Projects: Pay close attention to the details on your projects and allow time to complete them and not leave things to the last minute.
- 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 an Exhibit Form AND Skills Card OR the new double-sided Exhibit Form/Skills Card filled out completely and attached. The Life Skills Wheel side of the skills form DOES NOT need to be filled out.
- Project Drop Off: Make sure to note the new drop off times for all projects. Some projects will be judged on Friday and some on Saturday in order to space out people in the Exhibit Hall and make set-up of the hall easier.
- Fair Passes: Same as 2019. 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 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.
The Pig Raffle is On for 2021!
Pig Raffle Tickets On Sale Now and We Need Your Help to Promote & Sell Them!
Tickets are $1 for 1, or $5 for 6 and can be paid by cash, check made payable to the CC 4-H Leaders Association, or by PayPal. The drawing date will be October 2nd, 2021 during the Cumberland Fair.
For more information about the Pig Raffle including where you can pick up tickets to sell, please visit https://extension.umaine.edu/cumberland/4h/events/cumberland-fair/pig-raffle/
You do not need to mail the physical ticket to buyers unless they request to fill them out on their own and mail them back. Tickets may be purchased remotely via cash or check and the 4-Her who sold them will be responsible for filling out the tickets and dropping them off at the Cumberland Fairgrounds by 12:00PM on October 2nd. For those who purchase via PayPal the account will be monitored by a 4-H volunteer and tickets will be completed by that volunteer.
To purchase tickets via the Cumberland County Leaders Association’s PayPal please visit: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/SupportCumberland4H
Volunteers Needed: 4-H Kitchen Fundraiser and Pig Raffle Ticket Sales at the Cumberland Fair, September 26 – October 2, 2021
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 Leader’s Association to support all of the scholarships, camperships, County events, and programs. All Covid-19 precautionary guidelines from the state of Maine for food booths will be followed and conveyed to volunteers for their shifts. Face masks will be required at all times.
Shift times:
7:00 – 9:00AM
9:00 – 11:30AM
11:30AM – 4:30PM
4:30 – 9:00PM
Please email Nicole Foster at 4Hkitchencentral@gmail.com or call 207.615.7558 for more details or to sign up your family or club.
Bottle Bin Distribution and Pick Up, September 25 and October 2, 2021
Each year at the Cumberland Fair bins for returnable bottles and cans are placed out on the first Saturday and collected again on Saturday at the end of the Fair. Thank you to everyone who came out in 2019, many hands made light work, we’re hoping for that again this year! We are looking for anyone (members, friends, parents, family, etc.) to help with setting the bins out on September 25, and collecting the bottles and bins on Saturday, October 2nd, 12:30 – 3:30PM. This is a great supplemental fundraiser to the 4-H Kitchen and Pig Raffle but we need volunteers to make it happen. If interested please email sara.conant@maine.edu or call 207.781.6099.
Cumberland County 4-H Members Help Local Food System
Katie, Bea, & Olivia are all members of the Cumberland County 4-H program. Again this year they are working on their annual 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 Fair 4-H Livestock Auction.
The Gray Community Food Pantry serves 60 – 100 families including 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.
Thank you to all who helped at our 4-H Hall Cleanup at the Cumberland Fairgrounds!
A big thank you to everyone who came to the annual Cumberland County 4-H Leaders Association cleanup at the Cumberland Fairgrounds on August 26. There were many 4-Her’s and adults who made quick work of the weeding, ironing, scrubbing, sweeping, and other tasks. Thanks to the 4-H Leaders Association for providing food and supplies for all of the volunteers!
Maker Monday Series is Back!
One afternoon each month, October – December, Sara will offer a free, virtual, themed-activity for youth ages 5-18. Current 4-H enrollment is not necessary for participation in the Maker Monday program. You can choose to join us for one project or all three.
- Dates: October 18; November 15; and December 13
- Time: 4:30 – 5:30PM
- Location: Online Via Zoom
- Cost: FREE Supply Kits Provided
October 18, 2021: Melted Crayon Art
November 15, 2021: Fall Felt Leaves Wreath
December 13, 2021: Snowflake Science
For more information and to register, visit the 4-H Maker Series page
Awards Packets and Start-Up Packets
Awards Packets for the 2021-2022 4-H year have been mailed to all Primary Club leaders. For more information about how to complete your project records, please visit extension.umaine.edu/4h/volunteers/project-records/
Start-Up packets for the new 4-H year will be available to pick up in September at the Cumberland Fair. If you are a Primary Club Leader and do not foresee your club having in-person meetings before December 31st please email eavan.sibolelittle@maine.edu so that she can mail enrollment forms for your members to individual families. You must let Eavan know by Friday, September 18, 2021, otherwise all enrollment forms will be mailed to the Primary Club Leader per usual.
Tractor Supply Paper Clover Fall Campaign, October 6-17, 2021
Invite friends and family to support 4-H by donating $1 at check out when they are done shopping at their local Tractor Supply. 100% of each dollar goes to 4-H. 90% of all funds collected to support local and state 4-H programs right where you live. At this time no 4-H club in-store fundraisers or activities are being encouraged by Tractor Supply but you can still get the word out about donating!
State 4-H News September 2021
K-12 Planetarium Field Trips at the Versant Power Astronomy Center
The Versant Power Astronomy Center (formerly Emera Astronomy Center) would like to share the news that they have over 50 different programs that cover not just astronomy and space exploration, but also biology, chemistry, climate science, earth science, engineering, history and more! We have programs for all age levels which match with the Next Generation Science Standards, so do explore our offerings.
A full list of their offerings can be found at https://astro.umaine.edu/visit/planetarium-programs/ and for general information see https://astro.umaine.edu/ which has a variety of online resources and our full public program schedule. If you have any questions about our programs, feel free to contact me directly at planetarium@maine.edu or shawn.laatsch@maine.edu.
New England 4-H Summer Show Survey
Please share your thoughts on the 4-H Summer Show, whether your group attended or did not attend. We want to hear what you think! Please share this with others who are interested in the Summer 4-H Show and other New England 4-H activities. This survey is one way to get voices heard from Maine that we would prefer the ESE experience during the Big E vs. the summer show experience. Follow this link to the survey: Take the Survey. OR copy and paste this url into your browser: https://uconn.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0BoQ2Zw7q5IelgO?RID=MLRP_bqmakulIdmCCrRA&Q_CHL=email.
The Art of Math: Maine 4-H STEM Toolkit of the Month
Each month we will be highlighting a different 4-H STEM Toolkit available from UMaine Cooperative Extension 4-H Program!
The Art of Math activities include sessions on Patterns and the Fibonacci Sequence, Symmetry, Shapes, Geometry, and end with a building challenge! This kit can be used with upper elementary aged youth (4th – 6th or so). It was used virtually last spring for the 4-H STEM Ambassador program, and most of the activities worked well.
Learn more about this, and other 4-H STEM Toolkits online, where you can see what is available for different age groups or topic areas.
National 4-H Congress 2021
Exciting news! National Congress 2021 will be happening in person in November 2021! As with other trips, Maine 4-H already has a delegation picked from previous National Interviews. We will be reaching out to that group of youth to see where they are at. These youth will need to still be age 14-18 and still enrolled in 4-H. If you have questions, please email Heidi Palmer at thuotte@maine.edu.
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
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/