August 2024 4-H Newsletter

4-H Calendar

4-H Club Happenings

State 4-H News

Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News 

August 15: 4-H Exhibit Hall Cleanup and Leader’s Association Meeting 

Cumberland County 4-H Office Hours

The Cumberland County office is currently open Monday-Thursday from 8:00am-4:30pm and Friday from 8:00am-12:00pm. Please ring the bell in our lobby upon your arrival in the office, and a staff member will meet you at the front.

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 5:00 – 6:30 PM for 4-H’ers, leaders, parents, grandparents, and friends, at the fairgrounds. Pizza will be provided from 6:30 – 7:00 PM. for all those who come and help. Please bring your own drink.

We can always use someone to bring an iron, ironing board, hedge trimmers, & rakes.

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!

Save the Date Annual Meeting, Tuesday, September 10

4-H leaders and members are invited to the 2024 Cumberland County Extension Association Open House & Annual Meeting on September 10, 2024 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at UMaine Gardens at Tidewater Farm in Falmouth. For location information visit the Tidewater Farm page.

We will hold our 2024 King Arthur Flour Pie-Bake Off as part of the Open House! For more information, including rules and a prize list, please visit our pie contest page.

2024 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 arrange to pick some up! 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 22- September 28, 2024

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 a.m.
  • 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
  • 4:30 p.m. – 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 – September 28, 2024

All 2024 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:

  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.
  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 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.
  4. Project Drop Off: Make sure to note the 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.
  5. Fair Passes: Same as 2023. 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 Allison Pollock 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 University of Maine Cooperative Extension is hiring!

We are hiring a position in our office—an Administrative Specialist that supports the Food & Nutrition and 4-H Youth Development programs. Interested applicants can find job details and apply via this link: https://fa-ewca-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/214 

Club Happenings

 Your 4-H Club Happenings could be featured here! Just email allison.pollock@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 August 2024

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.

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/