July 2024 4-H Newsletter

Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News

July 12 – August 16: Summer SPIN Programs

July 19-21: State 4-H Dairy Show

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.

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, please contact our office, 207-781-6099. Tickets may be mailed or picked up in the office. 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 – individuals, families, or clubs are welcome!

Maine Fair Season Insurance

Maine fair season is upon us! Most Maine fairs now require proof of insurance in order to exhibit livestock. Proof of insurance usually is requested for individuals including the exhibitor (4-H member), owner of the animal, and anyone who may be responsible for maintaining the animal at the event (ex. parents or volunteers).

Some fairs no longer allow homeowner insurance policies. Please check your specific fair to see what they accept. Most fairs do accept the Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors (MALE) insurance.

The MALE annual membership renewal is in June. The year’s membership ended on June 30. A benefit of being a member of this association includes liability insurance at specific events, including Maine fairs. Please refer to the events that it does cover for the state. More information is available on the Memberships page of Maine Association Livestock Exhibitors website.

Kids Can Can 2024

Garden programming at Tidewater Garden/UMaine RLC
4 weeks from July 16, July 23, July 30, August 6, 2024
9:00-11:00 AM

Maximum # of Participants: 10
Minimum Age: 9 (younger based on if older sibling is coming, etc.)
Cost: $10 per youth for all 4 weeks

Registration is open till July 8th or when the class fills up, Click Here to register.

Blueberry jam, pickles, and tomato sauce—all of these foods can be made from scratch with fruits and vegetables grown in your own garden. Join UMaine Extension staff and volunteers in this hands-on, interactive program that will teach kids ages 9+ how to grow and preserve the garden’s harvest. Each session will begin in the University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Tidewater Gardens as we harvest the fruits and vegetables needed to make jam, pickles, tomato sauce, and more. Then we’ll move to the UMaine Regional Learning Center Demo Kitchen and prepare a batch of delicious preserved foods. Each participant will take home samples of what we make.

Fun with 4-H at Windham Library

Animal science programming at Windham Public Library
6 weeks from July 12 – August 16, 2024 on Fridays
Time: 10:00-11:00 AM
Maximum # of Participants: 15
Ages: 4-9
Cost: Free

Click Here to register.

Kids ages 4-9, join us for this 6-week program to learn more about farm animals! Each week, we will start by reading a book about a new animal to learn the basics. Then we will have a hands-on project that may include making a craft, sampling a food item, or another engaging activity. Registration is preferred to secure your child’s space in this program; drop-in participation is permitted if program capacity allows.

4-H Project Records

It is time to start thinking about Project Awards in the fall… are you keeping up your 4-H project records? You should do one project record for each project you will complete. Why do 4-H Project Records and Portfolios?

Opens doors to the wider 4-H program.
Your project isn’t done until the records are in.
The feeling you get when you are finally done!
You should document all of your hard work this year.
Your 4-H Leader will smile ?
The nagging will go away!
You will get your premiums for the fair.
It is a start towards 4-H Scholarships and National Trips in high school.
Chris Clover says so!

To access a copy of the records and portfolio, visit the 4-H Project Records Page.

Club Happenings

Beach Clean Up Day

17 of us gathered on Friday, June 28th at Back Cove Parking lot to help Friends of Casco Bay pick up trash and debris along Back Cove Trail. We tracked our data and collected 1,144 items with 688 of them being cigarette butts! We appreciate everybody that came out to help and participate in this community service project.

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 July 2024

4-H Summer Learning Series

Registration for the 4-H Summer Learning Series is in full swing! There are still several workshops available for youth to sign up for: Virtual Touch Tank, Fun in the Forest, and our Summertime Send-Off are still available. This year, workshops will run from July 5 – August 10, and there is something for everyone. Registration is currently open for all youth.

Maine 4-H State Dairy Show Registration is Open!

Maine 4-H invites you to participate in the 2024 Maine 4-H State Dairy Show! This year’s event will take place from July 19th-21st at the Windsor Fairgrounds in conjunction with Maine 4-H Days. The contests are open to all 4-H dairy project members ages 9 and above and include a grilled cheese and milkshake cookoff, a dairy cattle fitting contest, and a dairy cattle show. For a complete schedule and registration information visit extension.umaine.edu/4h/dairy/maine-4-h-state-dairy-show/.

For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation please contact Sadee Mehuren at 207.342.5971 or Allison Pollock at 207.781.6099.

Summer at 4-H Camps at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove

The UMaine 4-H Camps at Blueberry Cove and Tanglewood have summer camp openings and scholarships to support Maine youth to attend. We are excited to connect 4-Hers to our programs.

Overnight camps and Discovery Trips, ages 8-15: Week-long programs at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove or adventures along the Appalachian Trail or Downeast Farm Camp with Painted Pepper Farm.

Teen Leadership programs, ages 14-17: Two and three-week immersion trips to build leadership skills while exploring Maine’s beautiful natural areas via canoeing and backpacking.

We have scholarships available to cover up to 75% of the tuition for these programs. Funding is also available for first-time campers from National 4-H via CAMP III funds!

Check out programs online at umaine.edu/tanglewood, email emma.beaudry@maine.edu, or call 207.789.5868.

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/

Cooperative Extension in Cumberland County