May 2023 4-H Newsletter
4-H Calendar
4-H Club Happenings
State 4-H News
Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News
May 1: ESE Dairy, Working Steer, Horse Animal Approval Forms due
May 1: Paul Merrill 4-H Memorial Fund Applications Due
May 13: Teen Career Day, 10a.m.-12 p.m., Falmouth Memorial Library, 5 Lunt Road, Falmouth
May 15: Farm Safety Workshop, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Findview Farm, 147 Mighty St., Gorham
May 18: CC 4-H Leaders & Volunteers Meeting, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Online & Gorham Public Works, 80 Huston Road, Gorham
May 24: Maker Series #3: Sunny Sunflower, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
June 3: June Jamboree, Cumberland Fairgrounds
June 5: Fryeburg Fair 4-H Market Lamb Intent Form due to Cumberland County Office.
Animal Approvals
Anyone wishing to show animals at any 4-H shows/events at fairs this year must have a valid Animal Approval Form. All forms must be filled out, signed by the club leader (on the line directly after the last animal listed), and signed and embossed by the county office. 4-Hers will receive a signed and embossed copy in the mail within approximately two weeks of the form being received in our office. The sooner they arrive, the sooner you will have them back.
Please pay special attention to the second side of the form which lists the proper identification needed for each species of animal. It is very important that this information, along with a signed lease form for any animal that you lease, is sent with your animal approval form. Forms will not be signed if there are leased animals on the form and no lease form, or if there is no extra identification for species of animals that need it. Please also note that each animal may only be leased by one 4-Her and listed on only one 4-Her’s animal approval form. The only exception is that one horse may be leased by two 4-H members and listed on two 4-Her’s animal approval forms. A maximum of 20 animals per species that require an animal approval form may be leased by a member.
Please note if you would like your Animal Approvals back to you in order to participate in Monmouth Fair they must be in to the office by June 5th. If you are participating in Ossipee Valley Fair, they must be at the office no later than June 15th. These early dates allow time for review, processing, & return mailing. Any approvals arriving after the recommended dates will be date stamped accordingly, but cannot be guaranteed to be returned to you before Monmouth or Ossipee Valley Fair. Please plan accordingly!
Forms can be found online on the General Volunteer Resources – Forms page.
If you have any questions or would like blank forms sent to you please email or call Allison at allison.pollock@maine.edu or 207.781.6099.
TEEN CAREER DAY- May 13, 10am-12pm
Teen Career Day is May 13th, 2023 from 10a.m.-12p.m. at Falmouth Memorial Library. It will be geared towards 12-18 year olds. Teen Council is partnering with the library to put on this event.
Helping young people explore careers and jobs is an important component of 4-H. Cumberland County 4-H Teen Council is planning an event for Cumberland County teens to learn about potential careers. Not sure what you are interested in for a career, maybe this event will give you some ideas for a potential career later on in your life. More information can be found at https://extension.umaine.edu/cumberland/teen-career-day/
Please RSVP to Allison at allison.pollock@maine.edu
Farm Safety Workshop at Findview Farm
Monday, May 15th from 5:30p.m.-7:30p.m. at Findview Farm, 147 Mighty St., Gorham
Come hang out with UMaine Extension and the 4-H team to learn the basics of handling farm tractors and equipment safely. We’ll discuss how to identify hazards and how to minimize the chances of accidents. We’ll also demonstrate the steps required to start equipment safely and safe attachment and use of tractor implements. The workshop is open to all ages of any interested youth or farm workers. Pizza will be provided.
Please RSVP by sending a message to Allison Pollock, allison.pollock@maine.edu
CC 4-H Leaders Association Meeting – May 18, 7:00PM
Join us on Thursday, May 18 at 7:00p.m. in-person at the Gorham Public Works Building (80 Huston Road, Gorham) These meetings are a chance to meet volunteers, and to offer input on 4-H programming in Cumberland County! All volunteers are welcome and encouraged to attend! If you would like the Zoom link please email Allison, allison.pollock@maine.edu
Maker Series- May- Sunny Sunflowers
One Wednesday afternoon each month March – May, we will offer a themed-activity for youth ages 5-10. 5-8 year-olds must have an adult present for assistance and some projects encourage adult assistance for all ages. Current 4-H enrollment is not necessary for participation in the Maker Series program. You can choose to join us for one project or all three. Registration ends one week prior to each class or when full (Maximum of 12).
- Dates: Wednesdays, March 22, April 26, May 24
- Time: 5:00-6:00 PM
- Location: UMaine Extension Cumberland Office, 75 Clearwater Dr, Falmouth
- Cost: FREE
For more information & to register: https://extension.umaine.edu/cumberland/4h/mmspring/
June Jamboree- June 3, 2023
June Jamboree is once again right around the corner. It is a time for 4-H members to see what others are doing in their 4-H projects, a chance to learn new things, to see old friends and to make new ones. June Jamboree will also assist 4-H members in preparing for the Cumberland County Fair in September. 4-H club members have the opportunity to participate in many animal clinics, shows, and workshops. There will be workshops about Dairy, Horses, Rabbits, Sheep, Swine, and Working Steer.
You can find more information on our website: https://extension.umaine.edu/cumberland/4h/events/june-jamboree/
New Project Records are HERE!
Co-designed with Maine 4-H volunteers, youth and staff; these project records have been designed to best serve the needs of Maine youth. Please visit our newly designed project record website https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/volunteers/project-records/. Project records are required for all Maine 4-H Youth. Stay tuned for upcoming trainings. Please contact your 4-H Leader for specific pages that will be required for your project.
Did you know you can complete your project record through ZSuite? There are simple instructions for getting started on the ZSuite User Help page. You can work on your project record through the year – and even upload photos directly from your phone!
Tractor Supply Paper Clover Fundraiser
April 26th-May 7th, 2023
Purchase a paper clover at your local Tractor Supply store and support 4-H! This campaign directly benefits youth in Cumberland County, with 90% of donated funds staying in the state of Maine and 10% going to national 4-H programming.
2023 4-H Volunteer Training Opportunities
As we get ready for the new 4-H year, we are looking forward to offering a variety of learning experiences (both in person and virtual) for our 4-H volunteers. Sessions are free of charge, but require registration. Some sessions have limited space. Visit the 4-H Volunteer Calendar of Training Opportunities to learn more and register!
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://umaine.hiretouch.com/job-details?jobid=80625
Virtual Poultry Show
The Pips ‘n Chicks Virtual Show is a completely free poultry show open to anyone in the United States. Entries are submitted as pictures, and judged by APA and ABA judges for Open shows, and competent youth for Youth shows. The goal is to promote the education, proper breeding, and showmanship of poultry and make poultry showing accessible to everyone. Entries are being accepted May 1st to June 31st and judging starts in July.
Rabbiteers 4-H Club member Jonathan M. has been selected to judge the Youth Quail division.
For more information, please go to: https://ourpipsnchicks.wixsite.com/poultry/virtualshow
Club Happenings
Rabbiteers 4-H Club-Binky into Hopping Demo
by Jonathan M.
There is more to some shows than showmanship and exhibiting rabbits. Club members Ian Bolduc and Jonathan Morrison talked to fellow club members about Rabbit Hopping on Saturday, April 1, 2023.
Rabbit Hopping originated in Sweden in the 1970’s. In 2001, the sport came to the United States and the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) chartered the American Hopping Association for Rabbits and Cavy in 2012. Just what exactly is Rabbit Hopping you may be asking? It is similar to horse jumping except the exhibitor directs their rabbit through a course of jumps which range from 4 to 12 inches. The best of the three runs is your score, with faults counted first, then time. Typical faults are when the rabbit knocks a rail.
Club Members learned about proper equipment, how to pick the perfect rabbit, and how to start training their rabbit. The club will be incorporating hopping in future activities and events.
Deering High 4-H Club
By Dana D.
The Deering High School 4-H Club rallied together to host a free Field Day for k-5’th grade youth and their families at Riverton Park on the evening of Friday, April 28’th. The event was originally developed by the 2022 True Leaders in Equity team of three Deering High 4-H’ers who attended the True Leaders in Equity Summit last year in Washington D.C. They were charged with identifying an inequity in their community and responding to it with an equity action plan. The group identified financial barriers to equitable participation in group sports like soccer as the issue they wanted to address. These teens recruited peers and fellow 4-H’ers to help them plan and implement their event, which would be free for elementary aged students who live in and near Riverton Park.
Sydney Williams, the DHS Extended Learning Opportunities staff, shares her classroom for weekly club meetings where the group has spent months developing their plan. Abby Boysen, a 4-H professional from Iowa state, who runs a Soccer for Success program, served as a mentor for the group. Two University of Maine 4-H Staff, Mitch Mason and Dana Dotson, and the Riverton Park Study Center Staff, Bridget McAlonan, supported the club’s project by helping plan, promote, and work the event. Soccer gear was donated by the DHS Gym Coach. During the event, nine Deering 4-H’ers led various activities like soccer drills, sports relays, face painting, and a station offering snacks and prizes for approximately 30 youth who attended. Congratulations to the Deering High 4-H Club for all of their hard work in making their vision a reality!
National 4-H Conference
By Alexis L.
From April 14th to the 19th, four Maine youth representatives, Alexis L., Chloe G., Kendall S. & Anthony D. along with chaperone Allison P. went to Washington D.C. to participate in the 4-H National Conference. We worked together with federal agencies to answer their questions with a youth perspective. Some of the agencies included the EPA, SAMHSA, and HUD. We got to meet kids from states all over and even US territories. It was an amazing experience to meet new people and learn about other cultures and ideas to create the best answers for the agencies that represent all of the United States. Besides working on our briefings, we got to be tourists too. We went on a monument tour at night and got to see the Lincoln and MLK monuments and the Vietnam veterans memorial. We used our free time to visit the Capitol Building and the botanical gardens. It was a memorable trip and I think we can all say we learned a lot, from working with a team and holding ourselves accountable to getting to know the US capital. It was a trip to remember and I highly recommend it for future youth.
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 May 2023
Maine 4-H Youth Council Annual Conference – May 13 – 14, 2023
Register Now!
May 13-14, Maine 4-H Youth Council Annual Conference. An annual conference for youth ages 15-22. This year’s event will be held at the Windsor Fairgrounds. Register Online by May 10th. To register, see the workshops. schedule, or packing list – visit the web page. Individuals with questions should reach out to Kristy Ouellette at kristy.ouellette@maine.edu.
4-H Adulting 101 SPIN Club
The “4-H Adulting 101 Series” will introduce basic adult life skills by exploring a different topic each week including personal values; building healthy relationships; buying and caring for a car; youth entrepreneurship; mindfulness and stress management; and a topic chosen by the participants. UMaine Extension 4-H staff and guest speakers will lead the discussions.
The club is free; limited to 20 participants. Register by June 10 on the event webpage to receive the Zoom link and introductory email. For more information or to request reasonable accommodation, contact 207.324.2814; erin.mcdonald1@maine.edu. Additional information also is available on the Extension 4-H Virtual Learning webpage.
4-H Tick Project
Registration is now open for the 4-H Tick Project, a community science project where youth collect, identify, and learn about ticks – while also contributing to real research about ticks in Maine! Sign up to receive tick collection materials, access to youth activities, educational resources, and UMaine Extension Tick Lab testing services. 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.
Help Project ITCH to Better Understand Tick Control
The New England Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (NEWVEC) is seeking your help in better understanding residential tick control. NEWVEC began as a partnership of university research teams from each of the six New England states joining with state and local health departments and agricultural extension programs to discover, evaluate, and promote practices that reduce the burden of tick- and mosquito-borne disease.
NEWVEC’s inaugural undertaking is Project ITCH, our acronym for “Is Tick Control Helping.” Project ITCH will be carried out in two phases starting Spring 2023. In Phase 1 – NEWVEC is asking for your participation to tell us about what you are doing at your home to reduce the incidence of ticks and tick bites. In Phase 2 – NEWVEC will gather the information you share and through a lottery process select residential properties to participate in a research study to test what’s working.
It all starts with you taking a few moments to answer a few survey questions. To complete the survey, please visit the web page at www.NEWVEC.org/itch. Participants in this survey will be eligible for consideration for Phase 2 enrollment in the future. To learn more about NEWVEC and Project ITCH, bookmark the web page and/or sign-up to receive updates on NEWVEC projects.
Save the Date for 4-H Dairy Judging and State Show!
The Maine 4-H Dairy Judging Contest will take place on May 6th, 2023 at Hardy Farm in Farmington, ME and Silver Valley Farm in New Sharon, ME. The contest is open to all enrolled dairy members and will serve as the official tryouts for the Maine 4-H Dairy Judging Team.
The Maine State 4-H Dairy Show will take place on July 22nd and 23rd at the Windsor Fairgrounds in Windsor, ME. The contest is open to all 4-H members who want to participate and will include educational workshops, a fitting contest, a grilled cheese contest, and more!
For more information on upcoming 4-H dairy events visit extension.umaine.edu/4h/dairy or contact sadee.mehuren@maine.edu; 207.342.5971
Maine 4-H Days: Save the Date! July 21 – 22, 2023
We’re back for fun times, workshops, overnight camping and more at the Windsor Fairgrounds in Kennebec County! More information to come, so save the dates!
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/