September 2022 4-H Newsletter
Cumberland County 4-H News
4-H Calendar
State 4-H News
4-H Club Happenings
Other UMaine Extension Cumberland County News
September 7: Cumberland County Extension Association Annual Meeting & Pie Contest
September 15: CC 4-H Leaders Association Board of Directors Meeting, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Online & Gorham Public Works, 80 Huston Road, Gorham
September 25 – October 1: 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.
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 25 – October 1, 2022
All 2022 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 2022
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 or check made payable to the CC 4-H Leaders AssociationThe drawing date will be October 1st, 2022 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 1st.
Volunteers Needed: 4-H Kitchen Fundraiser and Pig Raffle Ticket Sales at the Cumberland Fair, September 25- October 1, 2022
Shift times:
- 6:30 – 8:30-9 a.m.
- 8:30 – 11:30 a.m.
- 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- 4:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Bottle Bin Distribution and Pick Up, September 24 and October 1, 2022
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 2021, 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 24th, and collecting the bottles and bins on Saturday, October 1st, 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.
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 18. 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!
Awards Packets and Start-Up Packets
Awards Packets for the 2022-2023 4-H year will be mailed to all Primary Club leaders within the next week. 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 16, 2022, otherwise all enrollment forms will be mailed to the Primary Club Leader per usual.
Tractor Supply Paper Clover Fall Campaign, October 5-16, 2022
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 2022
Public Speaking Workshop
The Maine 4-H Communication Science Team invites all enrolled 4-H members to the October 19th meeting for an open workshop. The meeting will be held via zoom from 6 – 7 pm. Team members will teach tips and tricks to improve your presentation skills. Please contact cathy.gray@maine.edu for more information. To join the zoom, click : Join Zoom Meeting, or go to zoom.us, and enter the meeting id: 86067599466 and passcode: 468314.
2022 4-H National Trip (Conference and Congress) for Senior 4-H Members ages 14-18
National 4-H Trip applications are due September 30, 2022 for National 4-H Conference and Congress. We recommend you look at the requirements ahead of preparing your materials, as most of the pieces required are something you are already doing for your yearly record sheets.
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 part of a team, making recommendations to the National 4-H Council at Conference.
We will be holding interviews for National trips on the week of October 10-16, 2022. These will be via Zoom. We will be interviewing for the National 4-H Congress, which will be held in Atlanta, GA on November 25 – December 1, 2022, and the National 4-H Conference, which will be held on April 14 – 19, 2023 at a conference hotel in or around Washington, DC. The Maine website pages for both conferences have been updated. Once your application has been received we will contact you for a convenient time for all to do the “Zoom” interviews.
Hopefully, next year, we will be back to our normal “National Interview Schedule” that will be held in April/May 2023. Please feel free to email Heidi Palmer, State Activities Coordinator at: heidi.thuotte@maine.edu for any questions.
2022/2023 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!
Farm Service Agency Youth Loans
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes loans to youth to establish and operate agricultural income-producing projects in connection with 4-H clubs, FFA and other agricultural groups. Projects must be planned and operated with the help of the organization advisor, produce sufficient income to repay the loan and provide the youth with practical business and educational experience. The maximum loan amount is $5,000.
Youth Loan Eligibility Requirements:
- Be a citizen of the United States (which includes Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the
- Northern Mariana Islands) or a legal resident alien,
- Be 10 years to 20 years of age,
- Comply with FSA’s general eligibility requirements,
- Be unable to get a loan from other sources,
- Conduct a modest income-producing project in a supervised program of work as outlined above,
- Demonstrate capability of planning, managing, and operating the project under guidance and assistance from a project advisor.
- The project supervisor must recommend the youth loan applicant, along with providing adequate supervision.
For help preparing the application forms, contact your local County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
Save the Date for the 4-H Unconference
UMaine 4-H Unconference will be an organized forum for 4-H volunteers, club leaders, afterschool providers, teachers, parents and teen 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. Save the dates: Saturday, October 22nd and Friday, November 11th. Come to one or both. Watch this website for more information as it becomes available.
Raffle Update for Maine 4-H Teen Leadership and Program Development Survey – Ages 11+
Hello 4-H Community! The Teen Leadership and Program Development Survey now includes a raffle for the following seven items:
- Two 4-H T-shirts
- Three Lunch Totes
- Two 4-H Positive Vibes T-Shirts
The SHORT survey (about 30 questions/5 minutes) is for any 4-H participant age 11+ since 2017. We want your voice included! The survey results will help us learn more about 4-H participant interests and improve statewide 4-H program planning. If you are a parent of a 4-H child receiving this message, please have each child age 11+ who has participated in 4-H since 2017 complete a survey. If you are a club leader, please pass along this information to your club members!
To enter the raffle, simply add your contact information (email, phone #, etc.) to any of your typed responses in the survey or send it to me in a separate email or phone message: andrew.hudacs@maine.edu, 207-581-8204. The drawing for the raffle will happen in early October.
Link to the survey: https://umaine.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5yXj7Bb1UdPYvqK. Lastly, please let me know if you have any questions or would like to see a summary of the survey results, please contact me at andrew.hudacs@maine.edu or (207) 581-8204.
EFNEP Recipes: Time for Breakfast
Where did the summer go? It seems as if school just let out, and here we are in back-to-school mode. The excitement of new teachers, classes, and connecting with friends. As we start to settle into our school routine, we need to remember that breakfast is a huge part of a successful school day. The word breakfast means to “break your fast”, and fasting is when you do not eat for a certain period of time. Your body needs the calories from the food you eat to help you concentrate and give you more energy. While you sleep, the body is still working, and when you wake up, it’s time to recharge with a hearty breakfast. Below are a few great breakfast choices from our Mainely Dish Video series (Baked Oatmeal, Egg Bites, and the Brunching Burrito). If you don’t have time for a full breakfast a quick grab-and-go could be an apple with peanut butter or an Oatmeal, Strawberry, Banana Smoothie. Start your day off right with a good breakfast!
For more delicious recipes, check out our UMaine EFNEP Mainely Dish Video Series. By Debbie Barnett (EFNEP CEA in Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo counties – deborah.barnett@maine.edu)
Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program
EFNEP offers FREE nutrition education classes to income-eligible adults with children, or young adults 19-25 years old, and if you are eligible for programs such as SNAP, WIC, or Head Start. Find out more online.
Club Happenings
Your 4-H Club Happenings could be featured here! Just email eavan.sibolelittle@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/events/list/