Franklin County 4-H February News
Table of Contents
Franklin County 4-H Calendar
- February 16th: Leader’s Association Meeting 7 p.m. at the Extension Office
- February 20th: President’s Day, Extension Office Closed
- February 24th: Conservation Posters due to Extension Office
- February 24th: Maine 4-H Equity Challenge Due
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February 25th: Children’s Festival 10:00am – 2:00pm at Mt Blue High School- this is a community event with lots of fun things to do and eat for youth and families.
- February 25th: Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl at the University of Maine Augusta Randall Student Center
- February 25th: 2023 Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States intent forms due
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Feb Break week: 4-H Camp (times/dates and activities TBD soon!)
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March 7th – April 11th: Algae SPIN Club
- March 7-April 18: Maine 4-H Ag Ambassador Program
- March 9-12: National 4-H Youth Summit, Washington D.C.
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March 18th: 10:00am -12:00pm – Mushroom workshop (grow your own!) at the Extension Office
- March 23rd: 4-H Page Day in Augusta
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March 25th: (March 26th snow date): 10:00am – 3:00pm Regional Public Speaking Contest at the University of Maine Augusta (open to all 4-H members)
- March 31st: Farmington Fair Poster Contest due to Extension Office
- April 1st: 2023 Maine 4-H ESE Sheep Team intent to participate form due
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April 8th: State Public Speaking Contest (must qualify to compete)- Orono
- April 20-21: Maine 4-H Ag Symposium, Orono
- May 1st: Market animal intent form due to office
- July 21-22: Maine 4-H Days, Windsor Fairgrounds
Franklin County 4-H Leaders’ Association
The February Leaders’ Association meeting will be held in person or via zoom. Please bring your questions and ideas! We all look forward to seeing you all at 7:00 p.m. on February 16th.
Zoom information will be included in the Agenda for the meeting.
All enrolled 4-H Volunteers are members of their county Leaders’ Association. Your leadership support is encouraged and vital in deciding the focus of our county 4-H programs.
County 4-H News
2023 Annual Conservation Poster Contest theme: “One Water”
- Posters are due on Friday, February 24th. Posters can be mailed or dropped off no later than February 24.
- Please attach a 2023 Poster Contest Form to the back of each poster using masking tape.
- Winners of each category (K-1, 2-3, 4-6), will be announced in late March. Category winners will automatically be entered into the State Competition. All other submissions will be returned via mail or dropped off at local schools by March 31, 2023.
Poster Criteria
- Posters must be 14×22” and oriented in portrait style (i.e., width 14”, height 22”). Do not use neon-colored paper.
- Any media may be used, including paint, crayon, colored pencil, charcoal, stickers, paper, or other materials.
- Posters must include the poster theme, One Water.
- Student names must only be written on the back of the poster, not the front. Please attach a 2023 Poster Contest Form (right click) to the back of each poster using masking tape.
- Entry must be the contestant’s original creation. Although younger students will most likely receive help in planning from parents or teachers, NACD encourages each student to do their own work. Note: Entries with student handwriting and coloring will score better than those designed, drawn, and colored by adult assistance.
- Each poster must be created by an individual student, rather than a team of students.
2023 Farmington Fair Market Animal Auction
Reminder that the 2023 Farmington Fair Market Animal Auction is back! Your market animal intent forms must be into the extension office by May 1st.
Farmington Fair Art Contest
We are excited to share that the Farmington Fair Art contest is back for the 2023 Fair Season. This year’s theme is “Learn to Do by Doing.” Posters should be into the office by March 31st.
We have got an exciting opportunity for our 4-H members!
The Farmington Fair is once again, inviting 4-H members to participate in a poster art contest. The winning submission will be used as the artwork on the Farmington Fair website for 2023. Participants are welcome to submit a hand drawn poster, done with your own original ideas, expressing the theme of the contest which is “Learn to Do by Doing”
There will be four age divisions:
Cloverbuds ages 5-8
Juniors 9-11
Intermediates 12-13
Seniors 14-18
All participants in the Cloverbud ages 5-8 division will receive recognition.
A first-place winner will be selected in each of the other age groups. Each first- place winner will receive an award. One of these first-place posters will then be selected to appear on the on the Farmington Fair Website. All posters submitted will be on display in the exhibition hall at the 2023 Farmington Fair.
Rules for the contest:
- All posters must be size “14×22” and please use poster
- Posters may be done horizontally or vertically
- Participants may use only pencil, crayons, paints, markers, or colored
- Posters must be original ideas of the 4-Her
- The theme, “Learn to Do by Doing”, must be on the poster, but does not have to be a specific size font.
- It would be great to include as many aspects of the Farmington Fair as possible on the poster, from agriculture and livestock shows to hall exhibits and more.
- Label the back of your poster with Name, Age, and 4-H Club
And, of course, don’t forget 4-H!!
This is a great way to promote our program!!
Completed posters are to be submitted to the Extension Office by March 31st, 2023.
If you have questions, please contact Kristen Grondin at 581-8193 or by email Kristen.grondin@maine.edu
2022 Recognition Night
4-H Mushroom Inoculation
Have you ever wondered how mushrooms grow? Want to grow your own Shiitake mushrooms? Join us for this workshop where Nick Rowley, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Professional will guide us step by step inoculating mushrooms.
Nick will demonstrate the types of materials and tools you need to use and showcase how to inoculate a log using sawdust and plug spawn. All materials will be provided, however, if you have a rubber mallet/hammer, please bring it as we may not have enough. Class is scheduled for Saturday, March 18, 2023 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Registration will be available soon.
State 4-H News
Maine 4-H Equity Challenge for all Maine Youth
Are you a photographer? A performer? A writer? Then consider the 4-H Equity Challenge. The
challenge is for youth ages 5-19 to create a digital photograph, a performance, a presentation, or
a writing piece that tells why every Maine youth belongs in a welcoming and inclusive
environment. There are prizes based on age. This challenge is open to any 4-H’er or partner
organization in Maine.
There are helpful guides and a rubric to help you understand what judges will look for in an entry.
To submit an entry or to find out more information go to the Maine 4-H Equity Challenge webpage.
To participate, submit your creation by February 24, 2023.
4-H Algae SPIN Club
Maine 4-H will offer a short-term online 4-H club about algae and its impact on surrounding ecosystems. Intended for youth ages 12-15, the special interest, or SPIN, club will meet from 3:30-5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays from March 7-April 11. Required registration closes Feb. 10.
The Algae SPIN Club will explore all things algae – why it’s important, how it can be used, harmful algae blooms and related community action. In this club, youth will have the opportunity to taste algae, create a seaweed lava lamp, and observe and analyze the growth of an algae sample at home.
The 4-H Algae Series will introduce ecological knowledge and experiment skills by exploring algae in different ways each week while making connections with youth from around the state. UMaine Extension 4-H staff will lead the meetings and provide guidance for the algae growth experiment
The club is free; limited to 10 participants. Register by Feb. 10 on the event webpage to receive the link and at-home materials. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact 207.581.8206 or sparks@maine.edu. Additional information also is available on the Extension 4-H Virtual Learning webpage.
State Public Speaking Tournament – Save the Date!
Our state public speaking tournament will be held on April 8, 2023 at DP Corbett Hall on the University of Maine campus. Youth must qualify for this event by achieving a score of 78 or higher at their county or regional tournament. Check the website or with your county 4-H staff to find out when your county tournament will be held.
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!
Androscoggin/Sagadahoc 4-H Monthly Workshops – Open to All Maine 4-Hers!
Come join the Androscoggin and Sagadahoc counties 4-H program at their monthly workshops – the Third Friday of every month (unless otherwise noted) from 6:00 – 7:30 pm at the Lisbon Extension Office at 24 Main Street. Anyone interested can contact Cathy Gray to find out more information.
Currently Scheduled Topics:
– February 17, 2023 – Short Film Making
– March 10, 2023 – Spa & Relaxation Science
– April 21, 2023 – Movie Premier Night
– May 19, 2023 – Wool Spinning Workshop
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!
Maine 4-H Ag Ambassador and Ag Symposium- Teens sign up now!
For teens that are 13-18 years old, we invite you to join us for our Ag Ambassador program this spring! This will be an opportunity to connect with other teens from around the state to explore and share your interests in the Maine food system, agriculture, climate change, environmental justice, and where all these interests collide. The spring 2023 cohort will meet from 3:30-5:00pm on Tuesday afternoons from March 7 to April 18 on zoom with an in-person celebratory luncheon in Orono for families on April 20. The luncheon will kick off our overnight Teen Ag Symposium at the UMaine Orono campus on April 20 and April 21. This will be a hands-on exploration of many aspects of the Maine food system and the research and education happening at the University.
Additional details about the program can be found on the program website. To register, visit the event website. For more information or to request reasonable accommodation, contact Sadee Mehuren; 207.342.5971; 4hagleadership@maine.edu.
4-H Page Day in Augusta – March 23, 2023 – Sign Up Now!
Date: March 23, 2023
Where: Augusta, Maine State Legislature & First Amendment Museum
Time: 8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Deadline: First come, first serve, March 3, 2023
UMaine Day at the Legislature, Thursday, March 23, is approaching. It’s a day where Cooperative Extension gets to highlight our awesome programs, and 4-H is one of the best! It’s also a time for youth to get actively involved in their democracy, to see how and who makes decisions that impact our state, and to be involved in that process themselves. 4-Hers age 13 or older are encouraged to serve as Honorary Pages. The Maine 4-H program has up to 22 slots for Honorary Pages and registration is first come, first serve with a deadline of March 3.
What does a page do? Legislators are constantly communicating and making decisions while in session and pages make that communication possible. Pages hand out information packets or place the paper information on their desks. Pages will also run communication and documents directly from legislator to legislator. It’s fast paced and pages will be moving around the chambers quite a bit, taking direction from the Clerks. We will meet at 8:30 for pictures and an orientation. Then at 9:00am we will divide our group with one going to the House and the other to the Senate where each group will receive their instructions. Session will begin by 10:00am and will likely conclude around 12:30pm, but the timing is never certain. Lunch will be on your own.
NEW: First Amendment Museum- Supreme Court in Action! The Museum will host our group from 1:30-3:30pm with a free interactive learning series that places each of us into different roles within the U.S. Supreme Court. You will get real life court cases to argue for or against, to make a ruling, and to report on, to get an in depth look at what happens when free speech, the courts, and citizens come together. Democracy can be messy, so let’s dig in!
If you are interested in serving as a page, please register via the online form. I f you have questions or would like to request an accommodation please do so by March 3 to Alisha Targonski at alisha.r.targonski@maine.edu. Thank you!
ESE Dairy Intent Forms
The 2023 Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States intent to participate form is available online at https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/dairy/. In order to be eligible for participation on the Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States Team this fall, 4-H members must submit their completed intent form online or to the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office before February 25, 2023. Please contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or 207.342.5971 with any questions.
2023 Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl Contest
The Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl contest will be held on February 25th at the UMA Randall Student Center in Augusta, ME. The contest consists of a general knowledge exam, individual questions, and buzzer questions. The contest will serve as the official tryout for the Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl Team that will represent Maine 4-H at ESE this fall. The contest is open to all 4-H dairy project members ages 9-18, regardless of whether or not they wish to try out for the quizbowl team. Contestants will be divided into two age divisions, Jr.’s ages 9-11 and Sr.’s ages 12-18.
For a complete set of rules for the contest, study materials, and directions to the venue please visit https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/dairy/. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation please contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu.
ESE Sheep Team Intent Form
The 2023 Maine 4-H ESE Sheep Team intent to participate form is now available online at https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/sheep/. If you are interested in participating in the team, the form must be submitted to Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or mailed to the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office by April 1, 2023. At ESE the team, along with teams from other New England states, show their sheep and participate in a sheep blocking contest. Together the team prepares an educational display and participates and competes in knowledge contests against teams from other states.To be eligible you must have participated in a 4-H sheep project for at least one year and be at least 12 years old as of December 31, 2022.
Please contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or 207.342.5971 for more information.