Franklin County 4-H News May

May 2, 2023 Franklin County 4-H Newsletter

Table of Contents

Franklin County 4-H Calendar

  • April 26-May 7: Paper Clover Campaign at Tractor Supply Co.
  • May 6th: Maine 4-H Dairy Judging Contest
  • May 13th & 14th: Maine 4-H Youth Council Annual Conference, Windsor Fairgrounds
  • May 16th– June 10th: 4-H Shark SPIN Club
  • May 25th: Heifer Show Signature form completed by May 25th
  • July 21-22: Maine 4-H Days, Windsor Fairgrounds
  • June 21–July 26: 4-H Adulting SPIN Club
  • June 21&28: Start Your 4-H Volunteer Journey
  • June 25–30: Citizenship Washington Focus

Franklin County 4-H Leaders’ Association

The May 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 May 18th.

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

Club Update: Working Steer Club

 At our April meeting we counted our donations from area businesses and we had $1,600. We then counted our money raised from our “Pot Of Gold” fundraiser and added that to the donation money. In the end we had $2,295 towards our 4-H showing clothing. We also came up with a community service project, we are looking into cleaning up cemeteries and/or put flags or flowers, we may also do some clean up at different fairgrounds.We also had our educational field trip to New England Ox Supply, where we got to walk around the store and anybody that needed something for their team was able to purchase it.
Congratulations!
Congratulations to the Bagley family and the Rowe family for attending the Northeast All Breeds Spring Show in West Springfield, Massachusetts and bringing home many accomplishments.
4-Her showing dairy cow
Alyssa showing at the Northeast All Breeds Spring Show
Jason showing at the Northeast All Breeds Spring Show.

SAVE THE DATE: 2023 Franklin County 4-H Days is June 30th – July 2nd

The date for the 2023 4-H Days is June 30th to July 2nd. We are also looking for any clubs, parents, volunteers, or youth willing to lead workshops at the event!  They can be project-related or not, and anything from animals, science, archery, and art, to gardening, and more!  We are very open to any ideas!
If someone wishes to be part of the event planning or wants to run a workshop reach out to Kristen or Tara by calling 207.778.4650!
Franklin County Conservation Poster Contest Results
Congratulations goes out to everyone who participated in the Conservation Poster Contest
                       Grades:
1. Cayson C     K-1
2. Warren H.   2-3
3. Lindee W.    4-6
4. Katarina L.  7-9
5. Amber S.    10-12
Join us on Sunday, May 21st from 3:30pm – 5:00 pm here at the cooperative extension office.  There will be a celebration here for all conservation poster participants.
2023 Ag Symposium and Ag Ambassador Program
Thank you to all the awesome youth who were able to join us in both the online and in-person events as part of the Maine 4-H Agricultural Ambassador Program!  During April vacation week teens took a trip out to the UMaine Orono campus where they got to have a celebration lunch showcasing all of the projects that many have been working on.  The youth went for a tour around campus followed by a workshop on fermentation and permaculture practices with our friends at the Terrell House.  The evening was filled with climate science games focused on agriculture, team building, leadership activities, and fun competitions!  The next day was centered around activities in Agri-Busniess, visiting the campus dairy and equine herd, learning about the work in the tick lab, seeing Extension Professor and Veterinarian Dr. Hill doing an examination, and a tour and exploration of the page farm museum. The youth even got to brand cattle hide with Dr. Colt Knight as they learned about the history of cattle management! We are hoping this event continues to be an annual activity, and the 4-H Agricultural Ambassador Program will be having sessions again this fall.  If you are interested in this and you are age 14-18 please feel free to reach out to Tara Marble for more information, or check out the website here.
4-Hers looking at tick specimen
4-H’ers Mariah J. and Hannah J. look at engorged winter tick specimens at the Diagnostic Research Lab
Students standing in front of the Science Center
The whole crew in front of the 4-H Science Center on campus
4-Hers networking with eachother
The group gets to know each other during the luncheon celebration

National 4-H Ignite Summit

In March, Maine 4-H sent 18 youth to Washington D.C. to come together with over 900 other youth and adults from around the country and world for the brand new National 4-H Ignite Summit.  The summit featured inspirational speakers and presentations along with specialty tracks for youth to explore and gain experience in STEM, Agri-Science, and Healthy Living.  Youth participated in many experiential learning activities and had a chance to interact with peers as they tried to solve “wicked problems” together.  In addition to all of the fun learning youth also got to have a nighttime tour of the National Monuments, and during the day spent the afternoon on the National Mall and in the many Smithsonian museums.  New friends and connections were made and everyone had so much fun!  This event was a new format but National 4-H says it will continue to be a yearly occurrence.  Applications for this trip usually open in the late fall.  Keep your eyes peeled! Check out National 4-H’s photo album from the event
4-Hers at Ignite Summit
Team Maine at the National 4-H Ignite Summit

Knitting Classes

Have you always wanted to learn how to knit?  Here is your opportunity.  These two classes will focus on learning techniques and creating a dishcloth at the Franklin County Cooperative Extension Office. If you have any questions contact Kristen Grondin at 207.778.4650 or email: Kristen.grondin@maine.edu

Sunday, May 21st 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Wednesday, May 24th 6:30pm – 8:30pm

State 4-H News

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 county 4-H staff with questions.

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!

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 a 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.

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!

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 in conjunction with Maine 4-H Days. 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 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!