March 2020 4-H Newsletter

March 5, 2020 4-H News

4-H Happenings

A monthly newsletter for Hancock County 4-H Members

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Upcoming Dates| County News | Club News | State News | Leaders Meeting Minutes

Upcoming Dates to Remember

Month of March – Hancock County Food Drive
March 1 – April 30 – JOANN Fabric 4-H Fundraiser
March 7 – County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament
March 10 – 6:30 – Leaders’ Meeting – Extension Office
March 16 – Deadline to register for Egg Business Project
March 18-22 – 2020 Maine Science Festival – Bangor, ME
April 4 – 12:00 noon – State 4-H Public Speaking Tournament – Orono
April 4 – 6-9:00 pm – Maine 4-H Teen Dance – Old Town YMCA
April 21 – Deadline to register for Kids Can Grow
April 25 – 8:30-3:00 – 4-H Unconference for Volunteers & Teens – Ellsworth High School
April 29-May 10 – Paper Clover Campaign at Tractor Supply

County News

Birding Workshop
February was a fun month for birding activities! Zabet, our Community Education Assistant, organized and helped lead three birding workshops for 4-H youth and the general public: Birding 101, Glass Mosaic Birds, and DIY Bird Feeders. It was a great opportunity for Zabet to branch out, meet community members, and represent 4-H – she also had fun making way-too-many bird-feeders to hang in her backyard! We are excited to have worked with ArtWaves, a community art center on MDI, and the Northeast Harbor Public Library. We look forward to partnering with them for future events! Sage, a sophomore from College of the Atlantic, volunteered to lead the Birding 101 walk and has agreed to lead another walk in early April. Keep an eagle-eye out for future birding workshops and events!

Leaders’ Meeting – the next Leaders’ Association meeting will be on March 10th, at 6:30 pm. If you cannot attend in person – join the meeting by computer! Contact the Extension at 667-8212 and we will send you a link.

4-H Public Speaking Tournament – The Hancock County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament will be held on March 7, at 10:00 am, at the Ellsworth Assembly of God. All 4-Hers are encouraged to attend to support their fellow 4-Hers. Contact the Extension Office to RSVP.

The State Public Speaking Tournament will be held on Saturday, April 4th, at noon at the University of Maine in Orono.

Egg Business Project – Are you interested in participating in the Egg Business this spring? Under the mentorship of a trained 4-H Leader and Business Advisor participants will learn about, understand, and follow state and local regulations for producing and selling poultry eggs in order to run their own Chicken Egg Business! The program is run in partnership with the Maine Small Business Development Center (Maine SBDC) at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) in Ellsworth. There will be a kick-off meeting for all registered participants on Sunday, March 22 from 1-3pm at the Extension Office. For more information and to register, visit our website.

Save the Date – Style Revue – The Hancock County 4-H annual sewing contest, Style Revue, will be held on Friday, May 8th at 6:30pm (location TBD). Style Revue is an annual contest for all sewers, knitters, crocheters, or embellishers to show off their work! Start thinking about what projects to enter and keep an eye out for online registration to open soon.

Photo Contest – Information on the 2020 Photo Contest has been updated and is now online. Photos are due July 31, 2020. There are so many beautiful and unique scenes to take pictures of this winter. Keep those cameras snapping so you will have some good photos to choose from at the end of the contest.

Rescheduled – UMaine 4-H Unconference – not your average volunteer forum! – Help us spread the word about the UMaine 4-H Unconferences, which has been rescheduled for 8:30-3:00 on Saturday, April 25th in Ellsworth at the Ellsworth High School.

This is designed for 4-H volunteers, teen leaders and community partners to come together and talk about 4-H ideas that are important to them.

It is FREE – a light breakfast and full lunch are provided. Funds are available to help with travel costs. For more information and to register.

Kids Can Grow – Kids Can Grow, a 4-H Garden Program on Mount Desert Island, is gearing up for the season! This five-month youth gardening program is designed for kids ages 7-12 on Mount Desert Island or surrounding towns. Registration will open soon, with a deadline of April 21st, 2020. Limited to 16 youth! Be watching our website and Facebook!

Welcome New Volunteers – We are pleased to announce a newly trained leader who has completed his training and paperwork in Hancock County.

Tom Beauchamp – Dedham – Spruced Up Homesteaders

Welcome to the 4-H Family!

Attend 4-H@UMaine for free! Do you ever wonder what it’s like to spend a weekend on a college campus? Come check out what the University of Maine has to offer! By participating in 4-H@UMaine, you will: spend the night in a college dorm room, interact with UMaine students, staff, and faculty in cool workshops, eat at the student dining hall, and get active at the New Balance Student Recreation Center. Thanks to the generosity of the Hancock County 4-H Leaders’ Association, as well as the funds raised during the Tractor Supply Company Paper Clover Campaign, we are able to sponsor Hancock County middle and high school youth to attend 4-H@UMaine! The event is July 16-19, 2020. Contact the Extension Office if you are interested.

4-H Scholarships and Grants – Do you know about all of the scholarship opportunities available to Hancock County 4-H’ers and Clubs? This is the time of year to learn about these and apply, some deadlines are approaching in March and April.

College Scholarships | Camp Scholarships | Leadership Scholarships | 4-H Foundation Scholarships for individuals and clubs
Visit our website for details and application materials.

Save the Date: 4-H Open House at Tanglewood Camp & Learning Center On May 23rd, 2020, the Tanglewood 4-H Camp & Learning Center will be hosting an Open House for 4-H members! The purpose of the open house is to connect 4-H members and their families to Tanglewood by providing them with a fun, educational experience. There will be a variety of activities showcasing what a 4-H camp experience entails! Activities could include but are not limited to an archery station, pond studies, fire building/primitive skills, gardening, creative arts projects, and tours of the facilities. In addition, we hope to include some activities that demonstrate the broad range of project areas available to 4-H members and have staff onsite to talk with parents about how they can get their kids to camp. More information will be coming soon – stay tuned!

Gear Up for Gardening – 4-H Leaders and High School aged 4-H Youth – Join us for Gear Up for Gardening! as UMaine Cooperative Extension offers an exciting afternoon of gardening inspiration! Beginning with a Panel discussion on Gardening in a Shifting Climate, we’ll hear from Acadia National Park’s Vegetation Biologist, UMaine Extension’s Crops Specialist, and two experienced local organic farmers. Then join us for an afternoon of gardening workshops with topics like Growing Raspberries, Vegetables, Creating Biodiversity Gardens, Organic Techniques, and more! Only $15/Adults or $10/Students for the whole afternoon, Saturday, April 4th from 12:30 – 4:00 PM at the Moore Community Center, State Street, Ellsworth.
Preregistration is required and space is limited! For more information call 667-8212. Register here.

Hancock County Food Drive – is a month-long food collection and fundraising project that supports food pantries, free meal sites, and school programs in Hancock County. Beginning March 1st -31st, 4-H Clubs are encouraged to participate in this county-wide event. Did you know that 20% of children in Hancock County live in households that are food insecure? How can you help? Have your club decorate a box and start a food collection campaign! Be creative! Be sure to take photos of your club in action!
Food pantries need nutritious, non-perishable foods such as:
whole grain pasta
whole grain rice
healthy soups
canned vegetables
canned tuna and meats
peanut butter
Low-sugar, whole grain cereal low-sugar canned fruit
Be sure to check expiration dates on any items you plan to donate.
Donations can be dropped off at the Hancock County Extension Office Monday – Friday through the month of March.

JOANN and 4-H Partnership – JOANN will hold another paper clover-style fundraising campaign for 4-H from March 1 – April 30 where patrons will be asked to donate to 4-H at checkout. We encourage you to spread the word! The funds raised in Maine will stay local – the total amount raised will be split evenly between all counties and all 4-H Camp & Learning Centers.

Paper Clover Campaign – April 29 – May 10 at Tractor Supply Co. in Ellsworth – Each Spring and Fall, Tractor Supply helps raise money for 4-H programs with the Paper Clover campaign where customers donate $1 to 4-H at the register. The funds are used for scholarships for camps and leadership events.
You can contribute by:
1)Donating in the store
2)Donating online at checkout when you make a purchase
3)Participating in the store during the fundraiser with a display, helping to bag purchases, or answering questions about 4-H. Contact us by phone, email, or Facebook to sign up to participate and for more details.

2020 Maine Science Festival – Hancock County 4-H has $25 gas cards available to families who attend the 2020 Maine Science Festival on March 18-22 and are willing to complete a simple evaluation. For more information or to reserve your gas card please contact us by phone, email, or message us on Facebook!

Maine Envirothon – Envirothon is a state and nationwide natural resource problem-solving competition for grades 9-12. Students compete outdoors in five natural resource areas: aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife, and a current national environmental issue. Regional and state competitions are held each spring, and the top Maine team qualifies for the North American Envirothon finals – an opportunity to compete against teams from across the United States and Canada. Hancock County 4-H’ers are encouraged to start an Envirothon team! More information can be found on the Maine Envirothon Website, or pick up a brochure at the Extension Office. Deadline to register is March 20, 2020.

Goats – Lone Spruce Farm, home of the Spruced Up Homesteaders 4-H Club, is now accepting applications for their non registered clean tested/closed herd LaMancha kids as well as a “starter herd” : 3 year old dam in milk with her doeling kid, 2 year old doe, and 3 year old bonded wether. 4-H families will receive a discounted fee AND 10% goes to directly to the Hancock Co 4-H Leaders Association! Please email lonespruceorders@gmail.com for further information.

Club News

Spruced Up Homesteaders – We are so proud of our Spruced Up Homesteaders! Everyone has been practicing their public presentations, and the best of all, everyone broke out of their insecurities, rolled with mishaps, listened to one another, supported, applauded and learned from one another! We are so excited to learn how to fill a balloon without air, make a cloud, make a fortune teller, make an origami heart, make a paper airplane, make a wooden snow plow attachment for your toy skid steer, care for a cat, AND draw unikitty two ways! Watch out world, 4-H kids are coming for your challenges!

Spruced Up Homesteaders

The kids also rounded out our rabbits session with a visit from an expert in hide tanning! The children were able to have a hands on experience with primitive tanning techniques and helped progress two different rabbit hides! They asked wonderful questions and worked hard to push out of their comfort zones to experience the story behind leather, hides, and the root of clothing as we know it today! We were able to touch, connect with, and ask all about the hides of sheep, goats, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits and beaver! We paid our respects by openly discussing how the animals passed away, and why many believe preserving their resources honors their lives. Submitted by club leader, Kristin Beauchamp

Peninsula Explorers – The Peninsula Explorers spent the day on the ice learning all about ice fishing from local experts Vaugh and Melanie Leach, Adam Gray , Ryan Austin, and Jeff’s Bait and Tackle Shop! We covered everything from how to know the ice is safe, all the way to cleaning and cooking our catch! Teaching area youth skills to be safe and confident recreating in the outdoors and connecting them with adults in their community who have a real passion for nature and enjoying the outdoors in many different ways is at the heart of this club. We are so grateful to Vaughn, Melanie,Adam and Ryan – and to Jeff and his Traps For Kids program for coming and giving each one of our 4-H kids their own trap!!! Submitted by leader Chrissy Allen

Lock, Stock & Barrel – had Marvin McBreairty as a guest speaker for the club on Wed., Feb. 26. He gave a talk on the history of trapping, conservation, trapping laws, a demo of the different hides of fur bearing animals that can be trapped along with types of traps. He also talked about safety. He gave an excellent talk that the youth enjoyed. Submitted by leader Becky Ames

Jolly Juniors – We had a new project led by Jeremy and Jessica McDevitt – making our very own ice fishing traps. Heritage Traps gave us a discount on some of the supplies and Jeremy brought in the tools needed to do the project. Five 4-H members built ice fishing traps and used them at the family ice fishing day on Molasses. A couple of them even caught a fish ~ Nora & Adalyn each caught a perch and Abby caught a Bass. Submitted by Jolly Junior Club Reporter, Leah Salsbury

Lessons learned while ice fishing:

An adult has to drill the hole and they will help you hook the bait if you don’t want to.
Learn to set an ice fishing trap which is important to do it right.
Keep an eye on the trap so you can see your flag when it goes up.
Everyone likes to run out when someone hollers, “FLAG!”

Family Ice Fishing Day is a lot of fun! We had a lot of good fun, got to roast hot dogs & marshmallows and get pulled around in a sled. When we got cold we got to go inside the camp and play games.
Demonstrations
5-year old Adalyn did her first demonstration and showed us how to make snow dough.

You can go to county if you want, but you have to practice a lot. There are probably more people there than you think so you should practice in front of people that you know or are at your house. You will probably be scared but if you want you can do it with a friend. Good luck to the Jolly Juniors who will go to County. Adalyn was the only first year sewer and made her pillowcase. Submitted by Cloverbud club reporter Addison Cirard.

State News

Come to Orono for the 2020 4-H@UMaine May 29 – 30, 2020 – Planning has started and the wheels are in motion thanks to the efforts of a tremendous team! We are always looking for individuals interested in helping with pre-event planning or attending the event itself! Stay tuned for details. For more information about 4-H@UMaine, contact Greg Kranich at gregory.kranich@maine.eduor 207.581.3292.
4-H@UMaine 2020 Teen Leader Team – Teen Leaders support 4-H@UMaine by helping to plan the weekend, creating the event’s theme, supporting younger participants, and helping to create an engaging and welcoming environment for all attendees. All this while building leadership skills and having FUN!
NEW! This year the required in-person training will be offered in two locations simultaneously. Teens will be able to attend at the Androscoggin/Sagadahoc (Lisbon Falls) or Penobscot/Piscataquis (Bangor) Cooperative Extension office. The two groups will video conference for portions of the training to help build a cohesive group while hopefully eliminating some transportation barriers.
For more information and for this year’s application please visit here. Applications will be available on March 2nd and must be submitted by April 3rd.
Save the Date for 2020 Maine 4-H Days – Maine 4-H Days will take place July 16 – 19, 2020 at the Windsor Fairgrounds. If you are interested in helping to plan next year’s event, please contact Jessy Brainerd at jessica.brainerd@maine.edu or 207.581.3877.
Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee – July will be here before you know it, and we are looking for a few good volunteers to join the fantastic current Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee. Joining this committee gives you the chance to help come up with ideas and plans for one of our biggest statewide events! If you are interested in joining the Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee, or have general questions/comments/recommendations about the event, please email jessica.brainerd@maine.edu, or call 207.581.3877.
UMaine 4-H Unconference – not your average volunteer forum!
UMaine 4-H Unconference – a volunteer forum led by 4-H volunteers for 4-H volunteers. UMaine 4-H Unconference will be an organized forum for 4-H volunteers, club leaders, afterschool providers, teachers, parents and teens 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. All experience levels are welcome and no one person has all the answers. Door prizes will be given at the end of the day. Register online.
Join us for one or both of these awesome dates! Registration begins at 8:30 and door prizes will be drawn by 3:00:
Ellsworth (Ellsworth High School 24 Lejok St. Ellsworth, ME), Saturday, April 25, 2020.
Lewiston (USM Lewiston Auburn Campus – 51 Westminster St. Lewiston, ME) Saturday, March 14, 2020
What is Aquaculture Science Saturday – Save the date for the first 4-H Science Saturday of 2020! On April 25, 2020, youth will have a chance to learn about Aquaculture at the Aquaculture Research Center at UMaine in Orono. This event will run from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, cost is $10.00, and lunch will be provided. Online registration will be available in early March.
#EmpoweringMEandYou – Stress Less Online Workshop for Teens – 04/16/20, 6:00 – 7:00PM – The National 4-H Healthy Living Summit Team from Maine will be presenting their Stress Less lesson plan developed at the 2019 Summit and presented at the 2020 Summit. Any youth ages 13 – 18 are welcome and encouraged to attend. 4-H participation is not required! This hour-long lesson was designed by and for teens to educate others on the effects of stress and how they can combat and cope with stress in their daily lives, and the lives of others. Youth will start by identifying what the effects of stress are, and then have the opportunity to practice a variety of coping strategies that can help to reduce these effects on the body. Youth will also learn and practice how to reframe their own negative self-talk and redirect that of others as it relates to stress. If you are interested in attending this workshop please RSVP hereby Monday, April 13, 2020 to receive a reminder email and the Zoom link. For questions or information on offering this to your county or club, please email or call Sara Conant, sara.conant@maine.edu, 207-781-6099.
Maine Junior Solar Sprint: Season 26 – What’s it about? Engineering, photovoltaics & collaborative learning. Working in teams, middle school students design, build and race model vehicles that that run (20 meters) with the sun.
Cost? There’s a free mentor workshop and (thanks to the Maine 4-H Foundation) a $150 materials stipend for mentors. (There isa cost if you would like an organized qualifying race at your school. Top teams go on to the State Finals on Saturday, June 6, site TBD.)
I’m interested—what now? Contact Peter Zack, Sacopee Energy & Climate Activities, peter@secanews.org, 207.625.7833.
First Ever Maine 4-H Teen Dance – April 4, 2020 from 6:00 – 9:00 pm at the Old Town YMCA – join us for the first ever Maine 4-H Teen Dance (organized by teen 4-Hers for YOU!). More information and online registration will be posted here.
National 4-H Trips (Conference and Congress)
National 4-H Trip Applications are due March 20th, 2020 (Conference and Congress). National 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 a part of a team making recommendations to National 4-H Council at Conference. To learn more about these trips, visit here. For specific questions, please contact Heidi Palmer, State Activities Coordinator at: heidi.thuotte@maine.edu
Camp Scholarships Available – The Maine 4-H Foundation has camp scholarships ranging from $100-$200 available for 4-H members to any one week of 4-H camp. Try one of our University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Centers at Blueberry Cove, Bryant Pond, Greenland Point and Tanglewood. Call the camps to ask for a scholarship. Scholarships are based on need and first come, first serve.
National 4-H Dairy Conference – The 66th National 4-H Dairy Conference will be held September 27 to September 30, 2020 in Madison, Wisconsin. It will be held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo and attendees will have the chance to visit Expo as part of the conference agenda. Additionally, the conference will offer opportunities to learn more about careers in agriculture, seminars on dairy topics, and a wealth of chances to interact with dairy 4-H members from across the country.
The Maine 4-H Animal Science Dairy Committee would love to try and send/support a team of motivated kiddos who are involved with the Dairy Goat, or Dairy Cattle Project Areas for this very unique and meaningful opportunity.The National 4-H Dairy Conference requires that 4H team members: Have spent at least 3 years in those project areas, and be at least 15 years old but not yet older than 18 (4-H age).
We are also looking for potential VOLT Chaperones who might like to help organize and facilitate this trip. If we have an idea of how many kids are interested we can plan our fundraising efforts accordingly. Interested parties can contact Tara marble at tara.marble@maine.edu, or 207-778-4650 at the Franklin County Office.4-H Dairy Team Dates – The summer show season is fast approaching and it is time to start preparing for the 2020 Eastern States Exposition. Please save the dates below for Eastern States 4-H Dairy team tryouts and events. More information on the Eastern States Exposition 4-H dairy team and how to get involved in a 4-H dairy project can be found here. Please contact Tara Marble at tara.marble@maine.edu or Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu with any questions.Note: In order to be eligible for participation on the 2020 ESE 4-H Dairy Team youth must:
- Be enrolled in a 4-H dairy project for at least one year
- Be 12 years old or older by December 31st of the current 4-H year
- Submit an ESE dairy team intent to participate form by Feb. 1, 2020
- Participate in at least one state tryout event
- Submit their animal approval form to their county office by May 1st (if they intend to bring an animal)
- Participate in the Maine State 4-H Dairy show in July
Maine 4-H Dairy Team Dates:
- Animal Approval and Lease Form Due Date (for ESE participants): 5/1/2020, in your local County Extension Office
- 4-H Dairy Judging Team Tryouts: 5/02/2020, time and location TBD
- Animal Approval and Lease Form Due Date (for non-ESE participants): 6/30/2020, in your local County Extension Office
- Maine 4-H Dairy Show (including 4-H Grilled Cheese Contest and 4-H Dairy Fitting Contest): 7/18/2020 – 7/19/2020 at the Windsor Fairgrounds

Leaders Meeting Minutes

HANCOCK COUNTY 4-H LEADERS’ ASSOCIATION

February 11 Meeting Minutes

Present- Secretary Lisa Carney, Board Member Lee Sargent, Treasurer Terry Swazey, Vice President Heather Linnehan, Board Member Dwight Sargent, President Brenda Jordan, and office staff Carla Scocchi and Zabet NeuCollins(6).

The flag was saluted and the 4-H pledge recited.
Secretary’s Report: the January minutes were approved as written.
Treasurer’s Report: a motion was made to approve the January Treasurer’s report as read; seconded and approved. A steer was purchased for $900, and we will put $250 towards hay.

Club reports:
Rails N’ Trails are planning their fundraising to attend Equine Affaire. They will be collecting cans for a bottle drive from now through the summer; contact Lee if you have any questions.
Horse of Course had their Christmas Party in January. Their next meeting will feature a horse drawing artist. They welcomed new member Emma to the club.
Jolly Juniors- the Cloverbuds elected officers; they will be submitting reports. A meeting Sunday was an ice fishing trap workshop, they will try them this weekend. Went over demonstrations.
Horse & Rider’s new members are working out very well. They plan to go to Equine Affaire, and will also be conducting a bottle drive and yard sale. They might be eligible for some funding if they document how it develops their leadership skills. Revisit next month

Old Business:
Public Speaking- March 7th, snow date of the 21st. State is April 4th. Looking for judges. All set for beverages, finger sandwiches for food. Cost of food divided between the university and Leaders Association. Starting at 10 am, not sure how many kids we will have yet – registration just opened.
We will be increasing insurance coverage on the food booth and exhibit hall to 1 million; cost will increase by $23.
Government Day- State Govt day was cancelled due to snow. The only teen interested is already qualified. Heather usually goes in April, suggested going to the House instead of the Senate.
Maines 200th Birthday- application deadline is March 2nd, there is a group from the Franklin County Office going down with a float if 4-H wants to tag along.
4-H Unconference- rescheduled for April 25th.

New Business:
Style Revue- take up next month. Put together some pictures for a slideshow?
Jamboree-take up next month. Committee meeting March 10th at 5:30.
Submit any changes to the Blue Hill Fair book before the end of March.

Office Report:
We have all of the equipment and residual funds from the robotics program; if there are any ideas about who might be interested in starting a program you can get in touch with Carla.
Project records will be due October 2nd. Egg project records will be due at the same time.
Do we want to do a 4-H Awareness Day on Open Farm day at the Lone Spruce Farm in Dedham (home of the Spruced Up Homesteaders) on July 26th? – Everyone thinks it might be a good idea.
Lone Spruce Farm will be donating a portion of their sales from their farm store to the 4-H Leaders Association. Stay tuned for more details on that.
Joyce will be at a support staff conference during Style Revue; we might need to think about getting some more people involved.
Zabet will be doing a series of birding workshops; the first will be this Saturday at 9am in Acadia. Meeting at the Sieur Du Mont Springs parking lot in Acadia National Park. There will also be a mosaic glass bird workshop in the future.
Zabet is contacting clubs, she would like to come to your meeting to learn about 4-H!

A motion was made to adjourn at 7:28; seconded and approved.
Respectfully submitted by Lisa Carney, Secretary

Cooperative Extension in Hancock County