October 2020 4-H Newsletter

October 7, 2020 4-H News

4-H Happenings

A monthly newsletter for Hancock County 4-H Members

Download the PDF

Upcoming Dates to Remember

October 3-31 – Ellsworth Public Library NEA Big Read – See page 2
October 7-18 – Fall Paper Clover at Tractor Supply Company
October 12– Indigenous People’s Day – Extension Office Closed
October 13 – 4:30pm – Leaders’ Meeting via Zoom – Contact us for the private link
October 15 – Registration Deadline EXTENDED for Grow your Own Garlic Kit
November 25 – Re-enrollment forms are due in the Extension Office

County News

Hancock County 4-H Photo Contest
There are some talented photographers among the Hancock County 4-H community! We wanted to extend a huge round of applause and thank you to Nayeli (Independent), Finn (Independent), and Zoe (Rails N’ Trails) who all took part in the 2020 Photo Contest. There were 17 entries between the three of them and all were stunning! Thank you to Tina Smith from Fire Chicks Photography who judged the photos. She said, “I love being a part of this. Some of these kids just blow me away with their skills at such young ages!” And it’s true! Zoe, Finn, and Nayeli, you are talented 4-H’ers and we are proud you are a part of Hancock County 4-H! Can’t wait to see what you take next year. You can see all of their entries here.

Leaders’ Meeting – The next Leaders’ Association meeting will be by Zoom on October 13, at 4:30 pm. Email carla.scocchi@maine.edu for the private link.

New Guidelines for In-Person Meetings – Dean Hannah Carter and upper administration at UMaine have approved the following changes to in-person programs for youth led by volunteers.

The total number of people has increased from 10 to 20. Remember to include all adults in the count.
Programs can occur indoors but not in people’s homes and there must be adequate space. (20 people would need 720 sq. ft. of space. Ten people would need half that, 360 sq. ft.)

See the revised checklist. Volunteers you must complete this form before meeting and wait for approval from Carla Scocchi, 4-H Youth Development Professional.

Re-enrollment 2020-2021 – Another 4-H year begins on October 1! Re-enrollment packets have been sent out. All paperwork must be returned to the Extension Office by Wednesday, November 25th in order to be processed before the state deadline on December 31. Absolutely no exceptions will be allowed after that date.

NEA Big Read – at Ellsworth Public Library has officially started and is underway! Hancock County 4-H is participating by creating videos and other content to be shared on our website and social media pages. We are also compiling garlic kits to be picked up at the Ellsworth Public Library.

If you’re interested in learning how to grow garlic and/or garlic greens, sign up for a kit today! REGISTRATION ENDS 10/15! Each kit will include garlic cloves, instructions on how to plant garlic (for garlic heads OR for garlic greens), a plastic container, and some potting soil. If this interests you, register here. Limited number of garlic kits are available.

Check for more information on how Hancock County 4-H is partaking in NEA Big Read: Ellsworth.

Agriculture Webinar Series – a monthly public health and agriculture webinar series hosted by the Maine CDC for middle and high school students through December 2020. Our second webinar will take place on Thursday, October 22nd from 4-5pm remotely on Zoom. This webinar will be focused on what biosecurity is and ways that youth can practice biosecurity at home with their animals. This webinar will be hosted by Maine CDC’s Infectious Disease Program. Please share this with your local 4-H groups and other agriculture students. Interested students should register using the link below.

When: Oct 22, 2020 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Paper Clover Campaign at Tractor Supply – The Fall paper clover campaign will be held October 7-18, with the opportunity to donate to 4-H in-store and online. This year, due to the COVID-19 crisis, Tractor Supply is requesting no physical presence from 4-H programs at their stores including outdoor spaces like parking lots. We will have to be creative in how we encourage people to donate!

Cloverfest – The 4-H Leaders Association and 4-H Staff are brainstorming how to celebrate the 2020 4-H year and your accomplishments throughout this unique year! Stay tuned for more details on how Cloverfest will be different this year. Thank you always for your patience and flexibility!

Hancock County Budget Update – As you may have heard, the Hancock County Commissioners have proposed to cut the Hancock County Cooperative Extension office’s budget by $15,000. We are seeking your help in advocating your support for Hancock County 4-H! Please consider writing a letter of support to help us educate the Commissioners and the Budget Advisory Committee on the impact of our programs; a budget cut of this magnitude will have a serious effect on our operations. Contact Carla Scocchi, carla.scocchi@maine.edu, by October 16th.

The Budget Advisory Committee will be voting on Wednesday, October 21st. The final vote will come from the County Commissioners in November.

State News

4-H Aquarium Club – The 4-H Aquarium Club is open to youth ages 5-18 who are interested in being members of a community of youth aquarium hobbyists! This group is for Maine youth who already have an aquarium hobby, or who are looking to start one, to come together to talk about their love for fish and aquaria. The club is led by aquaculture experts Dr. Scarlett Tudor from UMaine’s Aquaculture Research Institute, and Melissa Malmstedt from the UMaine Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research (CCAR). Meetings take place approximately once per month, starting in November 2020. All meetings will be virtual via Zoom in order to connect youth from across the state of Maine! For more information and to register by November 1st.

4-H Virtual Teen Science Cafes are Back! – This fall, join us on Thursdays, beginning October 1, as we meet with cool presenters and learn about their research and pathway to UMaine! In our first session, we will be joined by UMaine Electrical Engineering PhD Candidate, Sonia Naderi whose research focuses on utilizing artificial intelligence in wireless networks to enable widespread environmental monitoring. Other topics for this series will include animal health, wildlife, engineering and more! Register today.

Every Wednesday, you have the opportunity to participate in The University of Vermont’s VTeen Science Exploration – these are a similar format and run from 3:30 – 4:45 pm. On their announcements page, scroll down to VTeen Science Exploration for details about the different offerings, and registration links.To view spring session webinars, visit here.

Virtual Mindfulness Meeting – K-2 kids are invited to join Sara King for a Mindfulness Meeting on Monday October 19th at 4:00 PM via Zoom. Have you heard of yoga and mindfulness but aren’t sure what it’s all about? Come check it out! Sara will guide everyone through a short yoga sequence, followed by some breath work and a mindful activity! Please register by October 16.

Trainings for Volunteers – With the start of the new 4-H year just around the corner, Maine 4-H is excited to offer some virtual learning opportunities for 4-H volunteers! Whether you are a club volunteer who has worked with a group of youth for a number of years, or a newly enrolled volunteer trying to decide how you can get involved, the Maine 4-H program has something for you. Register to join us for one, two or all three virtual sessions to learn how you can work with 4-H youth this year. Register here.

Taking 4-H Outdoors – Thursday, October 8, 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Virtual 4-H Special Interest Clubs – What’s All the Hype? – Friday, October 2, 12:00 – 1:00 pm OR Monday, October 5, 7:00 – 8:00 pm
When Your 4-H Club Can’t Meet in Person…GO VIRTUAL! – Friday, October 9, 2:00 – 3:00 pm OR Tuesday, October 13, 7:00 – 8:00 pm
4-H Volunteers: Connecting with Cloverbuds – Wednesday, October 14, 7:00 – 8:00 pm

Leaders Meeting Minutes

HANCOCK COUNTY 4-H LEADERS’ ASSOCIATION

September 8th, 2020 Via Zoom

Present (4, no quorum)- Secretary Lisa Carney, Board Member Lee Sargent, Vice President Heather Linnehan, President Brenda Jordan and office staff Carla and Zabet.

Secretary’s Report:
Treasurer’s Report:

Club reports: The Jolly Juniors are ready to start a new year. Lee thinks her group will be meeting in person.

Old Business:

Photo contest- not as many entries as previous years. Still awarding cash prizes.

New Business:

Virtual Exhibit Hall- Heather has a few projects, but there were not too many responses to the newsletter survey. Perhaps we could combine the photo contest and the exhibits? Maybe highlight the projects on Facebook? We can have them fill out a virtual or mailed in “Fair Card”.

No in-person Cloverfest 🙁

Office Notes:

Re enrollment packets are being put together. The new year starts October 1st. Will it be easier to mail them directly to members? – Probably not, Brenda noted that many kids don’t sign their forms. Heather, Brenda, and Lee would like to distribute packets for their clubs.

Officer Elections- Joyce would like some input on if we will be holding elections. No quorum tonight; we can hold them in October.

In person meetings- training videos, approval forms, and a checklist need to be completed prior to initiating in person meetings. Carla will send us links to all of the online forms and videos. She can also print and mail any of the forms. Import to note:
10 or fewer participants, including adult volunteers.
Outside or barn only (no indoor meetings).
Masks are required, everyone needs to have one.
The masks can be taken off if you are outside and 6 feet apart.
No shared food.
No shared gear (horse equipment, etc).
Need to have sign in sheets to enable contact tracing, submit to the office after the meeting.
Read the checklist for all guidelines and details, including cleaning procedures, etc.

Meeting adjourned at 5:30 pm

Respectfully submitted by Lisa Carney, Secretary

Cooperative Extension in Hancock County