May 2023 4-H Newsletter
4-H Happenings
A monthly newsletter for Hancock County 4-H Members
Table of Contents
Upcoming Dates| County News | Club News | State News | Leaders Meeting Minutes
Upcoming Dates to Remember
May 9 – Leaders’ Meeting 6:30 pm
May 10 – Deadline to Register for 4-H Youth Conference
May 11 – Ellsworth Library Open House 4:00-6:00 pm
May 11 – Style Revue Dress Rehersal
May 12 – Style Revue
May 12 – Kids Can Grow Registration Deadline
May 13 and 14 – Maine 4-H Youth Conference
May 16 – Kids Can Grow Parents’ Meeting
May 29 – Office Closed for Memorial Day
June 13 – Leaders’ Meeting 6:30 pm
County News
Wellness Warriors
Let’s give a warm welcome to our newest 4-H club, Wellness Warriors! Wellness Warriors is a club all about encouraging youth to find an inner balance through connections with nature. Located at Lone Spruce Farm in Dedham, club leader Kristin will host activities like hiking farm trails, spending time with farm animals, outdoor yoga, and learning about nutrition. This club aims to create an environment where youth can safely explore peer-to-peer networks and mindfulness. By giving young people the tools to find what they need, Wellness Warriors empowers youth to care for their mental and physical health.
This club will meet twice a month on weekends from May-September, and once monthly during the off-season. The first club meeting is May 21st from 11:30 – 1:30 pm at Lone Spruce Farm. Youth should bring a lunch and dress for the weather!
Registration is open now! Visit the Wellness Warriors website to enroll. For any questions, please contact leah.mccluskey@maine.edu or call 207-667-8212.
Kids Can Grow
The Kids Can Grow program is returning to Hancock 
County! Our Master Gardener Volunteers are partnering with Maine Coast Heritage Trust to welcome youth back to their gardens in Somesville!
This program is designed for youth aged 7-12 on or around MDI. It aims to teach participants basic gardening techniques, food safety and nutrition skills, and how our inputs may affect our harvest.
This program is $20 per participant, though financial aid is available. Space is limited to 14 youth on a first-come, first-served basis. To learn more, or to register now, visit the Hancock County Kids Can Grow website. Deadline to apply: May 12, 2023
Photo Contest Scavenger Hunt!
From now on, monthly photo scavenger hunts will be posted in our newsletters. We encourage all 4-Hers to take inspiration from our hunt and snap the perfect pictures. Then, you can submit your photos on the photo contest webpage for a chance to be featured in the following month’s newsletter! Congrats to last month’s participant, Macy B. She took this wonderful photo of her little sister to show off their excitement for their spring crocus flowers!
May Scavenger Hunt Themes
– What a Colorful World
– Fiddleheads-up!
– A Memory
– I’m Going on a Picnic and I’m Gonna Bring…
For any questions, please reach out to leah.mccluskey@maine.edu or call 207.667.8212.
Style Revue
We are so excited to see your amazing creations come to life in the next few weeks! There is nothing more satisfying than finally finishing up a project you’ve put so much effort into.
After School Workshops
We would love for you to join us for an after-school workshop at the Ellsworth Public Library! Every Friday from 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm the library will offer workshops for elementary and middle school youth. On the 3rd Friday of every month, 4-H will be the featured presenter.
Last month, Ms. Andrea led a workshop on watercolor painting, where youth painted a dreamcatcher! This month, Ms. Carla will be leading a Tick ID and protection workshop! Topics will change from month to month so be sure to check in with the library to see our offerings!
4-H Camp
Have you made Summer 4-H Camp plans yet? Maine’s priceless words, waters and wildlife habitats at our 4-H Camps are perfect settings for youth to learn hands-on skills, build self-confidence, make new friends, and share a sense of belonging. Visit 4-H Camps & Learning Centers to learn more or register!
Club News
The club finished up the afternoon by trying out the well-loved Seaweed Lava Lamp activity and learning about all the daily products we use that utilize seaweed.
Horse of Course – Over April school vacation, our club had a bake sale outside The Galley convenience store in Deer Isle to raise money for Island Angels (they help families financially that are dealing with a cancer diagnosis) and the Brooklin Elementary School backpack program. The club raised $305 which will be split between the two programs.
We had a new family come to our meeting to see if they would like to join our club, which was exciting! At the meeting, the members worked on the club’s community service scrapbook and learned about using horses’ teeth to figure out their age, and parts of the hoof.
State 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 workshop 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 extension.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!
Leaders’ Meeting Minutes
Hancock County 4-H Leaders Meeting of April 11th, 2023
–Hybrid Meeting–
Present- Lisa Carney, Bill Carney, Brenda Jordan, Lisa Reilich, Elaine Gokey, Terry Swazey, and office staff Leah McCluskey. (6)
The Secretary’s and Treasurer’s reports for March were accepted as written and read. Last month’s expenses included the steer, steer hay, public speaking food, and office money.
Club reports:
- Horse of Course is meeting next Tuesday. They will be having a bake sale at the Galley in Deer Isle, and scrap-booking.
- Jolly Juniors had the Year One sewing bee, and two older members made ice fishing traps.
Old Business:
- Public speaking was really good this year! Lots of Cloverbud presentations. Lisa R. would like to coach kids going on to the State level tournament.
- Photo contest- Leah updated the contest website and is working on the BHF site. There is a link where kids can submit their photos.
- Style review- April 17th is the last day to enroll. It will be held at the Surry School on May 12th. Brenda may have some judges. Still need to plan decorations.
- Steer- will be raised by the Gross family. The Simmental steer cost $1400. Hay was $250. May end up paying ~$250 for grain. Used to cost much less to raise the steer. Increase the price of tickets?
- Steer tickets- we have been purchasing 7000 tickets, and usually have 1000 left over. New pricing suggestion: Motion to increase prices to $2 each, or 6 for $10. Give the clubs 30 cents for each ticket they sell. Seconded and passed.
New Business:
- Leah is happy to do a workshop on making stepping stones. Brenda has three molds and will be making some with her Cloverbuds.
- The Fairgrounds asked to buy our horse panels, the money can help renovate the exhibit hall.
Office Business:
- Kristin is starting a new club centered on mind and body well-being at the end of May.
- Open house at the Ellsworth Library to promote 4-H.
- Jamboree will be open farm day, but the office could have three sessions/projects that kids could sign up for. Maybe on June 17th?
Adjourned at 7:21
Respectfully submitted by Lisa Carney, Secretary