August 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
August 1, 15, 22 – 10:30 am 4-H Story Hour at the Ellsworth Library
August 8 – 6:30 pm Leader’s Meeting
August 28 – Steer Tickets Due in Office
August 28 – Blue Hill Fair Exhibits Due in Office
August 29 – Blue Hill Fair Exhibits Due at Fairgrounds
August 30 – Due date to sign up for Ecological Studies SPIN club (see state news)
August 31 through September 4 – Blue Hill Fair
October 11 – Registration Due date for Maine Agriculture Ambassadors (see state news)
County News
Open Farm Day/4-H Open House
Thank you to Lone Spruce Farm, the volunteers, the participants, and everyone else who took part in Open Farm Day. We had an amazing turnout, over 250 in attendance, and we were more than happy to spend the day sharing 4-H with our community.
A local news station even popped out to see what all the fuss was about. Check out some familiar faces in this news video!
Blue Hill Fair 4-H Exhibit Hall
Start thinking about what projects to enter in the 4-H Exhibit Hall this year! Categories range from “Aquatic Life, Leadership, Nature Collections, Outdoors, Writing Sampler, Crafts”, and more! Remember that there are options to enter individual exhibits as well as club exhibits – and that everyone receives a cash premium! Your project can be dropped off at the Extension Office before Monday, August 28th. Remember, Entry Forms and Exhibit/Life Skills Cards are required and are available online.
The 4-H theme of the 2023 Blue Hill Fair is “4-H: The Stepping Stones to Life”. Exhibits are due at the Extension Office by 4:00 pm on Monday the 28th, or set up yourself at the Exhibit Hall between 12:00 and 3:00 pm on Tuesday the 29th. We look forward to displaying your work to the public!
Don’t forget that our Future 4-Hers also have a chance to submit this year. Submit a project created by a future 4-H’er in any of the exhibit hall categories, accompanied by an entry card (filled out by an adult but dictated by the youth), and we will put the project on display in a special corner of the 4-H Exhibit Hall. Future 4-H’er projects will not be judged or are eligible for ribbons or premiums, but is a great opportunity for younger members of the family to practice their 4-H project skills and put them on display!
Volunteers needed for 4-H Food Booth and Steer Ticket Table – Calling all 4-H families!
The 4-H Food Booth and Steer Ticket Raffle are the two largest fundraisers for the Hancock County 4-H Leaders’ Association. The funds raised are used to support the 4-H programs you love all year long – Cloverfest, June Jamboree, Public Speaking, Style Revue, Leaders Banquet, and so much more! We rely on our strong 4-H community to deliver quality youth programs in Hancock County, and we are asking 4-H Clubs, Groups, Independents, and Parents/Guardians to volunteer their time during the Blue Hill Fair (August 31 – September 4). We need:
- Youth AND Adult Volunteers for the 4-H Food Booth: “Front” of the booth (taking orders, distributing food), and “Back” of the booth (cooking burgers, hot dogs, etc)
- Youth AND Adult Volunteers for the Steer Ticket Table: selling Steer Tickets to fairgoers. Adults needed to handle the money.
- Volunteering here is a requirement to win the Razor Crosman Award.
If you haven’t volunteered at the fair before, please consider contributing to this important cause this year! Contact the Extension Office or fill out the form on the webpage to sign up for a shift at the Food Booth and/or the Steer Ticket Table.
Photo Contest Scavenger Hunt!
Amazing photo submission from miss Macy, proving that NOTHING is better than a BBQ night!
Join our monthly newsletter photo scavenger hunt! We encourage all 4-Hers to take inspiration from our monthly themes 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!
August Scavenger Hunt Themes
– A sweet treat
– Follow the shadow
– Something or someone special
– It’s blueberry season!
Ellsworth Library Story Hour
Join Leah for family story hour at the Ellsworth Public Library for a children’s book reading on August 1st, 15th, or 22nd at 10:30. Following the story, Leah will lead a short activity connected to the book!
Steer Tickets Have Arrived!
The Steer Ticket fundraiser is the premier fundraiser for the Hancock County 4-H Leaders’ Association. Tickets are $2 each; 30 cents go directly to the 4-H Club that sells the tickets, and $1.70 will go to the Leaders’ Association to support 4-H programming, scholarships, county events, and more. The Steer Ticket Raffle winner will receive a cut-to-order, freezer-ready Beef Steer raised by a Hancock County 4-H’er, OR $650 cash. The drawing is at 5 pm on Labor Day at the Blue Hill Fair. The 4-H Club AND the 4-H’er who sells the most tickets will receive an award at Cloverfest. Tickets are now available for pick up by 4-H’ers at the Extension Office. Steer ticket money must be returned to the Extension Office by August 28th or the thirty-cent club money per ticket will be forfeited! Steer tickets are not to be brought to the Blue Hill Fair. Also, remember that we cannot sell raffle tickets to people under 16 years old, and youth under 18 should not be handling money. Adults should not put youth’s names on the tickets.
Club News
Jolly Juniors
This month we started to sell beef steer tickets and helped Lone Spruce Farm on Open Farm Day. Some Jolly Juniors helped sell beef steer tickets at Eastbrook days and we were really successful.
Six Jolly juniors helped out at Lone Spruce Farm by selling steer tickets and having a table where kids and adults could paint rocks. Painting rocks is a summer tradition at Mrs. Jordan’s camp. She still has rocks from members who are in their 20s! We all really had fun at Open Farm Day and liked going to the different stations to learn new things and make stuff. Coryann really liked the horses! Two of our club members were interviewed by Channel 7!
Jaxson Hamor
Club Reporter
Horse of Course
Horse of Course sold hot dogs, bottled water and strawberry shortcakes on the 4th of July in Stonington to raise money for the Bucksport Animal Shelter and the Blue Hill Food Pantry. Each organization will receive $283.50 from the sales that night. The club also participated in Open Farm Day at Lone Spruce Farm in Dedham and sold raffle tickets for a fleece tie blanket that they made that day at the farm. The club has a goal of raising $150 from this raffle for the Bagaduce River Equine Rescue in Brooksville.Wellness Warriors
Wellness Warriors worked super hard this month preparing and baking for their first-ever fundraiser! It was held at Open Farm Day and was a HUGE success, surpassing their goal! They’ll be celebrating with a trip to Volta climbing center in Trenton!
They’ve also been practicing box breathing, journaling in moments of mindfulness, sharing ideas for supporting others having hard feelings, hiking, hanging with goats, and sharing fun healthy snacks
Lock Stock and Barrel
Lock Stock and Barrel 4-H Club does not meet in the summer. The club will start back up in September, on Wednesday, September 13th at 6 pm at the Blue Hill Rifle and Pistol Club on the Range Rd in Blue Hill. There will be an informational meeting on how to sign up and an ice cream social.
State News
4-H Ecological Studies (4Est) SPIN Club
Did you know that YOU are a scientist and can contribute to the science community?!? This virtual 4-H citizen scientists club encourages youth to practice citizen science in their own backyard, with a variety of citizen science opportunities to consider, and report their observations while making connections with fellow citizen scientists in their community and around the state. Along the way, we’ll learn about Maine ecology and how you can participate in research by just taking a picture.
Tuesdays September 12 – October 17, 2023 from 4:00 – 5:00 pm via zoom. This SPIN club is open to up to 12 youth ages 12 – 18. Please register by August 30th, so we have time to mail the materials to you home. To learn more or sign up, visit out web page.
Fall 2023 Maine 4-H Agricultural Ambassadors Program
Who: This program is for all Maine youth ages 14 – 18.
What: This hybrid program will provide youth with an opportunity to connect to local agriculture, build relationships with industry professionals, develop professional and advocacy skills, and explore careers in agriculture. The 2023 fall cohort will explore careers and local agriculture through in-person field trips (limited transportation available), and by attending virtual meetings to grow their professional skill set (e.g. resume writing and interviewing skills). Additionally, youth will complete a personal reflective project exploring the role of agriculture and their future. This program includes mentoring in post-secondary opportunities as well as exploring current issues around food systems, livestock, crop sciences, aquaculture, climate issues impacting food systems, food equity, and more.
Why: The goal of the Maine 4-H Ag Ambassador Program is to provide experiences for youth to explore their interest in agriculture. The program focuses on.
– connecting youth with their local food systems and industries
– exploring the richness and diversity of the Maine food system
– developing “ag-vocacy” skills
– increasing access to career and post-secondary opportunities in agri-science and food systems.
Where: Virtually and in-person throughout Maine.
When: – Virtual Meeting Dates: October 18 & 25, November 1 & 15
– In-Person Meeting Dates: October 21, November 10, and December 2.
How: Interested in Joining? Register Online by October 11th.
Leaders’ Meeting Minutes
Hancock County 4-H Leaders Meeting of July 11, 2023 (Hybrid)
Present- Brenda Jordan, Terry Swazey, Lee Sargent, Lisa Carney, Lisa Reilich (Zoom)
The Secretary’s and Treasurer’s reports for June were approved as written and read.
Club reports:
- Horse of Course raised money over the 4th of July weekend selling raffle tickets at the Bucksport Animal Shelter and the Blue Hill Food Pantry.
- Rails and Trails will be attending Open Farm Day at Lone Spruce Farm.
- Jolly Juniors made stepping stones, it was a great learning experience. Plaster of paris works better than concrete.
Old Business:
- Open Farm Day – July 23 – clubs are welcome. Volunteers arrive at 9:30ish for set up.
- Lunch orders to Leah
- Jolly Juniors will sell steer tickets and do a take home craft.
- Horse of Course will sell raffle tickets for a tie blanket that will benefit the Bagaduce Horse Rescue, they will work on it there.
- Wellness Warriors are doing a healthy bakesale
- Rails n Trails plans on bringing Chubbs the horse to Open Farm Day
- How can we advertise? – contact WABI, and add a sign on the road on the day of to direct traffic. Bangor Daily?
- Thank you Terry and Lee for figuring out what we need to make the new door to the exhibit hall!
- We have the XL sign/banner if we end up needing it
- We also have those wooden 4-H clovers that could possibly be hung on the door – or could this be a woodworking project for Brenda’s Jolly Juniors??!?
- Letter the door with Hancock County 4-H?
- Clarifying food booth schedule… Lisa C and family are doing Saturday night correct?- Yes she is. Brenda will take Sunday 3-8.
- Lisa R will donate cheesecakes again this year, they will keep for Cloverfest if there are extras. She can also pick up food since she drives over most mornings.
- Need another food booth sign up email blast.
- If there are folks you know want a specific shift please hold it for them or have them visit the website. I will begin pushing this link to families soon and don’t want any historical shifts to be taken.
New Business:
- Cloverfest- maybe something like open farm days where kids could do different activities (woodworking, horse clubs, disassembling computers or other things, chop challenge making a meal, make a scarecrow, something like the lava lamps…). Maybe not a dinner; make your own ice cream sundae ***Sweet Clover STEAM night*** Ask people to bring their obsolete tech. Can be the “T”. Make a code breaking activity for math. Start at 6:30, eat before you come, be done at 9. Make paper prints with Jello for art. Some type of collaborative building for Engineering. Maybe the office can do the Science.
- Leaders Banquet/meeting- dinner out.
Adjourned at 7:30
Respectfully submitted by Lisa Carney, Secretary