Cooperative Extension in Hancock County

June 2026 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 | Volunteer News| Leaders’ Meeting Minutes

Upcoming Dates to Remember

June 5 – Market Lamb Intent to Sell at Fryburg Forms Due
June 5 – Last Day to Register for June Jamboree
June 10 – 4-H Leaders Association Meeting at Blue Hill Fairgrounds
June 12 + 13 – June Jamboree at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds!
June 17 – Trophic Art at the Blue Hill Public Library (3:30 pm – 4:30 pm)
June 19 – Office closed for Juneteenth
June 30 – Animal Approval and Lease Forms Due in the Office
July 1 – Fishy Belly Detectives at the Blue Hill Public Library (3:30 pm – 4:30 pm)
July 6 – Summer Learning Series Begins!

County News

June Jamboree

June Jamboree is back for another exciting weekend, and you’re invited! The 2026 June Jamboree will be held on June 12-13 at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds. Plan to camp with us on the fairgrounds on the 12th, and wake ready to participate in fun-filled workshops and activities on the 13th! Workshops will include hands-on crafts, engineering, and animal science. The “Anytime Science” and “Anytime Craft” tables will run between workshops all day on Saturday, June 13 – be sure to stop by to explore! Registration will open to enrolled 4-H members on May 11th. Workshops are first-come, first-served, so don’t delay! The public may begin registering on May 18th. Registration closes June 5th, so sign up soon!

Blue Hill Fair 4-H Exhibit Hall

2026 Theme: From Forest to Shore

Starting Monday August 3 – Monday, August 31, you can deliver exhibit items, along with their required exhibit cards and entry form, to the Cooperative Extension office in Ellsworth. Items will not be accepted unless they are complete, so please check you have everything before making the drive. Our office hours are Monday – Friday, 8 am – 4 pm. Please plan to arrive before 4 pm as staff will not be able to stay after hours to accept exhibits.

Monday, August 31 at 4 pm – Last chance to drop off 4-H exhibits at Extension Office in Ellsworth

Tuesday, September 1 at 12 pm – Last chance to drop off exhibits at 4-H Exhibit Hall on the Blue Hill Fairgrounds

If this is your first year participating in the fair, don’t hesitate to ask questions. You can reach our 4-H staff at 207.667.8212 for help!

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 31st 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.

Volunteers are needed for the 4-H Food Booth and Steer Ticket Table: We are 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 (September 3 – September 7).

We need:

• Youth (16 and up with an adult) 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.

Local 4-H Workshops and Events

Club News

Fishing Club 

This month, we were able to do a scavenger hunt in the Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery Museum, looking for various fishing lures and poles. Youth also finished a fun “fish” activity booklet and will receive a prize from the Fish and Wildlife Management for doing so. Our guest speaker this month was Jason Smith. Jason and Richard Jagels brought the club down to Alamoosook Lake to learn about the use of underwater drones in exploring fish and their habitat. After we saw the drone in action at the lake, we went into the conference room to watch previous videos Jason had made at various lakes during spawning time. WOW! What a great tool for youth to identify fish and learn about their habits during such a special time of year. This was a perfect lead-in to our field trip for this month. We volunteered at the Narramissic – Orland River Watershed Fish Migration Celebration. This was a local event for World Fish Migration Day! After we assisted conservation trust volunteers in setting up tents, tables, and information at their booths, the youth were taken to the Orland Dam, where they learned about what a watershed is and what lakes and streams contribute to our local watershed. While at the dam, we were able to watch alewife and blueback herring trying to fight the strong current to make their way up the fish ladder. We did not see any successfully climb the ladder due to the timing of the tide, but we did see an osprey swoop down to snatch up one as a snack! We hope to be getting out on the lakes and ponds this upcoming month to do some freshwater fishing – the youth are excited for this!

Horse of Course

At our May meeting, the club split into two groups and assembled a paper jigsaw puzzle of a horse.  Then, with the paper horse, we learned a few parts of the horse.  Everyone received a paper with different leg markings and matched the markings to the names given.  We watched a few videos on ‘Liberty’ work with horses while having a snack. And lastly, we played a game of horse bingo, and the winner, Essie, received a poster of a foal.

Jolly Juniors 

As the school year winds down, so does our cooking class! We had a fantastic May, hosting two different groups. The girls’ group dove into baking from scratch, making homemade pizza crust and chocolate cupcakes while learning the art of kneading and handling dough. Meanwhile, the boys’ group whipped up English muffin pizzas and baked rolled sugar cookies with cinnamon and sugar—yielding a delicious “cinnamon roll” cookie twist.

This week, the kids have decided to wrap things up by baking chocolate chip cupcakes. Because this session was a bit shorter than usual, I’ve promised both groups that they will have top priority and get to start first next year!

Looking ahead, we will begin working on our Blue Hill Fair projects in the coming weeks. And, of course, we’ll be out there selling those beef steer tickets!

Lock, Stock, and Barrel 4-H Club

Pine Tree Pioneers

The 4-H Pine Tree Pioneers had a wonderful May club meeting all about seeds! Members learned about different ways seeds disperse in nature and explored the parts of a bean seed through a hands-on seed dissection activity. Youth also got creative by making bean mosaics using air-dry clay and creating “Eggheads” – decorated eggshell faces filled with soil and seeds that will soon sprout “hair!” The club will hold one summer meeting before returning to regular monthly meetings in the fall.

Service Squad

State News

Register Now for the 2026 4-H Summer Learning Series
Registration is now open for this year’s 4-H Summer Learning Series, our largest offering of virtual programming, and will open to the general public on June 5, 2026.  Workshops will cover a range of topics – favorites like Adulting 101 and Dissect and Detect, as well as loads of new areas: Intro to Game Lab, Mission to Mars, and all sorts of other topics. Workshops will run from July 6 to August 7, 2026.  Find out more on the 4-H Summer Learning website.

Sea Dogs for 4-H
The Maine 4-H Foundation has purchased a group of Sea Dogs tickets for Cooper Flagg Bobble Head night on Wed, Aug 12, 2026, at 6:00 PM. They will be given away in pairs through a raffle.  If you are a 4-H member, or a young person involved with our camp and learning centers, or with online 4-H virtual learning, and want to put your name in for the drawing, please email Julie Hart at julie@themagiclantern.org. Please provide your name and contact information in the email.

Please submit your name by June 15th. We will hold the drawing on June 17th, and then tickets will be mailed to the winners.

The Alfond Grant
Hey there! Do you have a child or grandchild born in Maine on or after January 1, 2013? Guess what? They’ve got something special called a $500 Alfond Grant waiting for them! (The Grant was also available on a more limited basis from 2008 to 2012).

The Alfond Grant is a jumpstart for a child’s education after high school. By the time they graduate high school, their Alfond Grant could be worth up to $2,000!

The great part is that the Alfond Grant can be used for all sorts of education, such as college, trade school, or even certificates. And it can be used in Maine as well as outside the state.

Curious to know more? Check out www.MyAlfondGrant.org to get all the details. This grant is just the beginning of exciting possibilities for your child’s future education!

Animal Science Challenge
The Maine 4-H Foundation is offering a challenge to 4-H animal science committees and programs. The Foundation will match up to $3,000 per committee to support animal science programs and educational programs. A 1:1 match will be made for current and past donors, and 1:2 matches for new donors. Questions can be asked by contacting Susan Jennings at 207.615.7300 or by emailing maine4hfoundation@gmail.com.

Fryeburg Market Lamb Intent Forms Due June 5, 2026
Intent forms for Fryeburg Fair market lambs are now available online. Market Lambs must be owned and in possession of a 4-H’er by June 1, 2026, and must be castrated males. In order to be eligible for participation, 4-H members must meet the following requirements: Send the Intent to Sell Form, original bill of sale/value of lamb statement, and pictures of your animal (front and side view) to your county office by June 5th.
Animal approval forms for lambs must include the scrapie tag number and list “Fryeburg Sale” as the show class.
Additional requirements, as well as the fillable online form, can be found online on our Fryeburg Fair information page.
For more information, please contact Sadee Mehuren at 207.342.5971; sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or the State 4-H Office at 207.581.3877.

4-H Working Steer Tryout Information
The show season is fast approaching! Working steer ESE intent forms (due May 1st), volunteer interest forms, team member guidelines, and apprentice guidelines are all available one at extension.umaine.edu/4h/working-steer/. The dates for team tryouts are listed below.

ESE Working Steer Tryouts:

• • June 14, 2026 at Windsor Fairgrounds
  • July 11, 2026, Ossipee Valley Fair
  • August 13, 2026, Skowhegan Fair

If you have any questions, please contact Hillary Arsenault, ESE coordinator, at maineworkingsteer@gmail.com; 207.592.3320 or Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu; 207.342.5971

New 4-H Rabbit and Poultry Opportunity!
4-H members now have an exciting new opportunity to showcase their skills at The Big E’s first 4-H Rabbit & Poultry Show! Open to youth ages 12 and above, this event is a great way to learn new skills, compete in regional 4-H shows, and connect with others who share an interest in rabbits and poultry.

Participants can look forward to a variety of engaging activities, including breed shows, showmanship competitions, agility contests, and more. Whether you’re experienced or just getting started, this event offers something for everyone. Interested in participating or learning more? Be sure to complete the interest form.

For more information, please contact Sadee Mehuren at 207.342.5971 or sadee.mehuren@maine.edu.

Volunteer News

June 2026 4-H Volunteer Corner: Your corner for connection, tips, and tricks!

Developmental Relationships

What are Developmental Relationships?  These are positive connections between youth and caring adults that provide a foundation for growth, fostering trust, warmth, and mutual respect. The caring, consistent connections you build with 4-H members help youth grow. Building relationships of trust can give young people the encouragement and guidance they need to succeed. In essence, developmental relationships are the nurturing connection that helps youth in 4-H programs navigate their experiences and develop into well-rounded, purposeful individuals. 

When we observe a developmental relationship, we see 

• active engagement and trust, 
• balanced power dynamics and 
• intentional connection. 

Developmental relationships sound like 

• words of encouragement, 
• praise for effort and achievements, and 
• expressions that the person feels known, valued, and enjoyed.

4-H Volunteer Summit

Saturday, November 7, 2026

We hope this is where you will plan to be! We have an amazing lineup for the day with engaging workshops, a Discovery Zone, a 4-H Pop Up Shop, and more! Save the date, check out the 4-H Volunteer Summit webpage, and look for registration to open soon!

Resource Spotlight

Does your 4-H club have officers and run a short business meeting? If so, check out this Parliamentary Procedure resource from the University of Illinois Extension. Super simple to understand, it will provide guidance on how to run a business meeting that is orderly and efficient. The rules are designed to ensure that everyone has a chance to participate, be heard, and help the group reach decisions. If you are looking for some activities to help teach parliamentary procedure to young people, try this Parliamentary Procedure Activities Resource from Michigan State University. Let us know if you try one out- we’d love to hear how it went!

Leaders’ Meeting Minutes

Via Zoom. Attendees: Lisa Carney, Leah McCluskey, Andrea Mahoney, Terry Swazey, Joannie Jodrey, and Lee Sargent

The Treasurer’s report for April was accepted as read. 

The April Leaders Association Meeting minutes were accepted as written in the newsletter.

Club Reports:

• 4-H Fishing Club – Dawn reports: Jason Smith came out to show the youth an underwater drone demonstration at Alamoosook Lake, then we watched a video of various lakes and streams he has explored.  Wow, it was amazing to see the fish moving about and really observe them clearly.  We will be volunteering at Orland river during fish migration day on the 23rd, and family fishing day with island heritage trust at lily pond on the 31st, we will have a table with a fishing game and trivia and get to do some fishing at Lily Pond.  The next meeting is in June, and hoping to start getting out to fish regularly.  
• Service Squad- raised money at a bake sale at Tractor Supply. They will be using it for a pizza party and donations for the Hancock County SPCA. They are also looking to host another game night, tentatively scheduled for July 10th.
• Pine Tree Pioneers- had a great meeting last week learning about seeds. They moved their bodies to imitate the effects of wind on plants, dissected a bean, made bean art, and discussed seeds.
• Jolly Juniors- Joanie did cooking with the kindergarten and 1st grade boys, very fun!
• Horse of Course- Held a bake sale that generated ~$300 for the Equine Rescue.

Old Business:

• Steer- Terry sent a check via Lee to Roger Gray, who is raising the steer. He says the steer is already at least 700lbs and should be a good size by BHF time. Lee said that Sonia Ginn, who bred the steer, said she would be willing to sell us another one.
  • Leah can pick up the tickets in Bangor. 
  • Butcher- Watsons Custom Butchering in Milo, will be able to take him around Labor Day. 
  • Roger prefers to feed Blue Seal. He can text Terry the receipts, and she will pay him.
• Scholarships- Up to date, Terry has contacted recipients.
• June Jamboree- 28 youth signed up, 7 families camping. The event has been sent out to numerous media outlets and bulletin boards. Leah is meeting Eric on June 2nd to convey setup info. Food plan? Terry motions that we reprise last year’s plan.
  • The June 10th meeting on the fairgrounds is in person at 4:30. Need to sweep out the booth. 
  • Maybe the Service Squad/ Fishing Club can give a talk about what they do to drum up interest?

Motion to adjourn at  7:09 pm

Respectfully submitted by Lisa Carney, Secretary