Spruced Up Homesteaders 4-H Club at Lone Spruce Farm
Members of the Spruced Up Homesteaders 4-H Club explore the four cornerstones of homesteading:
Livestock, Gardening, Food Preservation, and Handiwork. The club offers four sessions throughout the year, covering topics that may include working with goats, angora rabbits, poultry, gardening, baking, fermenting, canning, knitting, weaving, sewing and more! Because we at Lone Spruce Farm believe that environmental stewardship plays a crucial role in healthy agricultural practices, all sessions will also include environmental science, weather observation, and volunteerism focused on promoting a healthy relationship with our planet.
How it Works
This club is FREE and open to enrolled 4-H members, ages 6+, in Hancock and Penobscot Counties. Space in each session is limited to 12 youth and is first-come, first-serve. All meetings take place at Lone Spruce Farm in Dedham, ME. If you are not currently a member but would like to enroll in Hancock County 4-H in order to participate in this program, please SIGN UP or contact us!
You can sign up for as few or as many sessions as you’d like, but we ask that you make every effort to attend all of the meetings within a session. Youth who attend 2 or more sessions will become an official member of the Spruced Up Homesteaders Club and will be eligible to participate as members of the club in Hancock County 4-H events and programs. Youth who attend one session will remain as Independents or members of their current club.
Your Spruced Up Homesteaders Club Leader will also schedule special meetings, open to any member who has attended a homesteading session, to prepare for certain events such as Public Speaking and the Blue Hill Fair. It is not required, but it is encouraged that you attend these special meetings!
Fall Session: BAKING
November 10, 2019 | 2:00-4:00pm | • baguettes
November 24, 2019 | 2:00-4:00pm | • scones
December 8, 2019 | 2:00-4:00pm | • crackers
December 15, 2019 | 2:00-4:00pm | • community service event
Winter Session: RABBITS
*dates subject to change
January 12, 2020 | 2:00-4:00pm | • grooming • fiber showing
January 26, 2020 | 2:00-4:00pm | • breeding for meat
February 9, 2020 | 2:00-4:00pm | • hide tanning
February 23, 2020 | 2:00-4:00pm | • community service event
Club Meeting: PUBLIC SPEAKING
February/March TBD, 2020 | Prepare for County Public Speaking Tournament
Spring Session: POULTRY – Session Full
*dates subject to change
March 8, 2020 | 2:00-4:00pm | • chickens
March 22, 2020 | 2:00-4:00pm | • waterfowl
April 19, 2020 | 2:00-4:00pm | • turkeys • guineas
April 26, 2020 | 2:00-4:00pm | • community service event
Summer Session: GOATS
*dates subject to change
May 17, 2020 | 2:00-4:00pm | • milking • cheese
May 31, 2020 | 2:00-4:00pm | • fiber • meat • dairy
June 7, 2020 | 2:00-4:00pm | • soap making
June 28, 2020 | 2:00-4:00pm | • community service event
Club Meeting: BLUE HILL FAIR
July/August TBD, 2020 | Prepare Exhibits for 4-H Exhibit Hall at the Blue Hill Fair (Labor Day Weekend)
Register for the Spruced Up Homesteaders
Please only register if you intend to participate in the entire program. “No shows” are harmful to the program and to youth who are on the waiting list. If you have questions about this, please don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your needs!