July 2021 4-H Newsletter

Jamboree 2021 — Tomato in a Bucket, Ellsworth June 2021

July 14, 2021 4-H News

4-H Happenings

A monthly newsletter for Hancock County 4-H Members

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Upcoming Dates to Remember

July 13 – 4:30 pm – Leaders’ Meeting via Zoom
July 23 – 2:00-5:00 pm – Maine State 4-H Horse Clinic – Skowhegan – See State News
July 24 – 9:00 am – Maine State 4-H Fun Show – Skowhegan – See State News
July 30 – Photo Contest Deadline
August 27 – Steer Tickets are Due at the Extension Office
August 31 – Exhibits are Due at the Extension Office – See instruction in County News
September 2-6 – Blue Hill Fair – Blue Hill Fairgrounds

County News

2021 June Jamboree
Twenty-nine youth across Hancock, Washington AND Jamboree 2021 Penobscot county participated in the 2021 June Jamboree celebrations. Whether it was the in-person workshops or the at-home activities, youth engaged in hands-on activities related to STEAM: Science, Technology, Environment, Art and Math. They learned how to felt with a needle, grow a tomato in a bucket, construct an outdoor fort, make a survival bracelet out of paracord, and more. Thank you to everyone who participated, and an especially BIG round of applause to our volunteer workshop leaders: Tim Parson

4-H June Jamboree is an annual event hosted by Hancock County 4-H. It is open to ALL 4-H members, friends, and family in Hancock and neighboring counties. This event is typically held at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds during the first weekend in June, with overnight camping available. In 2021, we celebrated June Jamboree a little differently! This year, Jamboree activities were spread out from June 5th through July 11th. Activities were delivered to participants’ homes for youth to do on their own time. We also offered three in-person workshops at different locations throughout the county. These photos are a combination of in-person and at-home activities completed by June Jamboree participants.

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

Photo Contest Scavenger Hunt – Are you an avid photographer? New to the hobby? No matter what skill level, we encourage you to get out and practice your photography skills. Feeling stumped? Not sure what to photograph? No worries — we’ve created a scavenger hunt just for you. To see the scavenger hunt categories, visit our web.
Here’s the exciting part: all scavenger hunt participants will receive a ribbon AND a little “door-prize.” If you take a photo of one item in each category, you’ll be submitted into a raffle to win a larger prize. And if you choose to, you can submit any (or all!) of these photos to the 2021 Photo Contest. Entries submitted to the 2021 photo contest will be judged and the highest scorers will get a cash prize.

Photo Contest – Pull out those cameras, cell phones and devices; start snapping away! Now’s the time to show off your photography talents. The annual Hancock County 4-H Photo Contest is open to ALL Hancock County 4-H Members. There are six categories.
You can also choose to exhibit these photos at the Blue Hill Fair! Deadline to submit photos to the Extension Office is July 30th, 2021. Full contest details can be found online.

Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors (MALE) – Don’t forget, now is the time to get your application in to the Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors. Member ship in this organization covers families with liability insurance. This insurance is a requirement at all fairs in the state of Maine. You can now renew or join on line at. Doing it on-line means getting your membership cards quicker, but don’t delay. You must show proof of this membership before you will be able to show.

College Scholarship is Announced – The Hancock County 4-H Leaders’ Association awarded a $600 scholarship to Charity Garland, Horse & Rider 4-H Club and $300 to Hannah Dyer, Horse of Course. Both are attending the University of Maine in the fall. Congratulations and best wishes!

4-H Youth Council – “Congratulations to 4-H Independent, Sherry Sherry F. She was inducted into the 2021 4-H Youth Council. The Maine 4-H Youth Council is a leadership opportunity for 4-H teens across the State of Maine to have a voice. The Maine 4-H Youth Council serves as a liaison between local 4-H programs and state 4-H programs. Maine 4-H Youth Council members represent UMaine Cooperative Extension at state and national events. Thank you to Sarah Hansen, photographer.

Blue Hill Fair – Hey, guess what? The 4-H Exhibit Hall at the Blue Hill Fair will be open this year! Start thinking about what projects to enter. 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! NEW THIS YEAR: Instead of dropping your project at the fair, you can drop off your project at the Extension Office from August 16th – 30th. Remember, Entry Forms and Exhibit/Life Skills Cards are required. The 4-H theme of the 2021 Blue Hill Fair is “4-H: Full Steam Ahead!”. We look forward to displaying your work to the public!

Information is now updated on the Blue Hill Fair section of our website at extension.umaine.edu/hancock/4h/fair/. Please reach out if you have any questions!

Steer Tickets have arrived – ANNUAL STEER TICKET RAFFLE BEGINS! – The Steer Ticket fundraiser is the premier fundraiser for the Hancock County 4-H Leaders’ Association. Tickets are $1 each; 15 cents go directly to the 4-H Club that sells the tickets, 85 cents 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 5pm on Labor Day at the Blue Hill Fair. The 4-H Club AND the 4-H’er who sell 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 to Joyce Fortier by August 27th or the fifteen 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. New this year – You can also buy tickets online.

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 29 – Sept 2). 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 Joyce at the Extension Office to sign up for shift at the Food Booth and/or the Steer Ticket Table: joyce.fortier@maine.edu or 207-667-8212.

Club News

Jolly Juniors- It’s been a long time since Jolly Juniors have been able to gather! The younger members of our club headed to Knowlton Park for a little fun together and then walked to the Ellsworth City Library. We gathered on the lawn to watch the Frogtown Puppeteers as they presented “Everybody Loves Pirates”. It was great to be back together, and we are looking forward to our summer meetings as we prepare for the Blue Hill Fair!

State News

4-H Summer Learning Series – Part II Registration Open Now!
Maine 4-H is offering its hands-on virtual summer learning series through August 20 with over 50 workshops open to all youth ages 5–18. The 4-H Summer Learning Series includes learning tracks in Arts and Crafts, Food and Nutrition, STEM, Marine Science and Aquaculture, Animal Science and Agriculture, Teen Leadership, and more! Offline projects that can be completed at home are also available.
The series is free; registration is required. Part II Registration for enrolled 4-H’ers opens July 1, and to the general public on July 6. Register here and find more information on the 4-H Summer Learning Series webpage. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Jessy Brainerd, 207.581.3877; jessica.brainerd@maine.edu.
Enter Your Projects in the Maine State Virtual Fair!
Have you been working hard on a 4-H project that you’re ready to show off? The 2021 Virtual Exhibit Hall is here! Entering projects in your actual fair this summer? Consider entering them in the Maine State Virtual Exhibit Hall as well! We will be accepting submissions now through August 31st. We can’t wait to see what our talented Maine 4-Hers have created! Information about exhibit categories, submission guidelines, and judging can be found on the Maine State Virtual Fair web page.
Upcoming 4-H Horse Events!
Maine State 4-H Horse Clinic for Advanced riders (12+). Friday July 23 from 2pm-5pmSkowhegan Fairgrounds. $30.00 per rider. Limited to 20 riders. Visit here to register for this event. Maine State 4-H Fun Show! Saturday July 24 starting at 9am. Registration will open at 8am. Lead line classes, Alumni classes, showmanship, equitation and games! Fun for all 4-H horse members ages 5 and up. To register for this event visit here.
Families can choose to camp at Skowhegan Fairgrounds for a $25.00 per night fee. There will be stalls available. If your horse is staying on the grounds you must stay on the grounds. Animal Approval forms and appropriate vaccinations of horses will be required.
Maine 4-H Dog Clinic in Skowhegan (In-Person!)
The Maine 4-H Dog Animal Science Committee will be hosting another in-person dog clinic this summer in Skowhegan on July 24th. This clinic will be similar to the June clinic: all skill levels are welcome to join, youth ages 9-18 are encouraged to sign up as long as they have an interest in dogs, and a dog is NOT required for participation.
For more information on the clinic, visit the Maine 4-H Dog Clinic website or contact Sheila Norman at sheila.norman@maine.edu.
Maine 4-H State Dairy Show
The Maine 4-H State Dairy show will take place on July 24th and 25th at the Skowhegan Fairgrounds. The event will include the state 4-H fitting contest and grilled cheese contest on Saturday followed by the show on Sunday. The event is open to all 4-H youth enrolled in a dairy project ages 9 and above. For a complete schedule, camping information, and the 2021 dairy informational packet, please visit here.
National Trip Interviews, 2021
In the past, we would have held interviews for National Trips in the early spring. At the time, we had youth that had been chosen but had not been able to participate yet due to the pandemic. It was decided that it was not in our best interest to add more numbers to those delegations given we still did not know the status of the pandemic and where all was headed. So, therefore we did not hold any National trip interviews in 2021. We will resume in 2022. If you have questions, please email Heidi Palmer at heidi.thuotte@maine.edu.
Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) 2021
CWF 2020 was canceled due to the pandemic. Maine 4-H was committed to sending the 2020 delegation in July of 2021. As we moved forward with the pandemic still around us, last winter the decision was made by National 4-H to hold CWF 2021 virtually. Taking into consideration many different factors, we have decided not to participate in the CWF Conference virtually this year. We will however be encouraging that the same delegation to be ready for July 2022. All youth must still be between the ages of 14 to 18 and be an enrolled member in 2022. We realize that, unfortunately, some youth will have aged out, etc. This is very unfortunate but hopefully, those youth will come back when adult life gets underway for them and perhaps chaperone with us. Monies that were sent in for the trips have been left on file and we will be reaching out to those individuals regarding that. If you have questions, please email Heidi Palmer at heidi.thuotte@maine.edu.
National 4-H Congress 2021
Exciting news! National Congress 2021 will be happening in person in November 2021! As with other trips, Maine 4-H already has a delegation picked from previous National Interviews. We will be reaching out to that group of youth to see where they are at. These youth will need to still be age 14-18 and still enrolled in 4-H. If you have questions, please email Heidi Palmer at heidi.thuotte@maine.edu.
Union Fair Horse Clinic
There will be a 4-H Horse Clinic at Union Fair on August 25 at 9:00am. This is a showmanship-focused learning opportunity enabling members to build skills in 4-H showmanship. If time permits, practice in equitation, pattern, and trail will be included. Space in this clinic is limited: a minimum of 5, maximum of 10 participants.
The Horse Clinic is open to all 4-H members, 4-H ages 9-18, in the State of Maine who are enrolled in a 4-H Horse Project. There will be no premiums awarded for the Clinic. See the 4-H Union Fair Information Booklet for all rules, vaccination requirements, and the registration form. Animal Approval Forms are NOT required to participate in this clinic. Registration forms are due July 31, 2021.
ESE 4-H Beef Scholarship
The 4-H Beef Scholarship has been updated and posted. The 4-H Beef Scholarship is open to high school seniors and current college students who have participated in the Eastern States Exposition 4-H Beef Program. Scholarships will be awarded after the successful completion of the first semester of a 2 or 4 year program. Awards will be announced during the ESE 4-H Beef Activity. Submission deadline is August 1st.
4-H Fridays on the Farm
University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Program is offering a new Summer series, 4-H Fridays on the Farm, to get teens ages 12-18 engaged in Maine agriculture. Current 4-H enrollment is not necessary for participation. Program materials and instruction are FREE.
The goal of 4-H Fridays on the Farm is to expose teens ages 12-18 to Maine agriculture and create workforce development skills through a variety of different hands-on, farm visits throughout the state. Teens may join for one session or all four to experience what different farms across the state have to offer. Each session will include an opportunity for teens to take a tour of operations, gain hands-on experience, and consider their role in the Maine Food System.
4-H Fridays on the Farm is the first educational offering in a series developed by the Maine 4-H Agricultural Leadership Team. For more information on future activities please visit here.
- Mulberry Farms, Raymond, ME — July 16, 2021, 9:00AM-12:00PM: Mulberry Farms in Raymond, Maine is run by the Pecoraro Family. Mulberry Farms specializes in organic fruits and vegetables.
- Rustic Roots Farm, Farmington, ME — July 23, 2021, 9:00AM-12:00PM: Rustic Roots Farm is a small-scale farm in Farmington, Maine producing sustainably-grown mixed vegetables. They offer weekly farm shares, and sell locally to restaurants and the public at Farmers markets.
- Seed Pro Inc, Island Falls, ME — July 30, 2021, 9:00AM-12:00PM: Seed Pro Inc, along with the family farm, Daniel J. Corey Farm based in Monticello, centers around the development, production and harvesting of potatoes. At their Island Falls facility, which includes a research laboratory and greenhouse, they develop seed for distribution throughout the entire East Coast.
- Brigeen Farms, Turner, ME — August 6, 2021 9:00AM-12:00PM: Brigeen Farms is a tenth generation family-owned and operated dairy farm Since 1777, they have cared for dairy cows and produced fresh, high-quality milk as part of Maine’s strong dairy industry
For more information or to register please visit here.
If you are a person with a disability and need an accommodation to participate in this program, please call Sara Conant at 207.781.6099 or 800.287.1471 (in Maine) to discuss your needs. Receiving requests for accommodations at least 10 days before the program provides a reasonable amount of time to meet the request, however all requests will be considered. For more information call 207-781-6099 or email sara.conant@maine.edu.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Program is offering a new Summer series, 4-H Fridays on the Farm, to get teens ages 12-18 engaged in Maine agriculture. Current 4-H enrollment is not necessary for participation. Program materials and instruction are FREE.

The goal of 4-H Fridays on the Farm is to expose teens ages 12-18 to Maine agriculture and create workforce development skills through a variety of different hands-on, farm visits throughout the state. Teens may join for one session or all four to experience what different farms across the state have to offer. Each session will include an opportunity for teens to take a tour of operations, gain hands-on experience, and consider their role in the Maine Food System.
4-H Fridays on the Farm is the first educational offering in a series developed by the Maine 4-H Agricultural Leadership Team. For more information on future activities please visit here.

Leaders Meeting Minutes

HANCOCK COUNTY 4-H LEADERS’ ASSOCIATION
June 8th, 2021
–Zoom meeting due to COVID-19–

Members Present – Carla Scocchi, .Zabet NeuCollins, Dwight Sargent, Terry Swazey, Lisa Relich, Joannie Jodrey and Lee Sargent.

Meeting started at 4:35 pm.

Blue Hill Fair

Update – we will be able to run the Food Booth as 4-H since the fair is in September. (4-H will be back to normal officially after August 30th).
The fine details of protocols like who can work in the booth, wear masks or not, etc. will be coming out soon. Since it will be run under the 4-H, the office will be able to assist in scheduling, promoting, steer tickets sales, etc.
Need to follow 4-H protocols and State Fair Association rules.
Exhibits can be dropped off at the Extension Office on the designated days. Judging will be Wednesday, 10 – 1 pm. We will provide salads and drinks for the judges.
Theme: 4-H Full Steam Ahead
No Activity tent.
Set up Easy ups – picnic tables out back for booth worker to use for breaks and to use for prep. Use horse panels to surround the area to give us a safe place to be.
Cake contest is on and will be at same time as Beef Cookoff. Need to remind kids and families that they can participate in the Beef Cookoff too. Carla will add to webpage.
Outstanding Service Award is listed in the fair book.
Lisa Relich will donate some her farm’s goat cheesecakes to sold at the food booth.

Covid Guidelines – newest to date
Recently send via email – the main points are:
Indoors – mask required and need plenty of space so participants are 3ft apart.
Outdoors – no mask
Contract tracing must still be done.
Four Clubs have been meeting in person: Rails N’ Trails, Horse & Rider, Goats n’ More and Peninsula Explorers.

Office report
June Jamboree has successfully gotten off to a great start with it’s first of 14 activities which was “How to plant in a bucket”. 30 youth and family members have registered for the different events.
Summer Learning Series has 50 workshops. Carla and Zabet are doing several workshops. Registration was divided into two sessions. The July workshop registration will open up closer to when workshops will be held.

Questions:
Can we go door to door for a bottle drive? Carla will check into it.
When will steer tickets be ready to for pick up and where? Dwight said they are waiting for the name of youth raising the steer. Tickets will be printed immediately after. Should be able to sell outside of a store or at an outside event.
What about Bangor Fair? Answer: no livestock shows
What about the Big E? Is there a goat track? There are activities for each commodity for youth to do at the Big E but there will not be any live animals to show. Many youth are disappointed and will not be going since they can not show their animals. Horse Track is holding an event mid-July which will be open to 4-H youth 9 – 19 and alumni to ESE and their horses. Dorms are not going to be available next year at the Big E but hopefully Maine 4H Foundation will help paying housing. Great discussion on the life skills and experiences we have had at the dorms.
What fairs are having 4-H shows? http://www.mainefairs.org 26 fairs listed here.

Motion to adjourn made at 5:32. All agreed and signed off Zoom.

Cooperative Extension in Hancock County