2025 Hancock County Annual Report: Helping Mainers Learn, Grow and Connect
Photos by Hancock County Staff
Table of Contents
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- Letter from the Dean
- Hancock County 2025 Program Updates
- Empowering Youth to be Beyond Ready Hancock County 4-H
- Sustainable Agriculture and Livestock
- Downeast Regional Agriculture
- 2025 Annual Report: Statewide Impact
- 2025 Annual Report: Funding
- County Extension Act
- Helping People Thrive in Hancock County
Letter from the Dean
Every day, University of Maine Cooperative Extension helps Mainers learn, grow, and connect. Through research-based education, trusted partnerships, and a presence in all sixteen counties, we work alongside Maine people and communities to address the opportunities and challenges shaping our state’s future.
This year, more than 575 farmers benefited from Extension soil health research and education, encouraging adoption of practices that improve long-term sustainability and environmental stewardship. Through 4-H programs, thousands of youth explored science, leadership, and civic engagement, building confidence and strengthening their connections to their communities. More than 3,000 participants engaged with Maine’s marine environment through our Traveling Touch Tank program, bringing hands-on science learning to communities across the state. Through these and many other efforts, Extension continues to provide practical solutions grounded in research and responsive to local needs.
Our work succeeds because of the dedication of Extension faculty and staff, the commitment of volunteers and partners, and the trust placed in us by the people of Maine. Together, we are creating opportunities for lifelong learning, supporting resilient communities, and helping ensure a vibrant future for our state. To learn more, visit a county office, contact any member of our knowledgeable and friendly workforce, or explore our website at extension.umaine.edu.
– Hannah Carter, Dean of University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Hancock County 2025 Program Updates
The 2025 program year at the Hancock County Extension Office has been marked by continued community engagement, collaboration, and innovation. Through a wide range of educational programs and outreach efforts, we’ve supported residents in areas such as youth development, the UMaine Extension touch tank program, home gardening resources, livestock/small ruminants workshops, food preservation, nutrition, and farm business planning. Our work remains grounded in local needs and is guided by the mission of University of Maine Cooperative Extension to strengthen the health, economy, and resilience of Maine communities. The following updates highlight key accomplishments, new initiatives, and ongoing efforts that have shaped our impact in Hancock County over the past year.
Empowering Youth to be Beyond Ready
Hancock County 4-H
Hancock County 4-H prepares young people with the skills, confidence, and experiences they need to grow as capable learners, leaders, and community members. Through hands-on projects, youth leadership opportunities, mentorship, and community-based learning, Hancock County 4-H helps youth develop real-world skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, responsibility, and decision-making.
This local work is part of the National 4-H Beyond Ready initiative, which prepares young people for more than their first job; it prepares them for life. Beyond Ready connects youth to career pathways, community partnerships, and meaningful experiences that help them thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Through Hancock County 4-H, youth are not only ready for today’s opportunities, but ready for what comes next. When youth participate in 4-H, they emerge prepared to be leaders in their community.
Hancock County 4-H Programs
4-H Clubs
Hancock County 4-H is home to seven club programs which are run by an amazing community of dedicated volunteers. These include Jolly Juniors 4-H Club in Eastbrook and Waltham, 4-H Fishing Club in Orland, Horse of Course 4-H Club in Deer Isle, Lock, Stock, and Barrel 4-H Shooting Sports Club in Blue Hill, 4-H Service Squad in Ellsworth, Pine Tree Pioneers in Penobscot, and Aquarium Club hosted virtually.
4-H Community Outreach
Hancock County 4-H County partners with local libraries, schools, and community organizations to provide engaging, hands-on learning opportunities for youth throughout the county, not just our enrolled 4-Hers. Through after-school programs, classroom enrichment activities, library workshops, and participation in community events and fairs, 4-H helps young people develop leadership, life skills, and a sense of civic engagement. These local partnerships allow 4-H to reach youth where they live, learn, and gather, creating accessible opportunities for exploration, growth, and positive youth development.
Traveling Touch Tank
In collaboration with the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Research and the Aquaculture Research Institute, University of Maine staff launched the UMaine Touch Tank Program to bring the wonders of local marine life to youth across the state. In 2025, the traveling touch tank provided hands-on, immersive experiences to an estimated 3,000 people throughout Maine, at 54 different locations, inspiring curiosity and connection with our coastal ecosystems. In 2025, the touch tank served over 20 locations in Hancock County and has continued to provide educational marine experiences for our residents into 2026.
Sustainable Agriculture and Livestock
There are 6,300 acres of wild blueberry in Hancock County. Lily Calderwood, UMaine Extension Wild Blueberry Specialist, reports that more than 50 individuals in Hancock County receive the e-newsletter, and 91 people attended the 2025 UMaine Wild Blueberry Conference in Ellsworth. Lily met with 10 wild blueberry landowners from Hancock County for individual consultations. She is continually in contact with Merrill’s and Allen’s Wild Maine Blueberries and Blue Hill Berry Company, who have all written letters of support for grants submitted to continue research and education on wild blueberries this year.
In December, a Small Ruminant Parasite Management workshop focused on lungworm and meningeal worm prevention and management in sheep and goats was offered. Participants explored parasite life cycles, symptoms, and impacts, while also discussing strategies to reduce exposure risks and improve herd and flock resilience. The workshop included practical diagnostic training and attendees left with actionable ideas and management strategies to apply directly on their farms.
Our new Animal Health Explorer brings virtual farm tours directly to users, allowing participants to explore livestock operations from the comfort of home. The interactive platform provides 360° access to real working farms of varying sizes and production systems. The experience highlights both current health and care best practices, offering an engaging, accessible learning tool for producers and agricultural educators alike.
Downeast Regional Agriculture
Downeast Maine agriculture thrives through collaboration, shared knowledge, and strong community connections. In March of 2025, the Eastern Maine Regional Opportunities for Ocean, Timber, and Soil (EMROOTS) Conference brought together more than 100 attendees from across the Downeast region and beyond. Held in Washington County, the conference featured dozens of speakers and vendors from Hancock County and highlighted industry-specific challenges, innovative solutions, and cross-sector collaboration opportunities spanning agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and community development. The event also received broad media coverage, helping showcase the strength and diversity of Downeast industries.
To continue building these connections year-round, UMaine Extension has launched the new Downeast Aggies e-newsletter. This newsletter is designed as a community space to share local agricultural events, workshops, resources, job opportunities, farm announcements, and other information relevant to the Downeast agricultural community. Community members are encouraged to contribute and help strengthen the regional network through shared opportunities and communication.
2025 Annual Report: Statewide Impact
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s statewide presence and impact. In FedFY2025, Extension reached 94,691 individuals through online and in-person programs, presentations, training, and consultations, and 24,551 youth participated in 4-H camps, clubs, and learning programs. In CY2025, Extension recorded 2.4 million webpage views, reached 4.3 million people through social media, and received 709,000 views of 767 educational videos on YouTube. 16 county offices
- 4 4-H Camp and Learning Centers
- 94,691 individuals reached through online and in-person programs, presentations, training, and consultations in FedFY2025
- 2.4 M pageviews in CY2025
- 4.3 M people reached through social media in CY2025
- 24,551 youth participated in 4-H camps, clubs, and learning programs in FedFY2025
- 767 educational videos on YouTube received 709,000 views in CY2025
2025 Annual Report: Funding
| Local Salaries and Benefits | $365,215 |
|---|---|
| Prorated Support from UMaine* | $591,048 |
| Computer Equipment & Networking | $3,581 |
| Statewide Animal Diagnostic Lab | $12,153 |
| Marketing, Publications, Video | $1,390 |
| Local Programming Supplies & Expenses | $6,483 |
| Postage | $1,264 |
| Telephone | $1,124 |
| Travel | $4,855 |
| Total | $987,113 |
| *Prorated Support from UMaine reflects travel, postage, telephone, computer equipment and networking, salaries and benefits for administrative statewide staff. | |
| Federal fiscal year: October 1, 2024 – September 30, 2025 | |
County Extension Act
Cooperative Extension work shall consist of the giving of practical demonstrations in agriculture and natural resources, youth development, and home economics and community life and imparting information on those subjects through field demonstrations, publications, and otherwise. For the purpose of carrying out this chapter, there may be created in each county or combination of two counties within the State an organization known as a “county extension association,” and its services available to all residents of a county. The county extension is viewed as a unique and important educational program of county government. The executive committee of each county extension association shall prepare an annual budget as requested, showing in detail its estimate of the amount of money to be expended under this chapter within the county of counties for the fiscal year. The executive committee shall submit to the board of county commissioners on a date requested by the county commissioners, and the county commissioners may, if they deem it justifiable, adopt an appropriate budget for the county extension program and levy a tax therefor. The amount thus raised by direct taxation within any county or combination of counties for the purposes of this chapter shall be used for the salaries of clerks, provision of office space, supplies, equipment, postage, telephone, a contribution toward the salaries of county educators and such other expenses as necessary to maintain an effective county extension program.
– Excerpted from Title 7, Chapter 7 of the Maine Revised Statutes, §191–§195.
Helping People Thrive in Washington County
Engaging youth in quality development
- 1,197 — Hancock County youth participated in a 4-H club, event, or workshop in 2025.
- 1,140 hours — Hancock County 4-H volunteer hours logged, valued at $37,674 (via independent sector rate for Maine 2026).
- 3,000+ — Interactions with the UMaine Touch Tank statewide.
Fostering sustainable agriculture
- 157 — Individuals reached through online and in-person programs, presentations, and training.
- 75 — Insect identifications and plant disease analyses in Hancock County.
- 26,000+ lbs. — Produce grown, harvested, and donated through the Maine Harvest for Hunger Program in Hancock County.
Building healthy communities
- 70 — Master Gardener Volunteers donated more than 3,822 hours to gardening projects in Hancock County, valued at $122,794.
- 469 — Soil tests analyzed for residents of Hancock County.
- 767 — Ticks submitted for identification and testing in Hancock County.
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension- Hancock County
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