COVID-19 Hancock County Resources Report

May 1, 2020

COVID-19 Hancock County Resources Report (PDF)

UMaine Extension
Connecting with Maine Communities During COVID-19

For over 100 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has been providing research-based knowledge to the people of Maine. During the COVID-19 crisis, we have become a state-wide leader in providing practical, useful, and trusted resources and information for families, industries, and communities coping with the effects and impacts of COVID-19. Without the support of our local counties, our efforts would not be possible. Thank you for the difference you make in your communities, counties, and across this great state.

— Hannah Carter, Dean, University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Statewide Resources:
UMaine Extension: Connecting with Maine Communities During COVID-19

New fact sheets and articles:

Hancock County Resources

Hancock County Home Horticulture Programs adapt and continue heartily through COVID-19:

  • Master Gardener Volunteer training continues to be taught weekly via Zoom video conferencing
  • Garden Chats: Growing Resilience from the Ground Up.  These 1-hour sessions are held every Monday at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday at 12:00 p.m., and Thursday at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom
  • Victory Gardens for ME, an 8-part YouTube Video Series has been launched, especially for the Beginning Gardener
  • Gardening for Wildlife: UMaine Cooperative Extension and Maine Audubon is offering a free online course on making your landscape more beautiful as well as beneficial to wildlife
  • Home and Commercial Horticulture Questions are being answered, and Soil Testing services provided
  • Beginning Gardener Mentorships, one-on-one phone/email/Zoom mentorships are now available!

Hancock County Food Security Programs

  • Distributing hundreds of donated vegetable seed packets to local food pantries in Hancock County
  • Providing seeds and guidance to Master Gardener Volunteers to plant vegetables at home for donation to those in need
  • Growing over 1,000 vegetable seedlings to produce food for clients of food pantries and soup kitchens

Hancock County 4-H Youth Development Programs are continuing through COVID-19 and are more important than ever:

  • 4-H Public Speaking (virtual, completed on April 25, 2020, and was a huge success)
  • 4-H Egg Business Project (virtual – ongoing through fall)
  • 4-H June Jamboree (at-home, hands-on projects, and virtual Animal Science programs)
  • Kids Can Grow (providing seeds and support to youth home gardeners in collaboration with Master Gardener Volunteers, ongoing through fall)
  • 4-H Aquaculture: redesigning this program to support at-home aquaponics projects (expected to launch July 2020)
  • 4-H Aquaponics: supporting local teachers in transitioning the project from their physical to remote classrooms
  • Style Revue, our annual 4-H sewing contest, is postponed to October

Hancock County Extension Homemakers are:

  • Sewing facemasks for the group, Sewing Masks for Maine, a statewide volunteer effort that provides homemade face masks to health care providers. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Office in Hancock County is a registered drop-off location
  • Connecting with local 4-H youth through written letters
  • The MEHC Board Meeting is moved to June 22, 2020 due to ongoing COVID 19 recommendations and concerns

Eat Well Nutrition Education:

University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Hancock County
63 Boggy Brook Road, Ellsworth, ME  04605
207.667.8212 or 1.800.287.1479 (Maine)

Please reach out to the following staff if you have ideas on how the University of Maine Cooperative Extension can provide assistance to the residents of Hancock County during the COVID-19 crisis.

Staff

We encourage you to visit our Facebook pages for up-to-date information: @HancockCountyExtension, @hancock4h

The University of Maine is an EEO/AA employer and does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran’s status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies:  Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME  04469-5754, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).