Maine Extension Homemakers Newsletter, January-February-March 2025
- Presidential Ponderings
- Around the State
- Annual Meeting
- 75th Anniversary of MEH
- Ag Trade Show
- Keep Collecting Can Tabs!
- Janet’s Jammies
- National Extension Conference on Volunteerism
- Monthly Events and Daily Celebrations
- Mark Your Calendars
- Hold the Date
- Maine Maple Sunday Weekend March 22-23, 2025
- Recipes
Presidential Ponderings
Hello, my fellow Extension members. I am Judy Mann, and I was recently installed as the new State President for 2025 and 2026. I am from The County, living in New Sweden, 10 miles north of Caribou. I am currently President of the New Sweden Extension. I retired in 2009 after 35 years with the Postal Service and currently work part-time at the Caribou Dollar Tree. I would love to see our groups return to pre-Covid status. I know it would be difficult, but with more community activities, we could put ourselves out there as something people (female and male, young and old) would like to be a part of. One of our programs from the past, which I would like to put more influence toward achieving, is to take care of ourselves and our friends.
Too many people are alone and lonely, so we should make an extra effort to meet with our members and neighbors. I look forward to meeting with all of you in 2025. Remember that I am very far north; even a trip to Bangor would be a timely event. But I’ll do the best I can. We have a very good incoming vice president, Lois King, from Franklin County.
My symbol will be the daisy, which is often associated with new beginnings and cheerfulness.
– Judy Mann, MEHC President
Around the State
Aroostook County
Members in Aroostook County held their Fall Meeting in early October. The theme was Fall Produce and a tasty potluck incorporated apples, squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and oats. Aroostook lost two groups in 2024 and has three active groups in the heart of Aroostook County. Lois Griffin and Betty Thompson were installed as Secretary and Treasurer, respectively.
Franklin County
Homemakers showed off their good works with displays at the Farmington and Freyburg Fairs, where evidence of their community involvement was open to thousands of fairgoers. The FCEH decorated a tree for the Rotary Club’s Festival of Trees with the theme “Maine Authors.” The tree sold for $500.00. Plans are underway to collect boxes of tissues to distribute in February to all elementary schools in Franklin County. Members sewed jammies for Janet’s Jammies throughout 2024.
Hancock County
Members are busy planning your 2025 State Annual Meeting! The date will be May 12 and 13 (no, you’re not going crazy…that’s a Monday and Tuesday). The Hancock Homemakers want everyone to experience the beauty of their county and have reserved a very special place for the Annual Meeting. (Details in the section on Annual Meeting) Several members sewed jammies for Janet’s Jammies.
Somerset County
Somerset County’s members had a busy end to 2024. The Clinton PM group sold doughboys at the fair again and profited over $6,000.00. They shared their secret: They price them low-low-low so families can afford to treat the whole family. With such low prices, they sell volumes of doughboys. One of the Madison club members belongs to a quilting group, which made jammies for Janet’s Jammie’s effort.
Annual Meeting
The 2025 Annual Meeting will take place on Monday and Tuesday, May 12 and 13, in Hancock County. You don’t want to miss it because the Hancock County Extension Homemakers have been planning a memorable meeting for you! The historic Alamoosook Lakeside Inn in Orland will host our meeting, with backup lodging secured at the Bucksport Inn, just a few miles away. Registration materials with more details will be mailed out in late March.
75th Anniversary of MEH
2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the Maine Extension Homemakers! Research by your Vice President, Lois King, confirmed that the last record of affiliation with the Maine Farm Bureau was 1950, with mentions of the Extension Homemakers made that same year. A small planning committee has had an initial brainstorming meeting and will meet monthly throughout the year to plan numerous events at local, county, and state levels commemorating this milestone. Contact any committee member if you have ideas to share or would like to help with the planning. Current members include Lois King, Betty Robshaw, Marie Temm, and Judy Mann.
Ag Trade Show
The Maine Extension Homemakers staffed an information booth for the second year and sold raffle tickets at the annual Maine Agricultural Trade Show in Augusta. This year, several county-themed baskets were part of the raffle and a quilt, and visitors to the trades show, 2,512 of them, were eager to purchase tickets!
A total of $497.00 was raised in ticket sales, with the highest number of tickets being purchased in the interest of the quilt, donated by Somerset County, but close behind those sales was a potato basket and fiddlehead wall hanging donated by Aroostook County, as well as a kitchen-themed basket loaded with goodies from Franklin County. A homemade oak cribbage board and playing cards, a sunflower fleece-tied blanket, and a maple-themed basket were also donated by Aroostook County and drew significant ticket sales. Thank you to the counties for your contributions, and your time!
Keep Collecting Can Tabs!
Lois King, Franklin County, chairs the Can tab project. Bring can tabs to your local, county, or state
meetings. The tabs will benefit the Ronald McDonald House. Before turning them in, run a magnet
through your collected tabs; anything that sticks to the magnet should be discarded.
Janet’s Jammies
In November, Homemakers gathered in Bangor to prepare pajamas for distribution through United Way. Three hundred thirty-three pairs of pajamas were packaged, hauled away, and sent out to needy kids throughout the state. Bravo! To all the stitchers, pattern cutters, packagers, and cheerleaders for a job well done!
National Extension Conference on Volunteerism
Maine will host the National Extension Conference on Volunteerism from April 22-24 in Portland, Maine, with over 200 attendees expected to visit the state. The event organizers have asked the Maine Extension Homemakers to help make the conference memorable for participants by making
balsam bags for the attendees. Lois King, Franklin County, provided a simple pattern with instructions for making the bags. The homemakers have agreed to make 200 of these sachets or 40 per county. The bags should be made with Maine-themed fabrics and will be gathered by Lisa Fishman on the following dates:
- Aroostook-March 20 and April 17
- Cumberland-April 9th
- Franklin-April 14
- Hancock-April 8
- Penobscot March 18 and April 15
- Somerset-April 2
Additional copies of the instructions are available for the asking. Contact either Lois King or Lisa Fishman. Tags are available from Angela Martin.
Monthly Events and Daily Celebrations
March is National Nutrition Month, National Women’s History Month, and March 2nd is National Read Across America Day. March 11 is National Johnny Appleseed Day!
Mark Your Calendars
- March 3: 75th Anniversary Planning meeting 10:00 am-12:00 pm in the Bangor Extension office
- March 10: Franklin County Board meeting in Farmington
- March 11: Hancock County Board meeting in Bucksport
- March 12: Cumberland County meeting in Gray
- March 20: Aroostook County Board Meeting in Caribou
Hold the Date
- May 12 and 13: Annual Meeting
Maine Maple Sunday Weekend March 22-23, 2025
Maine Maple Sunday Weekend is March 22-23, 2025, and tapping maple trees is a sure sign of Spring (despite the snow still on the ground). University of Maine Cooperative Extension has several publications and videos in the Cooperative Extension publications catalog worth checking out:
- How to Tap Maple Trees & Make Maple Syrup
- Maple Syrup Quality Control Manual
- Licensing and Regulations for Maple Syrup Processing in Maine
Remember, UMaine Cooperative Extension has a variety of publications available that may interest both you and your clients; everything from agriculture, small business, home, family and youth, gardening and lots more! So pull up a chair and browse the publications catalog. You’ll be amazed at what you find!
Visit and browse the UMaine Extension Publications catalog!
Recipes
Butternut Squash Soup
Servings: 6
Serving Size: 1 cup
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash or 1 (20 oz.) bag of frozen butternut squash
- ½ cup scallions chopped
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 apple, chopped
- 1 potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic (or 1 tablespoon minced garlic)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 5 oz. fat-free evaporated milk
Directions
- Peel, seed, and coarsely chop the squash. Disregard this step if using frozen squash.
- In a 3-quart saucepan, combine scallions, squash, broth, carrots, apples, potatoes, onions, parsley, garlic, oregano, and rosemary. Cover and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 30-minutes.
- Puree soup in a blender or use an immersion blender, working in
batches. - Stir in the milk, adding more if the bisque is too thick.
Butternut Squash Bisque Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 cup(s) (492g)
Servings per container 6
Amount per serving:
Calories 200% Daily Value*
Total Fat: 0g, 0%
Saturated Fat: 0g, 0%
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%
Sodium: 130mg, 6%
Total Carbohydrate: 47g, 17%
Dietary Fiber: 8g, 29%
Total Sugars: 14g
Added Sugars: 0g, 0%
Protein: 6gVitamin D: 1mcg, 6%
Calcium: 213mg, 15%
Iron: 2mg, 10%
Potassium: 1117mg, 25%*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Hearty Lentil Soup
Servings: 12
Serving Size: 1 cup
Ingredients
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1½ cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
- 2 (15-ounce) cans of diced tomatoes with liquid
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery (~2 large stalks,) chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Directions
- In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the broth, water, lentils, rice, tomatoes and tomato liquid, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer the soup for 45 to 55 minutes or
until lentils are tender. Stir occasionally. - If necessary, thin the soup with additional hot broth or water.
Hearty Lentil Soup Food Label Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 cup (297g)
Servings per container: 12
Amount per serving:
Calories 140% Daily Value*
Total Fat: 0g, 0%
Saturated Fat: 0g, 0%
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg, 0%
Sodium: 220mg, 10%
Total Carbohydrate: 26g, 9%
Dietary Fiber: 5g, 18%
Total Sugars: 4g
Added Sugars: 0g, 0%
Protein: 8g
Vitamin D: 0mcg, 0%
Calcium: 27mg, 2%
Iron: 2mg, 10%
Potassium: 394mg, 8%*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Tip: If using fresh instead of dried herbs, triple the amounts listed.
You can find this and many more recipes on the University of Maine Cooperative Extension website.
Photos: All photos are property of University of Maine Cooperative Extension, unless otherwise noted.
© University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 2025
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