KL 4-H Newsletter—July 2025
Send articles to cynthia.rogers@maine.edu
Upcoming Events and Important Dates
ASAP! Apply for Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors insurance to show at Maine fairs
July 7 *EXTENDED Deadline* Union Fair 4-H Livestock Show entry forms due at the Extension office
July 7 *EXTENDED Deadline* Union Fair 4-H Individual Exhibition Yurt entry forms due at the Extension office
July 15 4-H Union Fair Prep Party, Union Fairgrounds, 3 – 6:30 pm
July 15 Deadline to sign up for Cloverbud Demonstrations at Union Fair
July 15 Deadline to sign up for Club Exhibit space at Union Fair
July 15 Clubs: Let us know what your raffle basket theme will be at Union Fair
July 15 *NEW DATE AND TIME* Knox-Lincoln 4-H Leaders’ Association (KLLA) Meeting, 6:30 pm, Union Fairgrounds
July 20 Rabbit Showmanship Workshop with the Jolly Farmers 4-H Club, 2:30 pm, Eastern Star Grange, Washington
July 28 and 29 Individual and Club Exhibits accepted at 4-H Exhibition Yurt, 4 – 6 pm, Union Fairgrounds
July 30 – August 3 UNION FAIR
August 3 Individual and Club Exhibits must be removed from 4-H Exhibition Yurt, 2 – 6 pm, Union Fairgrounds
August 14 Knox-Lincoln 4-H Leaders’ Association (KLLA) Meeting, 6:00 pm, online only
September 30 4-H Project Records are due
September 30 Knox-Lincoln 4-H Photography Contest entries due
July Birthdays
Happy Birthday to Harrison F., Lily M., Leah L., Lexi L., Caris E., Sabrinnah D., and Lenox A.!
Jolly Farmers Rabbit Workshop
Are you interested in showing rabbits? Even if you don’t have a rabbit, here is a chance to give it a try! The Jolly Farmers 4-H Club will be hosting a Rabbit Showmanship Workshop on July 20 at 2:30 pm at Evening Star Grange in Washington. Learn the basics of caring for and showing rabbits. If you have a rabbit, bring them along as well. If not, the club has a loaner bunny program for anyone that is interested in showing. Contact Carrie Burridge for more information: carrie_burridge@yahoo.com.
Congratulations 4-H Farm-to-Fair Youth Helpers!
Five Youth Helpers have been selected to assist staff and adult volunteers in overseeing the operation of the 4-H Farm-to-Fair exhibit at Union Fair. Congratulations to 2025 Youth Helpers Arianna C., Anthony D., Sabrinnah D., Sadie O., and Charlotte R.! We look forward to working with you this summer.
Youth Helpers who are enrolled members will be working toward scholarship funds to participate in programs such as Citizenship Washington Focus, 4-H National Congress, 4-H National Conference, and Leadership Development Programs at Tanglewood, Blueberry Cove, Greenland Point, or Bryant Pond 4-H Camps. Those who are enrolled in college classes will be eligible for scholarship funds to go toward school expenses.
Get Ready for Union Fair!
Don’t miss any deadlines for participating in Union Fair July 30 – August 3, 2024. Download the 2025 4-H Union Fair Information Booklet, or request it be emailed to you. Paper copies are available at the Extension office upon request.
- ASAP! Apply for Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors (MALE) —Be sure to apply for the 2025 – 2026 membership year.
- July 7 *EXTENDED Deadline* Entry forms for 4-H Livestock Shows (Rabbit and Cavy, Small Domestic Pet, Working Steer) and the 4-H Exhibition Yurt are due.
- July 15 4-H Union Fair Prep Party—help get the 4-H areas of the fairgrounds ready for the fair! 3 – 6:30 pm
- July 15 Members 4-H age 5 – 8: sign up for 4-H Cloverbud Demonstrations.
- July 15 Clubs: Sign up for 4-H Club Exhibit space; tell us what your Gift Basket theme will be.
Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors Membership Requirement
Anyone showing livestock at Maine fairs who cannot show proof of a farm insurance policy (with the exhibitor’s name on the certificate) with a coverage level the same as or better than that offered by MALE is required to prove current membership in MALE. Apply for Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors Membership, making sure that you are applying for the for 2025-2026 season. Apply ASAP so you will receive your membership card in time for Union Fair. The cost of this membership is $30 for an individual aged 18+, $60 for a family (required for youth aged 17 and younger).
Sign Up for Cloverbud Demonstrations
Cloverbud 4-H members (4-H age 5 – 8 years) may participate in a non-competitive animal or non-animal “demonstration show” in the Livestock Show Ring at Union Fair on Sunday, August 3 at 1:00 pm. This is a chance for our youngest members to show us their spark! Are you into art? Show us how to draw something! Love bugs? Tell us about your favorites! Do you raise chickens? Demonstrate how you care for them…you get the idea!
Cloverbud animal demonstrations may be done with a rabbit, dog, poultry, kid goat, non-market lamb, piglet, or small calf. One-on-one supervision by an adult or older teen with at least 3 years experience maintaining primary control of the animal is required. Older 4-H members or adults will interview the younger children while they are demonstrating.
All Cloverbud Demonstrations must be approved by 4-H staff prior to the fair. Please email cynthia.rogers@maine.edu or pamela.doherty@maine.edu or call 207.832.0343 to sign up by July 15. See Union Fair Information Book for details.
Plan Your 4-H Club Exhibit—Independents, too!
4-H Club Exhibits at Union Fair may be submitted by 4-H clubs and pairs or groups of independent members enrolled in Knox or Lincoln Counties. Any club or sub-group within a Knox-Lincoln club can enter a club exhibit. Independent members can work together with other independents on one exhibit. Rules are in the 2025 4-H Union Fair Information Booklet. To reserve exhibit space, please contact Cindy Rogers at 207.832.0343 or cynthia.rogers@maine.edu by July 15.
Gift Basket Fundraiser for KLLA at Union Fair
We are bringing back the gift basket raffle at Union Fair! The raffle, which benefits Knox-Lincoln 4-H, will once again feature themed gift baskets filled with quality items donated or made by KL 4-H clubs. Each club is asked to come up with a theme for the club basket and notify Cindy Rogers (207.832.0343, cynthia.rogers@maine.edu) of the theme by July 15. Then the club should fill a large basket or other container with items relating to the theme as a prize for the raffle. We ask that these items be new and high-quality or handmade by 4-H club members, with a total basket value of at least $50.
Ideas for a basket might be a pet care basket, a jams and jellies basket, a movie night basket, a family games basket, a Made in Maine basket…etc. Remember that the basket should appeal to a broad public audience, not necessarily matching your club’s focus. Think about what will sell lots of tickets!
Independent members and volunteers: consider contributing a gift card from Hannaford or Tractor Supply Co. ($10 – $20) to add to other baskets already located at the Knox-Lincoln UMaine Extension office.
Plan to Enter the 2025 Knox-Lincoln 4-H Photo Contest
Keep taking photos for the Knox-Lincoln 4-H Photography Contest 2025! The top photos per age category will be exhibited in the 4-H Gallery at the Knox-Lincoln Extension office.
This contest is open to any Knox-Lincoln 4-H member age 9 and up. Entries will be accepted through September 30, 2025. Members can enter up to four photos taken between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025. Use the online 4-H Photo Contest Entry form to enter and upload your photos. Keep snapping those great pics! Contact Cindy Rogers at 207.832.0343 or cynthia.rogers@maine.edu if you have questions.
Union Fair Volunteer Opportunities
As always, there will be many opportunities at Union Fair 2025 to help your 4-H program. In addition to livestock show days that you may already be participating in, entry passes will be provided as needed for days that you sign up to help. 2-hour shifts are available during the fair, and adults and youth can help out. (Read about the 4-H Union Fair Prep Party for one way to volunteer!)
Two places where we need the most people to take shifts during the fair are at 4-H Farm-to-Fair and at the 4-H Exhibition Yurt. Sign up as an individual, a family, or a club! You DO NOT need leader certification to volunteer in these positions and youth can sign up as well. Invite your friends and family! Contact cynthia.rogers@maine.edu, 207.832.0343.
Come to the 4-H Union Fair Prep Party
Help get the 4-H areas of Union Fairgrounds ready for Union Fair 2025! Join the 4-H Union Fair Prep Party at the fairgrounds on Tuesday, July 15, 3 – 6:30 pm. Come for part of it or all of it. If you can, bring rakes, shovels, and cleaning supplies, although some will be available. Dinner and water will be provided. Sign up to help by contacting Cindy: cynthia.rogers@maine.edu, 207.832.0343.
Project Records Due September 30…Why Submit a 4-H Project Record?
4-H members are encouraged to keep records as part of their learning experience. Your 4-H records present a picture of your growth and development as a 4-H member. It is a requirement for all Maine 4-H members ages 9 – 18 to complete a 4-H project record annually. Cloverbud members (5 – 8) should practice their record keeping skills in partnership with an older 4-H member or an adult partner/caregiver.
4-H members are encouraged to complete a project record for projects in which they have participated during the 2024/2025 4-H year. It is important to reflect on your experiences and set goals for the upcoming year. To be considered for recognition at the Knox-Lincoln 4-H Year-End Celebration, 4-H members must complete at least the required basic project record and submit it for evaluation by September 30. Other sections can be added to present a more complete picture of your project.
Please note, you do not need to be finished with your project to complete a project record. We understand that many 4-H projects are ongoing and do not end at the same time as the 4-H year. If you are filing a project record for an ongoing or unfinished project, simply enter the information for your project up to the current date.
Evaluated records will be returned and awards announced at the 4-H Year-End Celebration in the fall (date to be determined). Project Record forms and Cloverbud Activity Record forms and instructions can be found online. Contact your club leader or this office if you have questions or need help. DON’T WAIT until the last minute!
Maine 4-H Celebrates “The Year of Youth in Agriculture” with New Ag Challenge
The state of Maine has officially declared 2025 as The Year of Youth in Agriculture, an exciting initiative to highlight the vital role young people play in the future of our state’s agricultural landscape. In celebration of this significant declaration, Maine 4-H is thrilled to encourage all our members to delve deeper into the rich and diverse world of Maine agriculture.
Agriculture is a cornerstone of Maine 4-H as well as the economy and heritage of our state, offering a vast array of unique and rewarding opportunities, from traditional farming and livestock management to innovative food production, sustainable practices, and agricultural technology. This is the perfect time for our 4-H members to explore the many facets of this dynamic industry.
To help you do just that, Maine 4-H is launching the 4-H Ag Challenge! This special challenge is designed to guide members through an exploration of the unique and vast opportunities within Maine agriculture. To complete the challenge, members must complete activities from each section, with the number of required activities varying by age group:
- Cloverbud (ages 5 – 8): 2 activities per section
- Junior (ages 9 – 13): 3 activities per section
- Senior (ages 14 – 18): 4 activities per section
Download the Maine 4-H Ag Challenge PDF form!
Once you’ve completed your activities, please return the form to the 4-H Ag Leadership team at extension.4hagleadership@maine.edu or to your local UMaine Extension office. As a special reward for completing the challenge, you will receive a specially designed Maine 4-H Ag Challenge hat! Prizes will be mailed to those who complete the challenge. This challenge will run through the entirety of 2025, giving you plenty of time to explore! If you have any questions please contact: Megan Cook, 4-H Youth Development Professional, Aroostook County, megan.cook@maine.edu, 207.532.6548
Summer Events at Aldermere Farm and Erickson Fields Preserve
Bugs & Weeds in the Garden
Farm Hands
Skip the Stress—Get Into College with 4-H Direct Admissions!
Great news for Maine 4-H high school juniors and seniors: applying to college just got a whole lot easier. With 4-H Direct Admissions, you can be automatically considered for admission to all seven of Maine’s Public Universities—no Common App, no test scores, no essays, no recommendations, and no application fees required!
If you’re enrolled in any 4-H program in Maine, you’re eligible. Just click to opt in, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Click here to opt in for 4-H Direct Admissions
Click here to learn more about 4-H Direct Admissions
This is your future—made simple. #BeyondReady
Big E Ruby Morris 4-H Scholarship
Every two years Maine has the opportunity to select an Eastern States Exposition participant to receive a $500 scholarship towards continuing their education beyond high school, and this is one of our years!
This is a scholarship that was established by The Morris Family who are longtime concessionaires at ESE. A total of three $500 scholarships are awarded each year. In 2025 and future odd-numbered years, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont will each name a scholarship recipient. In even-numbered years, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut name a scholarship recipient.
Visit the website for all information about applying. Materials must be received by 4:30 pm on Friday, August 15, 2025. If you have any questions, contact Jessy Brainerd at 207.581.3877, brainerd@maine.edu.
Save the Date: Maine 4-H State Dairy Show July 18 – 20
The Maine State 4-H Dairy Show will be held on July 18 – 20 at the Windsor Fairgrounds. All 4-H dairy project members are invited to attend. There will be a grilled cheese cookoff, a milkshake making contest, and a fitting contest on Saturday followed by a show on Sunday. Visit the Extension website for more information on the Maine State 4-H Dairy Show, or contact Sadee Mehuren at 207.342.5971; sadee.mehuren@maine.edu.
In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Services, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).