Knox-Lincoln 4-H Newsletter–February 2023
Send articles to cynthia.rogers@maine.edu
Upcoming Events and Important Dates
February 10 Deadline to join 4-H Algae SPIN Club (Tuesdays 3/7-4/11)
February 11 NEW DATE Knox-Lincoln 4-H Public Speaking Workshop, 9am-12 noon, KL Extension office, Waldoboro
February 17 Deadline to register for the 4-H Chef Series (2/25-3/25)
February 21 NEW DATE KLLA Meeting, 6pm, KL Extension office, Waldoboro, and Zoom
February 24 Deadline to register for Knox-Lincoln 4-H Public Speaking Tournament (3/11)
February 24 Maine 4-H Equity Challenge submissions due
February 25 4-H Chef Series-Session 1: Kitchen Skills, KL Extension office, Waldoboro
February 25 ESE Dairy Intent to Participate forms due
February 25 Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl, UMA Randall Student Center, Augusta
March 3 Deadline to sign up for 4-H Page Day, Maine State Capitol, Augusta (3/23)
March 11 Knox-Lincoln 4-H Public Speaking Tournament, 1-4pm, Extension office, Waldoboro
March 14 KLLA Meeting, 6pm, KL Extension office, Waldoboro, and Zoom
March 23 UMaine Day—Serve as Honorary Page, Maine State Capitol, Augusta (register by 3/3)
March 25 4-H Chef Series-Session 3: Family Luncheon, KL Extension office, Waldoboro
April 1 ESE Sheep Intent to Participate forms due
February Birthday
Happy Birthday to Eli P.!
Register Now for the Knox-Lincoln 4-H Public Speaking Tournament!
The Knox-Lincoln 4-H Public Speaking Tournament will be held on March 11 from 1-4pm at the Knox-Lincoln Extension office (snow date March 18). Information and resources for helping you prepare a talk can be found on the Maine 4-H Public Speaking website. All member ages and experience levels are welcome to participate! Register for the Knox-Lincoln 4-H Public Speaking Tournament by February 24.
State Public Speaking Tournament—Save the Date
Our state public speaking tournament will be held on April 8 at DP Corbett Hall on the University of Maine campus. Youth must qualify for this event by achieving a score of 78 or higher at their county or regional tournament. Check with your county 4-H staff to find out when your county tournament will be held. Go to the Maine 4-H Public Speaking page for more information about the program.
Join Us for the 4-H Chef Series
Do you want to learn new cooking skills? Seasoned cooks and those new to the kitchen will get to practice basic techniques and learn something new at a 3-part 4-H Chef Series in February and March! There will be two in-person sessions at the Extension office on February 25 and March 25, plus an online planning meeting in between, time to be determined. In session 1, we will practice cooking skills (safety, organization, tool skills, cooking techniques) while we create a tasty lunch for participants to enjoy! For session 2 we will meet online to plan a luncheon to be prepared by the class and served to volunteers and family members when we meet again in-person for session 3.
Open to Knox-Lincoln 4-H members of all ages and skill levels, this series will be led by 4-H staff, Ryan LeShane and Cindy Rogers. Register for the 4-H Chef Series by February 17.
Maine 4-H Equity Challenge for all Maine Youth
Are you a photographer? A performer? A writer? Then consider the 4-H Equity Challenge. The challenge is for youth ages 5-19 to create a digital photograph, a performance, a presentation, or a writing piece that tells why every Maine youth belongs in a welcoming and inclusive environment. There are prizes based on age. This challenge is open to any 4-H’er or partner organization in Maine.
There are helpful guides and a rubric to help you understand what judges will look for in an entry. To submit an entry or to find out more information go to the Maine 4-H Equity Challenge webpage. To participate, submit your creation by February 24, 2023.
4-H Algae SPIN Club
Maine 4-H will offer a short-term, online 4-H club about algae and its impact on surrounding ecosystems. Intended for youth ages 12-15, the special interest, or SPIN, club will meet from 3:30-5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays March 7-April 11. Required registration closes February 10.
The Algae SPIN Club will explore all things algae—why it’s important, how it can be used, harmful algae blooms and related community action. In this club, youth will 
have the opportunity to taste algae, create a seaweed lava lamp, and observe and analyze the growth of an algae sample at home.
The 4-H Algae Series will introduce ecological knowledge and experiment skills by exploring algae in different ways each week while making connections with youth from around the state. UMaine Extension 4-H staff will lead the meetings and provide guidance for the algae growth experiment.
The club is free; limited to 10 participants. Register for the 4-H Algae Series by February 10 to receive the link and at-home materials. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact 207.581.8206 or sarah.sparks@maine.edu. Additional information also is available on the Extension 4-H Virtual Learning webpage
Androscoggin-Sagadahoc 4-H Monthly Workshops Open to All Maine 4-Hers!
Come join the Androscoggin and Sagadahoc counties 4-H program at their monthly workshops—the Third Friday of every month (unless otherwise noted) from 6:00-7:30 pm at the Lisbon Extension Office at 24 Main Street. Anyone interested can contact cathy.gray@maine.edu to find out more information.
Currently Scheduled Topics:
– February 17, 2023 – Short Film Making
– March 10, 2023 – Spa & Relaxation Science
– April 21, 2023 – Movie Premier Night
– May 19, 2023 – Wool Spinning Workshop
2022/2023 4-H Volunteer Training Opportunities
As we get ready for the new 4-H year, we are looking forward to offering a variety of learning experiences (both in person and virtual) for our 4-H volunteers. Sessions are free of charge but require registration. Some sessions have limited space. Visit the 4-H Volunteer Calendar of Training Opportunities to learn more and register!
Maine 4-H Days—Save the Date! July 21-22, 2023
We’re back for fun times, workshops, overnight camping, and more at the Windsor Fairgrounds in Kennebec County! More information to come, so save the dates!
Maine 4-H Ag Ambassador and Ag Symposium—Teens sign up now!
For teens that age 13-18, we invite you to join us for our Ag Ambassador Program this spring! This will be an opportunity to connect with other teens from around the state to explore and share your interests in the Maine food system, agriculture, climate change, environmental justice, and where all these interests collide. The spring 2023 cohort will meet from 3:30-5:00 pm on Tuesday afternoons March 7 to April 18 on zoom with an in-person celebratory luncheon in Orono for families on April 20. The luncheon will kick off our overnight Teen Ag Symposium at the UMaine Orono campus on April 20 and April 21. This will be a hands-on exploration of many aspects of the Maine food system and the research and education happening at the University.
Register for the Maine 4-H Ag Ambassador Program. For more information or to request reasonable accommodation, contact Sadee Mehuren; 207.342.5971; extension.4hagleadership@maine.edu.
4-H Page Day in Augusta March 23, 2023—Sign Up Now!
UMaine Day at the Legislature, Thursday, March 23, is approaching. It’s a day where Cooperative Extension gets to highlight our awesome programs, and 4-H is one of the best! It’s also a time for youth to get actively involved in their democracy, to see how and who makes decisions that impact our state, and to be involved in that process themselves. 4-Hers age 13 or older are encouraged to serve as Honorary Pages. The Maine 4-H program has up to 22 slots for Honorary Pages and registration is first come, first serve with a deadline of March 3.
Legislators are constantly communicating and making decisions while in session and pages make that communication possible. Pages hand out information packets or place the paper information on their desks. Pages will also run communication and documents directly from legislator to legislator. It’s fast-paced and pages will be moving around the chambers quite a bit, taking direction from the Clerks. We will meet at 8:30 am for pictures and an orientation. Then at 9:00 am we will divide our group with one going to the House and the other to the Senate where each group will receive their instructions. Session will begin by 10:00 am and will likely conclude around 12:30 pm, but the timing is never certain. Lunch will be on your own.
NEW: First Amendment Museum—Supreme Court in Action! The Museum will host our group from 1:30-3:30 pm with a free interactive learning series that places each of us into different roles within the U.S. Supreme Court. You will get real life court cases to argue for or against, to make a ruling, and to report on, to get an in-depth look at what happens when free speech, the courts, and citizens come together. Democracy can be messy, so let’s dig in!
Register to serve as an Honorary Page. If you have questions or would like to request an accommodation, do so by March 3 to Alisha Targonski at alisha.r.targonski@maine.edu.
ESE Dairy Intent Forms
The 2023 Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States intent to participate form is available online. To be eligible for participation on the Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States Team this fall, 4-H members must submit their completed intent form online or to the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office before February 25. Contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or 207.342.5971 with any questions.
2023 Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl Contest
The Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl contest will be held on February 25 at the UMA Randall Student Center in Augusta, ME. The contest consists of a general knowledge exam, individual questions, and buzzer questions. The contest will serve as the official tryout for the Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl Team that will represent Maine 4-H at ESE this fall. The contest is open to all 4-H dairy project members ages 9-18, regardless of whether they wish to try out for the quizbowl team or not. Contestants will be divided into two age divisions, Juniors ages 9-11 and Seniors ages 12-18.
For rules for the contest, study materials, and directions to the venue please visit the Maine 4-H Dairy webpage. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu.
ESE Sheep Team Intent Form
The 2023 Maine 4-H ESE Sheep Team intent to participate form is now available online. If you are interested in participating in the team at the Eastern States Exposition, the form must be submitted to Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or mailed to the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office by April 1, 2023. At ESE the team, along with teams from other New England states, show their sheep and participate in a sheep blocking contest. Together the team prepares an educational display and participates and competes in knowledge contests against teams from other states. To be eligible you must have participated in a 4-H sheep project for at least one year and be at least 12 years old as of December 31, 2022.
Please contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or 207.342.5971 for more information.
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 Boudreau Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5754, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).