Knox-Lincoln 4-H Newsletter–September 2022
Send articles to cynthia.rogers@maine.edu
Upcoming Events and Important Dates
September 13 KLLA Meeting, 6pm, Extension office, Waldoboro, and Zoom
September 16-October 2 Eastern States Exposition, Springfield, MA
September 30 Entries due for the 2022 Knox-Lincoln 4-H Photography Contest
September 30 4-H Project Records and Cloverbud Activity Records due at the Extension office
September 30 NEW DATE 4-H National Trips (Congress and Conference) applications due, ages 14-18
October 1 New 4-H Year begins
October 5-16 Tractor Supply 4-H Paper Clover Campaign
October11 KLLA Meeting, 6 pm
October 15 Award Nominations due from leaders
October 19 Open Public Speaking Workshop with Communication Science Team, online
October 22 Hold the Date: UMaine Unconference by and for 4-H volunteers, Belfast
TBD 2022 4-H Year-End Celebration (will be announced soon!)
September Birthday
Happy Birthday to Natalie C.!
Enter the 2022 Knox-Lincoln 4-H Photo Contest
It is time to submit photos for the Knox-Lincoln 4-H Photography Contest 2022! The top photos per age category will be exhibited in the 4-H Gallery at the Knox-Lincoln Extension office for one year, with each having a turn as cover pic on the Knox-Lincoln 4-H Facebook page!
This contest is open to any Knox-Lincoln 4-H member age 9 and up. Entries will be accepted now through September 30, 2022. Members can enter up to four photos taken between October 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022. Photo contest entry information and rules can be found online. Contact Cindy Rogers at 207.832.0343 or cynthia.rogers@maine.edu if you have questions.
Project and Activity Records Due September 30
4-H members are encouraged to complete a project record for projects in which they have participated during the 2021/2022 4-H year. It is important to reflect on your experiences and set goals for the upcoming year. In order to be considered for recognition at the Knox-Lincoln 4-H Achievement Celebration, 4-H members need to complete a project record form and submit it for judging by September 30.
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.
NEW this year: The Comparison Matrix has been eliminated from all project record forms. Also, you will now only find three levels of records to choose from: Cloverbud Activity Records, Intermediate and Advanced Project Records. You may contact this office if you need help determining which record you should complete.
Judged records will be returned and awards announced at the 4-H Achievement Awards Celebration, date to be determined. The Project Record form and Cloverbud Activity Record form and instructions can be found online. To submit them electronically: download the form, complete it on your computer, and email to cynthia.rogers@maine.edu. Alternatively, you can download the form, complete it on your computer, then print it and mail it to the Extension office, OR you can print the forms and complete them by hand, then mail them to the office. Contact your club leader or this office if you have questions or need help!
Nominations Sought for 4-H Awards
Leader nominations for the following individual and club awards are due October 15: Team Player, Treasurer, Secretary, Community Service, Leadership, Citizenship, Katherine Watier Green Award. The nomination forms for these awards will be emailed to primary club leaders.
During the fair season, a few outstanding 4-Hers may be chosen to receive the 4-H Character Award. This honor may be awarded to a 4-Her who carries out his or her project and who treats other 4-H members, fair colleagues, spectators, and their animals (when applicable) according to the six pillars of character: Responsibility, Trustworthiness, Respect, Caring, Fairness and Citizenship.
Nominations for the 2022 4-H Character Award, may be submitted to Knox-Lincoln Extension Office, 377 Manktown Road, Waldoboro, ME 04572 or via email cynthia.rogers@maine.edu by September 30, 2022.
2022 4-H National Trip (Conference and Congress), Ages 14-18
National 4-H Trips applications are due September 30, 2022, for National 4-H Conference and Congress. We recommend you look at the requirements ahead of preparing your materials, as most of the pieces required are something you are already doing for your yearly Project Record sheets.
4-H trips are excellent opportunities to meet 4-H members from across the nation. Participants learn about many career options, and learn through educational workshops at Congress or become part of a team, making recommendations to the National 4-H Council at Conference.
We will be holding interviews for National Trips on the week of October 10-16, 2022. These will be via Zoom. We will be interviewing for the National 4-H Congress, which will be held in Atlanta, GA on November 25- December 1, 2022, and the National 4-H Conference, which will be held on April 14-19, 2023 at a conference hotel in or around Washington, DC. The Maine website pages for both conferences have been updated. Once your application has been received, we will contact you for a convenient time for all to do the “Zoom” interviews.
Hopefully, next year, we will be back to our normal “National Interview Schedule” that will be held in April/May 2023. Please feel free to email Heidi Palmer, State Activities Coordinator at: heidi.thuotte@maine.edu for any questions.
Public Speaking Workshop
The Maine 4-H Communication Science Team invites all enrolled 4-H members to their October 19 meeting for an open workshop. The meeting will be held via zoom from 6-7 pm. Team members will teach tips and tricks to improve your presentation skills. Please contact cathy.gray@maine.edu for more information. To join the zoom, click: Join Zoom Meeting, or go to zoom.us, and enter the meeting id: 86067599466 and passcode: 468314.
Raffle Update for Maine 4-H Teen Leadership and Program Development Survey, Ages 11+
Hello 4-H Community! The Teen Leadership and Program Development Survey now includes a raffle for the following seven items:
– Two 4-H T-shirts
– Three Lunch Totes
– Two 4-H Positive Vibes T-Shirts
The SHORT survey (about 30 questions/5 minutes) is for any 4-H participant age 11+ since 2017. We want your voice included! The survey results will help us learn more about 4-H participant interests and improve statewide 4-H program planning. If you are a parent of a 4-H child receiving this message, please have each child age 11+ who has participated in 4-H since 2017 complete a survey. If you are a club leader, please pass along this information to your club members!
To enter the raffle, simply add your contact information (email, phone #, etc.) to any of your typed responses in the survey or send it to me in a separate email or phone message: andrew.hudacs@maine.edu, 207-581-8204. The drawing for the raffle will happen in early October.
Lastly, please let me know if you have any questions or would like to see a summary of the survey results, please contact me at andrew.hudacs@maine.edu or (207) 581-8204.
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!
Save the Date for the 4-H Unconference for Volunteers
UMaine 4-H Unconference (in-person) will be an organized forum for 4-H volunteers, club leaders, afterschool providers, teachers, parents and teen leaders to gather. UMaine 4-H Unconference is intentionally designed to have YOU teach and learn from each other. There is no agenda; you come with 4-H ideas and topics you want to talk about or learn more about, and we’ll guide the process to get folks into groups where YOU are the experts. Save the dates: Saturday, October 22 in Belfast and Friday, November 11 in Southern Maine. Come to one or both. Watch the UMaine 4-H Unconference website for more information as it becomes available.
Farm Service Agency Youth Loans
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes loans to youth to establish and operate agricultural income-producing projects in connection with 4-H clubs, FFA and other agricultural groups. Projects must be planned and operated with the help of the organization advisor, produce sufficient income to repay the loan and provide the youth with practical business and educational experience. The maximum loan amount is $5,000.
Youth Loan Eligibility Requirements:
– Be a citizen of the United States (which includes Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) or a legal resident alien.
– Be 10 years to 20 years of age.
– Comply with FSA’s general eligibility requirements.
– Be unable to get a loan from other sources.
– Conduct a modest income-producing project in a supervised program of work as outlined above.
– Demonstrate capability of planning, managing, and operating the project under guidance and assistance from a project advisor. The project supervisor must recommend the youth loan applicant, along with providing adequate supervision.
For help preparing the application forms, contact your local County USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
EFNEP Recipe of the Month: Time for Breakfast
By Debbie Barnett, EFNEP CEA in Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, and Waldo counties deborah.barnett@maine.edu
Where did the summer go? It seems as if school just let out, and here we are in back-to-school mode. The excitement of new teachers, classes, and connecting with friends. As we start to settle into our school routine, we need to remember that breakfast is a huge part of a successful school day. The word breakfast means to “break your fast”, and fasting is when you do not eat for a certain period of time. Your body needs the calories from the food you eat to help you concentrate and give you more energy. While you sleep, the body is still working, and when you wake up, it’s time to recharge with a hearty breakfast. Below are a few great breakfast choices from our Mainely Dish Video series (Baked Oatmeal, Egg Bites, and the Brunching Burrito). If you don’t have time for a full breakfast a quick grab-and-go could be an apple with peanut butter or an Oatmeal, Strawberry, Banana Smoothie. Start your day off right with a good breakfast!
For more delicious recipes, check out our UMaine EFNEP Mainely Dish Video Series. Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) offers FREE nutrition education classes to income-eligible adults with children, or young adults 19-25 years old, and if you are eligible for programs such as SNAP, WIC, or Head Start.