KL 4-H Newsletter — July 2026
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 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 31 Deadline to sign up for Cloverbud Demonstrations at Union Fair
August 3 and 4 Individual and Club Exhibits accepted at 4-H Exhibition Yurt, 4 – 6 pm, Union Fairgrounds
August 5 – 9 UNION FAIR
August 9 Individual and Club Exhibits must be removed from 4-H Exhibition Yurt, 2 – 6 pm, Union Fairgrounds
August 13 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 Avery C., Harrison F., Sabrinnah D., and Lenox A.!
Enter the 2026 Knox-Lincoln 4-H Photo Contest
Keep taking photos for the Knox-Lincoln 4-H Photography Contest 2026! 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, 2026. Members can enter up to four photos taken between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026. Request a link to the online 4-H Photo Contest Entry form, and upload up to five photos right in the form. Keep snapping those great pics! Contact Cindy Rogers at 207-832-0343 or cynthia.rogers@maine.edu for the entry form link, or if you have questions.
Get Ready for Union Fair!
Don’t miss any deadlines for participating in Union Fair August 5 – 9, 2026. Use your 4-H Newsletter and the 2026 4-H Union Fair Information Book to keep you on-track with paperwork, entry form deadlines and more!
ASAP Apply for membership to Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors to obtain exhibitor insurance in time for Union Fair. Be sure to apply for the 2026/27 year.
July 15 Clubs: Sign up for 4-H Club Exhibit space and tell us what your Gift Basket theme will be.
July 31 Members 4-H age 5 – 8: sign up for 4-H Cloverbud Demonstrations.
4-H Union Fair Prep Party
A big thank you to everyone who came out Thursday, July 9 for the 4-H Union Fair Prep Party! Things are looking pretty sharp! We appreciate all of your hard work, especially in the heat of summer! It was great to see all of you, and we are looking forward to seeing you at Union Fair!
Union Fair Volunteer Opportunities
As always, there will be many opportunities at Union Fair 2026 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.
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.
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 9 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 31.
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. Refer to complete rules in the 4-H Union Fair Information Book. 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 at 207-832-0343 or cynthia.rogers@maine.edu of your basket 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 fancy foods basket (no chocolate, though…it melts!), a gardening 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!
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. All Maine 4-H members ages 9 – 18 should 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.
It is important to reflect on your project 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 for the 2025/2026 4-H year 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!
Animal Science Challenge
The Maine 4-H Foundation is offering a challenge to 4-H animal science committees and programs. The Foundation will match up to $3,000 per committee to support animal science programs and educational programs. A 1 to 1 match will be made for current and past donors, and 1 to 2 matches for new donors. Questions can be asked by contacting Susan Jennings at 207-615-7300, or email maine4hfoundation@gmail.com.
4-H Volunteer Corner
Your corner for connection, tips and tricks for Positive Youth Development
Developmental Relationships
Developmental relationships are foundational connections between young people and adults or peers. By offering emotional and tangible support, these bonds empower youth to uncover their identities, build resilience, and acquire the necessary social and emotional skills to succeed in life.
As a 4-H volunteer you can focus on these five key elements:
- Express Care through listening, warmth, and dependability.
- Challenge Growth, expect their best and help them reflect on failures.
- Provide Support, empower and advocate, help youth navigate systems and set appropriate boundaries.
- Share Power through inclusion, respect and collaboration.
- Expand Possibilities by exposing youth to new ideas and opportunities; connect them with others who can help them reach their goals.
4-H Volunteer Summit
Saturday, November 7, 2026
THIS event is going to be SO MUCH FUN! Along with interactive workshops, and a 4-H Discovery Zone, there will be a delicious lunch and door prizes! Save the date, check out the 4-H Volunteer Summit webpage and look for registration to open soon!
Resource Corner
We have a great national 4-H website! If you haven’t taken time to peruse the site, there is lots of good information and resources to be found. One interesting resource is the Ready for Fair Series. It consists of short videos from 4-H members in Virginia as they share what it is like to participate in animal projects with their eyes on the fair shows- three great young people!
4-H Volunteer Opportunities Calendar
Find our 4-H volunteer training opportunities on our 4-H Volunteer Calendar — scroll to the bottom of the page to subscribe to the calendar and never miss upcoming events, workshops, and more!
University of Maine Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity institution and provider committed to nondiscrimination. For more information, visit extension.umaine.edu/nondiscrimination.