Waldo County 4-H Newsletter – December 2021
Upcoming Dates:
Decmeber 2: 4-H Leaders’ Association Monthly Meeting
December 31: 4-H Re-enrollment Forms Due at the County Office
January 6: 4-H Leaders’ Association Monthly Meeting
County News
Waldo County 4-H Leaders’ Association
The Waldo County 4-H Leaders’ Association monthly meeting will be on December 2nd at 10:30 am via zoom or in person at the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office. All 4-H volunteers are invited to attend and participate in the meeting. More information on how to join the meeting and the meeting agenda will be sent via email. We look forward to seeing you there!
It’s time to re-enroll 4-H members and 4-H volunteers!
Enrollment packets are being distributed to 4-H clubs and leaders. If 4-H clubs, groups, or families have not received re-enrollment packets, please contact your 4-H leader or advisor. ALL enrollment packets are due by December 31st.
Renewing members and clubs are expected to re-enroll between October 1 and December 31 each year. New members may enroll at any time. However, both new and re-enrolling members must be enrolled by December 31 to participate in events and activities such as, but not limited to, state-wide market animal auctions, Eastern States Exposition competitions, National 4-H Congress, National 4-H Conference, and to be eligible for 4-H post-secondary scholarships.
State News
Sustainable Fishing: Maine 4-H STEM Toolkit of the Month
Each month we will be highlighting a different 4-H STEM Toolkit available from the UMaine Cooperative Extension 4-H Program!
In this new, innovative toolkit youth will explore a variety of animals that are fished in Maine and the various methods of how to find them. Bodies of water are huge! How can we narrow down where fish could be found and if they are actually there? In a series of 8 activities, youth will create maps with fish species, scavenge for evidence of animals, and model how DNA can be used to determine whether an animal is present in a body of water. By exploring relevant phenomena, youth have the opportunity to persevere through puzzling activities, catch each other’s fish populations and investigate as crime scene scientists. Throughout these fishing-related activities, youth will consider which practices are sustainable versus unsustainable, working towards bettering the ways we interact with the environment and fishing industries. Run, don’t walk – this toolkit will be coming in early 2022!
Learn more about this, and other 4-H STEM Toolkits online, where you can see what is available for different age groups or topic areas.
Save the Date: New Virtual 4-H Dog SPIN Club
A new virtual 4-H dog SPIN club will be starting on January 22 at 9 am and will continue monthly on Saturdays. This club is open to anyone state-wide, 4-H ages 9 and up. A dog is not required to join the club. Stay tuned for more information. If you are interested, contact Emily Mott at emily.j.mott@maine.edu to be added to our mailing list for when more information becomes available.
Congratulations to Maine Communications Science Team Members
The 1st Annual Northeast Region 4-H Presentation Fest was held virtually on September 18th with 37 participants from 10 different states. The Maine Communication Science Team sent five youth to compete in their choice of categories; Prepared Speech or Illustrated Talk/Demonstration. Maine Communication Science Team members Eliza R. from Penobscot County and Nathan D. from Knox/Lincoln Counties took the top scores in Formal Speech and Illustrated Talk/Demonstration respectively. Honorable mention to Maddie G. from Androscoggin/Sagadahoc Counties who took the top adult evaluation score in her cohort. We are very proud of all of the Maine 4-H youth who gave their best to compete at this next-level competition!
Important Changes for 2022 Fryeburg Fair Market Steer Intent to Sell Forms
There are a number of very important updates for 2022:
- This year the deadline for the form is December 31, 2021 (postmarked), and the form MUST come with the bill of sale/statement of the value of the cow, as well as the photos of the front and side view of the animal.
- We have an ONLINE form! The updated online form, as well as the printable word/pdf versions, are on the Beef page. There is also a link to the updated regulations for both Steers and Lambs at Fryeburg. Youth enrolled in 4-H outside of Maine (New Hampshire) will need to complete the paper forms and submit them to their local county office.
- Youth who submit the intent will need to complete the regular Animal Approval form and list “Fryeburg Sale” as the show class for the animal.
National Youth Agri-Science and Healthy Living Summit Applications for 2022 Are Available Now!
There are currently 12 scholarships available through funding from the Maine 4-H Foundation to send youth to the Washington, D.C. area for the Agri-Science and Healthy Living Summits in early 2022. Attendees will learn more about their area of interest by attending career panels, interactive workshops, and visiting related agencies throughout D.C. The Summits were created to empower youth to be well-informed citizens, expand engineering and agriculture experience, and increase connections to living a healthy lifestyle, all while being actively engaged in their communities.
Healthy Living: February 10 – 13, 2022
Agri-Science: March 10 – 13, 2022
Eligibility: Youth ages 14 – 18. Enrolled in 4-H by December 31, 2021
Participant Cost: $150.00 (Maine 4-H Foundation will cover the remainder of registration and flight costs – approximately $1,000.00).
Application: https://goo.gl/forms/uOsPytnzFA5OLfY53. This is a combined application for both the Agri-Science and Healthy Living Summits
For more information about the National Youth Summits please visit 4-h.org/parents/national-youth-summits/. If any youth would like to attend but do not receive the scholarship funding, they may self-fund and attend. Counties are also welcome to provide full or partial scholarships to youth. Email or call Sara, sara.conant@maine.edu, 207-781-6099, for more details on these options, or with any questions. Applications and Recommendations are due by December 15, 2021.
Maine 4-H Foundation Scholarships
The Maine 4-H Foundation is pleased to announce a number of scholarships available to 4-H members. They range in value from $1,000 to $2,500. Donors from around the state have been very generous in supporting our 4-H seniors as they pursue their dreams and aspirations. Scholarships are due March 1, 2022, to your county office. Please check out the Maine 4-H Foundation website.
4-H Pitch Project
The Youth Trustees have established a fund to support young entrepreneurs in 4-H. Pitch us your idea for a business and we may fund the start-up idea. Check out the Pitch project at https://extension.umaine.edu/4hfoundation/funding/.
4-H Club Resources
The Norma Hardison Fund has been created to support 4-H club special projects. 4-H Club Creativity Grant application ideas should tie into the 4-H program priorities for Maine, including club and community learning projects, philanthropic projects that engage members in the community supporting 4-H program work, and/or new creative educational ideas. Funds can be requested for amounts up to $200; on a rare occasion, the grant request may be considered for more than $200. Sponsor: Maine 4-H Foundation Youth Trustees in Philanthropy. Application Form.
4-H Service Innovative Education, and Philanthropy Grants
Grant application ideas should tie into the 4-H program priorities for Maine including club and community service learning projects, philanthropic projects that engage members in the community supporting 4-H program work, and/or new creative educational ideas. Funds can be requested for amounts from $100 to $500; on a rare occasion, the grant request may be considered for more than $500. Sponsor: Maine 4-H Foundation Youth Trustees in Philanthropy. Application Form.
EFNEP Recipe of the Month:
‘Tis the season for snowy days, warm fires, hot chocolate, and sweet treats. This fabulous recipe is a twist on traditional chocolate cookies. No-Bake Chocolate Chip Bites are easy to make and totally yummy! If you would like to see this as a video and check out our other Mainely Dish Recipe videos, visit our recipe website for the No-Bake Chocolate Chip Bites recipe and recipe video.
No-Bake Chocolate Chip Bites
Servings per recipe: 12
Serving size: 2 bites
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups quick oats
- ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup nut butter
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- (Optional) ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
- Combine all ingredients.
- Form into 24 equally sized balls using your hands.
- Arrange bites on a lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
- Keep bites stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
Tips
- Quick oats hold together the best, but other oats can be used.
To see the full recipe and video visit our website