4-H News in Washington County – May 2019
Important Dates
May 11– 4-H Dog Fun Day, Orono
May 25– Hancock County Cooperative Extension Open House & Plant Sale, 8am – noon
May 27- Memorial Day – Extension Office Closed
May 31-June 1– 4H@UMaine
June 7-9- 4-H June Jamboree at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds –REGISTRATION OPEN SOON!
June 22– Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Greenland Point, 2:00 p.m.
June 29-July 6– Citizenship Washington Focus, Washington D.C.
June 30- Animal Approval Forms are Due in the Extension Office
July 19-21– Maine 4-H Days, Windsor Fairgrounds
Maine State 4-H Public Speaking Tournament
The 4-H State Public Speaking Tournament was held on April 6th at the University of Maine in Orono. This rewarding event was well attended and proved to be quite a learning opportunity for our youth. Youth receiving a qualifying score at their county event were invited to compete at the state level. Presentations took place simultaneously in four different rooms. While the judges completed scoring, youth were invited to participate in team building games. We concluded the afternoon with an awards ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of our presenting youth.
Of the forty-six youth presenting from around the state, four were from Washington County. Congratulations to Rhianna, Cali, Forrest and Kiigan for their successful participation and representing Washington County.
Youth Summer Camps! UMaine and UMaine Cooperative Extension offer lots of summer camp opportunities throughout the state. Be sure to check the web for the 4-H camps including our newest 4-H Camp & Learning Center at Greenland Point right here in Washington County. Click here for other UMaine Summer Camp opportunities. County scholarships are available for certain camps, contact Bethany Pelletier at 207-665-2068.
Animal Approval Forms – If you plan to show an animal in any 4-H classes this year, including at the Blue Hill Fair, you must submit an Animal Approval Form by June 30, 2019. Small pets and poultry are the only exception; all other animals (Horse, Beef, Sheep, Goat, Swine, etc) are required to have an animal approval form: Maine 4-H Animal Approval Form
June Jamboree 2019 – Registration Open Soon! The 2019 June Jamboree will be held on June 7, 8, and 9th at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds. Start planning for a fun-filled weekend full of exciting workshops and activities! Workshops will include hands-on crafts, engineering, and animal science. The “Anytime Science” and “Anytime Craft” tables will be running between workshops all day on Saturday, June 8 – be sure to stop by to explore! Registration will be open soon and you will be notified via email.
Washington County 4-H Photo Contest -Washington County 4-H Program will offer a photo contest again this year! Those thinking of entering should be out taking photos now and throughout the spring and summer. Participants may enter in five photo categories: (You may enter one photo in each category and/or only one storyboard. Possible total of six entries per person).
- Nature/Landscape
- People
- Animals
- 4-H Activity
- Architecture
Be creative and get snapping those photos! More information will be available soon.
4-H Summer of Science– Summer of Science is a series of weekly STEM activities for kids in grades 3-7 starting in June. In 2019 activities, kids will be acting as pirates seeking hidden treasure. The kids will have to use the Engineer Design Process and learn about the science of ocean waters to confront real world challenges to navigate their pirate ship. Lesson are delivered once a week, for six weeks and will take place in East Machias, Lubec and Princeton. Partners in this program include Maine EPSCoR, National Science Foundation, Maine 4-H Foundation and USDA. Please contact the office at 207.255.3345 for more details and to register!
Paper Clover Campaign – Tractor Supply Co. and 4-H just completed another successful spring Paper Clover Campaign! There was just under $1 million raised nationwide, and almost $5,000 raised in Maine. Great job everyone! These funds are available for summer camp scholarships!
Hancock County Spring Plant Sale – Saturday, May 25th, 8am – noon (rain or shine) at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Office. Proceeds to support the Master Gardener Volunteer Program of Hancock County. Hundreds of your favorite perennials including Maine natives.
Scheduled Talks:
• 9:00 – Gardening for Biodiversity
• 10:00 – Bonsai Techniques
• 10:30 – How to Build Watering Spaces for Birds and Insects
Other Events:
• Ongoing fun and learning with Master Gardener Volunteers until 12:00 pm
• Children’s Activity – Earth Buddies
• Open House
• “Ask a Master Gardener” Table
• Seal Cover Farm Nannyberries™ Composted Goat Manure
The UMaine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab is now officially accepting tick samples for tick-borne disease testing. We have been receiving tick samples for species identification for the past five years and will continue to offer this service free of charge. Now, Maine residents can have ticks tested for the causative agents of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis (the three most commonly reported tick-borne diseases in Maine) for a fee of only $15.
This service is intended to provide surveillance information on ticks and tick-borne disease infection rates within Maine’s tick population.
Please visit the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick website at for information on submitting a specimen to the Tick Lab, as well as information on the different tick species of Maine, tick management, and personal protection. Please note that the tick submission form must now be completed online.
Maine Harvest for Hunger-If you are a home gardener, consider planting an extra row of produce this year and donating the surplus to local soup kitchens and food pantries to help fight hunger through the Maine Harvest for Hunger Program.
Why Maine Harvest for Hunger is so important
- 10% of Maine households, representing 141,000 people, are “food insecure” according to the USDA.
- More than 40% of Maine children under the age of 12 show some evidence of hunger.
- 19,325 Maine children are hungry.
- Maine ranks 5th in the nation in prevalence of food insecurity.
Four Easy Steps
1) Enroll in the Maine Harvest for Hunger Program and receive free seeds.
2) Plant seeds and take care of them during the summer.
3) Harvest ripe produce, estimate the weight of the produce, and deliver to a local hunger organization.
4) Report your donation to the UMaine Extension office.
For more information, please visit the Maine Harvest for Hunger website.
To enroll, please contact the University of Maine Cooperative Extension at 1-800-287-1542 or 207-255-3345 or visit the office at 28 Center Street in Machias. Gardeners who sign up can receive free vegetable seeds and a series of helpful educational newsletters. A food pantry list of nearby locations and times to drop off the fresh produce will be provided to you.
4-H News from the State
1. Maine 4-H Days – Registration Opens May 10th
Maine 4-H Days will take place July 19 – 21 at the Windsor Fairgrounds. Get ready for a fun-filled weekend full of exciting Enrichment & Livestock activities! From Tie-Dye to Relay Races; Fairy Gardens to Composting; Meet an Alpaca or sign up for Poultry Camp – we’ll have something for everyone. Registration opens on May 10th – go to Maine 4-H Days.
If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity, please contact Jessy Brainerd at jessica.brainerd@maine.edu or 207.581.3877.
A day of fun and learning for all 4-H youth and leaders interested in a dog project. The fun dog day will be held on May 11th in the Chute Arena at the UMaine Witter Farm, 160 University Farm Road, Old Town, very close to the campus. The event will be held from 8:00 am. to approximately 12:30 pm.
Our guest this year will be Megan Arey, who is a 4-H Leader from New Hampshire. Megan works with the New Hampshire Dog Program. Megan will review with attendees and their dogs’ showmanship, obedience, and agility, as well as provide a demonstration on the “Sporting Breed” Megan raises and works with Labrador Retrievers.
Proof of current veterinary vaccination is required for all dogs attending, as well as a kennel, leads, water and treats. A mid-morning snack will be provided for participants. If you would like to attend, please contact Wendy at wendy.robertson@maine.edu or 942-7396 to RSVP.
3. 4-H Camp Opportunities for Children of Military Families
There are numerous wonderful programs being offered to children of military families through special grant programs. These Adventure Camps are sponsored by the Department of Defense to provide quality outdoor experiences for children of Service Members in the active, reserve, or guard components. Specific questions about eligibility should be made to the Tanglewood office at 207.789.5868 or extension.tanglewood4h@maine.edu.
Programs are designed to build self-esteem, trust, teamwork, friendships, skill building, and appreciation of nature through outdoor adventures. Staff of UMaine 4-H Camp and Learning Centers and key outdoor education and adventure partners lead camps. Open sessions for ages 14 – 18 include: Ocean Adventure (6/25 – 6/28 and 6/30-7/5), Coastal STEM Challenge (6/23 – 6/28 and 6/30– 7/5), and for ages 8 – 14, Make and Create STEM Challenge (7/28 – 8/2).
To register for these programs, go to: Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Centers