4-H in Washington County – December 2021

December 3, 2021 4-H News, News

Dates to Remember

December 9: Winter Series 4-H SPIN Club: Straw Rockets

December 15: Deadline for 2022 National Youth Agri-Science and Healthy Living Summit Applications

December 24: Office Closed

December 30: Final 4-H Re-enrollment Paperwork Deadline

December 31: Deadline for 2022 Fryeburg Fair Market Steer Intent to Sell Form

December 31: Office Closed

January 6: Winter Series 4-H SPIN Club: Wind Vanes

January 12: A Year in Nature SPIN Club Virtual Meeting 

January 22: Virtual 4-H Dog SPIN Club

January 29: A Year in Nature SPIN Club In-person Meeting

February 3: Winter Series 4-H SPIN Club: Pet Treats for Shelters

February 10 – 13: National Youth Healthy Living Summit 

March 1: Maine 4-H Foundation Scholarship Application Deadline

March 3: Winter Series 4-H SPIN Club: Planting for Spring

March 10 – 13:  National Youth Agri-Science Summit 

March 17: A Year in Nature SPIN Club Virtual Meeting

 

A Year in Nature 4-H SPIN Club
November was our first in person meeting. It was a beautiful and sunny day at Vining Lake Community Preserve. We hiked to the canoe and kayak launch. We enjoyed a hike around the lake where we observed many different varieties of fungi. Club members built nature journals, spent time making observations and entries into their journals. The day ended with one of our club members teaching others how to fish! 
 
Thank you to Machias Savings Bank for donating the bright orange hats!  
 
Our next meeting is virtual on December 15th at 6pm. We will discover signs of wildlife during the winter season and work on our phenology wheels. If you like to join us, visit our registration page.  Once registered, a confirmation email is sent with the details of each meeting.
 
As always, we hope to see you there!
4-H member draws a leaf sitting near a lake. 4-H member reading a sign.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4-H Tech Changemakers

We had an amazing garden season at the Washington Academy garden with a combination of youth, Master Gardener Volunteers, Extension staff and community partners working together every Monday in the garden. From weeding and watering to planting, harvesting, and washing, there was always plenty to do! Almost 2600 pounds of fresh veggies were donated to the Machias Food Pantry that served over 85 families/week. 400 pounds of tomatoes, 373 pounds of carrots, over 700 pounds of winter squash not to mention the onions, garlic, kale (PLENTY of kale!), zucchini, swiss chard, lettuce and green beans. Last week, the teens facilitated a planning session for the 2022 garden. To assist in their planning, they are conducting a survey with food pantry clients to determine which vegetables they like and want.
 
Maggie packs up freshly harvested lettuce for the food pantry.
Maggie packs up freshly harvested lettuce for the food pantry.
Ayla adds some ideas during a reflection activity at the garden planning meeting.
Ayla adds some ideas during a reflection activity at the garden planning meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special thanks to Marjorie, our Home Horticulture Extension Educator who shares her knowledge with us about gardening.
Special thanks to Marjorie, our Home Horticulture Extension Educator who shares her knowledge with us about gardening.
Moving onions to the barn to cure (dry) for long term storage.
Moving onions to the barn to cure (dry) for long term storage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


4-H Volunteers Needed

The Washington County 4-H Program is looking for the following volunteers to assist with the program:

  • Judges for the Washington County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament
  • Short term 4-H SPIN Club volunteers in the Baileyville/Calais area
  • SPIN Club volunteers with knowledge of sewing and gardening

If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Brittany at 207.255.3345 or at brittany.foster@maine.edu.

 

Re-enrollment

Please remember to submit your re-enrollment paperwork by Thursday, December 30th if you haven’t already done so.  Please reach out to Tara Wood at 207.255.3345 or by email at tara.a.wood@maine.edu if you need your forms sent again to you. 

 

Mainely Dish: Turkey Pasta Salad

Part of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) “Mainely Dish” Recipe Video Series.

Turkey Pasta Salad

Serves: 4 Serving Size: 1 cup

Ingredients

Needed: 2 cups of pasta noodles, cooked
1½ teaspoons chives, dried, or 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh chives (optional)
¼ cup light mayonnaise
1 ⅔ cups cooked turkey, diced
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/3 cup celery, thinly diced

Directions: Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Stir chives into mayonnaise. Lightly mix together pasta, turkey, grapes, and celery. Stir in mayonnaise/chive mixture. Chill well and serve.

For more information about the EFNEP Program, visit https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/efnep/. All videos include recipe and instructional PDFs.

 

News from the State

Sustainable Fishing: Maine 4-H STEM Toolkit of the Month
Each month we will be highlighting a different 4-H STEM Toolkit available from UMaine Cooperative Extension 4-H Program!In this new, innovative toolkit youth will explore a variety of animals that are fished for 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 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, statewide 4-H Dog SPIN (SPecial INterest) Club will be starting on January 22, 2022 at 9 a.m.! This club will meet virtually over zoom and will focus on all things dog.  This short-term club is open to anyone (humans) in the state of Maine ages 9-18. A dog is NOT required to participate.  We are also looking for adult volunteers who are interested in helping out with this club. You do not need to be knowledgeable about dogs, just willing to help!  For more information or to register, visit our Virtual 4-H Dog SPIN Club website.

 

Congratulations to Maine Communication 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 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 regulationsfor 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 SummitsFor 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, conant@maine.edu, 207-781-6099, for more details on these options, or with any questions.  Applications and Recommendations 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 at https://extension.umaine.edu/4hfoundation/funding/.

 

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.