4-H News in Washington County – July 2025
Dates to Remember
July 24: Oh Yea 4-H Grows True Leaders Summer of Science Teen Teaching Training
July 6-11: Maine Summer Transportation Institute (MSTI) Residential Camp
July 7-August 8: 4-H Summer of Science Learning Series
July 18-20: Maine 4-H State Dairy Show, Windsor Fairgrounds
July 24: Oh Yea 4-H Teen Teaching Training
July 25: Washington County 4-H Photo Contest Deadline
July 25: 4-H Science Friday: Marine Ecosystems
August 15: Big E Ruby Morris 4-H Scholarship Deadline
August 23 & 24: Washington County Fair
November 28 – December 2, 2025: 4-H Congress in Atlanta, GA
Washington County 4-H Photography Contest
Whether it’s blooming flowers, veggies popping up in your garden, or friends playing, don’t forget to be snapping those photos! All photographs for the annual photo contest must be submitted to the Washington County Cooperative Extension office by Friday, July 25th. All photos must be mounted on a 8×10 or larger foam board or cardboard for stability. A separate entry label for each photograph is required and can be found on our photo contest website. Please let us know if you need any entry labels or materials.
Washington County Fair “Sow your Sparks” Exhibit
The fair may be a month away but that means there is plenty of time to work on and put the finishing touches on your 4-H projects! Take a look at the webpage to learn about the two new exhibit categories this year, Animals and Engineering, and review the guidelines.
Exhibition items can be dropped off at the UMaine Cooperative Extension office in Machias by 4:00pm on Thursday, August 21st OR can be dropped off at the Pembroke Fairgrounds on Friday, August 22nd from 9am-12pm. Exhibits must include a completed exhibit card attached with the exhibit. Cards are available at the Washington County Cooperative Extension office.
Club Updates
During June and July, teens are fulfilling their summer internship/experience requirement for the club. One teen headed to The Forks to complete their Swift Water Rescue Training, while the other is spending a week elbow deep in algae at Downeast Institute in Beals. These summer experiences are intended to get youth in the field to dive deeper into a career they are interested in.
Meg Begley, 4-H Science Professional in Orono, led youth in learning about what a fish biologist does. We learned that fish biologists can work in labs, out in the field, and travel abroad. Youth had the chance to be fish biologists by dissecting a model fish stomach and identifying what their fish ate. By analyzing the contents of the stomach, youth were able to determine what their fish species may be and what habitat they live in. At the end, youth made fish prints of various fish species to take home.
On July 25th, the group will explore marine ecosystems. Maine’s coastal marine ecosystems are rich and productive, ranging from rocky intertidal zones to deeper marine waters. Youth will learn about the diverse and complex nature of these ecosystems, including seaweeds and urchins. Click here to learn more and register!
The Egg Business Project participants had their first in-person meeting this month. Is there a better way to kick off the summer than with a field trip to Mandala Farm in Gouldsboro. Sara and Genio opened up their lovely farm to our SPIN Club and offered a tour of their chicken coops, processing facility, and more. We even got an impromptu processing demonstration and trial experience! They were amazing hosts and had a wealth of knowledge ready for sharing. Our 4-Her’s couldn’t have had a better time. Thank you to Mandala Farm for a lovely afternoon!
OH YEA 4-H Grows True Leaders is going to lay low for the month of July in preparation for our culminating event of the year, which is teen-teaching at Blueberry Harvest School in August. Earlier this summer, the teens received tips and instructions from 4-H professionals and Mano en Mano staff on how to best deliver food system curriculum to younger kids who will be attending Blueberry Harvest School as their parents and relative work the blueberry fields. The final day of training will take place on July 24th at the location where the teens will be teaching, Cherryfield Elementary.
The lessons this year delve into the many industries and processes that go into getting health food onto our tables. By the end of the summer, students should learn that food does not just magically appear on our plates; it goes through an arduous process to satisfy our modern need for convenience. This look into what goes on “behind the curtain,” hopefully allows the younger generation to stay tuned into the environmental impact we create in keeping ourselves alive and happy.
News from the State
Skip the Stress – Get Into College with 4-H Direct Admissions!
Great news for Maine 4-H high school juniors and seniors: applying to college just got a whole lot easier. With 4-H Direct Admissions, you can be automatically considered for admission to all seven of Maine’s Public Universities—no Common App, no test scores, no essays, no recommendations, and no application fees required!
If you’re enrolled in any 4-H program in Maine, you’re eligible. Just click to opt in, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Click here to opt in. We will do the rest.
Click here to learn more about 4-H Direct Admissions
This is your future—made simple. #BeyondReady
Maine 4-H State Dairy Show
Maine 4-H invites you to participate in the 2025 Maine 4-H State Dairy Show! This year’s event will take place from July 18th to 20th at the Windsor Fairgrounds. The contests are open to all 4-H dairy project members ages nine and above and include a grilled cheese and milkshake cookoff, a dairy cattle fitting contest, and a dairy cattle show. For a complete schedule and registration information, visit umaine.edu/4h/dairy/maine-4-h-state-dairy-show/.
For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact Sadee Mehuren at 207.342.5971 or Allison Pollock at 207.781.6099.
Big E Ruby Morris 4-H Scholarship
Every two years Maine has the opportunity to select an Eastern States Exposition participant to receive a $500 scholarship towards continuing his or her education beyond high school, and this is one of our years!
This is a scholarship that was established by The Morris Family who are longtime concessionaires at ESE. A total of three $500 scholarships are awarded each year. In 2025 and future odd-numbered years, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont will each name a scholarship recipient. In even-numbered years, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut name a scholarship recipient.
Visit the website for all information about applying. Materials must be received by 4:30 pm on Friday, August 15, 2025. If you have any questions, contact Jessy Brainerd at 207.581.3877 or jessica.brainerd@maine.edu.
Tri-County Sampler: Nature Art
July 29, 5:30-7pm Join Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Somerset County 4-H staff for July’s Tri-County 4-H Sampler “Nature Art” at the Lakeshore Park in Dexter. We’ll break the ice with parachute play, then make dirt babies and explore the park for bits and pieces to create foraged friends. Parents are welcome to participate and encouraged to learn more about how 4-H can fit into their families’ lives. We can chat at the handwash station, over the DIY trail mix bar, and as we’re guiding youth to set up their dirt babies and foraged friends for display. Our evening will conclude with young participants telling the rest of us about their creations. Enrolled Cloverbuds and 4-H’ers may go home with an exhibit or two for the Fair!
Please pre-register so we can bring plenty of snacks and supplies!
https://4h.zsuite.org/external-event-registration/38368
Location: Lakeshore Park 16 Crockett Rd, Dexter, ME
For more information or a request for reasonable accommodations, contact Emily Pigeon, Community Education Assistant, Penobscot County 4-H, Phone: 207-942-7396, Email: emilypigeon@maine.edu.
Maine 4-H Celebrates “The Year of Youth in Agriculture” with New Ag Challenge
The state of Maine has officially declared 2025 as “The Year of Youth in Agriculture,”an exciting initiative to highlight the vital role young people play in the future of our state’s agricultural landscape. In celebration of this significant declaration, Maine 4-H is thrilled to encourage all our members to delve deeper into the rich and diverse world of Maine agriculture.
Agriculture is a cornerstone of Maine 4-H as well as the economy and heritage of our state, offering a vast array of unique and rewarding opportunities, from traditional farming and livestock management to innovative food production, sustainable practices, and agricultural technology. This is the perfect time for our 4-H members to explore the many facets of this dynamic industry.
To help you do just that, Maine 4-H is launching the 4-H Ag Challenge! This special challenge is designed to guide members through an exploration of the unique and vast opportunities within Maine agriculture. To complete the challenge, members must complete activities from each section, with the number of required activities varying by age group:
Cloverbud (ages 5-8): 2 activities per section
Junior (ages 9-13): 3 activities per section
Senior (ages 14-18): 4 activities per section
4-H Ag Challenge Download (PDF)
Once you’ve completed your activities, please return the form to the 4-H Ag Leadership team at extension.4hagleadership@maine.edu or to your local UMaine Extension office. As a special reward for completing the challenge, you will receive a specially designed Maine 4-H Ag Challenge hat! Prizes will be mailed to those who complete the challenge. This challenge will run through the entirety of 2025, giving you plenty of time to explore!
If you have any questions please contact: Megan Cook, 4-H Youth Development Professional, Aroostook County, megan.cook@maine.edu, 207.532.6548.