4-H in Washington County – March 2020

March 5, 2020 4-H News, News

Dates to Remember

March 7: Washington County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament, Washington County Community College, Calais

March 26: Food 4 All Food Distribution, Washington Academy, East Machias 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.

April 4: State 4-H Public Speaking Tournament, Orono

April 10: 4-H Teen Dance, Old Town YMCA, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

April 16: #EmpoweringMEandYou via ZOOM

April 22: Zoom-In to Photography, Porter Memorial Library, 10:00 a.m. to Noon

April 25: Volunteer Unconference, Ellsworth

April 25: Aquaculture Science Saturday, Aquaculture Research Center at UMaine in Orono

April 29 – May 10: Paper Clover Campaign at Tractor Supply Co. in Calais

May 29-30: 4-H@UMaine

June 27-July 5: CWF, Washington D.C.

July 16-19: Maine 4-H Days

 

Cobscook Currents 4-H club adopts Furry Friends Food Bank to help seniors with pets

The Furry Friends Food Bank has been adopted by a University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H club. Cobscook Currents 4-H club members, committed to making a positive difference in their community, chose the food bank for pets as a community service project. 

Club members have installed a pet food collection box for public donations at the Whiting General Store, 136 U.S. Route 1, Whiting. Furry Friends Food Bank is an Eastern Area Agency on Aging program designed to help seniors feed and support their four-legged companions.  For more information about the Furry Friends Food Bank, contact Kelly Adams, Eastern Area Agency on Aging, 207.941.2865.  

Photo Caption: Members of the Cobscook Currents 4-H Club display donations collected for the Furry Friends Food Bank.

 

4-H Tech Changemakers Food 4 All

The 4-H Tech Changemakers continue to help with food distribution at Washington Academy.  The next date is Thursday, March 26 from 3:00-4:30 p.m.  This is open all!  This project is a partnership between Good Shepherd Food Bank, Healthy Acadia, Washington Academy and University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H.

A huge thank you to 4-H Volunteer Norma Tarbell for making the festive vegetable table covers!

4-H Tech Changemaker helps set up food donations. Festive vegetable table covers were made by 4-H Volunteer Norma Tarbell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4-H Shooting Sports Archery Training held in Princeton

Several individuals took part in the 4-H Shooting Sports Archery Training taught by Haleigh White at the Princeton Rod and Gun Club on January 11, 2020. The class was very successful and all participants earned their certificate and patches, recognizing their knowledge of positive youth development, range safety, shooting techniques and youth risk management. The 4-H Shooting Sports program is rapidly growing in popularity and is one of the safest recreational activities for youth. For more information on the 4-H Shooting Sports programs, training, and camps offered by Greenland Point 4-H Camp and Learning Center visit their website at extension.umaine.edu/greenland-point/.

 

 

 

 

 

Public invited to attend the UMaine Extension Washington County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament March 7

University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H in Washington County will hold its annual public speaking tournament Saturday, March 7, beginning at 10 a.m., at the Washington County Community College, St. Croix Hall, 101 Lecture Hall in Calais. The event is free and open to the public. All 4-Hers are encouraged to attend to support their fellow 4-Hers. 

4-H youth will give presentations on topics including farm fresh eggs, how to build a snow fort, the Eiffel Tower and how to upload a YouTube video.  Best wishes to the presenters!

 

Zoom-In to Photography
Come join us for an introduction to photography! Learn about the basic functions and different settings on the camera, the importance of good lighting, and the basics of photo composition.  Bring your own DSLR camera or we will have some available. This will take place on Wednesday, April 22, at Porter Memorial Library in Machias from 10:30 a.m. to Noon.  Open to ages 9-13. Registration is required as space is limited.

 

Rescheduled – UMaine 4-H Unconference – not your average volunteer forum! – Help us spread the word about the UMaine 4-H Unconferences, which has been rescheduled for 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 25th in Ellsworth at the Ellsworth High School.

This is designed for 4-H volunteers, teen leaders and community partners to come together and talk about 4-H ideas that are important to them.

It is FREE – a light breakfast and full lunch are provided. Funds are available to help with travel costs. For more information and to register.

 

Paper Clover Campaign – April 29 – May 10 at Tractor Supply Co. in Calais – Each Spring and Fall, Tractor Supply helps raise money for 4-H programs with the Paper Clover campaign where customers donate $1 to 4-H at the register. The funds are used for scholarships for camps and leadership events.
You can contribute by:
1) Donating in the store
2) Donating online at checkout when you make a purchase
3) Participating in the store during the fundraiser with a display, helping to bag purchases, or answering questions about 4-H.
Contact us by phone, email, or Facebook to sign up to participate and for more details.

 

Scholarships Still Available for Summer Camps at Greenland Point

Don’t miss out on one of the two remaining $125-scholarships to the 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Greenland Point for the 2020 summer camp season!  The scholarships will be given on a first-come, first-served basis to Washington County 4-H members so contact the office today to reserve yours by calling 207.255.3345 or emailing tara.a.wood@maine.edu.  To find out more about the Greenland Point 4-H Camp and Learning Center, visit the website.

 

Attend 4-H@UMaine for free! 

Do you ever wonder what it’s like to spend a weekend on a college campus? Come check out what the University of Maine has to offer! By participating in 4-H@UMaine, you will: spend the night in a college dorm room, interact with UMaine students, staff, and faculty in cool workshops, eat at the student dining hall, and get active at the New Balance Student Recreation Center. Thanks to the generosity of the Harmon Foundation, as well as the funds raised during the Tractor Supply Company Paper Clover Campaign, we are able to sponsor a limited number Washington County middle and high school youth to attend 4-H@UMaine! The event is July 16-19, 2020. Contact the Extension Office if you are interested.

 

News from the State

  1. Come to Orono for the 2020 4H@UMaine, May 29 – 30, 2020
    Planning has started and the wheels are in motion thanks to the efforts of a tremendous team! We are always looking for individuals interested in helping with pre-event planning or attending the event itself! Stay tuned for details. For more information about 4-H@UMaine, contact Greg Kranich atkranich@maine.edu or 207.581.3292.
  2. 4-H@UMaine 2020 Teen Leader Team
    Teen Leaders support 4-H@UMaine by helping to plan the weekend, creating the event’s theme, supporting younger participants, and helping to create an engaging and welcoming environment for all attendees. All this while building leadership skills and having FUN!NEW! This year the required in-person training will be offered in two locations simultaneously. Teens will be able to attend at the Androscoggin/Sagadahoc (Lisbon Falls) or Penobscot/Piscataquis (Bangor) Cooperative Extension office. The two groups will video conference for portions of the training to help build a cohesive group while hopefully eliminating some transportation barriers.For more information and for this year’s application please visit https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/4humaine/teen-leaders/. Applications will be available on March 2nd and must be submitted by April 3rd.
  3. Save the Date for 2020 Maine 4-H Days
    Maine 4-H Days will take place July 16 – 19, 2020 at the Windsor Fairgrounds. If you are interested in helping to plan next year’s event, please contact Jessy Brainerd at brainerd@maine.edu or 207.581.3877.
  4. Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee
    July will be here before you know it, and we are looking for a few good volunteers to join the fantastic current Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee. Joining this committee gives you the chance to help come up with ideas and plans for one of our biggest statewide events! If you are interested in joining the Maine 4-H Days Planning Committee, or have general questions/comments/recommendations about the event, please email brainerd@maine.edu, or call 207.581.3877.
  5. UMaine 4-H Unconference – not your average volunteer forum!
    UMaine 4-H Unconference – a volunteer forum led by 4-H volunteers for 4-H volunteers.  UMaine 4-H Unconference will be an organized forum for 4-H volunteers, club leaders, afterschool providers, teachers, parents and teens leaders to gather.  UMaine 4-H Unconference is intentionally designed to have YOU teach and learn from each other. There is no agenda – you come with 4-H ideas and topics you want to talk about or learn more about, and we’ll guide the process to get folks into groups where YOU are the experts.  All experience levels are welcome and no one person has all the answers.  Door prizes will be given at the end of the day. Register online at: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/volunteers/unconference/.Join us for one or both of these awesome dates!  Registration begins at 8:30 and door prizes will be drawn by 3:00:

    • Ellsworth (Ellsworth High School 24 Lejok St. Ellsworth, ME), Saturday, April 25, 2020.
    • Lewiston (USM Lewiston Auburn Campus – 51 Westminster St. Lewiston, ME) Saturday, March 14, 2020
  6. What is Aquaculture Science Saturday
    Save the date for the first 4-H Science Saturday of 2020! On April 25, 2020, youth will have a chance to learn about Aquaculture at the Aquaculture Research Center at UMaine in Orono. This event will run from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, cost is $10.00, and lunch will be provided. Online registration will be available in early March at: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/science-saturday/.
  7. #EmpoweringMEandYou – Stress Less Online Workshop for Teens – 04/16/20, 6:00 – 7:00 PM
    The National 4-H Healthy Living Summit Team from Maine will be presenting their Stress Less lesson plan developed at the 2019 Summit and presented at the 2020 Summit. Any youth ages 13 – 18 are welcome and encouraged to attend. 4-H participation is not required! This hour-long lesson was designed by and for teens to educate others on the effects of stress and how they can combat and cope with stress in their daily lives, and the lives of others. Youth will start by identifying what the effects of stress are, and then have the opportunity to practice a variety of coping strategies that can help to reduce these effects on the body. Youth will also learn and practice how to reframe their own negative self-talk and redirect that of others as it relates to stress. If you are interested in attending this workshop please RSVP here by Monday, April 13, 2020 to receive a reminder email and the Zoom link. For questions or information on offering this to your county or club, please email or call Sara Conant, conant@maine.edu, 207-781-6099.
  8. Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl Contest Results
    On February 15th, the Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl contest was held in Augusta, Maine. 4-H members from all corners of Maine came to the state’s capital to test their dairy knowledge. Youth began the contest by taking a written dairy knowledge exam which was followed by a series of questions on the buzzers. Eleven youth competed in the Sr. division with the high score going to Ali L. of Cumberland County. The 2020 Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl team will be comprised of the top four individuals in the Sr. division: Ali L., Owen B., Mariah J., and Jillian S. with Hannah M. serving as an alternate. The team that will compete at Eastern States Exposition in September. In the Jr. division the high score went to Kat L. of Cumberland Count. Congratulations to all who participated!
  9. Maine Junior Solar Sprint: Season 26
    What’s it about?  Engineering, photovoltaics & collaborative learning.  Working in teams, middle school students design, build and race model vehicles that run (20 meters) with the sun. Cost? There is a free mentor workshop and (thanks to the Maine 4-H Foundation) a $150 materials stipend for mentors.  (There is a cost if you would like an organized qualifying race at your school.  Top teams go on to the State Finals on Saturday, June 6, site TBD.)I’m interested—what now? Contact the dude below.  He’ll start the wheels turning! Peter Zack, Sacopee Energy & Climate Activities, peter@secanews.org, 207.625.7833.
  10. First Ever Maine 4-H Teen Dance
    April 4, 2020 from 6:00 – 9:00 pm at the Old Town YMCA – join us for the first-ever Maine 4-H Teen Dance (organized by teen 4-Hers for YOU!). More information and online registration will be posted at: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/2020/02/28/first-ever-maine-4-h-teen-dance/.
  11. National 4-H Trips (Conference and Congress)
    National 4-H Trip Applications are due March 20th, 2020 (Conference and Congress). National 4-H Trips are excellent opportunities to meet 4-H members from across the nation. Participants learn about many career options, and learn through educational workshops at Congress or become a part of a team making recommendations to National 4-H Council at Conference. To learn more about these trips, visit: https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/national-trips/. For specific questions, please contact Heidi Palmer, State Activities Coordinator at: thuotte@maine.edu
  12. Camp Scholarships Available
    The Maine 4-H Foundation has camp scholarships ranging from $100-$200 available for 4-H members to any one week of 4-H camp. Try one of our University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Centers at Blueberry Cove, Bryant Pond, Greenland Point and Tanglewood. Call the camps to ask for a scholarship. Scholarships are based on need and first-come, first serve. https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/camps/
  13. National 4-H Dairy Conference
    The 66th National 4-H Dairy Conference will be held September 27 to September 30, 2020 in Madison, Wisconsin. It will be held in conjunction with World Dairy Expo and attendees will have the chance to visit Expo as part of the conference agenda. Additionally, the conference will offer opportunities to learn more about careers in agriculture, seminars on dairy topics, and a wealth of chances to interact with dairy 4-H members from across the country.More info about the conference can be found here (check back for updates as they happen): https://national4hdairyconference.org/2018/11/07/join-us-in-2019/The Maine 4H Animal Science Dairy Committee would love to try and send/support a team of motivated kiddos who are involved with the Dairy Goat, or Dairy Cattle Project Areas for this very unique and meaningful opportunity.The National 4H Dairy Conference requires that 4H team members: Have spent at least 3 years in those project areas, and be at least 15 years old but not yet older than 18 (4H age).We are also looking for potential VOLT Chaperones who might like to help organize and facilitate this trip.  If we have an idea of how many kids are interested we can plan our fundraising efforts accordingly. Interested parties can contact Tara marble at marble@maine.edu, or 207-778-4650 at the Franklin County Office.
  14. 4-H Dairy Team Dates
    The summer show season is fast approaching and it is time to start preparing for the 2020 Eastern States Exposition. Please save the dates below for Eastern States 4-H Dairy team tryouts and events. More information on the Eastern States Exposition 4-H dairy team and how to get involved in a 4-H dairy project can be found at https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/animal-science-resources/dairy/. Please contact Tara Marble at marble@maine.edu or Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu with any questions.Note: In order to be eligible for participation on the 2020 ESE 4-H Dairy Team youth must:

    • Be enrolled in a 4-H dairy project for at least one year
    • Be 12 years old or older by December 31st of the current 4-H year
    • Submit an ESE dairy team intent to participate form by Feb. 1, 2020
    • Participate in at least one state tryout event
    • Submit their animal approval form to their county office by May 1st (if they intend to bring an animal)
    • Participate in the Maine State 4-H Dairy show in July

Maine 4-H Dairy Team Dates:

  • Animal Approval and Lease Form Due Date (for ESE participants): 5/1/2020, in your local County Extension Office
  • 4-H Dairy Judging Team Tryouts: 5/02/2020, time and location TBD
  • Animal Approval and Lease Form Due Date (for non-ESE participants): 6/30/2020, in your local County Extension Office
  • Maine 4-H Dairy Show (including 4-H Grilled Cheese Contest and 4-H Dairy Fitting Contest): 7/18/2020 – 7/19/2020 at the Windsor Fairgrounds
  1. Citizenship Washington Focus
    Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF) Start making plans now to visit our Nation’s Capital during the week of June 27 to July 5, 2020. CWF is a leadership program conducted by the National 4-H Council for high school youth ages 14 to 18. Delegations of 4-Hers from across the country spend six days touring the city and attending leadership skill-building workshops. This summer, the Maine delegation will travel down on Saturday, June 27 and travel home Sunday, July 5, 2020. You will stay at the National 4-H Conference Center just outside Washington, DC. Visiting the most popular sites in Washington, DC will be a part of the trip, including spending the 4th of July in our nation’s capital. There is a mandatory orientation for Maine delegates on April 25th, 2020.  For more information visit https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/annual-events/citizenship-washington-focus/. Contact your county 4-H office for details about how to be a part of this experience if you don’t hear from them very shortly. All county offices have different criteria/dates to apply, so please contact them ASAP. For specific questions, please contact Heidi Palmer, State Activities Coordinator at: thuotte@maine.edu.