Cooperative Extension in York County

York County 4-H Clover Connection May 2023

County News: 

Saturday May 6th support the 4-Her’s that participated in the Fashion Revue at the Nasson Little Theater  (457 Main Street, Springvale) beginning at 10am.

Upcoming Program:

Rocks and Fossil with York County 4-H

Wednesday, May 17th from 3:45-4:45 PM  Amphitheater Kennebunk Free Library112 Main St., Kennebunk, ME, 04043 ; Hank’s Room Kennebunk Free Library112 Main St., Kennebunk, ME, 04043

Upcoming Dates: 

May 6, 2023 York County 4-H Fashion Revue

May 15, 2023 Betty Syvinsky scholarship application due in York County office (Word)

June 30, 2023 Animal Approval/Lease forms are due in the Extension office for Beef, Dairy, Dog, Goat, and Sheep. Always bring the York County 4-H embossed paper copies of your approval forms with you to the fair if you are showing animals. No Approval form is needed for rabbits/cavies and chickens.

June 2023 Entry forms are due to Ossipee Valley Fair.  Be sure to get a camping spot if needed(Due June 25). Check fair website for specific dates.  Bring certified embossed approval forms with you if showing animals.

June 24-30, 2023 Citizenship Washington Focus trip.

July 1, 2023 Independent members only: Progress report due to the Extension Office.

July 6-9 2023 Ossipee Valley Fair in South Hiram.

August 1, 2023 Livestock entry forms for Acton Fair due (see Premium book for where to send)

August 24-27 2023 Acton Fair

Sept 15-Oct 1, 2023 Eastern States “The Big E” Fair.

Oct 1-Oct 8, 2023 Fryeburg Fair

Club News: 

Kidding Around

Kidding Around Has been busy! January they carded and dyed sheep’s wool, February they made slime and felted cat toys, March they made mealworm farms!

Nature Kids

“Nature Kids voted on helping various animal shelters this year. The kids have sewn cat mats, tied snuffle mats and will be making guinea pig sleeping bags. We are also starting a business selling dog bones and animal themed reusable bags to raise money to do more good things. Dog bones are made, frozen and ready for packaging.  Totes are stitched awaiting handles. Next meeting we’ll decide on pricing and tagging.”- Jackie Lipsky the Leader of Nature Kids

York County Shepherds

York County Shepherds will be having a Bake sale May 7th 10-2pm at the Tractor Supply in Sanford.

NEW CLUB!! Dark Horse Ranch Club

Dark Horse ranch club meeting dates are May 13 and June 10 from 10a-11/12 ish

Have you ever tried a fiddlehead? Check out UMaine Cooperative Extensions Fiddleheads and Food Safety!  

State News:

• New Project Records are HERE!
  Co-designed with Maine 4-H volunteers, youth and staff; these project records have been designed to best serve the needs of Maine youth. Please visit our newly designed project record website https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/volunteers/project-records/. Project records are requiredfor all Maine 4-H Youth. Stay tuned for upcoming trainings. Please contact your county 4-H staff with questions.Did you know you can complete your project record through ZSuite? There are simple instructions for getting started on the ZSuite User Help page.  You can work on your project record through the year – and even upload photos directly from your phone!
• Maine 4-H Youth Council Annual Conference – May 13 – 14, 2023
  Register Now! May 13-14, Maine 4-H Youth Council Annual Conference. An annual conference for youth ages 15-22. This year’s event will be held at the Windsor Fairgrounds. Register Online by May 10^th. To register, see the workshops. schedule, or packing list – visit the web page. Individuals with questions should reach out to Kristy Ouellette at ouellette@maine.edu.
• 4-H Adulting 101 SPIN Club
  The “4-H Adulting 101 Series” will introduce basic adult life skills by exploring a different topic each week including personal values; building healthy relationships; buying and caring for a car; youth entrepreneurship; mindfulness and stress management; and a topic chosen by the participants. UMaine Extension 4-H staff and guest speakers will lead the discussions.The club is free; limited to 20 participants. Register by June 10 on the event webpage to receive the Zoom link and introductory email. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact 207.324.2814; erin.mcdonald1@maine.edu. Additional information also is available on the Extension 4-H Virtual Learning webpage.

• 4-H Tick Project
  Registration is now open for the 4-H Tick Project, a community science project where youth collect, identify, and learn about ticks – while also contributing to real research about ticks in Maine! Sign up to receive tick collection materials, access to youth activities, educational resources, and UMaine Extension Tick Lab testing services. This is a great project for 4-H clubs, SPIN clubs, homeschool groups, and more. For more information and to register, visit the 4-H Tick Project webpage.
• Help Project ITCH to Better Understand Tick Control
  The New England Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (NEWVEC) is seeking your help in better understanding residential tick control. NEWVEC began as a partnership of university research teams from each of the six New England states joining with state and local health departments and agricultural extension programs to discover, evaluate, and promote practices that reduce the burden of tick- and mosquito-borne disease.NEWVEC’s inaugural undertaking is Project ITCH, our acronym for “Is Tick Control Helping.”  Project ITCH will be carried out in two phases starting Spring 2023. In Phase 1 – NEWVEC is asking for your participation to tell us about what you are doing at your home to reduce the incidence of ticks and tick bites. In Phase 2 – NEWVEC will gather the information you share and through a lottery process select residential properties to participate in a research study to test what’s working.It all starts with you taking a few moments to answer a few survey questions.  To complete the survey, please visit the web page at NEWVEC.org/itch.  Participants in this survey will be eligible for consideration for Phase 2 enrollment in the future.  To learn more about NEWVEC and Project ITCH, bookmark the web page and/or sign-up to receive updates on NEWVEC projects.
• 2023 4-H Volunteer Training Opportunities
  As we get ready for the new 4-H year, we are looking forward to offering a variety of learning experiences (both in person and virtual) for our 4-H volunteers. Sessions are free of charge, but require registration. Some sessions have limited space. Visit the 4-H Volunteer Calendar of Training Opportunities to learn more and register!
• Save the Date for 4-H Dairy Judging and State Show!
  The Maine 4-H Dairy Judging Contest will take place on May 6th, 2023 at Hardy Farm in Farmington, ME and Silver Valley Farm in New Sharon, ME. The contest is open to all enrolled dairy members and will serve as the official tryouts for the Maine 4-H Dairy Judging Team.The Maine State 4-H Dairy Show will take place on July 22nd and 23rd at the Windsor Fairgrounds in Windsor, ME in conjunction with Maine 4-H Days. The contest is open to all 4-H members who want to participate and will include educational workshops, a fitting contest, a grilled cheese contest, and more!For more information on upcoming 4-H dairy events visit umaine.edu/4h/dairy or contact sadee.mehuren@maine.edu; 207.342.5971
• Maine 4-H Days: Save the Date! July 21 – 22, 2023
  We’re back for fun times, workshops, overnight camping and more at the Windsor Fairgrounds in Kennebec County! More information to come, so save the dates!