York County 4-H Clover Connection Feb 2023
Upcoming Dates!
February 21-23, 2023 Sewing and Textile Science Workshop, more info here: https://extension.umaine.edu/york/4-h/sewing-and-textile-science-workshop/
February 25, 2023 Maine Dairy ESE Intent Form Due
March 1, 2023 Maine 4-H Foundation Scholarship applications due to the Extension Office. Mailed applications must be postmarked by March 1st.
March 2023 CWF application deadline
March 11, 2023 York County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament and Open House
March 2023 National 4-H Conference trip to Washington, D.C.
April 1, 2023 Deadline for new member enrollments. Any youth not previously enrolled in 4-H has until April 1st to submit completed enrollment forms in order to participate in fairs and statewide events (not including National 4-H trips).
April 1, 2023 Independent members only: Progress report due to the Extension Office.
April 1, 2023 Eastern States Horse approval forms/lease forms due in county office.
April 2023 Maine State 4-H Public Speaking Tournament
May 1, 2023 “Intent to sell” Market Lamb forms due in the Extension office.
May 1, 2023 Animal Approval/Lease forms due in the Extension office for Eastern States Dairy and Working Steer. Always bring the York County 4-H embossed paper copies of your approval forms with you to the fair if you are showing animals.
Next Leaders Meeting
February 7, 2023 at 6:30 in the Downs Conference Room (via Zoom as well)
County News
The 2023 York County 4-H Public Speaking Tournament is coming soon! Start preparing for the March 11th tournament. More details and registration to come soon!
Kids Can Grow applications will open soon, for more information check out the Kids Can Grow Page here: https://extension.umaine.edu/york/kids-can-grow-in-york-county/
We would like to hear from your club to add a club news section to the newsletter. Please email elizabeth.belanger@maine.edu with your club news!
Nature Kids
Nature Kids doing a science lab in the supermarket and then volunteering at AWS.
Check out this page to see program and events happening in York County 4-H: https://extension.umaine.edu/york/4-h/programs-and-events/
Enrollment Information
Re-enrollments – Club volunteers and 4-H members/clover-buds who plan to continue participating in 4-H must complete re-enrollment on ZSuite by December 31st. Failure to submit completed re-enrollment forms to the County Office by 12/31 will result in members being barred from participating in fairs, state-wide competitions, and National 4-H trips (including CWF). Health forms are required in order to participate in any 4-H activities.
New Enrollments- Deadline for new member enrollments. Any youth not previously enrolled in 4-H has until April 1st to submit completed enrollment forms in order to participate in fairs and statewide events (not including National 4-H trips).
Activity: Plant a Plant Person!
Become a plant person by making a person out of plants!
https://4-h.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/4H-At-Home-USDA-Texas-Plant-A-Plant-Person-1.pdf
ALLERGEN-FREE BAKING RECIPES FOR KIDS
Just about everyone loves delicious baked goods, but some people are allergic to the standard gluten-based flours used in most recipes. These simple alternatives from Kristin Osika, the 2021 4-H Youth-in-Action Winner, leave out the gluten but pack all of the scrumptious taste. Plus, they’re easy and fun for kids—or anyone else—to make.
Check out these easy recipes to try with your club! https://4-h.org/about/4-h-at-home/allergen-free-baking/
Please let me know what you would like to see in our York County 4-H newsletter, elizabeth.belanger@maine.edu
State News
- Maine 4-H Equity Challenge for all Maine Youth
Are you a photographer? A performer? A writer? Then consider the 4-H Equity Challenge. The challenge is for youth ages 5-19 to create a digital photograph, a performance, a presentation, or a writing piece that tells why every Maine youth belongs in a welcoming and inclusive environment. There are prizes based on age. This challenge is open to any 4-H’er or partner organization in Maine.There are helpful guides and a rubric to help you understand what judges will look for in an entry. To submit an entry or to find out more information go to the Maine 4-H Equity Challenge webpage.To participate, submit your creation by February 24, 2023. - 4-H Algae SPIN Club
Maine 4-H will offer a short-term online 4-H club about algae and its impact on surrounding ecosystems. Intended for youth ages 12-15, the special interest, or SPIN, club will meet from 3:30-5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays from March 7-April 11. Required registration closes Feb. 10.The Algae SPIN Club will explore all things algae – why it’s important, how it can be used, harmful algae blooms and related community action. In this club, youth will have the opportunity to taste algae, create a seaweed lava lamp, and observe and analyze the growth of an algae sample at home.The 4-H Algae Series will introduce ecological knowledge and experiment skills by exploring algae in different ways each week while making connections with youth from around the state. UMaine Extension 4-H staff will lead the meetings and provide guidance for the algae growth experimentThe club is free; limited to 10 participants. Register by Feb. 10 on the event webpage to receive the link and at-home materials. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact 207.581.8206 or sparks@maine.edu. Additional information also is available on the Extension 4-H Virtual Learning webpage. - State Public Speaking Tournament – Save the Date!
Our state public speaking tournament will be held on April 8, 2023 at DP Corbett Hall on the University of Maine campus. Youth must qualify for this event by achieving a score of 78 or higher at their county or regional tournament. Check the website or with your county 4-H staff to find out when your county tournament will be held. - 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! - Androscoggin/Sagadahoc 4-H Monthly Workshops – Open to All Maine 4-Hers!
Come join the Androscoggin and Sagadahoc counties 4-H program at their monthly workshops – the Third Friday of every month (unless otherwise noted) from 6:00 – 7:30 pm at the Lisbon Extension Office at 24 Main Street. Anyone interested can contact Cathy Gray to find out more information.Currently Scheduled Topics:
– February 17, 2023 – Short Film Making
– March 10, 2023 – Spa & Relaxation Science
– April 21, 2023 – Movie Premier Night
– May 19, 2023 – Wool Spinning Workshop - 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! - Maine 4-H Ag Ambassador and Ag Symposium- Teens sign up now!
For teens that are 13-18 years old, we invite you to join us for our Ag Ambassador program this spring! This will be an opportunity to connect with other teens from around the state to explore and share your interests in the Maine food system, agriculture, climate change, environmental justice, and where all these interests collide. The spring 2023 cohort will meet from 3:30-5:00pm on Tuesday afternoons from March 7 to April 18 on zoom with an in-person celebratory luncheon in Orono for families on April 20. The luncheon will kick off our overnight Teen Ag Symposium at the UMaine Orono campus on April 20 and April 21. This will be a hands-on exploration of many aspects of the Maine food system and the research and education happening at the University.Additional details about the program can be found on the program website. To register, visit the event website. For more information or to request reasonable accommodation, contact Sadee Mehuren; 207.342.5971; 4hagleadership@maine.edu. - 4-H Page Day in Augusta – March 23, 2023 – Sign Up Now!
Date: March 23, 2023
Where: Augusta, Maine State Legislature & First Amendment Museum
Time: 8:30 am – 3:30 pm
Deadline: First come, first serve, March 3, 2023UMaine Day at the Legislature, Thursday, March 23, is approaching. It’s a day where Cooperative Extension gets to highlight our awesome programs, and 4-H is one of the best! It’s also a time for youth to get actively involved in their democracy, to see how and who makes decisions that impact our state, and to be involved in that process themselves. 4-Hers age 13 or older are encouraged to serve as Honorary Pages. The Maine 4-H program has up to 22 slots for Honorary Pages and registration is first come, first serve with a deadline of March 3.What does a page do? Legislators are constantly communicating and making decisions while in session and pages make that communication possible. Pages hand out information packets or place the paper information on their desks. Pages will also run communication and documents directly from legislator to legislator. It’s fast paced and pages will be moving around the chambers quite a bit, taking direction from the Clerks. We will meet at 8:30 for pictures and an orientation. Then at 9:00am we will divide our group with one going to the House and the other to the Senate where each group will receive their instructions. Session will begin by 10:00am and will likely conclude around 12:30pm, but the timing is never certain. Lunch will be on your own.NEW: First Amendment Museum- Supreme Court in Action! The Museum will host our group from 1:30-3:30pm with a free interactive learning series that places each of us into different roles within the U.S. Supreme Court. You will get real life court cases to argue for or against, to make a ruling, and to report on, to get an in depth look at what happens when free speech, the courts, and citizens come together. Democracy can be messy, so let’s dig in!If you are interested in serving as a page, please register via the online form. I f you have questions or would like to request an accommodation please do so by March 3 to Alisha Targonski at r.targonski@maine.edu. Thank you! - ESE Dairy Intent Forms
The 2023 Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States intent to participate form is available online at https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/dairy/. In order to be eligible for participation on the Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States Team this fall, 4-H members must submit their completed intent form online or to the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office before February 25, 2023. Please contact Sadee Mehuren at mehuren@maine.eduor 207.342.5971 with any questions. - 2023 Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl Contest
The Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl contest will be held on February 25th at the UMA Randall Student Center in Augusta, ME. The contest consists of a general knowledge exam, individual questions, and buzzer questions. The contest will serve as the official tryout for the Maine 4-H Dairy Quizbowl Team that will represent Maine 4-H at ESE this fall. The contest is open to all 4-H dairy project members ages 9-18, regardless of whether or not they wish to try out for the quizbowl team. Contestants will be divided into two age divisions, Jr.’s ages 9-11 and Sr.’s ages 12-18.For a complete set of rules for the contest, study materials, and directions to the venue please visit https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/dairy/. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation please contact Sadee Mehuren at mehuren@maine.edu. - ESE Sheep Team Intent Form
The 2023 Maine 4-H ESE Sheep Team intent to participate form is now available online at https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/sheep/. If you are interested in participating in the team, the form must be submitted to Sadee Mehuren at mehuren@maine.eduor mailed to the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office by April 1, 2023. At ESE the team, along with teams from other New England states, show their sheep and participate in a sheep blocking contest. Together the team prepares an educational display and participates and competes in knowledge contests against teams from other states.To be eligible you must have participated in a 4-H sheep project for at least one year and be at least 12 years old as of December 31, 2022.Please contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or 207.342.5971 for more information.