Happy Birthday!
- Simeon G. 3/8
- Courtney H. 3/14
- Hannah L. 3/22
- Hannah M. 3/22
- Sarah B. 3/23
- Emma L. 3/24
- Larsson L. 3/29
Dates to Remember
- March 15 – National Trip Applications Due (Packets must be postmarked by March 15) Applications are available online
- March 16 – Robotics Expos – Machias
Tentatively scheduled for October 19th in southern Maine - April 19 – 1st Annual 4-H Fun Day! 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Join us for an afternoon full of fun! Put on by YOUR teen leaders
Registration information to be sent out soon!
Activity Corner
Want to learn more about electricity? Build a flashlight with materials you probably have around the house! All you need is this simple guide, tinfoil, a battery and a light bulb. Follow this link to get started!
Androscoggin-Sagadahoc Counties 4-H is looking for folks to serve on the Topsham Fair Committee. This group will be in charge of coordinating activities and outreach during the Topsham Fair. Meetings will take place every other month. If you are interested, please email Kristy Ouellette or call 207-353-5550.
State 4-H News
Celebrating 100 Years of 4-H in Maine
A Message from Lisa Phelps, 4-H Program Administrator
Did you know the first 4-H club in Maine was started in 1913, and it was a Potato Club in Scarborough, Maine? Yes, indeed, it’s true! In 2013, 4-H is celebrating 100 years in Maine. I hope you will join me in celebrating the 100th birthday of 4-H in Maine and look for ways you can celebrate locally and statewide. We have a lot to be proud of about our 4-H program in Maine! Since the beginning, the youth development program of University of Maine Cooperative Extension has emphasized the importance of building the life skills needed to be successful adults.
We would not have had the strong program we have had for the past 100 years if it were not for the extremely dedicated volunteers and staff. On behalf of the thousands of youth all of you have impacted over the years, thank you for all you have done.
Please check out our special Celebrating 100 Years website! I would, also, encourage all of you to consider giving financially to the 4-H Foundation as we work to raise $100,000 in 2013 to support the 4-H program.
Happy 100 years Maine 4-H, and here’s to many more!
State 4-H Dairy Program Dates
Please hold the following dates for participation in the State 4-H Dairy Programs:
- Dairy judging – April 13, Saturday, time and location tba. Open to all 4-H Dairy project members
- Intent to Participate Form due May 1, 2013 for 4-H Dairy Team to Eastern States
- Fitting Competition – July 20, 5:00 p.m. at the Windsor Fairgrounds
- Maine State 4-H Dairy Show – July 21, 9:00 a.m. at the Windsor Fairgrounds. The new dairy packet will be posted in March.
Forms will be posted soon on the 4-H Dairy website.
Maine ESE Horse Tryouts
This year ESE Horse tryouts will take place on July 12 – 14 at Skowhegan Fairgrounds. Reminder that riders and drivers must be 14 years old as of December 31, 2012. Information and tryout forms are posted to the 4-H website with Animal Science Resources. If you have questions about ESE tryouts, please contact Tina Hogan, ESE Horse Committee Coordinator, or Kristy Ouellette, Extension Educator, or call 207.353.5550.
4-H Regional Public Speaking Tournament – for Hancock, Knox, Lincoln, Somerset, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo and Washington Counties
The 4-H Regional Public Speaking Tournament will be held Saturday, March 23, 2013 at the University of Maine at Orono in the Bangor Room. 4-H members ages 9 -18 who have participated in their county 4-H public speaking tournament are invited to participate. For youth in counties which do not hold public speaking tournaments, arrangements may be made through their county’s Extension office to either participate in a neighboring county’s tournament or present in another format to be eligible. To register 4-H members, County offices should contact Joyce Fortier in the Hancock County Extension Office no later than March 13th or call 207-667-8212. More information on 4-H public speaking, including guidelines and judging sheets, is available on the website or contact Lisa Reilich, or call 207-598-6621.
Eastern States Exposition, New England Center Program
Calling all 4-H youth, ages 11 and up, along with volunteers who have an interest in showcasing the many interests and talents of Maine 4-H… we want you! Join the group of dedicated performers and demonstrators as we share our love for 4-H with the fair-goers at The Big E in West Springfield, MA, the 3rd weekend in September. It’s an experience you won’t forget.
Maine 4-H participates with displays and demonstrations in the New England Center, which also houses creative arts competitions, and daily stage performances. Working in teams of two, youth demonstrate 4-H projects which will be focused on Robotics and Engineering. Youth also have the opportunity to participate in stage performances. All projects and demonstrations will focus on a science theme. Please contact the Oxford County UMaine Extension office or call us at 743-6329 or 800-287-1482 (in Maine) for specific details and the team application. Space is limited, and will be filled on a first-come, first served basis. Students stay in the dorm, and meals and transportation are provided.
2013 Morris Scholarship for Eastern States Participants
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. Find information on how to apply online.
4-H @ UMaine: Connecting Kids to Campus
If you know youth between the ages of 12 – 18, make sure they save the date! 4-H @ UMaine will take place May 17 – 18, 2013, on the University of Maine Orono campus. Details will be available online soon.
Apply Now for National Trips
National 4-H Trips are excellent opportunities to meet 4-H members from across the nation while learning about career options, experiencing educational workshops at Congress or joining a team making recommendations to National 4-H Council at Conference. Maine 4-H youth, ages 14 – 18, are eligible to apply. Application packets must be sent to your county office and postmarked by March 15, 2013. Find out more about these trips on the website. If you have any questions, please contact Heidi Thuotte or call 207-324-2814 or 1-800-287-1535 (in Maine).
Beef Heifer Project
The New England Galloway Group is announcing their annual Heifer Project, which places a Belted Galloway heifer calf with a deserving youth recipient to allow for a hands-on education in cattle rearing and showmanship and to develop a love of the breed. The youth selected is expected to return the first heifer calf back to the program so it will continue each year. If you are interested in applying for this program, download the application here. The deadline to apply is December 31, 2013.
So You Want to Farm in Maine?
UMaine Extension in Piscataquis County is sponsoring a free, web-based course for farmers thinking about starting a new farm enterprise. The purpose of this course is to equip participants with the business knowledge and skills to start, adapt, and maintain, or expand into, a profitable land-based business.
This multi-session course will be offered on Thursday evenings in March and April in webinar format. The webinars are free but pre-registration is required. If you are unable to attend the live session of the webinar, the archived session will be available soon after. It is recommended that you have a high-speed, reliable Internet connection. Find more information and register online, or call 207-564-3301.
ESE Dairy Goat Intent to Participate – Maine Eastern States Dairy Goat Team
The Dairy Goat Animal Science Committee wants to invite youth ages 12-18 as of December 31, 2012, and in their second or higher year of the Dairy Goat 4-H project, to tryout for the Maine ESE Dairy Goat team. Youth interested in this opportunity must submit an Intent to Participate by April 15, 2013. No late forms will be accepted. The Intent form is available online.
Submitting an intent form does not guarantee a position on the team and does not commit a youth to participating. If you have questions about the process please contact Tami Hussey or call 207-282-3201.
2013 Maine 4-H Days
Maine 4-H Days will take place July 18 – 21 at the Windsor Fairgrounds, and the State Dairy Show will be on the July 20 – 21. If you are interested in helping to plan next year’s event, please contact Jessy Brainerd or call 207-581-3877.
Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF)
Start making plans now to visit our Nation’s Capitol during the week of June 29 – July 6, 2013. CWF is a leadership program conducted by the National 4-H Council for high school youth ages 15 – 18. Delegations of 4-Hers from across the country spend six days touring the city and attending leadership skill-building workshops. You will stay at the National 4-H Conference Center just outside Washington, DC. Visiting the most popular sites in Washington will be a part of the trip, including spending the 4th of July in our nation’s capitol. There is a mandatory orientation for Maine delegates on April 27. More information is available online, or contact your county 4-H office for details about how to be a part of this experience.
4-H Farm-to-Fair Key Volunteers Needed
Did you get to visit the 4-H Farm-to-Fair interactive exhibit at the 2012 Union Fair? The Knox-Lincoln 4-H Leaders’ Association reports that the response from the public was resoundingly positive! Local families and folks visiting the area from other states (and countries) praised the exhibit for being fun and informative, a great way to teach kids about how the food they eat and products they use are produced.
In order to continue the success of this exhibit at Union Fair, two key volunteer roles will need to be filled as soon as possible. A Volunteer Coordinator is needed to seek out and organize the schedule of volunteers operating the exhibit for the 8 days that the fair is open (August 17-24, 2013). The person, or team of two, needs to commit to being available for all of these days. If there is a team of two, the times can be shared.
A Farm Store Coordinator, who will coordinate the products that kids will choose from to take home after they have been through the exhibit, is also needed. This person will be responsible for procuring enough donations of locally-produced items to fill the store shelves every day the exhibit is open. This will be done prior to fair week, so an on-site presence will not be required during the fair.
If you can help or want to learn more, contact Cindy Rogers, 4-H Program Aide, Knox and Lincoln Counties, or call 207-832-0343.
Save the Date!
- May 10th – Regional 4-H Volunteer Recognition – Celebrating 100 Years of 4-H – Poland Spring Inn
- May 11 – Leader’s Association Fundraiser – Compost Sale. All Clubs are expected to participate.
- May 17-18 – 4-H @ UMaine: Connecting Kids to Campus
- July 12, 13 & 14 – Maine ESE Horse Tryouts
- July 18-21, 2013 – Maine 4-H Days (date change)
- July 20-21, 2013 – State Dairy Show