Thousands of Maine children involved in farming, 4-H, Sun Journal reports
The Sun Journal published an article about how thousands of Maine children are interested in farming and are involved with University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H. Last year, Maine had 19,230 4-H participants, with about one in three coming from Oxford County, according to the article. Although the statewide figure is slowly on the decline, the article states. “Our big area where there’s been a lot of growth in the [past] five to 10 years is in the STEM [science, technology engineering and mathematics] programs. Kids actively doing an animal component, that’s decreased,” said Jessica Brainerd, administrative assistant for the 4-H program at UMaine. “It makes sense. We’re moving toward a more urban society.”