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4-H Photo Gallery

The Waldo County 4-H website features a 4-H photo gallery. 4-H Volunteers and members are encouraged to submit fun 4-H pictures for our web 4-H photo gallery.

Here's what you will need to do:

• Select only the highest quality of photos

• Submit photos to ahanser@umext.maine.edu

• Limit two photos per email

Provide the following information:

• Caption (name of 4-H activity or event)

• Identify ALL people in each photo

• List who the photographer was

Obtain, if necessary, photo release forms for ALL the people in each photo. Note: Enrolled 4-H Volunteers will be supplied with a list of members with Current Waldo County 4-H Photo Releases. First and last names will only appear on this list - no towns and mailing addresses.

• If an individual's name does appear on the list, you need to do nothing except list the name(s).

• If an individual's name does not appear on this list and you want to use a photo that includes him or her, in addition to listing who is in the picture you must do the following.

• If the person is a YOUTH, you must get a photo release form signed by a parent or legal guardian.

• If the person is an adult, you must obtain that adult’s signature on a photo release.

• Attach a copy of the photo to the photo releases and either mail or drop signed photo releases at the Extension office. If the photo is digital, please still send it electronically.

 

Welcome to 4-H

Newly certified 4-H Volunteer, Jennifer Turnbull, wants to help children develop positive skills and become contributing members of society. Jennifer shares “4-H can provide a positive difference in a child’s life and I want to help create a strong 4-H program where my children can have a good experience. Being around kids helps me grow myself. Kids help me remember the simple things (the smile of picking up a leaf) that some adults tend to lose in the daily stuff they have to do.” Jennifer is interested in getting her daughter involved in the Cloverbud 4-H program and is also exploring other UMaine Cooperative Extension volunteer opportunities where she can share her knowledge of computers, music, theater, children, sign language and other hobbies too.

Welcome to 4-H Jennifer!  

4-H Forms

If you need additional Maine 4-H Cloverbud Activities Records (5-8 year olds) and Maine 4-H Record Sheets (9-19 year olds) please call the extension office 1-800-287-1426 to request the number of copies you need.  Forms can either be mailed or picked up.  If you want to pick them up, please call before coming in so that the quantity you need will be available and ready for you when you arrive.

Forms can also be downloaded from: http://www.umext.maine.edu/4h/youth/forms.htm#4

 

Child and Parent Day

On April 5th the Ambrose Family 4-H group participated as activity volunteers at the annual Parent/Child Day at the Belfast YMCA. Planting seeds is always popular and suitably hands-on for all age groups. This being the case we provided peat pots or cups, soil, and seeds for planting a variety of flowers and vegetables. As a stand by we also had balloons and sand for "stress balls" that have been a big hit in the past.

Planting the seeds requires a wide range of fine and gross motor control skills depending on the age. It is always interesting to observe how different parents participate with their children. Some are very involved in the planting process verbally; some are impatient and dive right in themselves to "show" how it's done. Others watch their children, encouraging, but not actually "getting their hands dirty".

We stayed fairly busy for the first couple of hours and then crowds thinned enough that we are able to answer questions more fully and to give specific instruction. The day is certainly easier with our family chipping in together to set-up, man the activity table and clean-up.

I would encourage any 4-H family or club to try joining in the fun for the day next year. The children are inquisitive and bright so the atmosphere is enjoyable and there is always time for your own children to try out the other booths.

Submitted by Anne Ambrose

 

Farm to School Conference

March 28^th was a slushy, slippery day to head down Route 1 but that’s just what I did with Joyce Weaver to participate in a Farm to School Conference workshop being held at the Chewonki Foundation site in Wiscasset. The conference was organized by the Focus on Agriculture in Rural Maine Schools group out of Wiscasset. The general topic was the methods necessary to get locally produced food into the school systems, stay within budget constraints, and connect the curriculum to the children who will undoubtedly benefit from this. Due to Joyce’s extremely competent driving, we arrived safely in time to have a morning snack of local foods and to get situated for the opening statements.

The guest speaker was Dana Hudson of Vermont. She proved her devotion to connecting farms, food and education by coming in tow with her husband and seven week old son. Her stories of personal experience and seeing a need and filling it were and are a great accomplishment.

Following Dana Hudson’s opening, we split off into our workshop groups where I was intrigued by the line-up of speakers who are dedicated to implementing and sustaining the project of getting local food into the school systems of Maine. My topic of choice had been "Sustainable Funding and Policy for Successful Farm to School Programs.” I chose this because it is my weakest area. I was very pleased with the information we received. I suspect we could have easily filled another couple of hours with questions and answers. Food from farm to school is already happening in many areas and on the idea of the green belt-ways being connected between parks and conservation lands I hope to someday see the farmers linking communities together.

Following a fabulous lunch, again, from locally grown products, we were presented with several other guest speakers. First, the pair of teachers from Troy Howard Middle School, Steve Tanguay and Jon Thurston, entertained us with a wonderful slide show and commentary that explained their garden project that is going strong. They are always adding to their curriculum and expanding on the garden site. It was a personal delight for me being from the SAD 34 area and having had one daughter involved in the garden and a son on his way in another year.

Anthony Geraci gave an educational and humorous talk. He was a cross between a sales rep and an evangelist and obviously loves his job where he combines many talents and interests into a community wide program that shouts success. He is one of those speakers that makes you want to go out and get going.

I had a wonderful day in the best of company and learned a lot. Not the least rewarding aspect of the day was that this farm to school idea is surging ahead which can only be a good thing for farmers. Their impact on a community even on a city-sized one has a major ripple effect. So much is lost with the loss of one small farm. It would make me happy indeed to see that reversed by building a market, putting taxpayer’s money back into our local areas, and teaching our children the fruits of their labor are delicious as well as healthy.

Submitted by Anne Ambrose

(Note: Anne is a certified 4-H Volunteer here in Waldo County who has been working with grade school students on a small garden project. Anne used her 4-H Professional Development money for the Farm to School Conference.)

 

Natalie Marceau is 2008 4-H Post Secondary Scholarship Recipient

A hearty congratulations to Natalie Marceau, who has been chosen as a winner of a 4-H Post Secondary Scholarship in the amount of $1000.00 awarded by the Pine Tree State 4-H Foundation. The award is given by the Foundation to first year students who have participated in 4-H and demonstrated outstanding leadership, character and commitment to 4-H. Natalie will receive her award at the Annual Meeting of the Pine Tree State 4-H Foundation to be held at the Buchanan Alumni House on the Orono Campus May 21, 2008.  Natalie is the daughter of David and Dianne Marceau of Searsmont and has been active with Over the Hill Farm 4-H Dairy Club for the past 8 years. Natalie will be attending the University of Maine in the fall with a major in biology.

Graduating 4-H Seniors

As a senior you realize your life is all about choices.  It is all up to you to choose your path through life. I have chosen to plant my roots at the University of Maine in Orono with a major in biology.  I am interested in the anatomy of the human body and have a desire to do crime scene investigative work.

Throughout your pre-college years you learn a variety of skills that you do not even realize matter until you are asked to demonstrate and describe them through applications for colleges and scholarships.  I have been lucky to be accepted in the biology program at U Maine Orono and to have already been chosen as a winner of a 4-H Post Secondary Scholarship from the Pine Tree State 4-H Foundation. I am grateful for these awards and I will continue to work hard to put them to use at a college level.

 I have been a member of 4-H for eight years and have loved every minute of it, yes, even the long drawn out hours of working on project record sheets.  Without the leadership, self-discipline and community services skills I learned in 4-H, I would not be where I am today.

 As a senior at Belfast Area High school I am a member of the National Honor Society and Peer Leadership, as well as a cross country and track runner.  In 4-H every summer I show Ayrshire, Guernsey, or Jersey heifers at local county fairs, usually, Monmouth, Union, and Blue Hill.  I attend Eastern States in 2004, the Citizen Washington Focus trip in 2006 and the National 4-H Conference trip in 2008, trips I would highly recommend to any 4-Her eligible.

 I have learned that 4-H provides amazing opportunities to youth and I am honored to have been a youth 4-H member who has taken advantage of these opportunities.

Submitted by Natalie Marceau

 

4-H Honorary Page Program

This year, Waldo County Extension Educator, Jane Haskell, coordinated the 4-H Honorary Page program with assistance from Sonia Antunes, Administrative Assistant.  Information about the program was located in a Web document housed on the Waldo County 4-H Web site.  Twenty-five youth from 25 different voting districts represented 4-H in Augusta on March 27^th.  Colleen Schofield, from Little Beavers 4-H Club, represented Waldo County in style as a 4-H Honorary Page in the Senate.  She was accompanied by 4-H volunteer, Marilyn Schofield.

 When the Maine House of Representatives or Senate is convened, the Honorary Page program gives students an opportunity to participate in the Maine governmental process and to interact with Legislators. Pages hand out information to Representatives or Senators or place the paper information on their desks. They also hand phone and other messages to Representatives and Senators on the floor.

 

Family Fun

Visit Waldo County Farms http://www.getrealmaine.com/visit/tours/Waldo.html

• Tour
• Activities
• Fresh Produce
• Open Farm Day, Sunday, July 20^th

 Waldo County Farmers Markets http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php

  

State and National News

Approval Form for 4-H Animal Shows

DEADLINE-All Animals: June 30 Unless an earlier date is designated by a fair premium book or participating in ESE.

 

2008 Save A Brain, Wear A Helmet Campaigns

The Brain Injury Association of Maine is kicking off two major helmet events in the Spring of 2008. These events will allow children to be properly fit with a brand new, free helmet and provide parents with information on the State of Maine helmet law, bicycle safety and brain injury prevention.

‘Planting the Seeds for Safety’ Helmet campaign will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2008 at the following Nurseries/Greenhouses:

Longfellow’s Greenhouse

2090 Puddledock Road

Manchester, Maine 04351

 

Sprague’s Nursery & Garden Center

1664 Union Street

Bangor, Maine 04401

For more information on either campaign, please contact Kristie LeBlanc at the Brain Injury Association of Maine at (207) 861-9900 or via e-mail at: kleblanc@biame.org

4-H Volunteer (VOLT) Training Corner

On the following Saturdays in 2008: July 12 and October 11 VOLT training will be held in Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties. Select one of those dates to attend from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. Please bring your lunch, completed application forms, and a $5.00 fee for the notebook and materials. No one will be turned away for lack of money. Location will usually be in Bangor at the Penobscot County Cooperative Extension office, 307 Maine Ave, but we may hold one in Piscataquis County in Dover if we have enough requests. So, register ahead of time by calling 942-7396 and speaking with Stacy (Barb, or Theresa).
 

Maine 4-H Days

Maine 4-H Days at Windsor Fairgrounds will be June 27, 28, and 29. It will be a weekend full of personal enrichment workshops as well as livestock events. The Craft Extravaganza will be full of different choices like silk batiks, kite making, Mexican tin work, and making cork fishing lures. There will also be woodworking, mask making and making a friendship bracelet. See the incredible demonstrations at the Physics Road Show again this year as well as a Fishing Derby which is new this year. Check out the Dog Camp as well as all the fun goat activities. There will be a horse show as well as lots of horse events. The Earth Connections track will show you about composting, tree identification and the water cycle. The Youth in Governance track will help you to take a community service idea and put it into action. Camping is encouraged and entire families are welcome. The registration brochure will be mailed out soon.

Dog Camp at Maine 4-H Days

Dog Camp will begin on Friday June 27 and continue through the 28 and 29 at the Windsor Fairgrounds. Dog Camp is open to Maine 4-H participants of all ages and experience levels. This year our breed group focus will be on the Toy Group and as always the major focus will be on having fun with our dogs.

Planning is still in progress but we have some exciting events underway. This year there will be a presentation about behavior counseling through the use of Bach Flower remedies and we will be having a presentation from a Chihuahua Rescue.  We will also have Showmanship and Obedience workshops for multiple experience levels. Back by popular demand this year are Agility workshops, a pizza party, and Quiz Bowl. Dog camp is always a fun and informative experience for everyone and we hope to see you there!

2008 Northeast Regional Volunteer Forum

The 2008 Northeast Regional Volunteer Forum will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, New Hampshire from October 23-26, 2008.   For more details, a promotional flyer is available on our website at: http://extension.unh.edu/4H/4HVol/08NEVF.htm.  The full registration brochure will be available in May.

Stay Tuned! We look forward to seeing you in the fall!
 

National Horse Team Tryouts

Hippology, Horse Judging, Quiz Bowl, and Communications
The National Horse Teams travel to the Eastern National Horse Roundup in Louisville, KY each year to compete. These are the four teams that participate and each team has four members.  

•        Hippology            Horse knowledge, horse judging, team problems

•        Horse Judging   Place classes based on conformation and give oral reasons defending your placings

•        Quiz Bowl             A fast-paced question and answer team

•        Communications  Public speaking, demonstrations or illustrated talks (Entries for Communications Team send a video of their presentation to Kate Slattery postmarked by May 30)

Tryouts for these teams will be held on Tuesday, May 20 6:00 to 8:00 pm via video conference. There will be a short study session before the tryouts. 4-H’ers must be 14 years of age as of January 1, 2008 to try out.

Locations for the video conference Tryouts are:

·         Cape Elizabeth High School

·         Houlton High

·         Gardiner High

·         Mt. Blue High, Farmington

·         Nokomis High, Newport

·         Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, South Paris

·         Presque Isle High School

·         Searsport District High School

Pre-registration for Tryouts is encouraged. You can find the pre-registration form and more information on the 4-H website at www.umext.maine.edu/4h/resources/horse.htm or contact Kate Slattery at slatterk@sad44.org   836-3217 for more information. Junior teams will be starting this year.

 

Horse Vaccination Requirement

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension will require certain vaccinations for horses who participate in 4-H events during the 2008 season:

4-Hers attending 4-H horse events in 2008 must provide proof of current, annual vaccination for rabies as well as a current Coggins test done by a veterinarian. EVH-1 and Equine Influenza are also required.  Horse owners may, however, administer their own EVH-1 and Equine Influenza inoculations and a sales receipt will be sufficient evidence for proof of vaccination.” EVH-1 and Equine Influenza are considered effective for six months. Plan the timing of your inoculations with your last event in mind.

If you have any questions about this requirement, please contact your county Extension office or you can call the State 4-H Office at 1-800-287-0274.

 

Horse Tryouts for Eastern States

 

The Eastern States tryouts for the horse team will be held June 20, 21, and 22, 2008 at the Skowhegan Fairgrounds. Maine 4-Hers who are trying out must have their packet postmarked by May 10, 2008 and sent to:

 

Knox/Lincoln Cooperative Extension
377 Manktown Road
Waldoboro, ME 04572

 

You can find the packet at www.umext.maine.edu/4h/resources/horse.htm.  Members who cannot access the packet on the website can contact their county Cooperative Extension Office for a packet.

 

Market Lambs for Windsor and Fryeburg Fairs

You are no longer required to send an Intent to Participate Form for Market Lambs being shown at Windsor and Fryeburg Fairs; however, if you are planning to show at these fairs, you still need an Approval Form and to have your lambs tagged. There are four lamb tagging sites this year and bringing your lamb to one of them for tagging will constitute your intent to participate. When your animal is tagged, you will be given an Approval Form that must be signed and embossed by your county educator or professional. The deadline is June 30.

Tagging Sites:
May 17           NE Livestock Expo, Windsor Fairgrounds, tagging will start after the sale in sheep barn.
June 07           Franklin County 4-H June Jamboree, Farmington Fairgrounds, 9 to 10 am
June 07           Cumberland County 4-H June Jamboree, Cumberland Fairgrounds, 12noon
June 21           Oxford County 4-H June Sheep Jamboree, Oxford Fairgrounds 9:00 to 11 am

 

2008 Summer GIS Camps – this Year in Northern and Western Maine

Northern Maine 4-H GIS Camp @ Greenland Pont Center in Princeton, ME, July 20-23
Western Maine 4-H GIS Camp @ Bryant Pond Conservation Center July 6-8
Ages 12-15

Program aides ages 16-18 – see below

Maine 4-H and the 4-H Science, Engineering, and Technology Program Team are excited to announce that there will be two GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Community Mapping Camps this summer.  These camps provide hands-on experience with GPS (Global Positioning System) data collection and GIS mapping software for campers ages 12-15.  Participants will use their new skills to do a community service mapping project for the camp site.  In addition, campers will be able to participate in many of the conservation activities offered such as swimming and boating, games, and campfires.

The Northern Maine 4-H GIS Camp will be held at the Greenland Pont Center in Princeton, Maine, July 20-23.  Campers will be mapping new recreational and interpretative trails and having an opportunity to work with forestry and wildlife professionals.  Cost of the camp is $75.00.  There will be a conservation camp running at the same time so campers will also get to take part in some of those activities.  GIS campers have also been invited to remain at the Greenland Point Center conservation camp for the rest of the week for an additional $100.  For more information on this camp, call Christy Fitzpatrick at the Houlton Extension office at 532-6548 or 1-800-287-1469 or email her at cfitz@umext.maine.edu.  The registration form will be posted on the Aroostook County 4-H website in early April and can also be mailed to you by calling to Houlton Office.

The western Maine 4-H GIS Camp will be held at the Bryant Pond Conservation Center July 6-8.  Information about the program and costs will be available soon. For more information about this camp, contact Susan Jennings at the Oxford County.

Important news for 16-18 year olds with GPS/GIS experience - both camps are looking for up to four program aides to help with the GPS and GIS work and other camp chores.  If you would like to apply to be a program aide, please contact either Christy or Susan as soon as possible.  Program aides will get to participate in all of the activities, but will get to come to camp for a reduced fee.  For Greenland Point, the fee will be $45.

 

 

4-H Day at the Skowhegan State Fair

Somerset County 4-H Leaders Association invites any 4-H Club or 4-H Member to take part in the 6th Annual 4-H Day at the Skowhegan State Fair on Sunday, August 10th, 2008.  This special day will begin with a parade around the racetrack with line-up beginning at 11:30 AM.  The parade can include floats, club members, led or ridden animals, etc.  Anyone taking part in the parade will be admitted free on 4-H Day.  Livestock demonstrations will begin at 1:00pm.

If you would like to participate in this event, please contact the Somerset County Extension Office, 4-H Secretary, Johanna Cliff, to receive the necessary paperwork and contact information, (207) 474-9622 or jclift@umext.maine.edu.  Hope to see you there.