4-H Flash Newsletter

September 2009

Volume 4, Issue 8

Calendar

Sept. 3-7  Blue Hill Fair

Sept. 7 6:00 - 7:00 pm-All exhibits must be picked up at the Blue Hill Fair

Sept. 7  Labor Day - Extension Office Closed

Sept. 25  Project Records due in the Extension Office

October 3   Perry Harvest Fair

 For a complete listing of what’s happening in 4-H  check out the 4-H Calendar  Page at: http://extension.umaine.edu/4h/calendar.htm.

4-H Entries Will Win Premiums at Perry Harvest Fair

All Washington County 4-H clubs, members, and individuals should be preparing displays and exhibits for the Perry Harvest Fair, which occurs on Saturday, October 3, at the Perry municipal building. Please check your email (or regular mail, if you have asked for that) for our guidelines, list of premiums, and specifics for exhibit submissions.

This year’s fair promises to be bigger and better than ever! Please call in your entries, whether club or individual, to the office by Friday, September 11, so that we can reserve sufficient space at the fair. Exhibit cards must be filled out by each exhibitor. Drop off for exhibits will either be here at the office up until Thursday afternoon, October 1, at 4:00, or at the fair site, Perry Municipal Building on Rte. 1, between 12 and 2:30 p.m. on Friday, October 2. Judging will take place that afternoon. Exhibits should be picked up at the end of the fair, around 3-4 p.m. on Saturday. We can bring yours back to the office here in Machias for later pickup if you wish.  Please visit http://www.umext.maine.edu/Washington/washington4-H.htm for more information.

See you at the fair!

Cloverbuds Enjoy Six-week Series of Fun and Learning

Six children from Jonesboro, East Machias, Marshfield, and Machiasport took part in a pilot Cloverbud program this summer in Whitneyville. Cloverbuds are 4-H’ers ages 5 through 8. Following this year’s Going Green day camp in Whitneyville (led by Jen Lobley and Deb Eckart), 4-H Program Aide Diane Helder recruited six youngsters to continue meeting once a week for nature activities, art, cooking, and games.

Participating were Ryan Conley, Jonesboro; Joey Garcia, Machiasport; Lucy Kilton, Marshfield; Cooper Leighton, Machiasport; Hayden Roberts, East Machias; and Marissa Wood, Machiasport. Moms Veronica Conley, Shelby Leighton, and Nicole Garcia also took part as helpers.

The Cloverbuds enjoyed such activities as Circle of Earth, in which they made circles on the ground with string and then examined them with a magnifying glass to see what lived there; tree and leaf activities such as tree rubbings, nature color matching, and leaf imprints on cloth; and “me” activities in which they explored the concepts of family and self through art and discussion. They also prepared their own snacks each time and made muffins and no-bake cocoa balls with wheat germ and honey. At the final meeting the children hosted the moms and served peanut butter sandwiches, juice, and fruit.

Cloverbud groups can be started in any community in Washington County with assistance from your 4-H staff, Jen Lobley and Diane Helder. Free, comprehensive training is offered to interested parents and other adults. Please call or email for more information.

Washington County Bulletin Board Items

 Re-enrollment 2010

 Another 4-H year will begin soon! Watch the mail for your club’s re-enrollment packets. Enrollments are due December 31st.

Project Records

Project records are due September 25, 2009. However, if your club is not meeting this summer or if you’re not putting anything into the fair and you have your project records done now - turn them in now. The project record grading rubric is listed on our Washington County 4-H website:

http://www.umext.maine.edu/Washington/washington4-Hmem.htm.

Citizenship Washington Focus

From July 4th – 11th, Hancock County 4-H members Tyler Baez and Justine Alexander attended Citizenship Washington Focus (CWF). Theirs was week 6 of 4-H’s premier summer national conference! What a great week it was! Nearly 2,000 young people from over 35 states traveled to the Center to experience the living classroom of Washington, DC. While participating in CWF, 4-H'ers improved their understanding of the importance of civic and social responsibilities in order to become better citizens and leaders and strengthened their communication skills, exchanged ideas, practiced respect, and formed friendships with other youth from across the country!

If you haven’t already, take a moment to learn more about CWF at www.citizenshipwashingtonfocus.org. The 2009 delegates created videos, slide shows and newsletters to represent all the experiences they took part in through CWF. Just click on the media tab to check them out.

Pumpkin Daze

Mark your calendar! Pumpkin Daze will be held on Saturday, October 10th at Simon’s Farms in Ellsworth from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. The pumpkin drop will be at 4:00 pm this year. Rain date will be announced later. Watch your mail for more information.

Maine State 4-H News

 1. Eastern States Bus Trip October 3, 2009

It’s time to reserve seats for the buses traveling to Eastern States Exposition(ESE or also called the “Big E”) in West Springfield, Massachusetts for Maine Day on Saturday, October 3, 2009. This one-day trip is sponsored by the Maine Trustees of the Eastern States Exposition to encourage Maine 4-Hers who don’t presently participate in events at ESE to see the activities that go on for 4-H youth in hopes to bolster their enthusiasm to participate in the future. Two buses are reserved for us and the northernmost bus will originate in Bangor and they will stop at several points on I-95. Seats fill up quickly, and we will begin taking registrations on Monday, August 10, 2009.

All youth must go with a chaperone, but this event is primarily for youth so seats are limited to no more than two adults per child. The bus ride and admission to the “Big E” are free, but all individuals on this trip are expected to march in the parade at 5 pm. It works well if you wear a 4-H tee shirt if you have one and for clubs to bring their club banner to display during the parade.

Items you might want to bring along with you are: light snacks, water, a good book, Rated G movies (there is a DVD/VCR on the bus), a pillow, and a blanket. There will be rest stops along the way.

Other items to consider bringing: clothing to identify your club, a comfortable pair of walking shoes, a hat with a visor, sun glasses, sun screen, a back pack, personal spending money, a camera, and a watch. If you have a cell phone, it will be helpful for logistics. Please include your cell phone number when you register.

Please leave valuable items at home. We will not be responsible for lost or stolen items. Bus stops will be determined based on location of riders. Reservations must be made in writing or by e-mail to: Jessy Brainerd 103 Libby Hall University of Maine Orono, ME 04469-5741 jbrainerd@umext.maine.edu

When you register, please give your name, address, home phone and cell phone number if you have one. Please give the names of all the people in your group and indicate if they are a child or adult.

Reservations are due by Friday, September 4, 2009; please call after that date to see if there is still room. A confirmation letter will be sent to you two weeks before the trip giving you the time and pick up location. Pick up will be bright and early in the morning, but the return trip will be staggered. One bus will leave right after the parade; the second bus will leave after the evening events. So when you register, let us know if you’d like to return on the early or late bus.

For questions, you may contact Jessy Brainerd or Michaele Bailey at 800-287-0274 or 581-3877.

2. Make It With Wool Contest

4-Hers in Maine are invited to enter the Make It With Wool Contest, a national competition sponsored by the American Sheep Industry Association. The state-level contest will be held on October 10, 2009 at the Page Farm Museum at the University of Maine in Orono. Contestants may enter garments made with wool that are sewn, knit, crocheted or felted. More information and rules for the contest are on our website at http://www.umext.maine.edu/4h/events/other/wool.htm or you can contact Michaele Bailey at 1-800-287-0274 or mbailey@umext.maine.edu for more information.

3. Water Quality Project for 4-H Clubs

Crista Straub, a graduate student at the University of Maine is helping to implement the “GET WET!” program in 4-H groups across New England. This program works with local students and the community to create a long-term groundwater quality database for towns where there is shared use of groundwater resources.

For detailed information please read the GET WET! Website www.umaine.edu/WaterResearch/outreach/GetWet/index.htm. They already have schools scheduled to participate in GET WET! And are looking for different 4-H groups to start in the Fall of 2009. For a flyer with more information, contact Christy Fitzpatrick at: cfitz@umext.maine.edu.

4. 2009-2010 Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors Membership

The 2009-2010 Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors membership form is now available on the 4-H website. Please note that when you send your form in, you are signing up for a membership in the Association, one of the benefits of membership is exhibitor liability insurance. For more information and access to the form, go to: http://www.umext.maine.edu/4h/forms/webdocs/maleform.htm.

5. Farmer Stress

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension has assembled a web page full of resources for farm families experiencing an unusual amount of stress during these difficult times. www.extension.umaine.edu/FarmersUnderStress/ There are links to information on recognizing the warning signs of suicide, good health practices for farm work, and managing in tough times.

There will be a two-hour free webinar entitled “Recognizing Farmer Stress” on Thursday, September 3 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. You will need a high speed internet connection for your computer to participate as well as speakers to hear the audio. The link to this computer conference is on the farmer under stress web page.

6. Results of the 2009 Maine 4-H Dairy Show and Eastern States Tryouts - The Maine 4-H Dairy Show was held at the Windsor Fairgrounds on July 18 & 19, 2009. The judge for the event was Martha Seifert form Orwell, VT. There were 44 youth participating. For a complete list contact the Extension Office.

7. 2009 Skowhegan Fair

Thanks to everyone who came and helped us celebrate the 4-H Experience at the 2009 Skowhegan State Fair. We enjoyed meeting you and hope to see you all again next year. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of further assistance. Office phone 1-800-287-1495 or 474-9622. Thanks from everyone in the Somerset County Cooperative Extension Office.

8. ESE Horse Team

Tryouts for the Eastern States Horse Team were held at the Skowhegan Fairgrounds the weekend of June 26, 27, and 28, 2009. The Horse Team will compete at Eastern States in West Springfield, MA on September 23 to 27, 2009. Thirty six 4-Hers in the horse project tried out for the team and twenty members of the team were selected.

9. ESE Beef Team

The Eastern States Beef Team will compete at the Big E September 24 – 28, 2009 There are fifteen 4-H members representing Maine on the Eastern States Beef Team: For a complete listing contact the Extension Office.

10. Animal Science Committee Nominations

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Maine 4-H Animal Science Committee is Saturday, November 7, 2009. It is time for 4-H volunteers who wish to serve on those committees to be nominated or re-nominated for a three-year term. You can visit our website at http://www.umext.maine.edu/4h/manual/partb/b18.htm to learn more about serving in this position. You can find a nomination and renomination form at http://www.umext.maine.edu/4h/forms/ASCnominationform.pdf. Deadline to send nomination forms to the State 4-H Office is October 1, 2009. If you are unsure when your term ends, you can contact the Activity Coordinator of your commodity, or Michaele Bailey. Membership to the Animal Science Committees is gained by a nomination and re-nomination process. Nominations can be made by an extension educator/professional, any member of the committee, and/or the nominee him/herself and occurs prior to the Fall ASC meeting. Nominations will be reviewed and voted on by each committee. Successful first-time nominees will be sent a welcome packet and an invitation to the Fall Animal Science Committee meeting. It is recommended that teenage 4H volunteers be given seats on the Animal Sciences committees. Teen members will follow the same membership process as adults.

If you have any questions about the animal science committees or the nomination process, please contact Michaele Bailey at mbailey@umext.maine.edu 1-800-287-0274 or Donna Flint at dflint@umext.maine.edu 1-800-287-1537

4-H Activity Schedule - Listed below is the schedule of activities that will be happening in the 4-H Activity Center (tent) at the Blue Hill Fair.

Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD)  Phone Numbers 1-800-287-8957.

If you are a person with a disability and will need any accommodations to participate in any programs, please call the Hancock County Office at 1-800-287-1479 or Washington County Extension Office at 1-800-287-1542 to discuss your needs.  Please contact us at least 20 days prior to the event to assure the fullest possible attention to your needs.

University of Maine Nondiscrimination Statement

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and in pursuing its own goals for diversity, the University of Maine system shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, or citizenship status, age, disability or veterans status in employment, education, and all other areas of the University.  The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.  Questions and complaints about discrimination in any area of the University should be directed to the Director of Equal Employment Opportunities, 101 North Stevens, (207)581-1226.

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In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and in pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or citizenship status, age, disability, or veterans' status in employment, education, and all other areas of the University. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

Questions and complaints about discrimination in any area of the University should be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens, (207) 581-1226.

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