4-H Connections
A Newsletter for 4-H Volunteers and Families October, 2004

YORK COUNTY 4-H NEWS

Fallfest 2004 – NEW DATE:  November 20 at Sanford HS

·        Animal tracking

·        Learn to Spin

·        Horse care and fun

·        Folded Paper Decorated Cards

·        Bee Keeping

·        Holiday Crafts

·        Line Dancing

These are just some of the fun workshops you’ll find at this year’s Fallfest.  If you want your first choice of workshops you should pre-register.  If you don’t pre-register, you can still come.  We’ll have space for you in other workshops.

Plan on arriving at 1 p.m. on Nov. 20 and sign in then.  If you’re planning on attending the pizza dinner and awards ceremony beginning at 5:30, please pre-register to avoid the extra charge “at the door.” 

We will be mailing registration materials to all clubs, so keep an eye out for it. If you need more information, contact the Extension office.  Save the Date!

Save Trees:  Receive This Newsletter Online

Help save trees!  If you would rather that we not mail you a paper copy of the newsletter, we will email you a notice each time the newsletter is published on our website.  If you want to become an e-recipient of our newsletter, please send an email to jonp@umext.maine.edu

Setting Goals for Another Great 4-H Year

It’s hard to believe another year has gone by and we’re starting the 2004-2005 4-H year in York County!

I’d like to welcome our new 4-H leaders who will be participating in our volunteer training November 1, 2004.

It’s the perfect time for club goal setting.  As part of your new 4-H year enrollment process, each club is asked to set goals and plan events and projects for the year.

Members, it’s time to set the goals and learning plans as you begin project records for your year long projects.

 It’s so exciting to see how many new leaders and parents we have working with 4-H clubs and members this year.  Each year we provide training to new leaders.  All new leaders are required to complete VOLT (Volunteer On-going Leadership Training) as they start working with 4-H clubs and youth.  Independent advisors also are encouraged to receive the training.

This training will help you understand 4-H, Cooperative Extension, expectations of you and 4-H members, project records, opportunities in 4-H, and more.  It’s a great orientation to 4-H.

We also encourage existing leaders and parents who will be working within a club to avail yourselves of this training.  It’s a great refresher, and since things are always changing you will certainly learn something new.

November 1, 6-8 pm at the Extension office in Sanford.  Call if you’d like more information.

Shaping the Future of York Cooperative Extension

York Cooperative Extension is offering an opportunity for the public to engage in a discussion about educational issues and local needs for communities.  Participants in “Shaping Our Future: A Planning Discussion for Cooperative Extension” will have the opportunity to help provide input on educational programming priorities and direction for the next five years. 

The discussion will be held on November 10 from 7-9 pm at the York County Community Action Program office on Cottage St. in Sanford.  To register for this event, for more information or to request a packet of research information, please call the York County Extension Office at 324-2814 or 1-800-287-1535. 

Leaders Association Meeting – Oct. 27

Attend our Leaders Association meetings!

They’re informative, fun, and a great place to network and learn from one another. 

Will you consider this community service opportunity for 4-H members? 

Cooperative Extension is a partner in the Maine State Animal Response Team.  This group is trying to help Maine communities and citizens respond to animal emergencies from natural or man made disasters.  We are trying to establish a base line of citizen knowledge

regarding pets and emergency preparation.

We are asking that 4-H members interview people they know with the enclosed survey. 

No identifiable questions are asked and confidentiality should not be an issue.  4-H’ers can interview as many people as they wish and submit the completed surveys to John Rebar at the address below.

With the help of 4-H members a similar large animal survey is being conducted at Fryeburg Fair next week.  Send completed surveys to:

John Rebar 
5741 Libby Hall
Orono, ME 04469-5741      

Cooking with the Kids 

It’s autumn!  It’s the season when leaves change their color and fall.  It’s the time to bring in the harvest, not just from the fields but also from our gardens.  The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder and in the mornings you might see a little frost on the pumpkins.  This month we have found a unique way to make a Pumpkin Cake.

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PUMPKIN IN A JAR  
                                                                        

Ingredients

2/3 cup shortening                              1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 2/3 cups sugar                                 1 1/2 tsp. salt

4 eggs                                                 1 tsp. ground allspice

2 cups canned pumpkin                     1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2/3 cup water                                      2 tsp. baking soda

3 1/3 cups flour                                   1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

8 pint-size wide mouth canning jars with lids and rings 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cream shortening and sugar together, adding sugar slowly.  Beat in eggs, pumpkin, and water; set aside.  In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and baking soda.  Add to pumpkin mixture and stir very well. Stir in nuts (optional).  Grease jars well and fill each jar about half full.  Place jars on baking sheet and bake for approximately 45 minutes.  When done, remove from oven and carefully wipe the sealing edge of the jars.  Place on jars and close tightly with the ring.  As the jars cool, you should hear a “plinking” sound which will indicate the jar is sealed.

Note:  You must do this while they are hot to get the proper seal.  Be careful not to burn yourself (get a grown –up to help). 

To serve: Open jar and slide knife around the inside of the jar to loosen the cake.  Serve with whipped cream, ice cream or alone!.

A cake in a properly sealed jar will keep for up to a year (but who could resist it that long?)

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Happy Birthday to…

Special wishes to the following 4-H'ers who celebrated birthdays in October.

STATE AND NATIONAL NEWS

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