Happy Wednesday!
New this week:
University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer an online workshop for entrepreneurs and farmers interested in starting a home-based, specialty food business in Maine from 9 a.m.–noon on Nov. 18. Recipe to Market is a multidisciplinary program with topics including business basics; an overview of the specialty food industry and product development; licensing and regulations; and food safety. Instructors include UMaine Extension professor emeritus Louis Bassano; School of Economics professor emeritus and Extension business specialist Jim McConnon; and Extension food science specialist, professor of food science and director of UMaine Food Testing Services Beth Calder. The fee is $35; registration is required. Financial assistance is available. Register and find more details on the event registration page. For more information or to request reasonable accommodation, contact Melissa Libby Babcock, melissa.libby1@maine.edu; 207-581-2788 or 800-287-0274 (Maine only).
University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H will be piloting a new club specifically for independent 4-H members. The new Independent 4-H Clubs are an opportunity for individuals to come together, virtually or in-person, and build relationships with their peers. They will share interests, projects, goals, plans for the year and reflections at the end of the year. This will be a space for youth to foster friendships and collaborate on projects of similar interests. Independent 4-H’ers are registered with their county organizations, but they don’t belong to a specific club. Instead, they work on their own to develop a project around a topic of their choosing. The new Independent 4-H Clubs will be a way for these individuals to make connections with other youth in their counties or in the state, learn from other projects and gain additional support and guidance. The Independent 4-H Clubs will hold two to three meetings annually. Meetings will be held in Oxford, Franklin, Hancock, Waldo and Androscoggin/Sagadahoc counties. In addition, UMaine Extension 4-H will also host virtual statewide meetings. These meetings are open to all ages. For information about specific meeting dates and to register, visit the event webpage. For more information or to request reasonable accommodation, contact Tara Marble, 207-778-4650; tara.marble@maine.edu.
The Sunrise Opportunities Prevention Council is excited to announce the launch of our new website! The new site is available and live. Our goal with this new website is to provide parents, providers and the community with an easier way to learn about the free programs and services we offer! We hope you find the new website with a fresh look, easy to navigate and as a source of information. Check it out!