June 2010 Piscataquis Farming News

If you're bringing fruit to market, make sure that it arrives in the best condition possible. Strawberries cool most efficiently if harvested early in the morning before they build up any field heat. Place fruit into refrigerated storage quickly and keep it out of direct sunlight. Fruit should be stored at 32° Fahrenheit and 95% relative humidity. Cold air should be moved through the boxes or flats of fruit with a circulating fan and/or exhaust fan to cool most efficiently. Temperatures lower than 32° may freeze the fruit and ruin its fresh quality. A small, well-insulated building cooled with air conditioners and fans can provide effective temporary storage for strawberries. If you don't have refrigeration facilities, keep the fruit as cool as possible by harvesting when air temperatures are cool, and keeping it out of direct sunlight. Transport the fruit to market as quickly as possible, and harvest only what you think you can sell in a day.

Source: Handley, D., Strawberry IPM Newsletter, No. 4, May 28, 2010. http://pmo.umext.maine.edu/strwbery/strwbery.htm

Online Certification Available for Sheep Quality Assurance
You can now become Sheep Safety and Quality Assurance (SSQA) Level 1 certified from the comfort of your own home. The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) recently released their newly developed online version of this training. The Level 1 training is designed to educate producers on the basics of assuring safety and quality in American lamb products, to describe and define the safety and quality guidelines, and to assure that producers understand the concepts and reasoning behind the development of the guidelines and the importance of their implementation. SSQA Level 1 site

Source: Weekly Harvest Newsletter, Sustainable Ag News Briefs, ATTRA, May 19, 2010.

Late Blight Confirmed in Three States

Isolated outbreaks of late blight (Phytopthora infestans) have been confirmed in Louisiana, Maryland, and Northwestern Pennsylvania. The original source of inoculum has not yet been identified. Given the season last year, chances are good that P. infestans inoculum may have overwintered in infected potato tubers. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has been screening tomato transplants destined for the retail and wholesale markets and so far those samples have been negative. Several other suspect samples have been submitted to their Plant Disease Clinic and those have also been negative. We have had no confirmed cases of late blight in MA (or Maine)this year. The largely dry weather pattern over much of the state is not conducive to the spread of the organism that causes this disease, but it is critical to scout not only this year's tomato and potato crops but also last year's potato fields where infected tubers may have survived the winter and are sprouting infected volunteer plants. Early identification and eradication of inoculum sources will help to reduce the likelihood of an outbreak later in the season if the weather favors disease development (rainy, cool, cloudy) for an extended period of time.

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If you think you may have late blight in your crops or on volunteer potato plants in old fields, please contact your county Cooperative Extension office or the Plant Diagnostic Lab at (207) 581-3883.

Source: Sideman, B.,UMass Veg Notes, May 2010.

EEE Vaccination for Horses

A reminder from our state extension professor Dr. Anne Lichtenwalner, DVM that Maine equine owners can prevent Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) by assuring that their horses, ponies and other equides are up-to-date on their shots for this highly fatal disease. A reminder that last year Maine suffered an outbreak of this disease that resulted in the death of 15 horses and one llama in central and southern Maine. For more information go to our website at http://bit.ly/EEEMaine

Resource for Aspiring Farmers

This web site includes a listing of farming internships & apprenticeships throughout New England. It also lists a number of practical farming training programs and educational resources of interest to those aspiring to be small scale farmers.

Aspirating Farmers Resource Information

Farm Energy Audit through NRCS Program

A new opportunity available for producers in Maine. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is offering cost-shared farm energy audits to producers. You can read more about this initiative here:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/releases/2010/energy_audits_04.22.10.html

A farm energy audit is a tool that analyzes current energy consumption and recommends specific equipment to reduce energy use. Our analysis includes the cost of the equipment and the payback period, to help the producer prioritize energy decision-making.

EnSave, has been conducting farm energy audits since 1991, and is a registered technical service provider to provide these energy audits. They look forward to helping identify ways for producers to save money. However, producers must sign up by June 18 in order to be considered for this funding round!

For more information contact Amelia Gulkis at (802) 434-1826, or via email at ameliag@ensave.com.

Newest Farmers Market Opportunities

Bangor Grange - Ohio Street

Bangor Grange. The Grange is planning a weekly farmer's market at the hall at 1192 outer Ohio St here in Bangor. We are on a very busy street and in a concentrated residential area, which we think will generate substantial business for any farmers taking part. The plan is to hold the market on Thursdays from 30in, starting in July, which should not interfere with other markets in the area. The market dues would be $30/year and $3 per day. A special fee could be charged for spaces used by farmers with crops of limited duration, such as strawberries, blueberries, and such. There will be 15 foot spaces per vendor, as well as room inside the hall for people to use if desired. It's possible to continue into late fall or beyond if vendors with processed foods would be interested.

¨ Would you be interested in participating this year?

¨ If not, would you be interested in next year?

¨ How often would you be able to come?

¨ What would you sell?

¨ Do you know of other farmers that might be interested?

¨ If so, could I have their names and telephone numbers?

¨ Do you have any suggestions for us?

¨ Would you be interested in attending our next planning meeting on July 15th at 6PM at the hall?

You can complete these question online at www.tinyurl.com/35ejywu

Or call Rolf Staples, Sr. - Bangor Grange, 973-3976, swederolf@aol.com

Lincoln Farmers Market

At her greenhouse where community gardens will be planted on Saturday's from 8 am to 1 pm. Located outside of Lincoln. Turn left at the gazebo in town onto route 2. Outside of town at Bagley Mountain Road look for the greenhouses.

Contact Grace Tibbetts 794-3274 if interested and for more information.

Did You Burn Wood Pellets Last Year?

If you burned wood pellets last year you are invited to participate in a research project being conducted by Donna Coffin and Kathy Hopkins, faculty members of Cooperative Extension at the University of Maine. The purpose of the research is to determine consumer use and satisfaction with wood pellets burned in their home wood pellet stove, furnace or boiler through an online survey at

http://bit.ly/pelletsurvey

Please share your valuable experience with wood pellets to help us understand and assess the benefits and detriments of using wood pellets for home heating. Thank you for your assistance.

Donna Coffin & Kathy Hopkins

Extension Educators

For more information call 564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1491

or email donna.coffin@maine.edu or khopkins@umext.maine.edu

Featured UMaine Extension Publications

The following agriculture related Extension publications are available or can be ordered at the Extension Office nearest you. You will notice that some publications are free and some have a cost recovery charge. Many other publications are available for free online or may be purchased at our secure publications web site.

Kids on the Farm: Hazards Outside the Home
Maine Farm Safety Program/2365
Item #2307 - Publisher: UMaine Extension
Explains the importance of a hazard-free play area, and addresses the dangers of animals, storage buildings, equipment, bicycles, ATVs, plants and water. 4 pages. See item 2365 for the entire Maine Farm Safety Program. 2002. Download it for free: PDF (for printing) / HTML (for browsing). Or order one for $0.75

New England Guide to Weed Control in Field Corn
Item #1124 - Publisher: UMaine Extension
Poor weed control can cause crop failures that can be devastating to New England dairy producers, as well as create weed-seed issues that will plague growers for years. This publication offers a comprehensive approach to weed management in field corn, discussing commonly used herbicides, timing of applications, and alternative controls that reduce herbicide use and risks to the environment. Includes tables listing corn herbicides registered for use in New England, their relative effectiveness, and modes of action. 20 pages, 2007. Download it for free: PDF (for printing) / HTML (for browsing). Or order one for $3.00

Upcoming Events

June 9th, 2010 Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) for Dairy Cattle 9 am to 4 pm, Gene Gantz, RMA/USDA crop insurance specialist, will be at the University of Maine in Orono on June 9^th, to discuss the Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) for Dairy Cattle crop insurance program. Interested dairy producers/leaders, crop insurance agents, and agriculture business people are welcome to attend. The meeting is sponsored by the University of Maine Crop Insurance Education Program. To reserve a space call 581-3875 (1-800-287-0274 in Maine) or email patricia.maher@maine.edu.
June 9, 2010 Central Maine Sheep Breeders Association Meeting at 7 pm at the Piscataquis County Extension Office, 165 Main St., Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426. Dr. Beth McEvoy will be discussing poisonous plants that affect sheep.
June 16, 2010 Maine Horse Welfare Coalition 6:30 pm at the Maine Farm Bureau Office in Augusta. For more information contact Katie Lisnik klisnik@humanesociety.org or Don Marean at lindonfarm@sacoriver.net or visit their web site.
June 16, 2010 Farm Tour and Sprayer Calibration Clinic at 3:30 pm. at Snell's Family Farm in Buxton. Sponsored by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Vegetable and Small Fruit Growers Association. Dr. Rich Bonanno, Vegetable Specialist with the University of Massachusetts will demonstrate practical calibration techniques for both boom and air-blast sprayers. We will also tour John and Ramona Snell's family vegetable and fruit operation, including high tunnels, greenhouse, market and storage facilities. Snell's Family Farm is located at 1000 River Road (Route 112) in Buxton. For more infomration contact Dave Handley at 933-2100 or dhandley@umext.maine.edu
June 19th, Blue Ribbon Farm Tour, Corson Road in Mercer, ME from 10:00a.m. - Noon. Personnel from the Natural Resources Conservation Service will be there to explain the newest programs and other conservation programs. Tour their sheep manure storage and facilities including their high tunnel greenhouses for vegetable production. All are welcome. Potluck lunch and Maine Sheep Breeders' Association meeting to follow the tour. FMI contact Bob & Mary Burr at 207-587-4068.
June 23rd Weed Walk at Stutuzman's Farm, Douty Hill Road, Sangerville, ME starting at 7pm. Free meeting sponsored by the Maine Highlands Farmers and the UMaine Extension. Two hours of pesticide recertification credit available to private pesticide applicators. FMI contact Donna Coffin at 564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1471 or donna.coffin@maine.edu
June 25th Meet Your Farmer 6 pm to 9 pm at the Strand Theater in Rockland. Maine Farmland Trust is hosting a reception and premier of 8 short documentaries which tell the diverse stories of eight Maine farms: from Aroostook to York, from potatoes to dairy, from large commercial operations to small farms that sell directly to local people. Tickets from $25 to $10. For more information contact MFT at www.mainefarmlandtrust.org or 338-6575.
July 1st, 2010 University of Maine Sustainable Agriculture Field Day, 6:00 to 8:00 pm, University of Maine Rogers Forage and Crops Research Farm, Stillwater, ME (1.5 miles from I-95 Exit 193).
This year's field day will be held as a twilight meeting and will feature research on: Bread Wheat Variety Trials, Weed Management for Organic Small Grains, Fertility Management for Organic Bread Wheat, Bagged Organic Fertilizers for Grains and Vegetables, Organic Double Crop Forage: Winter Small Grain - Corn Silage. FMI contact Ellen.Mallory@maine.edu.
July 1st, 2010 Wild Blueberry Integrated Crop Management Field Training 6 pm to 7 pmThis training at G.M. Allen's Freezer, Rt. 15 in Orland, ME. One pesticide recertification credit per session is available. FMI contact David Yarborough at 581-2923 or 1-800-287-0757 or davidy@maine.edu.
July 15th, 2010 Bangor Grange Farmers Market Planning Meeting 6 pm at the grange hall 1192 Outer Ohio St. Please come if interested or contact Rolf Staples at 973-3976 or email swederolf@aol.com
July 29 - 30, 2010
Kneading Conference & Artisan Bread Fair

Contact Info
Donna Coffin, Extension Educator

207-564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1491

donna.coffin@maine.edu

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