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Piscataquis & Penobscot Farming Newsletter |
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| Volume 8 Number 9 | September 2010 |
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| Goal
T he goal of the Piscataquis & Penobscot Farming Newsletter is to provide timely information on the production and marketing of crops and livestock grown in central Maine. Upcoming events and programs of interest will also be included |
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Mission
University of Maine Cooperative Extension is the major educational outreach program of the University of Maine, with offices statewide. UMaine Extension provides Maine people with research-based educational programs to help them live fuller, more productive lives. |
Local Weather Anytime
Many farming activities are driven by the weather. Our local National Weather Service in Caribou has meteorologists on staff 24 hours a day. They are willing to talk with you about rain predictions for your town. Give them a call at 492-0180. Or check out their online detailed maps at www.weather.org/ caribou. |
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Piscataquis and Parts of Penobscot County Farm Map
The SNAP (old food stamp program) education committee is working on the listings for a local produce map that will be printed with grant funds. They hope to cover some of the same resources as the Maine Highland Farm map did, but it will also include food cupboards and pantries as well as smaller farm stands, community gardens and educational food and nutrition outreach. The map's scope will extend a bit over the county line, to include Dexter and Charleston.
If you would you would like to be listed please send the information requested below to Elaine Bisbee, SNAP-Ed Grant Coordinator, Piscataquis Public Health Council at 564-4123 or ebisbee@mayohospital.com.
She needs to know:
Who: Name of farm or owner -
What: Produce sold retail -
When: Hours open -
Where: Address/ phone number/ email address
*****Do you accept EBT cards/ SNAP/ WIC?
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MAINERS URGED TO SIGN UP FOR FREE DISPOSAL OF BANNED, UNUSABLE PESTICIDES
It's not uncommon for new owners of older homes or farms in Maine to discover they have inherited hazardous waste-caches of old pesticides around their property. Old chemicals like DDT, lead arsenate, 2,4,5-T, and chlordane are often discovered in barns, basements, sheds, or garages. When these discoveries are made, homeowners quickly learn that disposal of old chemicals can be complicated and very expensive.
Fortunately, there's an option that's legal, responsible, and free. Just contact the Maine Board of Pesticides Control (BPC) for details. This fall, the state regulatory agency will dispose of banned pesticides or pesticides that have become caked, frozen, or otherwise rendered unusable. And, again, there is no cost to homeowners.
"We urge people holding these chemicals to contact us immediately to register," says Paul Schlein, BPC Public Information Officer. "There will be four sites throughout the state where participants will be able to bring their obsolete pesticides."
The collected chemicals go to out-of-state disposal facilities licensed by the US EPA where they are incinerated or reprocessed.
"Disposal of obsolete pesticides is expensive for the state," notes Schlein, "but it's clearly much less than the cost of cleaning up contaminated soil or water. However, it's worth noting that future funding is not guaranteed, so be sure to take advantage of this year's collection while you can."
Preregistration is required by October 1, 2010. To register, get details, and learn important information about the temporary storage and transportation of obsolete pesticides, go to the BPC Web site at www.thinkfirstspraylast.org . Or, call the BPC at 207-287-2731.
The Maine Board of Pesticides Control (BPC) is the lead state agency for pesticide regulation. An administrative unit of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, policy decisions are made by a seven-member, public board. |
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The Best Horse Fence
Understand the purpose of a fence. The true test of a fence's worth is not when horses are peacefully grazing, but when an excited horse contacts the fence in an attempt to escape or because he never saw it during a playful romp. How will the fence and horse hold up under these conditions? A horse's natural instinct to flee from perceived danger has an effect on fence design. Like other livestock, horses will bolt suddenly, but since they are larger and faster, they hit the fence with more force. Also, horses fight harder than other livestock to free themselves when trapped in a fence. There are many types of effective horse fencing, but there is no "best" fence. Each fencing type has inherent tradeoffs in its features.
A "perfect" fence should be highly visible to horses. Horses are farsighted and look to the horizon as they scan their environment for danger. Therefore, even when fencing is relatively close, it needs to be substantial enough to be visible. A fence should be secure enough to contain a horse that runs into it without causing injury or fence damage. A perfect fence should have some "give" to it to minimize injury upon impact. It should be high enough to discourage jumping and solid enough to discourage testing its strength. It should have no openings that could trap a head or hoof. The perfect fence should not have sharp edges or projections that can injure a horse that is leaning, scratching, or falling into it. It should be inexpensive to install, easy to maintain, and last 20 years or more. And finally, it should look appealing.
Unfortunately, no type of fence fits all the criteria for the perfect fence. Often there is a place for more than one type of fence on a horse facility. Stable management objectives and price ultimately determine which fencing is chosen. Many new fence materials and hybrids of traditional and new materials are now available. Details of fence materials and construction may be found in other publications (see Additional Resources).
Adapted from eXtension article Eileen Wheeler and Jennifer Smith Zajaczkowski, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences in in e-Tips by My Horse University & HorseQuest, September 2010. |
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Sweet Corn Final Report
Corn earworm moth counts soared to very high levels this week in the wake of Hurricane Earl. Hurricanes and tropical storms that move up the east coast into Maine this time of year can often have this effect as they "drag" moths up from the southern states. Fall armyworm counts also rose and are often an equal threat to silking corn late in the season. Few fields are left with any fresh silking corn as the season winds down to an end, but any fields with silking corn remaining will need to be protected until the silks are well dried.
Overall it appears we had a pretty good season. Insect pressure was moderate to high at most sites throughout the season, so growers had to keep silking corn well protected. But most growers were also able to get on their ground to plant relatively early and the high summer heat stimulated rapid growth. Many growers were picking earlier than any time in recent memory, and had good yields and quality.
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Hay and Straw Directory
Are you looking for hay to buy? Or do you have hay to sell? You can list your hay (small square or large round bales) on the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Hay Directory. Also, if you have straw available you can list it on the Straw Directory. You can complete an online form on the Maine Hay and Straw Directory web site listing your farm contact information, type of hay, size of bales, estimated number of bales available and whether delivery is available. Best of all it doesn't cost anything to list your products.
People needing hay can do a free search for farms by county then town. |
Stable Flies Plague People, Pets and Livestock
The stable fly is a nuisance fly which inflicts painful bites to feed on blood. It can be found in rural, urban and suburban areas wherever breeding sites are found. With all the rain this year, moist breeding sites in both rural and urban areas are abundant.
Stable flies look superficially like house flies, but with an important difference. . . they have long bayonet-like mouth-parts used to bite and suck blood. They are also popularly referred to as "biting house flies" and "dog flies". Stable flies can be a serious problem for livestock and dogs kenneled outdoors.
Because of its name, many people probably think the best place to find a stable fly is in a stable, but they are hardly ever found there. In rural areas, eggs are deposited in wet, organic materials such as straw, litter, manure mixed with straw or other bedding, soggy hay, waste silage or feed in feedlots. In urban areas, stable flies will breed in wet piles of grass clippings, vegetable or fruit matter or compost heaps.
Eggs hatch in 1-3 days into tiny maggots which begin to feed. The last stage maggots often crawl away from the breeding site and pupate in the soil. Pupae are chestnut brown and have a seed-like appearance. Total development from egg to adult fly takes 3-4 weeks, depending on temperature.
Unlike mosquitoes, both male and female stable flies bite. Stable flies are active during the daytime. They bite standing animals, including people, on the legs and ankles. Stable flies need 2-5 minutes to complete a blood meal which is often interrupted. They may "bite" several times to obtain a single blood meal.
Control
Eliminate breeding sites:
It seems too simple, but scattering breeding material regularly to dry it out is the most effective method of control. This will deny the fly maggots a moist breeding site.
Turn piles of compost to encourage rapid decomposition.
Do not dump lawn clippings in piles after mowing.
Chemicals:
The use of pesticides is usually not the best means of managing stable flies, but there are situations where it may be helpful.
Residual insecticides can be applied to outdoor surfaces where flies rest, such as the outside surfaces of barns, stables, and fences. (Note: Surprisingly, stable flies are most attracted to surfaces painted white.)
Registered space sprays/foggers can be used in livestock barns to kill flies resting on surfaces.
People may be able to get some repellency to prevent bites from stable flies by using repellents containing DEET and picaridin. Spray lower legs where stable flies are likely to feed. For best efficacy, you may need to use products with higher percentages of active ingredients. Other suggestions:
Wear long pants and socks to prevent stable flies from biting you. Dave Keith, former Nebraska Extension Entomologist, suggested that when you wear shorts you should wear dark colored socks (rather than white ones).
Note: For your safety, as well as to be in compliance with Federal & state laws, always read, understand and follow pesticide product label directions.
Source: Barb Ogg, University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension Educator |
FSA Farm Loan Programs
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers loans for farmers and ranchers to purchase farmland and finance agricultural operations. FSA loan programs are designed to help producers who are temporarily unable to obtain private or commercial credit. In many cases, applicants are beginning farmers who have insufficient net worth to qualify for financing through a commercial lender. In other instances, borrowers might have suffered setbacks from natural disasters or might be persons with limited resources.
An FSA loan official will provide credit counseling and supervision to the applicant or borrower by aiding them in analyzing their farming operation with the aim of identifying and correcting material weaknesses. Farm operating loans may be repaid over a period of one to seven years. The maximum repayment period for a farm ownership loan is forty years. The maximum loan amount for either purpose is $300,000.
BEGINNING FARMERS
FSA assists beginning farmers and or members of socially disadvantaged groups (including women) to finance agricultural enterprises. Under these designated farm loan programs, FSA can provide financing to eligible applicants through either direct or guaranteed loans. FSA defines a beginning farmer as an individual or an entity who:
*Has not operated a farm for more than 10 years
*Will materially and substantially participate in the operation of the farm
*Agrees to participate in any loan assessment and borrower training required by Agency regulations
*Meets the loan eligibility requirements for a direct or guaranteed OL or FO loan, as applicable. Loan approval is not guaranteed
*Other requirements may apply
For additional information, loan applications, and other materials please contact your local county office. You may also visit www.fsa.usda.gov
ANNUAL OPERATING LOAN:
Did you know that you may be eligible for an annual operating loan from the Farm Service Agency?
What is an annual operating loan? Annual operating loans are generally repaid within 12 months or when the commodities produced are sold.
- In order to qualify you must be unable to obtain sufficient credit elsewhere.
- Eligible loan purposes include, but are not limited to, fertilizer, pesticide, supplies, burning and/or mowing, chemicals, labor, and annual land rent.
- The maximum loan amount is $300,000 (may be less if you have existing operating loans with FSA).
- The current interest rate for annual operating loans is 2.50%
- Other conditions may apply. Ask your loan official for more details.
CONSERVATION LOAN:
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has just announced a new loan program that makes and guarantees conservation loans (CL) to promote conservation on farms in Maine. Many farmers who need and want to implement conservation measures on their land do not have the "up front" funds available to implement these practices. Interested applicants who do not have an NRCS-approved conservation plan should work with the local NRCS staff to develop a conservation plan. New or existing conservation plans must be approved by NRCS before FSA can provide financing. Contact the local FSA office for details. |
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.
- Starting & Running Your Own Small Farm Business
Item #1035, Publisher: Storey Publishing
Sarah Beth Aubrey. The demand for fresh, local, sustainable produced small-farm products is growing. Aubrey, a seasoned farmer, covers business plans, market research, financing, regulations, asset protection, pricing, selling venues, and growing your business. Includes profiles of successful small farm businesses, as well as checklists and sample contracts and forms. 175 pages, 2007. $19.95
- Farming Alternatives: A Guide to Evaluating the Feasibility of New Farm-Based Enterprises
Item #1036, Publisher: NRAES
This 88-page classic helps rural and farm residents evaluate the feasibility of alternative enterprises. The case study and workbook format helps in evaluating personal and family considerations, resources, market potential, production feasibility, profitability, cash flow, and all factors combined. Also offers research sources for enterprise ideas. 1988. $8.00
- Why Consumers Buy---and Don't Buy---Your Farm Direct Products
Item #1160, Publisher: UMaine Extension
Donna Lamb, Hsiang-Tai Cheng, and Lili Dang. University of Maine researchers surveyed consumers in the Maine Highlands region to assess marketing opportunities and barriers for local farmers. The findings from this watershed survey are presented and analyzed in this 12-page publication. Twenty-two charts provide visual enhancement of data such as how rural and urban consumers find out about farm direct outlets, how far they are willing to travel, seasonal spending trends, and product preferences. Identifies customer complaints about types of outlets and highlights opportunities for farmers who want to increase their farm direct business. 2005. Download it for free: PDF (for printing) / HTM (for browsing). Or order a color copy for $2.00
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- Upcoming Events
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September 21st, 2010, Grain Production, Storage & Value Added Opportunities Forum, 10 am to 3 pm, Southern Somerset Food Processing Facility, sponsored by Maine Alternative Agriculture Assoc. and Harakiel Farm, Starks, Maine. Please pre-register for this forum by contacting Heart of Maine RC&D coordinator: susan.watson@me.usda.gov, 207 947-6622 x 137
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September 22nd, 2010 - Maine Highlands Farmers Meeting - at Avalon Acres in St. Albans. At 6 pm we will tour their orchard followed by a pot luck dinner. For more information go to Maine Highlands Farmers Web Site
- September 23rd, 2010 Martha is fiber-ized! The New England Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association reports that Martha Stewart will be airing a segment about alpacas on her program on this day on the Hallmark Channel, coinciding with National Alpaca Farm Days.
According to the report, she visits an alpaca farm in New York (not Maine!!!), where she follows the fiber from field to finished garment. For more information, visit http://www.neaoba.org/
- October 1st, 2010 Obsolete Pesticide Disposal Preregister To register, get details, and learn important information about the temporary storage and transportation of obsolete pesticides, go to the Maine Board of Pesticides Control Web site at www.thinkfirstspraylast.org . Or, call the BPC at 287-2731.
- October 10th, 2010 - The Maine Cheese Guild Presents Open Creamery Day 2010, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. As the hardwood foliage bursts in a blaze of colors on Columbus Day weekend, take in the spectacular sights and taste some award winning cheese during the Maine Cheese Guild's annual Open Creamery Day. Visit many of Maine's cheese makers in their creameries, meet the animals, and learn the stories behind Maine's more than 150 artisan cheeses. Along the way you can also visit a farmers' market, stop at an orchard, explore one of Maine's premier breweries or winemakers, pick fruit at Maine's legendary orchards, and drop-in on one of the many artisan bread makers our state has to offer. You'll love the views, and the taste of Maine cheese, straight from the source, will be the best memory of all!
For maps and a list of participating cheesemakers, visit Maine Cheese Guild.
- October 15th, 2010 - Kitchen Licensing Workshop. At MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. $35 for MOFGA members, $40 for non-members. Preregister at MOFGA Kitchen Program
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October 16th - 17th, 2010 - Second Annual Fiber Maine-ia Festival This free event will be held during UMaine's Homecoming weekend, with terrific vendors, workshops, and demos lined up. Volunteers are needed to help both before and during the event, so if you're interested, please contact mary.bird@umit.maine.edu . Also, if you have a spinning, knitting, quilting or other fiber arts group and would like to hold a gathering as part of the weekend, let her know so they can include it in the calendar and designate a special location for you on their map. Information on the event is posted at
Fibermaine-ia
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October 23rd, 2010 - Great Maine Apple Day Sponsored by MOFGA, Fedco, and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 12 noon- 4 pm Rain or Shine, Admission $4, $2 for members of MOFGA & Maine Pomological Society. Held at Common Ground Education Center, 294 Crosby Brook Rd, Unity Maine. For more information Great Maine Apple Day
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November 5th to 7th, 2010 - Farmer to Farmer Conference, MOFGA and UMaine Cooperative Extension, Northport, Maine. www.mofga.org
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Contact Info
Donna Coffin, Extension Educator
207-564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1491
In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University System shall not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, including transgender status or gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, or veteran's status in employment, education, and all other areas of the University System. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.
A member of the University of Maine System
Information in this newsletter is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned in this newsletter. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.
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