October 2010 Piscataquis & Penobscot Farming News

Maine beef producers will soon receive a short survey from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, which is compiling an assessment of educational needs of farm operations, large and small, statewide.

Following the resignation of Extension's educator for its statewide beef program, Extension Executive Director John Rebar says Extension wants to understand the educational needs of the beef producers and work toward meeting those needs with our partners statewide.

"We are asking you to tell us what would help strengthen your livestock operation and those of your peers throughout the state," Rebar says in a letter accompanying the two-page survey. "The survey results will be used to help Extension plan how to address the educational needs of all beef producers in the state with the goal of producing a healthy, wholesome, high quality product that will fit the demands of the current market."

The results of the survey will be shared with Extension and university staff, beef producers, agriculture organizations, state officials, and others interested in the Maine beef industry. Results will be used to develop a collective understanding of
the educational needs and priorities of Maine beef producers, according to Rebar.

Participation is voluntary and responses will remain anonymous.

For questions about the study, please contact Donna Coffin, Extension Educator at (207) 564-3301, in the Extension office at 165 E. Main St. in Dover-Foxcroft, 04426, or email: donna.coffin@maine.edu.

A postage-paid business reply envelop will be included with the survey and letter of explanation. The survey also is accessible online at: http://conta.cc/beefsurvey

Sheep and Goat Reproduction Seminar
Breeding livestock is an important component of animal performance and improvement. Can changes in breeding (timing, sires, dams, nutrition, etc.) make a difference in your flock or herd? Can gaining more knowledge and skills in small ruminant reproduction benefit your operation? Is artificial insemination practical for your livestock operation?

Find out at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Sheep and Goat Reproduction Seminar.

Session 1: Saturday, October 23, 2010 at Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield, Maine. This venue allows 100 or more producers to participate.

Session 2: Sunday, October 24, 2010 in New Sharon, Maine. This special farm session on breeding goats artificially is limited to 14 participants. These participants will gain hands-on experience in breeding does.

Instructors: Dr. An Peischel, University of Tennessee Small Ruminant Specialist, and Dr. James Weber, DVM and animal science professor at the University of Maine.

Fee covers refreshments, a delicious lunch, and a handy reference notebook. Please note that a $5.00 discount per farm is available for active membership in a sponsoring association. The fee for the Sunday farm session covers materials and refreshments.

Registration form [Word]; registration deadline: October 15, 2010

Goals and objectives for the seminar and farm session

Sponsoring associations

For Saturday participants, please note that the Maine Sheep Breeders Association has scheduled their annual meeting and supper immediately following the seminar at the same location. Dr. Peischel is the speaker that evening. Both sheep and goat producers are welcome to attend.

For more information, call 207-780-4205 or 1-800-287-1471 (toll-free in Maine)

WAgN's Beginning Women Farmers class

Here is a second opportunity to take the Whole Farm Planning class for beginning women farmers. "Beginning" is generous: it is intended for women who have been farming for fewer than ten years. There will be ten sessions, six in a classroom setting and four on-farm. The location will be determined by what is most convenient for the participants.

This program is limited to 15 participants, so let Gail Chase know as soon as possible if you are interested in receiving an application. (contact information below)

Through funds from a USDA grant, beginning women farmers in Maine can learn more about whole farm planning in a program developed specifically for women. You will be supported in creating your own holistic goal and financial plan and get feedback on it. You must commit to attending all sessions as this is a competitive selection process.

This program includes:
*        One-on-one mentorships,
*        On-farm field days,
*        Business planning seminars,
*        Last but not least, a network of women farmers with concerns similar to yours.

Sound good? If you are interested in learning more or want to sign up for this program, please contact Gail Chase at 207 453-4258 x21 or at gchase@kvcog.org by November 12, 2010.

Contact us soon: we need to reserve a place for you at the table. Six meetings are scheduled through the 2010/2011 winter (see below) Sundays from 9 am to 3 pm. Four farm visits will be planned during spring and summer 2011 to accommodate the class.

Schedule:

December 5th, 2010: Introduction for Whole Farm Program; Creating a Values-based Farm Mission; Whole Farm Decision Analysis Process
January 9th, 2011: Increasing Farm Profitability (Gross Profit Analysis; Enterprise Analysis
January 23rd, 2011: Creating a Whole Farm Financial Plan
February 13th, 2011: Business Planning Basics
February 27th, 2011: Creating a Marketing Plan
TBA: Time Management - Pulling it All Together in a Whole Farm Plan
On-farm TBA: Soil Fertility Basics: Examining Enterpirse's Environmental Implact
On-farm TBA: Land and Infrastructure Planning
On-farm TBA: Improving Land Health and Sustainable Soil Building Techniques
On-farm TBA: Leadership/ Communication Skills

Resources to help cope with the stress of farming

Farming can be stressful in the best of times. Financial worries, unpredictable weather, plant pests, livestock diseases, and isolation all contribute to farmers' anxiety. University of Maine Cooperative Extension has a web site with a number of resources to help farmers and their families who are under stress. One publication from Wyoming State University is "The Personal Nature of Agriculture: Men Seeking Help" # B-1134 by Randy Weigel - "Although there are many ranch and farm men who seek help when facing personal challenges, there are also those who find it difficult and even refuse to confide in others. The personal Nature of Agriculture, Men Seeking Help, Where do Cowboys Go to Cry explores how men's upbringing makes seeking help a challenge, the social and family barriers to seeking help, characteristics of helping professionals who work well with reluctant men, and what men can do to help themselves."

Maine Statewide Crisis and Suicide Prevention Hotline:
1-888-568-1112
(Voice/TTY)

If you are concerned about yourself or about somebody else, call the crisis hotline to be connected to your closest crisis center.

Livestock First Aid Kit

Once assembled the kit should be easy to find, carry, and remain clean and dry even in barn, truck, or livestock trailer environment. Plastic totes, 5-gallon buckets, tackle boxes, or plastic tool boxes can be found in many outlets and could provide a convenient and inexpensive carrier for first aid kit. It is wise to tape important names and phone numbers on the outside and inside of the kit. These important numbers can be found quickly by others even if the primary animal caretaker isn't present. Kit items should be in good condition. It won't help to have dull scissors, etc. to use in an emergency. Kits should be checked regularly and restocked as needed. Don't forget to have a first aid kit for humans too.

Heavy duty scissors
Flashlight
Halter and rope
Needle nosed pliers
Wire cutters (to free an animal caught in wire)
Disposable gloves
4X4 gauze sponges
Skin cleanser
Several small bottles of sterile saline
Water soluble ointment
Frothy Bloat treatment
Screw type bloat trochar
Several rolls of vet type wrap, 1 "medical tape, duct tape
Fly repellant
Several large syringes (35-60 cc)
Small child's disposable diaper or some rolled cotton
Antibiotic eye ointment
Thermometer
1 bottle of Calcium borogluconate or 1 oral calcium gel
Key phone numbers taped on the outside and inside of First Aid Kit

Optional Items:

OB chains and handles, water based lubricant
Small amount of epinephrine
Few needles and small sized syringes
Mineral oil
Hoof nippers and knife
Small sharps container

Source: Large Animal First Aid Kit Dr. David Wolfgang, Extension Veterinarian, Penn State, College of Agricultural Sciences, Dairy & Animal Science, 2007 http://bit.ly/animalfirstaidkit

Pesticide Recertification Credits Available Online!

The Potato Program team is providing opportunities for Maine Board of Pesticides Control recertification credits on line, says Steve Johnson, Extension Potato Specialist at Maine Board of Pesticides Control recertification credits. (The link is also available from the UMaine Extension Potato home page: http://www.umaine.edu/umext/potatoprogram/)

It is possible to receive a Maine Board of Pesticides Control recertification credit for these presentations. As each presentation is approximately a half hour, two presentations would have to be viewed for each credit. Additionally, a test must be passed with a minimum of 80 percent correct answers on each presentation. While there is no charge for viewing this information, there is charge ($5.00) for taking each test (15 questions), whether the tests are passed or not.

View a presentation and when you are ready to take the test (15 questions), click on the link associated with the presentation. You will be directed to a University of Maine Publications Catalog site where you can pay for the test. When you have paid for the test, you will receive a link and a password to take the on-line test. Dr. Johnson will forward the results to the Maine Board of Pesticides control as well as to you. He is trying for a fast (less than 1 business day) turn around. Should the October 31 expiration date for licenses occur between paying for and taking the test, The Maine Board of Pesticides Control will still accept the credit.

Expect more offerings in the future!

Source: Steven B. Johnson, Ph.D., Crops Specialist and Extension Professor, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 57 Houlton Road, Presque Isle, Maine 04769, 1-207-764-3361 or email stevenj@maine.edu.

SARE Farmer Grant Program

The goal of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Farmer Grant program is to develop, refine, and demonstrate new sustainable techniques and to explore innovative ideas developed by farmers across the region. Information gained from these farm-based projects may be used to redirect research priorities.

The deadline for this year's SARE Farmer Grant Program is December 7, 2010. For more information visit Northeast SARE website.

To apply, you must be a farmer in the Northeast SARE region which includes Maine. You need not be farming full time, but your operation should have an established crop or animal product that you sell on a regular basis. Nonprofit farms may apply, but the primary activity of the farm must be to produce and sell food under the kinds of economic constraints that affect commercial growers. Many community-supported farms qualify, but farms where the primary mission is educational normally do not.

A useful guide to developing a Farmer Grant application, with examples and explanations of what makes a strong proposal, is our 44-page booklet: How to Write a SARE Farmer Grant Application.

To learn more about past farmer projects, you may view the national project database. This database allows you to sort by grant type, region, interest area, and a variety of other criteria. A useful bulletin on farm-based research is How to Conduct Research on your Farm or Ranch. To request printed materials including application and general background about SARE, call 802-656-0471 or send e-mail to

nesare@uvm.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.

The New American Farmer: Profiles of Agricultural Innovation
Item #1174. Publisher: Sustainable Ag. Network
After decades of working with farmers and ranchers across the country, University of Missouri economist John Ikerd wanted a way to convince others that what he was seeing-thriving family-run operations making a profit, working in harmony with the environment and helping to improve their communities- was no fluke. Ikerd wanted to share their stories and dreamed of a project where he could plunk a stack of farm profiles in front of every skeptic he encountered and tell them that those farmers were finding ways to make sustainable agriculture work and, more broadly, were redefining the American farm. This book is the realization of Ikerd's vision. "The New American Farmer" is a collection of in-depth interviews and photographs from farmers and ranchers from Hawaii to Maine who have embraced new approaches to agriculture. 160 pages. 2nd edition, 2005. $16.95
Beef Production - Farmer Skill & Knowledge Checklist
Item #1201, Publisher: UMaine Extension
This checklist can help you determine what you know and what you need to know about beef production. Covers breeding and reproduction, calving, cattle health and nutrition, management practices, facilities, fencing and pasturing, and financial concerns. 5 pages, 2009. Download it for free , or buy a color printout. $0.75

Upcoming Events

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 12th, 2010 Penquis Beekeepers Regular Meeting, 7 pm, Dexter VFW, 20 Cedar St., Dexter. For more information call Tish Dutson at 997-3546 or email
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
October 16th, 2010 Maine Beekeepers Annual Meeting, Portland, ME. For more information and to register for this meeting go to Maine Beekeepers Website
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
October 18th, 2010 Piscataquis County Extension Association regular meeting 3 pm at the Extension Office in Dover-Foxcroft. Piscataquis County UMaine Extension Website
October 20th, 2010 Maine Equine Welfare Alliance meeting at 6 pm at the Farm Bureau Office in Augusta. Maine Equine Welfare Alliance Website
October 20th - 21st, 2010 HACCP For Meat & Poultry Processors. This is a basic meat and poultry HACCP course, approved by the International Meat and Poultry HACCP Alliance, and meets HACCP certification. Location: Department of Agriculture, Deering Building, Augusta. For a copy of the brochure, click here. For a copy of the agenda and registration form, click here. There is no registration fee but you must pre-register by October 13. For information regarding program and registration, contact Henrietta Beaufait, DVM, at 207-287-7512 or henrietta.beaufait@maine.gov.
October 23rd and 24th, 2010. Sheep & Goat Reproduction Seminar planned for in Fairfield and New Sharon. The seminar will feature Tennessee Small Ruminant Specialist, Dr. An Peischel and UMaine Animal Science Professor, Dr. James Weber. The Saturday session will feature the science of reproduction. The Sunday session will feature artificial insemination of goats (Sunday session limited to 14 people). For more information or to register for this program call (207)780-4205 or in Maine call toll-free 1(800)287-1471 or Sheep & Goat Seminar Website
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
October 27th, 2010 - free Solar Thermal Energy Workshop 10AM - Noon at Sparrow Farm in Pittston, Maine, sponsored by Farm Energy Partners Network. The Sparrow Farm is located at 253 Whitefield Rd. (Rt. 126) in Pittston. This workshop is open to anyone interested in alternative energy related to greenhouse production. Space is limited, so please register (at no charge) by calling 207-622-7847 ext 3 or email
October 27th, 2010 Maine Highlands Farmers meeting, 7 pm at the Piscataquis County Extension Office, Dover-Foxcroft. We will be showing a DVD featuring how farmers in New England are using high tunnels (modified greenhouses) to extend their growing season. Maine Highlands Farmers
October 30th, 2010, MBPA Fall Feeder Calf Sale, at Dick Brown's facility in Richmond. More information can be found on the Sales page or contact Pete Dusoe at pbdusoe@uninets.net.
November 3rd - 4th, 2010 Northeast Greenhouse Conference & Expo, DCU Worcester, MA. EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS - Attend stimulating educational workshops on a wide range of topics by industry experts; acquire knowledge and gain valuable insight
TRADESHOW - Visit more than 120 innovative exhibitors during dedicated tradeshow time, to gather information on products and services that will benefit your business
NETWORK - Share ideas and build relationships, and make important face-to-face connections with others in the horticulture industry. Northeast's premier horticulture event. For more information and registration materials http://www.negreenhouse.org/
November 5th to 7th, 2010 - Farmer to Farmer Conference, MOFGA and UMaine Cooperative Extension, Northport, Maine. www.mofga.org
December 8th, 2010 - Potato Pest Management Conference Agenda will be forthcoming on the web page http://www.umaine.edu/umext/potatoprogram/ or call 1-207-764-3361
January 19th & 20th 2011 - Maine Potato Conference Agenda will be forthcoming on the web page http://www.umaine.edu/umext/potatoprogram/ or call 1-207-764-3361

Contact Info
Donna Coffin, Extension Educator

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

donna.coffin@maine.edu

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