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Putting knowledge to work with the people of Maine
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Piscataquis & Penobscot
Farming Newsletter |
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| Volume 9 Number 5 | May 2011 |
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| Goal
The 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. |
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 Weather |
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Quick Links
Find Piscataquis County on Facebook
Find Penobscot County on Facebook
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Underlined
Please note that underlined words and phrases link to webpages with more information. If you are unable to access these pages contact your local Extension Office for assistance.
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To: The UMaine Cooperative Extension Community:
I am delighted to share with you that the recently past federal budget contains a 1.2% cut in the funding to Cooperative Extension's Smith-Lever 3(b)&(c) funding. This is a dramatic reduction from the 10% cut that was proposed in the US House budget. I want to thank everyone who took the time to express their support for UMaine Cooperative Extension by contacting the offices of Senator Snowe and Senator Collins. Your advocacy was tremendous and inspiring to our workforce. It's wonderful to know that the work we do is valued by the people we work with. Now I need to ask that you do one more thing. If you contacted Senator Collins' or Senator Snowe's offices, please do it again, but this time to say thank you for the support of the Senators for the compromise budget. Extension is apt to need their support in the future and saying thank you for their support now is the right thing to do.
All the best,
John Rebar
Executive Director
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UMaine Extension New Farmer Web Site
We have a new UMaine Extension Web site http://umaine.edu/new-farmers/ for NEW FARMERS! This website was created especially for beginning farmers by Tori Lee Jackson, Extension Educator and other agriculture extension staff in the state. It includes videos, FAQs, factsheets, and links to many other resources to support Mainers who are considering becoming farmers or who have recently started farming. The FAQ section is being built with YOUR questions, so don't be shy in submitting those to us! We welcome your comments on the new site. |
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Moosehead Furniture Survey
Students from the UMaine School of Business are working on a market research project that involves the Moosehead Furniture Co. They have been conducting secondary market research of available data on the potential target market and opportunities. The next step is primary research and they are asking for assistance from the Maine community. Residents of Maine are invited to participate in the survey at http://bit.ly/MooseheadFurniture. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate in the survey. Participants will be given an opportunity to win a UMaine stuffed bear. |
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 Workshops for Livestock Owners!
Livestock 101: A basic livestock care workshop for small-scale producers will be held May 14th, 2011, 9am - 4pm at the American Legion, 21 College Ave in Waterville. The following species will be covered: beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, ponies, chickens and other poultry. Topics will include feed and shelter requirements, preventative health care, organic and conventional management, and the basics of recordkeeping and marketing.
The fee is $20/person (includes lunch & program materials). Scholarships are available for half the fee. Pre-Registration is required: Send your name, address, phone, email and check made out to UMaine Extension to Melissa Potts Libby, Hitchner Hall, UMaine Extension, Orono, ME 04469, 207-581-2788, in Maine 1-800-287-0274 or Melissa.Potts1@maine.edu. Also, please list the types of livestock you are raising or interested in raising.
Northeast Livestock Expo 2011: The Maine Beef Producers, The Maine Sheep Breeders Association and the Boer Goat Breeders of Maine have again joined together to present the annual Northeast Livestock Expo on the Windsor Fairgrounds May 20-22, 2011. The livestock expo draws beef cattle, sheep, boer goats, rabbits, equine and alpaca for shows, youth events and auctions. For a schedule of events, visit
http://www.northeastlivestockexpo.com/
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Credit Card / Debit Card Scanner for Cell Phone
You are sitting at a farmers' market with customers who want to buy your farm products with a credit or debit card. What's a direct marketer to do? Now there are several options available.
- The Square App: The Square is a free device and application for iOS and Android devices. The tiny white, plastic square plugs into the audio jack of the device to quickly and easily slide credit or credit/debit cards. The free application turns your device into a mobile cash register, receipts are sent immediately to the customer via email, transactions deposited into your bank account in 1 day. A flat fee of 2.75% per swipe. Easy to learn, and very secure (no personal customer information is stored on your device), and a great way to maximize use of your smart phone or tablet computer.
www.squareup.com - Intuit Go-Payment: Intuit has the card readers and reader/printers available to use with your cell phone. It runs off batteries. Some models are free and other cost upwards of $180. There is a cost per transaction. http://gopayment.com
- Mobile Merchant is another company that accepts credit cards through your cell phone. www.merchantanywhere.com
As the technology gets more established farmers may be able to use these devices to accept EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfers) at farmers' markets and farm stands. If you have a land line at your farm stand and are interested in applying to accept EBTs you can go to www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ebt/fm.htm another site to get info on accepting foodstamps that was written by folks at the Maine Department of Agriculture. Food Stamps and Farmers ... It's Win Win
Also, farmers may be interested in accepting WIC (Women, Infants, & Children) vouchers. For application you can go to WIC for Farmers |
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MOFGA Farm Apprenticeships
Learn diverse farming skills through the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) Farm Apprenticeship Program. Options include working on a dairy farm, sheep farm, organic vegetable farm, CSA's, greenhouse operations, and much more! No prerequisites are required, other than a devoted and sincere interest in learning organic and mostly manual agricultural practices, and a willingness to work long, hard hours. Opportunities are available primarily during the growing season: March-October, but year round opportunities are available as well. Compensation is farm-specific, though generally apprentices are given stipends and optional living arrangements. Visit www.mofga |
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Farming Webcasts
- Archived webcasts of presentations at March's USDA Organic Farming Systems Research Conference in Washington DC here: Organic Farming Webinars Link. This conference was held to examine findings from research on organic farming systems, including many longstanding projects. The audience included researchers, policymakers, farmers, ranchers and others who are interested in exploring the implications of organic farming systems research.
- Organic Vegetable Production Systems, Marketing and Food Systems articles and archived webcasts from eXtension at eXtension Organic Vegetable Production Systems
Source: April 2011 NIFA Small Farm Program Highlights. If you have questions, information to share, comments, or wish to subscribe, send an e-mail to pmcaleer@nifa.usda.gov |
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 Saving Farm Energy
Iowa State University Farm Energy Site has a number of helpful tips to reduce fuel consumption in tractors for farmers as they start field operations this year that will be highlighted in a webinar later this month. Their "shift up, throttle down" technique to save fuel is applicable anytime available tractor drawbar power significantly exceeds the power required for implement operation. Common examples are use of a smaller field cultivator or disk for secondary tillage or planer operations. Fuel saved can run from 10 percent to 20 percent at 75% to 50% load or power requirement for tractor. Overloading or lugging the engine when engine speed is reduced should be avoided. This technique is not suited to field operations that require using the power-take-off (PTO) powered implements such as a baler or mower-conditioner since the PTO shaft speed is directly related to the engine speed, the tractor engine speed can't be reduced. Shift back, throttle up. They also point to an article in the Corn & Soybean Digest on 14 ways to save energy on your farm... Begin your battle of the bulge with Btus by Edith Munro.
Source: April 2011 NIFA Small Farm Program Highlights. |
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Items of Interest
High Tunnel Web Resources from Rutgers University
High tunnel growing offers season extension, yield and quality improvements, reduction in fertilizer leaching, reduction in costly pesticide and fungicide inputs, and quick payback on capital investment. They are an answer to many farmers' problems, if you are willing to manage the technology. This expanded online resource center includes a 60-image step-by-step how-to tunnel construction tutorial by A.J. Both and Wes Kline: High Tunnel Resources
AskFSIS: Regulatory Meat Processing Resource
AskFSIS is an interactive Web-based application designed to help answer technical and policy-related questions from inspection program personnel, industry, consumer groups, other stakeholders, and the public. AskFSIS contains a knowledge base of questions and answers that is searchable and allows visitors to seek answers related to such diverse topics as exporting, labeling, and inspection-related policies, programs, and procedures. It automatically routes new questions that users submit to the appropriate staff. Users can register to be notified when answers are updated. Regulatory questions about meat processing. AskFSIS is a quick way to get definitive regulatory answers. Asking questions is easy and they usually get back to you within 24 hours, if the FAQ doesn't have what you're looking for. http://www.extension.org/pages/Ask_FSIS.
Agarian Nation
"Agrarian Nation" is an educational web site that publishes excerpts from the pre-1900 agricultural writings. A new-old excerpt is posted every Monday and Friday morning. http://agrariannation.blogspot.com/
Source: Small Farms Program April 2011 Newsletter |
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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.
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, 2011.Download it for free, or buy a printout. $3.00
This Old Hayfield: A Fact Sheet on Hayfield Renovation
Forage Facts Series, Item #2491
Publisher: UMaine Extension
Learn how to bring neglected hay fields back into production or simply maintain the fields with desirable grasses and open space. 2 pages, 2004. Download it for free: PDF (for printing) / HTML, (for browsing) or buy a printout. $0.50
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Upcoming Events
- May 14th, 2011 Livestock 101, 9 am to 4 pm, American Legion Hall, 21 College Ave, Waterville. This day-long session will provide basic livestock production information for small-scale farmers. Pasture, feeding, housing, health, production cycle, recordkeeping, marketing & management. Sponsored by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Maine Department of Agriculture and Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. Cost: $20 per person (includes lunch & program materials) Scholarships available. For more information contact Melissa Libby Potts, 581-2788 of melissa.potts1@maine.edu or go online to http://umaine.edu/livestock
- May 18, 2011, Recycled Oil Heating Workshop, 10:00-11:30am at Laughingstock Farm
79 Wardtown Road - Freeport, Maine. No registration required. Learn about recycled oil heating systems from farm owner Ralph Turner. Ralph will also explain how subsidies are making it difficult for him to cost-effectively buy used oil for his heating system. For more information, contact Claudia Lowd (cleanenergy@mainerural.org). - May 20, 21, & 22, 2011 Mark your calendars for the 5th annual Northeast Livestock Exposition (NELE) at the Windsor Fairgrounds! Check out our website at www.Northeastlivestockexpo.com and find us on Facebook for all the latest updates: "Northeast Livestock Exposition" and youth activities listed under "NELE Youth Events."
- May 20-22, 2011 Maine Beef Producers Association Purebred Pen Sale at NELE. Contact Ed Carter 207-737-2872 or 207-877-1180 for details
- May 21, 2011 Maine Beef Producers Association Spring Feeder Calf Sale at NELE. This is a preconditioned sale. Consignments must have been weaned a minimum of 35 days prior to the sale or by April 16th. For preconditioning protocol go to Maine Beef Producers Association Website. Contact Pete Dusoe 207-416-5441 or 207-948-3233 to consign or for more information.
- May 25th, 2011 Maine Highlands Farmers 7 pm at the Piscataquis Extension Office, Dover-Foxcroft. Terry Sideling with the Maine Department of Transportation will be discussing farm vehicles, licensing, weight limits, off road fuel, etc. This is reschedule from last month. www.mainehighlandsfarmers.com
- July 24th, 2011 Open Farm Day for more information go to www.getrealmaine.com
Need Pesticide credits? Check out the Maine Board of Pesticide credit calendar, many approved pesticide applicator recertification programs are listed. You can view the calendar on their web site at: Pesticide Recertification Credit Calendar |
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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SURFACE MAIL RECIPIENTS CAN CONTACT THEIR COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION WHEN WEB LINKS ARE INCLUDED IN AN ARTICLE.
Piscataquis County Office 207-564-3301 or 800-287-1491
165 East Main Street Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426
Penobscot County Office 207-942-7396 or 800-287-1485
307 Maine Avenue Bangor, ME 04401 |
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