University of Maine Cooperative Extension
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Piscataquis & Penobscot   

Farming Newsletter             

Volume 10 Number 3

 March 2012 

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
Quick Links
  
Find Piscataquis County on Facebook
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Need Hay? Got Hay or silage to sell? Maine Hay Directory 

 

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.

Farm Marketing & Image Building

Developing Your Farm Logo

What is a logo and why is it important to your business? Your logo is a central part of your overall image in the marketplace. Customers see your logo and will learn to identify your logo as "you". I'm sure you can think of a logo that you can immediately identify with the associated business. A logo may be completely pictorial, a mixture of graphic and letters, (or even letters formed into a graphic), or purely verbal- your organization's name or initials in a certain typeface. How do you develop an effective logo? Begin with the following:

  • Come up with 5-10 descriptive adjectives that are representative of your Position or your farm business as a whole. For example, if you sell gourmet jam to upper-income buyers, your Position might be described as "gourmet".   Adjectives that represent your gourmet image might be, upscale, sophisticated, elegant, chic.
  • Choose a Logo Style. Start considering what type of logo you would like by looking at existing ones. Select logos that have at least one element that is representative of your descriptive adjectives. What about the logos you've chosen appeals to you? Do the logos match your descriptive adjectives? Consider graphic elements, typefaces, color, medium, style, layout, etc.
  • Sketch out your idea(s). What do you want your logo to look like? Consider key components. Will you have a picture of a carrot? Your dairy goats? Your farm? Will you use only letters? What typeface(s) will you use? Will your logo be in the shape of a rectangle? Circular? Open without any defined shape? Will you want to consider your products in relation to your logo? For example, are you only marketing products in round containers? Perhaps a round logo would work best? Be sure to include your farm name so it will always be associated with your logo. You may also include your tag line, contact and product information, although this can be added later as needed.

If you have sketched out an idea or ideas for your logo, you are ready to follow steps 4 and 5 to create your final design.

  1. Run your logo ideas by customers and business associates. Ask them the same questions you asked yourself when selecting logos you like. Ask which idea they like and why. How is that idea representative your farm business? With valuable input you can narrow down your ideas into a final design sketch that you can then take to the next level.
  2. Turn your idea into a finished logo. Consider the following options for producing artwork / graphics:
  • Draw it yourself
  • Hire an illustrator to draw your logo image. Do you know someone with artistic talent who can render the picture you are looking for? Art students are a great place to look for eager low cost illustrators. No matter who you work with throughout the logo development process, make sure you are happy with the quality of the person's work, happy with their level of professionalism and have negotiated with them clearly about the scope of your project- What will they do? How much will it cost? How long will it take them to do it? Do you have full rights to the image to use it in all of your promotion?
  • Use high quality clipart. While I am not a fan of clip art, there is a time and a place for it. If you find something you like and can't live without it, use it. But I think it's best to use images that have been created exclusively for your farm business.
  • Consider the following options for laying out your overall design:
  • Cut & paste by hand or use the computer. There are many computer software programs for layout. You can scan in your drawing and work with it in the computer.
  • Hire a designer or print shop. Again, look to students for low-cost options. Print shops are usually competent with layout, but are sometimes limited in creativity and skill.

   

Source: McPhail, G, Farm Marketing & Image Building, Piscataquis Farming Newsletter, December 2006 & January 2007.   

 

There is still time to sign up for "So You Want to Farm in Maine" 

offered in five evening meetings, from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, starting Tuesday, March 20th. Classes will be held in two locations: Penobscot County Extension Office in Bangor and Presque Isle.Red Barn

Topics will include selecting and evaluating a farm enterprise, writing a business plan, recordkeeping, market research and much more. Cost is $50.00 per farm with a limited number of partial scholarships available. Sponsored by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Risk Management Agency. 

For more information contact Donna Coffin at 1-800-287-1491 or Andrew Plant 1-800-287-1469 (in Maine). To pre-register contact Theresa Tilton at 207-942-7396 or 1-800-287-1485 or email [email protected] or go online at http://www.extension.maine.edu/penobscot.

 

Frost Seeding to Improve Pasture and Hayland

 

The principle behind frost seeding is quite simple. Seed is broadcast on the soil in mid- spring, when daytime temperatures are above freezing but nighttime temperatures are below freezing. This daily freezing and thawing, which shrinks and swells the soil, works the seed into the soil. When temperatures become warm enough, the seed can germinate in the soil, and begin the process of establishment. This seeding method might be called "low-tech" because all that is needed is something to apply the seed (usually some type of spin spreader). It is relatively inexpensive for the same reason; you pay for the seed and the time on the equipment.

What Has to Go Right for Frost Seeding to Work:

1. The seed has to reach the soil surface. For the new forage to have a chance at establishment, it must germinate in the soil. If the seed doesn't reach the soil...end of story. For this reason, this method is not recommended for old hayfields which tend to have thick vegetation, or for abandoned fields with a lot of litter.

2. The seed must work its way into the soil. This is where the frost (or freezing-thawing) goes to work. Timeliness is critical. Seed too early and the seed may die. Seed too late and there is no frost to do the work. In addition, the weather changes from one year to the next, so we can't predict when the right conditions will end.

3. The new seedling must be able to compete with the plants already in place. If the first two steps fall into place, you aren't done yet. Say you frost seed red clover into a timothy-bluegrass pasture. In mid-May, you can locate the new clover seedlings. Notice that they are much smaller than the established grasses. Do you have a plan for controlling this competition? Grazing pressure and clipping are both options but have an idea beforehand to manage this part of the season.  

4. You must be seeding the right plant into the right field or pasture. This is why you need to know why something disappeared the first time. For example, if continuous grazing wiped the clover out of the pasture, the same management will wipe it out again. Likewise, clover may have died out because soil pH was dropping; unless you applied lime lately, the frost-seeded clover is not likely to live anyway. For this reason, frost seeding should be viewed as one component of improving a hayfield or pasture. It should not be seen as the only practice needed to renovate these fields.

sheep on lush pasture

Remember all of these pieces have to fall into place for this seeding method to be successful. Frost seeding is a low-tech method and a low-cost method of forage improvement. It is also a high-risk method of forage improvement, so don't depend just on frost seeding. Make it part of the system.

Most frost seeding is done using legumes, either clover or alfalfa. Birdsfoot trefoil is used occasionally, but it is a poor competitor as a seedling, reducing the likelihood that the seeding will be successful. Seeding rates are variable for legumes. Some people will seed normal rates (12-14 pounds of alfalfa or clover) as an insurance policy . However, if all of the pieces don't fall into place, it doesn't matter how much seed you use. If you are trying to add a little clover, use a lower rate (6-8 pounds).

The frost-seeding method does not appear to work very well for grasses. Grass seed may not be able to tolerate the cold temperatures (freezing to death instead) or it may mold in late spring. If you are interested in adding a grass to a pasture or hayfield, no-till seeding is a more realistic option.

 

Source: Griffin, T., Frost Seeding: Low-Tech Wonder Or Wishful Thinking, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 2003, http://www.umaine.edu/umext/pasture/Lessons/L2/AppendxB.htm

 

Items of Interest  

  • Dover-Foxcroft Farmers Market group has been officially formed. Pete Robinson is the President and Janice Spaulding is the Market Master.  You can find them at Facebook Dover-Foxcroft Farmers Market. They are working with the Congregational Church and the Town of Dover-Foxcroft to have the market in the downtown area. They should be able to announce the site by April 1st. If you are interested in selling at this farmers' market you can contact Janice at(207) 938-3714 or email at [email protected]. Market days will be Tuesday and Saturday. For other farmers' markets throughout the state you can go to Maine Federated Farmers Markets or Get Real Maine     
  • Rural Tax Education http://ruraltax.org/ provides farmers and ranchers, other agricultural producers and Extension educators with a source for agriculturally related income and self-employment tax information that is both current and easy to understand. 
  • Farmers Tax Guide - Publication 225  All IRS tax publications and forms are available online or call 1-800-829-3676, or write to: Internal Revenue Service , 1201 N. Mitsubishi Motorway, Bloomington, IL 61705-6613. 
  •  Maine Farm Labor Laws The Maine Department of Agriculture has a site for information about farm labor.  Maine Farm Labor Info     
  • Animal Carcass Disposal for Homeowners Chapter 211 - Rules for the Disposal of Animal Carcasses, administered by the Department of Agriculture, exempts homeowners from those rules provided it is their own pet being disposed of on their own land. To give homeowners some guidance on how they should properly dispose of animal mortalities, Dave Rocque with the Maine Department of Agriculture developed a factsheet about burial but also discusses composting.  If you would like a copy please contact me at [email protected]    
  • Hand Tool Sources Eric Gallandt, Associate Professor of Weed Ecology and Management, University of Maine Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences Department has been doing research on weed management and weed ecology. Last year at the Sustainable Agriculture Field Day at Rogers Farm his grad students had a variety of hoes for participants to try out and rate. To help small scale farmers access this variety of hand tools for weed management he has a web site at Hand Tool Sources.   

Featured UMaine Extension Publications / Store  

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     

  • Field Guide to On-Farm Composting. Item #1165. Publisher: NRAES. 128-page book for day-to-day compost system management. Spiral bound with a laminated cover. Covers operations and equipment; raw materials and recipe making; process control and evaluation; site considerations, environmental management and safety; composting livestock and poultry mortalities; and compost utilization on the farm. Includes an equipment identification table, windrow diagrams, examples, equations for recipe making and compost use estimation, a troubleshooting guide, and 24 full-color photos. Intended as a companion to the On-Farm Composting Handbook above. 1999. $20.00    
  • Maple Syrup Quality Control Manual. Item #7038. Publisher: UMaine Extension. 20-page maple syrup producers' manual presents production techniques to ensure high quality maple syrup and syrup products. Discusses equipment care and quality, cleanliness, the sap collection process, sap processing, and packing. Includes appendix with relevant Maine regulations. Sturdy laminated cover. 2002, with 2007 updates. Download it for free:   or  a printout. $3.00  
canning jar with money
You Can ...

Even though times are tough, You Can sustain your family. The Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension have put together a series of workshops that will give you the skills to get started in self-sufficiency.

To register for a You Can program contact PVAEC, 48 Morton Ave., Suite M, Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426 or call 564-6525 or register online at http://bit.ly/pyoucan. Sessions are held throughout Piscataquis County and nearby towns. Costs range from $5 to $10 with partial scholarships available. Go online to find the times and places for the following sessions.  

  • March 13 - Raise Cash as a Crop
  • March 14 - Simplify Your Life - Getting Back to the Good Ole' Days
  • March 20 - Spring Cleaning 
  • March 28 - Can It, Freeze It or Dry It
  • March 29 - Start Your Own Plants from Seed
  • April 5 - Small Scale Livestock Care   
  • April 12 - Start Your Own Plants from Seed 
  • April 13 - Landscapes for People and Pollinators
  • April 21 - Firewood Processing
  • April 26 - Start Your Own Plants from Seed 

Upcoming Events                                                              

  •  March 9, 2012 Maine Vegetable & Fruit School - Bangor Motor Inn Conference Center, 701 Hogan Rd., Bangor. Sponsored by the UMaine Extension, Maine Crop Insurance Education Program, Maine Vegetable & Small Fruit Growers Association.  2 hours pesticide recertification credit and 5 hours certified crop advisers credits available. Pre-registration is required and cost is $35 per person and includes lunch. Make checks payable to KLCEA and mail to Highmoor Farm, Att. Pam St.Peter, P.O. Box 179, Monmouth, ME 04259. For more information contact Mark Hutchinson [email protected] or call 207-832-0343.    

  • March 9 to 11, 2012 Farm Business Skills Weekend Retreat at the Gazebo Room of the Bangor Motor Inn on the Hogan Road in Bangor. Sponsored by the Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society and Knowledge Transfer Alliance. The goal is to have farmers use and customize farm business management tools (QuickBooks, Excel Spreadsheets, recordkeeping, and on-line social networks.)  Cost is $190 (for those lodging at the Bangor Motor Inn) or $50 (for those with other lodging arrangements. Lunch and dinner on Saturday, as well as snacks and refreshments throughout the weekend, will be provided. To register, please contact Andrew Files at (207) 843- 7581 or [email protected] or http://mesas.org/regionaleventsprojects.html. Space is limited!  
  • March 10, 2012 Livestock 101 Field Day 11 am to 3 pm, Witter Center Farm, University of Maine, Orono. Participants will learn basic techniques in animal care and handling. This program is sponsored by the UMaine Extension, Maine Department of Agriculture and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.  Pre-registration is required for this free program.  Send your name, address, phone and email to Melissa Libby, 134 Hitchner Hall, UMaine Extension, Orono, ME 04469-5735, (207) 581-2788 in Maine 1-800-287-7170 or [email protected].  Online pre-registartions through http://umaine.edu/livestock 
  • March 11th 4-H Fun Day - equine judging and training at Witter Farm, University

  • March 13, 2012 Raise Cash as a Crop 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the SEDOMOCHA School in Dover-Foxcroft.  This is part of the YOU CAN series.  FMI or to register http://bit.ly/pyoucan  
  • March 13, 2012 Backyard Poultry 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Penquis Valley High School in Milo. This is part of the You Can series. FMI and to register go to http://bit.ly/pyoucan   
  • March 13, 2012 Maine Dairy Seminar 
  • March 14 & 15, 2012 Transferring the Farm March 14 in Houlton at Houlton Higher Ed Center and March 15 in Waterville at Governor's Restaurant. An introductory workshop to help farm families minimize farm business succession risks. Registration at 8:30 am with program to start at 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Cost is $20 per person and includes lunch. Late fee of $10 for registrations received after March 7th.  To register contact Gary Anderson at (207) 581-3240 or 2788 or in Maine 1-800-287-7170 or [email protected]  
  • March 20, 27, April 3,10,17, 2012 So You Want to Farm in Maine 6:30 pm to 9 pm at the Penobscot County Extension Office in Bangor and electronically linked to Aroostook Extension Office in Presque Isle. This is a farm business course for those already farming who would like to brush-up their business skills, or those thinking about becoming farmers.

    Topics will include selecting and evaluating a farm enterprise, writing a business plan, recordkeeping, market research and much more. Cost is $50.00 per farm with a limited number of partial scholarships available. Sponsored by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Risk Management Agency. For more information contact Donna Coffin at 1-800-287-1491 or Andrew Plant 1-800-287-1469 (in Maine). To pre-register contact Theresa Tilton at 207-942-7396 or 1-800-287-1485 or email [email protected] or go online at http://www.extension.umaine.edu/penobscot.   

  • March 16, 2012 Egg-stravaganza at Valley Grange in Guilford. 6 pm pot luck supper (bring an egg dish to share, 7 pm meeting to celebrate the week long GrowME program in area schools and come see how an egg is formed inside a virtual chicken. For more information go to http://valleygrange.wordpress.com/  
  • March 17, 2012 Grass Farmers Network and Beef Conference, Waterville  for details www.umaine.edu/livestock/mgfn  
  • March 24, 2012 Foxcroft Vet Equine Conference, Center Theater in downtown Dover-Foxcroft.  8:00 am coffee/donuts, 8:30 Dr. Tuttle Why vaccinate, how does it work, what does it do?, 9:45 Dr. Dennis Ruksznis Pearls of wisdom news hour, what is new hot topics in equine medicine!!, 11:30 Dan Heon, Pfizer New oral sedative paste and new equine injectable antibiotic. Door prizes, games, and as always lots of stories and fun!!! http://www.facebook.com/foxcroftveterinaryservices 
  • March 28, 2012  Quick Books for Farmers with Senthil Sockalingam, Maine Technology Alliance followed by the Maine Highlands Farmers regular business meeting.  All interested farmers welcome to attend this free meeting. for more information go to www.mainehighlandsfarmers.com   
  • April 5, 2012 Small-Scale Livestock Care  6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Extension Office in Dover-Foxcroft.  Donna Coffin will be the speaker.  This is part of the You Can series. FMI and to register go to http://bit.ly/pyoucan   
  • April 12, 2012 Grazing Workshop Kevin Ogles, NRCS Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative and Ray Archuleta, conservation agronomist with NRCS. Spronsored by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Registration is $15 and includes lunch. more details will be posted at www.umain.edu.livestock/mgfn  
  • May 13, 2012 Dr. Temple Grandin Maine Grass Farmers Network, Pinelands Farms Natural Meats, Maine Feef Producers Association, University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Northeast Hearing & Speech are teaming up to bring her to Maine.  This will be a free clinic to hear one of the most amazing minds in all of cattle handling history.  It will take place at Pineland.  Stay tuned for specific time and location.  

Beginning Women's Farmers Classes  Classes are offered for free, and include lunch.There is a mentor for the class who will keep in touch with you and will visit your farm once within the year.
For more information contact:
Gail Chase, Community Development Manager, Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, 207 453-4258 ext. 218, Director, Maine WAgN -Women's Agricultural Network,  207 453-4258  ext. 218, [email protected]    

March 11, 2012:        Marketing 
March 25, 2012:        Leadership, communication and power: time management 
April 15, 2012:           Land and infrastructure planning 
May 20, 2012:           Grazing planning (on-farm session, with farm tour) 
June 10, 2012:          Soil fertility (on-farm, with farm tour)

 

Three Shearing Schools are sponsored by The Maine Sheep Breeders Association and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. For more information, contact UMaine Extension at 1-800-287-1471 (207-781-6099) or email [email protected]

March 30-31, 2012 Blade Shearing School* with expert blade shearer, Kevin Ford. Fee $100/person. Participation limited to 8 individuals. Site in Maine to be determined  

Blade shearing is the shearing of sheep with hand shears (no electricity). This hands-on, 2-day school will equip participants with skills and knowledge to shear sheep and in the proper use and care of hand shears. Shears are provided for the school and will be available for purchase.

April 21, 2012 Sheep Shearing School, Beginner Level, Windham, Maine (Cumberland County) Fee: $35/person

April 28, 2012 Sheep Shearing School, Beginner Level, Littleton, Maine (Aroostook County) Fee: $35/person

The conventional sheep shearing schools are taught by a team of experienced, Maine-based sheep shearers. The team is comprised of Jeff Burchstead, David Averill, Brandon Woolley, Joan Rolfe and Richard Brzozowski. Participants will learn how to catch, handle and maneuver sheep for shearing, shear efficiently with electric shears, shear on a table as a option, and the proper trimming of hooves, handling of wool and caring of equipment.

 

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. 
   

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