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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 10 Number 8
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August 2012
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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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| Need Hay? Got Hay or silage to sell? Maine Hay Directory
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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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Spotted Wing Drosophila Update for Fruit Growers
This announcement is also posted with color pictures on the Highmoor Farm website at: Highmoor Farm Blog.
The first spotted wing drosophila of the 2012 season was found in a trap in Limington on Friday, July 13. Since that time, we have found spotted wing drosophila flies in our traps at locations in Springvale, New Gloucester, Poland Spring, Mechanic Falls, Wales, Litchfield, Fayette, Thorndike and Warren. While we have not yet caught the flies at all of the locations where we are trapping, it would be best to assume that the fly is now fairly widespread and active through much of the state. Therefore, if you presently have ripening berry crops or other soft fruit, we are recommending protecting them with an appropriate insecticide on a regular basis at this time. We are catching relatively low numbers of flies at these locations but the numbers have started to increase. We know that the traps only tell us when the fly is already in the field, and we also know how rapidly the population can explode, so we are recommending preventive measures be taken as soon as possible. Products that provide good control of drosophila on berries include spinosad products such as Entrustâ, Radiantâ and Delegateâ (group 5), and pyrethroids such as Brigadeâ, Mustangâ and Danitolâ (group 3). Please check product labels for which crops are registered for the product, rates, post-harvest intervals and safety precautions. Keeping the fields clean of over-ripe and rotten fruit can also help reduce the incidence of this insect.
Source: David Handley, UMaine Extension Vegetable and Small Fruit Specialist. |
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Agricultural Adaptation to a Changing Climate: Economic and Environmental Implications Vary by U.S. Region
Economic Research Report No. (ERR-136) 84 pp, July 2012Global climate models predict increases over time in average temperature worldwide, with significant impacts on local patterns of temperature and precipitation. The extent to which such changes present a risk to food supplies, farmer livelihoods, and rural communities depends in part on the direction, magnitude, and rate of such changes, but equally importantly on the ability of the agricultural sector to adapt to changing patterns of yield and productivity, production cost, and resource availability. Study findings suggest that, while impacts are highly sensitive to uncertain climate projections, farmers have considerable flexibility to adapt to changes in local weather, resource conditions, and price signals by adjusting crops, rotations, and production practices. Such adaptation, using existing crop production technologies, can partially mitigate the impacts of climate change on national agricultural markets. Adaptive redistribution of production, however, may have significant implications for both regional land use and environmental quality. |
On-Farm Poultry Processing for Small Flocks in Maine
Consumer demand for locally produced poultry products has increased in Maine in the past few years. In response to this demand, farmer interest in producing poultry meat has also increased. Small- and medium-sized flock owners interested in marketing poultry meat products in Maine have traditionally faced several challenges that have narrowed the options for marketing products locally. These include
- insufficient numbers of state- or USDA-inspected commercial poultry processors,
- processor locations that are inconvenient to producers, and
- seemingly high per-bird processing fees at these processing facilities.
However, recent changes to Maine state poultry-processing regulations, which went into effect in May 2010, have made on-farm processing more attainable and affordable, especially for producers raising flocks of less than one thousand birds per year.
UMaine Extension and the Maine Department of Agriculture have just released a publication with information on these new regulations. Publication # 2235 is available online or you can order from our publications store for $0.75.
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Sustainable Ag Questions?
There are experts in sustainable agriculture waiting to answer questions. At no charge. The service is one of the most popular offered by ATTRA, the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. ATTRA was developed and is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology through a cooperative agreement with the USDA Rural Business Cooperative Service. Farmers, ranchers, agricultural professionals, and educators, can contact our experts through our hotline phone service, which is offered both in English and Spanish, and by using the "Ask an Ag Expert" function on the ATTRA website. Our experts can offer help with issues pertaining to crops, livestock, soil, water, nutrients, marketing, farm energy, and many other topics. The ATTRA website also has more than 300 publications, most of which are available to download at no cost, an archive of recorded webinars, an ecological pest-management database, an internship database, job opportunities, workshop and conference calendars, sustainable ag news and newsletters, and more.
The ATTRA hotline numbers are: 800-346-9140 (English) and 800-411-3222 (Spanish).
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Items of Interest
- Got Hay? Need Hay? The Maine Hay Directory is a resource for people
who need hay or have hay to sell or hay stumpage available for cutting. Check it out at http://umaine.edu/livestock/hay/ or call your local Extension office for a copy. - Small and medium layer flock owners. If you have over 3,000 layers in one place, the new FDA Egg Rule is now in effect for your farm. You can read about it in this announcement, and also there is a very helpful set of information at the FDA site, http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/EggSafety/default.htm The UMaine Animal Health Lab can help with any needs for salmonella testing of the environment of the farm, or of eggs. For more information click on Salmonella testing
- Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass The KYF Compass highlights USDA investments in local food systems; showcases inspiring local food success stories from around the country; and features an interactive map. The 2.0 version of the map (live on July 17) is searchable by keyword or zip code radius, easier to use than the original version and has thousands of new data points, including USDA-funded local food projects in all 50 states, farmers markets, food hubs, wholesale markets, meat processing facilities and other critical infrastructure.
- Farmers' Markets Lists throughout the state you can go to Maine Federated Farmers Markets, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Get Real Maine or Harvest to Hand
- Price listing of organic produce and livestock stock products go to MOFGA's organic price reports. They also have a link to previous years prices.
- Disaster Assistance crop and livestock producers who have recently experienced severe damage from recent severe weather conditions can contact their local Farm Service Agency to see if there is assistance to help them recover.
- Interested in Helping Farmers Out West Suffering from Drought? Maine hay growers who are interested in sending hay out west to help farmers who are having problems with drought, may connect with Loyd Wilson with the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Mr. Wilson is who trying to connect farmers in need with farmers with hay. His contact information is Loyd.Wilson@mda.mo.gov or phone (573) 751-5513.
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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.
- On-Farm Processing for Small Flocks in Maine, Item #2235. Publisher: UMaine Extension. This fact sheet is for small- and medium-sized flock owners interested in marketing poultry meat products in Maine. It addresses recent changes to Maine state poultry-processing regulations, especially for producers raising flocks of less than one thousand birds per year. 5 pages. 2012. Download it for free: HTML (for browsing) or buy a printout. $0.75.
- Storage Conditions: Fruits and Vegetables Item #4135. Publisher: UMaine/Kansas Extension. Karen L. B. Gast. This 8-page booklet explains post-harvest management of commercial horticultural crops to minimize loss and maximize storage life and quality. Discusses relative humidity and temperatures; includes chart with storage conditions and storage time periods for 85 fruits and vegetables. 2001. Download it for free: HTML, (for browsing) or buy a printout. $1.25
- Production of Vegetables, Strawberries, and Cut Flowers Using Plasticullture Item #2183. Publisher: NRAES. Covers plastic mulch, drip irrigation, fertigation, season extension, windbreaks, crop establishment, weed management, soil sanitation, and managing used plastics. Strawberry and cut flower production systems are described in depth. For new/experienced growers, educators, serious gardeners. 156 pp., 2004. $24.00
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Upcoming Events
- August 15th, 2012 Online Winter Farmers Market Planning Meeting, 6:30 pm at the Piscataquis County Extension Office in Dover-Foxcroft. Jackie and Gale Robinson are holding a meeting for farmers interested in participating in an online winter farmers market in the Piscataquis County area. If you are interested please plan to attend this meeting or contact Jackie or Gale at 564-7433.
- August 16, 2012 Ever Heard of Aronia? Aronia is a small fruit that can be grown in Maine. For more information about Aronia and information about an Aronia Field Day scheduled for
in Monmouth, see http://umaine.edu/agriculture/home/aronia/ - August 22 to 23, 2012 Maine Farm Days at Misty Meadows Farm in Clinton. Maine Farm Days began in the early 70's as an agricultural trade show that is held on a working farm. Farm Days Inc. joins the host family, USDA, state agricultural agencies, farm organizations, and cooperating farm equipment and service dealers in sponsoring this agricultural exhibition. Pesticide Recertification credits are available both days. FMI Maine Farm Days or http://www.facebook.com/maine.days
- August 22nd, 2012 Maine Highlands Farmers - 7 pm Widdershins Farm hosted by Wendy & Chris Russell, 843 Bear Hill Rd., Dover-Foxcroft. They raise Devon Cattle, Katahdin Sheep & Nigerian Dwarf Goat. Products available from their farm include grass fed beef (by the side or by the piece) and raw cow & goat milk from their state licensed dairy. After the tour the Maine Highlands Farmers will have a short business meeting. All are welcome for this free program. FMI Maine Highlands Farmers
- August 23rd to 26th, 2012 Piscataquis Valley Fair in Dover-Foxcroft.
- August 25th, 2012 Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District Tour - 9 am to noon at Stutzman's Farm, Sangerville will be presented with the Cooperator of the Year. The farm tour will include the Conservation Innovation Grant funded hoop house designed from native wood. Also Caragh Fitzgeral, Extension Educator from Kennebec County will discuss soil quality. Lunch is available at $6 per person or you can bring your own bagged lunch. FMI contact PCSWCD at 564-2321 ext 3 or info@piscataquisswcd.org
- September 5th, 2012 - Processing Pastured Poultry. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., MOFGA, Unity. Diane Schivera, MOFGA's organic livestock specialist, and poultry processing professionals guide participants through safely and humanely processing live birds into oven ready roasters. Covers poultry management, equipment, food safety. Please bring a kitchen knife and apron. $30 fee includes a bird to take home. Limit: 15 participants. Register at mofga.org or 568-4142.
- September 11th, 2012 Meeting about The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and Its Possible Effects on Maine's Specialty Crop Grower Operations from 10am - 2pm at the Bangor Motor Inn, 701 Hogan Rd, Bangor, Exit 187/Hogan Road Exit off Interstate 95 sponsored by AgMatters LLC . Please register for one of the following meetings by September 3, 2012: Please RSVP by phone 873-2108 (leave a message!); by mail @ 1063 Main St, Vassalboro, ME 04989 or by email at ltitus21@myfairpoint.net Lunch will be provided.
- September 21st - 23rd, 2012 - Common Ground Country Fair. MOFGA's premier event celebrating rural living. Three full days of educational talks and demonstrations, entertainment, delicious Maine-grown, organic food and products from local artisans. Details. To volunteer contact volunteers@mofga.org.
- October 6th - 8th, 2012 - Nose to Tail Pork Processing. At MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity. This workshop covers all aspects of raising, humanely slaughtering, and processing pigs. Registration fills very quickly, you can sign up for the wait list. Details.
- October 13th, 2012 Early Entry for Fall Preconditioned Feeder Calf Sale
- October 26-27, 2012 ESTIA - The International EcoPeace Community's 9th Annual Conference on Slow Food, A Model for Sustainable & Healthy Living at Wells Commons, University of Maine, Orono, ME.
- November 3rd, 2012 Fall Preconditioned Feeder Calf Sale, Dick Brown's facility in Richmond, ME. Preconditioning protocol available at the Maine Beef Producers Association website or contact Pete Dusoe at (207) 948-3233 or (207) 416-5441 or email pbdusoe@uninets.net
- December 1, 2012 Beef Conference in the Bangor area. Focus will be on marketing. Stay tuned for more information.
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
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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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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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