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Piscataquis & Penobscot
Gardening Newsletter
Volume 10 Issue 8 September/October 2012 |
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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. |
Goal
The goal of the Piscataquis & Penobscot Gardening Newsletter is to provide timely information on practical, sustainable, research-based horticultural practices, tools and techniques which will improve home gardening success in our two counties. Upcoming events and programs of interest will also be included. |
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Find Piscataquis County Extension on Facebook
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September and October are the Months to...
- Harvest and preserve herbs before they are taken by the frost. The National Center for Home Food Preservation has some excellent information on both drying and freezing herbs.
- Dig and store dahlia tubers and canna rhizomes. Click here to learn how
- Plant garlic in mid-October. Be sure to purchase your "seed" garlic from a reputable source with disease-free stock. A few major garlic diseases have recently appeared in Maine that are devastating to both
 commercial and home garlic production. - Safely store, preserve, and enjoy your fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Donate fresh fruits and vegetables to Maine Harvest for Hunger - it's easy!
- Keep weeding your gardens. It's probably tough to get excited about weeding this time of year, but removing weeds before they set seed in your garden can have a tremendous effect on weed pressure in following seasons. Don't give up!
- Test your soil. UMaine Extension recommends testing every three years. You may want to test more often if you have a problem area or if you've applied a lot of nutrients. Some people test their soil every year to save money on fertilizer, lime, and other soil amendments.
- Visit your local farmers market.
- Re-seed empty spots in your garden with lettuce, radishes, chard, spinach, beet greens and other cold-tolerant, short-season crops. Construct a low-tunnel with slitted plastic and/or row cover to protect young seedlings from cool temperatures. You'll want to be careful not to overheat the plants on warm, sunny days.
- Participate in a Maine Harvest for Hunger gleaning event. Volunteers are needed for upcoming potato harvest in the Orono area. Contact Kate Garland for more information.
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New FoodCorps Service Member in Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties
University of Maine Cooperative Extension welcomes Zoe Hastings to Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties as the new FoodCorps Service Member. Zoe will be serving in Old Town, Dexter, Dover-Foxcroft, and Milo schools assisting staff in teaching garden education, creating and expanding school gardens, and sourcing local produce for school cafeterias. Zoe is originally from Elkhorn, Wisconsin, having spent the last several years in St Paul, Minnesota, and most recently the US Virgin Islands. She earned her Bachelor's degree in biology and environmental studies from Macalester College where she also worked for the Grounds Department as a Sustainability Assistant.
Zoe has a lifelong passion for healthy living and exploring the natural world. While serving with FoodCorps and living in Maine, Zoe is looking forward to meeting other passionate individuals and sparking this passion in the students with whom she engages. If you are interested in learning more about Zoe's service or would like to volunteer with any of the programs she is coordinating please feel free to email zoe.hastings@foodcorps.org or call the Penobscot County Office at (207) 942-7396 or 1-800-287-1485. For more information on FoodCorps, please visit www.foodcorps.org.
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State Sponsors Free Pesticides Disposal for Maine Homeowners, Family Farms
AUGUSTA-Maine's Board of Pesticides Control (BPC), the Maine Department of Agriculture, and Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are partnering to provide homeowners a free opportunity this fall to dispose of old pesticides that may be stockpiled on their properties.
Required registration-the deadline for which is Sept. 28-is now open for the disposal day, which gives owners of homes and family farms and greenhouses the opportunity to safely and legally get rid of pesticides that have become caked, frozen, or otherwise unusable, including those that are banned in the state.
It's not uncommon for new owners of older homes or farms in Maine to discover they have inherited hazardous waste in the form of pesticides, with old chemicals such as DDT, lead arsenate, 2,4,5-T and chlordane left behind in barns, basements or garages.
While disposing of these chemicals can seem daunting, it's important for the protection of public, wildlife and environmental health that they are dealt with properly and not tossed in the trash or down the drain where they can contaminate land and water resources, including drinking water.
"We urge people holding these chemicals to contact us immediately to register," said BPC Public Education Specialist Paul Schlein. "There will be four sites throughout the state where preregistered participants will be able to bring their obsolete pesticides and dispose of them conveniently and at no cost."
The collected chemicals go to out-of-state disposal facilities licensed by the federal Environmental Protection Agency where they are incinerated or reprocessed.
Due to safety and regulatory requirements, disposal "drop-ins" are not allowed, so registration by the Sept. 28 deadline is necessary. The BPC will contact registrants several weeks prior to that drive to inform them of their local collection date and location.
To register, get additional details or learn important information about the temporary storage and transportation of obsolete pesticides, go to http://www.thinkfirstspraylast.org or call Henry Jennings, Maine Board of Pesticides Control, director, at 287-2731.
Through their jointly sponsored disposal events-which are funded entirely through pesticide product registration fees-BPC and DEP have kept about 90 tons of pesticides out of the waste stream since 1982.
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Hunters for the Hungry
The Maine Hunters for the Hungry Program was founded in 1996 and its impact has grown steadily ever since. Maine sportsmen and sportswomen can play a major roll in game management while providing thousands of nutritious meals to hungry people across the state. The Maine Department of Agriculture distributes the donations to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and households with a medical need.
For more information, to donate, or to get connected to a Hunters for the Hungry participating meat processor near you call toll free, 1-888-433-3763 (1-888-4DEERME).
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Celebrate National Food Day October 24th
This year's theme is Eat Real! Think about the food you eat every day and the work you do around food every day. Doesn't food deserve some recognition? Activities can be simple and still raise awareness about the Food Day priorities:
* Promote safer, healthier diets
* Reduce hunger
* Support sustainable and local farms
Here are some ideas on how you can celebrate FoodDay:
- Offer Maine foods at meetings or gatherings during October
- Host a potluck and ask a speaker to discuss the food system, local agriculture, food access and safety nets
- Introduce a healthy vending or healthy food at meeting policy at your organization
- Support a local school garden effort
- Teach a healthy cooking class or cook with a group to reconnect with food
- Kick off a weight loss campaign or a healthy eating competition
- Join Maine Harvest for Hunger to learn more about ways to help bring fresh produce to our neighbors in need.
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Food Preservation Resources
In anticipation of the bountiful harvests to come, here are some great resources to have handy for when you are ready to preserve your crops:
Food Preservation: "How To" videos Food Preservation Hands-on Workshops Pressure Gauge Testing Service Publications including USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, Let's Preserve fact sheet series and the Canning and Freezing Quick Guides: http://extensionpubs.umext.maine.edu/ePOS?this_category=8&store=413&form=shared3%2fgm%2fmain.html&design=413
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Events
Friday-Sunday, September 21-23 - Common Ground Country Fair, Unity
The Common Ground Fair is a celebration of rural living that promotes organically grown Maine produce, alternative lifestyles, and a common ground for a variety of organizations and ethnic groups to network. For more information visit http://www.mofga.org/theFair
Saturday, September 22, 2-3:30pm -Paddle to the Pole, Hirundo Wildlife Refuge, Old Town
Become a polar explorer and join Paul Markson for a paddle across the 45th parallel in the Hirundo Wildlife Refuge. Along the way, you will learn about the great diversity of birds, forest and wetland plants, conservation efforts, and observe mammal behavior. Canoes, paddles and lifejackets are available or bring your own boat. Call to register by Friday September 21 at (207) 944-9259. Meet at Gate 3 (35 Hudson Rd, Alton).
Wednesday, September 26, 6:30-8:30 - Full Moon Paddle, Hirundo Wildlife Refuge, Old Town
Boats, paddles and lifejackets are available or bring your own. Call to register at (207) 944-9259. Meet at Gate 3 (35 Hudson Rd, Alton).
September 24-29 - Maine Harvest Lunch Week
An annual celebration of the bounty of Maine's harvest featuring local foods on the school menu. Many resources are available to make this not only tasty, but also an educational and community-building event. As an outgrowth of this event, many schools are now purchasing food from Maine farms and other food producers year round! For more information visit http://mofga.org/Resources/MaineHarvestLunch/tabid/817/Default.aspx
Saturday, September 29th - Statewide School Garden Open House
An opportunity for schools to open their gates to the public and build support among the community. For a list of participating schools visit http://www.msgn.org/component/content/article/30.html
Tuesday, October 2nd - Raised Bed Gardening, Orono High School
pre-registration required. For more information email katherine.garland@maine.edu or call 942-7396
Friday & Saturday, October 19-20 - 6th Annual Bangor Book Festival, featuring Lisa Colburn author of The Maine Garden Journal
for more information visit: http://www.bangorbookfest.org/about or call 947-8336.
October 26-27 - ESTIA's 9th Annual Conference on Slow Food, A Model for Sustainable & Healthy Living
Location: Well's Commons, University of Maine. For more information see Slow Food Flyer
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Edited by:
Theresa Tilton, Administrative Assistant
Contact Info
Donna R. Coffin, Extension Educator
207-564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1491
and
Katherine Garland, Horticulturist
207-942-7396 or in Maine 1-800- 287-1485
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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