Putting knowledge to work with the people of Maine

Piscataquis & Penobscot   

Farming Newsletter             

 October 2012 

Items of Interest   

• Maine High School Equivalency Program (HEP) is serving migrant, temporary and seasonal farm workers and foresters to assist qualified individuals to attain their GEDs and improve their employment, enroll in college or the military. Maine HEP work with local Adult Education programs throughout the state to provide eligible students (those who have worked at least 75 days in the last two years in qualifying work) with a monthly stipend to support their studies, and removes barriers to their participation by covering transportation, child care and other related expenses.  More information is available at www.mainehep.org or by calling Debbie Gilmer at 207-852-0992 or email gilmer@maine.edu
• Agriculture Products Request for School Tasha Brown, a third grade teacher in Deer Isle is looking for samples of county products and services to enrich their study of the Maine counties in her third grade classroom.  Her third grade class celebrates all of their learning with a family community celebration of Maine's statehood on March 15th.  She is hoping to gather all samples and materials by December.  She would also love suggestions, as they are planning to incorporate this into their studies every year. If interested please contact her at tbrown@dis-schools.org.  

• Campsites on Your Farm? Have you ever considered generating extra income by renting campsites on your farm property? Licensing is not required if there are four campsites or less on your property. It might be a feasible enterprise for Maine farmers but there are several things to consider. Contact Richard Abare, the Executive Director of the Maine Campground Owners Association. He can answer your questions. (207) 782-5874 office; (207) 754-4408 cell; rick@campmaine.com or http://www.campmaine.com

• Newly Designed Maine USDA Rural Development Website Virginia Manuel, State Director, announced this new website has been designed for their partners, potential applicants, and stakeholders, to be able to navigate more easily through its pages and locate information on their programs, news, staff, and other items more quickly. She encourages folks to visit often for updates on happenings at USDA Rural Development to see how they are supporting Maine's rural communities, businesses, and homeowners every day.  
• Hunters for the Hungry Program 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, Conservation and Forestry distributes the donations to food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and households with a medical need. The program accepts bear, deer and moose donations. Hunters do not pay for the processing of donated meat. For more information, to donate, or to get connected to Hunters for the Hungry call 1-888-4DEERME (1-888-433-3763.)   
• 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. 

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.          

• Maine Season Extension Options: Making the Right Choice for Your Farm, Item #1022, Publisher: UMaine Extension. Season extension techniques allow you to grow your products for longer than they can be grown under typical field conditions in your area. In the Northeast, these techniques focus on getting a crop to produce earlier or continue later in the season. This publication will explore various options and techniques that best fit your farm. 8 pages. 2012. Download it for free or buy a printout. $1.50    
• American Farmstead Cheese: The Complete Guide to Making and Selling Artisan Cheeses, Item #1037, Publisher: Chelsea Green, Paul Kindstedt. In addition to including a fully illustrated guide to basic cheesemaking, this hardcover book looks at cheeses in terms of historical animal husbandry, pastures, climate, and preservation. Kindstedt, a University of Vermont food science professor, discusses the composition of milk and the chemistry of cheese, including the effects of calcium, pH, salt, and moisture. Includes profiles of artisan cheesemakers and sheep dairy farmers. From Chelsea Green, 300 pages, 2005. $35.00  

Upcoming Events                                                                  

• October 13th, 2012 Early Entry for Fall Preconditioned Feeder Calf Sale
• October 13th, 2012 1st Annual Sheep and Goat Sale, noon, Somerset Auction Company, 174 Skowhegan Rd., Fairfield. To consign animals contact Pat Polley at 485-1605. Buyers can contact Somerset Auction Co. at 649-0347.   
• October 17th, 2012 Backyard Beef 6 pm to 9 pm, Penquis Valley High School, Milo. You have some pasture available and are interested in raising your own beef animal to supplement your family food budget. Or you are thinking about finishing a beef calf to sell to supplement your family income. How much space does this animal need? What will it eat and how much will it eat? What do I do with the manure? How much time will it take? How do I know when the animal is healthy and when it is sick? How much meat can I expect? Donna Coffin, Extension Educator is the instructor. Registration through the Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative, $5 fee. For more information or to register contact PVAEC at (207) 564-6525 or go to   http://pvaec.maineadulted.org/courses/course/backyard_beef 
• October 24th, 2012 Sales, Use and Service Provider Tax Symposium, by the Maine Revenue Service, 8 am to 5 pm at the Spectacular Event Center, 395 Griffin Rd., Bangor. Cost is $40. Pre-registration is required by mail.  Registrations are due no later than October 5, 2012.  Please use this form and make checks payable to: Treasurer State of Maine. Since an accurate count is necessary for the facility, no walk in registrations will be allowed.  For more information call 624-9693 or go online.   
• October 24th, 2012 Maine Highlands Farmers Meeting, 7pm at the Piscataquis County Extension Office, Dover-Foxcroft. Donna Coffin will review information from the Sales, Use & Service Provider Tax Symposium. Regular Maine Highlands Farmers Meeting to follow,  www.mainehighlandsfarmers.com   
• 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. For additional information, please refer to the Conference Program, email us at ESTIAmaine@gmail.com, or call Hugh Curran at 207-667-7170 or online at www.estiamaine.org/events 
• October 27, 2012 Focus on Fiber Seminar at Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfield, Maine. UMaine Extension has partnered with several associations to plan and present a day-long seminar on fiber.  FMI contact Extension at 1-800-287-1471 or see the website http://umaine.edu/livestock/fiber/ 
• November 2nd, 2012 Northeast Regional Dairy Challenge Technology Seminar for the Dairy Industry, 12:00 noon to 3:30 pm at the Waterville Elks Club, Waterville, ME $15 per person includes lunch. Dr. Mike Van Amburgh, Cornell University will speak on early life nutrition and management impacts long term productivity of calves. And Tom Kilcer, Advanced Ag Systems will speak on forage management and alternative forages to enhance quality and reduce purchased feed costs. Registration by mail, phone, fax or email must be received by October 26th. To register contact Melissa Libby, 5735 Hitcher Hall, Rm 132, Orono, ME 04469-5735, 207-581-2788 or in Maine 1-800-287-7170 or email melissa.libby1@maine.edu   
• November 3rd, 2012 Fall Preconditioned Feeder Calf Sale, Dick Brown's facility in Richmond, ME. Preconditioning protocol available here or contact Pete Dusoe at (207) 948-3233 or (207) 416-5441 or email pbdusoe@uninets.net 
• November 3, 2012, Technical Forum and Operator Round-table, 8:30am - 4:30pm, Spring Creek Farm, Lyman, Maine. The focus will be on Allis-Chalmers All Crop Harvesters but the organizers welcome operators of other small combines to come and broaden the discussion. $20 registration (includes refreshments & lunch. FMI sntrout@roadrunner.com or call (207) 985-5652. 
• November 8, 2012 Agritourism 101 ... An Introduction to Growing Tourism on the Farm 6:30 - 8:00 pm at the Androscoggin/Sagadahoc Counties Office, 24 Main Street, Lisbon Falls. For more information or to register, or to request special accommodations, contact KymNoelle Sposato at (207) 353-5550 or (800) 287-1458 (in Maine), or e-mail, kymnoelle.sposato@maine.edu. 
• November 9 & 10, 2012 Farmer to Farmer Conference at Point Lookout, Northport. MOFGA is having some great speakers this year The website for all the info on the conference is  http://www.mofga.org/Default.aspx?tabid=293 Special room rates  and registration ends October 10th, so reserve early & save! 
• November 17th, 2012 Horse Health Conference...Focus on Biosecurity and Infectious Diseases, hosted by UMaine, UMaine Extension, Pineland Farms, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and Laboratory for the Expansion of Animal Disease Survellance. For more information  http://umaine.edu/livestock/equine/horse-conf/ or contact Melissa Libby, 134 Hitchner Hall, UMaine Extension, Orono, ME 04469-5735 or call (207)581-2788 or in Maine 1-800-287-7170
• November 28th, How School Food Service and Farmers Can Get More Local Foods into Schools. Maine Highlands Farmers Meeting, all are welcome to attend this 7 pm session at the Piscataquis County Extension Office in Dover-Foxcroft. We will have school food service directors attending to discuss opportunities and challenges to getting more local foods into the schools. This is a free session.  
• December 1, 2012 23rd Annual Maine Beef Conference registration starting at 8 am at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bangor. Focus will be on marketing with Dr. Jim Ochterski from Cornell as keynote speaker talking on the whole farm marketing strategy, Dr. Henrettia Beaufait, ME Dept of Ag will talk about regulations for selling meat in Maine and Gabe Clark, Cold Spring Ranch in New Portland will talk about the cost of production - what to sell your meat for to make a profit. Once again trade show vendors will be available at breaks and during lunch. To register to go Maine Beef Conference website.  or contact Melissa Libby, 134 Hitchner Hall, UMaine Extension, Orono, ME 04469-5735 or call (207)581-2788 or in Maine 1-800-287-7170.   

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  

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