In an ongoing effort to protect bees and other pollinators, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed new pesticide labels that prohibit use of some neonicotinoid pesticide products where bees are present.

In May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and EPA released a comprehensive scientific report on honey bee health, showing scientific consensus that there are a complex set of stressors associated with honey bee declines, including loss of habitat, parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure.
The agency continues to work with beekeepers, growers, pesticide applicators, pesticide and seed companies, and federal and state agencies to reduce pesticide drift dust and advance best management practices. The EPA recently released new enforcement guidance to federal, state and tribal enforcement officials to enhance investigations of beekill incidents.
More on the EPA's label changes and pollinator protection efforts: http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/ecosystem/pollinator/index.html

Request for Proposals: Technical Assistance Grant Program

The Maine Grain Alliance seeks applications to award mini-grants of $200 - $1,000 to fund need-based technical assistance (TA) that will help grain-based business owners secure economic opportunities in Maine.  A total of $2500 will be awarded in this round of grants.

 Examples of technical assistance might include, but are not limited to:  hiring someone to help with business planning, hiring a consultant, advisor or expert, marketing/logo/brand development, website creation, attending a course or mentoring opportunity, hiring an architect, engineer, mechanical specialist, or getting legal support.  Please specify one area of technical assistance for which you are seeking grant support. 

For more information about the Maine Grain Alliance and its other programs, please visit www.mainegrainalliance.com. For more information about the Request for Proposals 

email amber@mainegrains.com. Application Deadline: August 30th 5:00 pm

Awards Announcement: September 20th.

• Maine Grass Farmers Network (MGFN) Mailings - you can sign up for these mailings now at  www.bit.ly/PPfarming along with the Maine Dairy and Maine Organic Dairy lists. MGFN mailings are sent out as needed.  
• Maine Grains and Oilseeds Website
  has copies of the newsletter, factsheets, videos and links to additional information.
• Animal Welfare Approved Good Husbandry Grants Animal Welfare Approved is making available grants of up to $5,000 to improve animal welfare for Animal Welfare Approved farms, farms that have completed an application to join the program, or slaughter plants that are working with an AWA farm. Funding priorities include improved genetics, increased outdoor access, welfare improvements in the slaughter process, and non-lethal predator control. 

  The deadline for applications is October 1, 2013.

• Cornell Campus to Farm Guide In an effort to create quick and easy access to faculty research projects, the Cornell Small Farms Program released the new "Campus to Farm Guide: A Directory of Cornell University Research and Extension Projects Supporting Small Farms."  The Guide brings ongoing research in horticulture, small dairy, livestock, field crops and forages, agroforestry, farm energy and more, together into one easily navigable booklet.  Each project listing includes a short, descriptive summary and points you quickly to top impacts of the project, relevance to small farms, and contact information.  The Guide also directs you toward resources such as the Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship or the NYS Integrated Pest Management Program.The "Campus to Farm Guide" can be viewed online or downloaded as a PDF from the Cornell Small Farms Program website: http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/resources/ 

•  New Lamb Video Series The American Lamb Board has a new series of videos that showcase the American Lamb story, from the industry's history and heritage to the important relationships between shepherds and chefs to a behind-the-scenes look at the Lamb Jam Tour. The videos help tell the pasture-to-plate story and demonstrate the great care that goes into producing American Lamb. The videos are available at americanlamb.com (click here to view the video library)   

• Phosphorous acid has proven effective in reducing tuber-to-tuber spread of pathogens responsible for potato late blight and pink rot during mechanical harvesting and tuber transfer in a situation where the diseases are present at harvest. While Phosphorous acid is an effective post-harvest treatment to control these two pathogens, the application system can be a weak link. To address these concerns, there is a new publication entitled Application Equipment for Potato Post-Harvest Disease Control ( http://www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/PDFpubs/2443.pdf).

• Obsolete Pesticide Pickup Maine Board of Pesticides Control (BPC) will sponsor a free collection of unusable pesticides during the week of October 21 through 25, 2013. There will be four drop off points in Presque Isle, Bangor, Augusta and Portland. Only farmers (including greenhouse operators) and homeowners may legally participate in the program. If you would like to participate in the 2013 collection, you must complete an inventory form and submit it to the BPC by September 27. The form and supporting information may be found at this link, http://www.maine.gov/agriculture/pesticides/public/obsolete.htm  
   or you may call the BPC main office 207-287-2731 to request a paper copy of the form. Approximately two weeks before the collection, registered participants will receive a letter with directions to the drop off point, and the time of the collection. Keep in mind that the BPC only accepts pesticides through this program.
• Obsolete Medications/vaccines Check with your local police or sheriff's department about their drug drop off programs. Many will accept animal drugs that are no longer needed or past expiration.   
• Veterinarians for Livestock Farms A list of large animal vets is available on UMaine Extension website. You may have a need for the Maine State Veterinarian, Dr. Michele Walsh in Augusta. Her phone numbers are 207.287.7615 and 207.215.6727. Her e-mail address is michele.walsh@maine.gov. In addition, Dr. Anne Lichtenwalner is UMaine Extension's Veterinarian. She directs the Animal Health & Diagnostic Lab in Orono. Dr. Lictenwalner's phone number is 207.581.2789. Her e-mail address is anne.lichtenwalner@maine.edu 
• iCook Recruiting Now! Recruitment for iCook participants in the Dover-Foxcroft, Orono, and Ellsworth area is under way for children 9 and 10 and the adult responsible for preparing the majority of the children's meals. Each pair will be compensated $80 over the study period. Participants need to be free from food allergies, be willing to eat from all food groups, and have computer and Internet access at home. To learn more or to enroll in the study, call 207-581-3315 or visit at the www.facebook.com/icook4h