Livestock Farm with green barn
   Piscataquis & Penobscot Farming Newsletter
UMaine Cooperative Extension Logo
Putting knowledge to work for the people of Maine
Volume 11 Number 10

November 2013  

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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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.
USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) Organic Production Data Released
Table includes data collected from USA-accredited state & private certification groups to calculate the extent of certified organic farmland acreage and livestock in United States. Below is Maine data from selected years. More detailed data available at ERS Organic Production.
                 
Maine
2011
Maine 
2001
No. Certified Operations404 Operations244 Operations
Crops 30,975 Ac.7,758 Ac.
Pasture  8,252 Ac.2,029 Ac.
Beef Cows635 Head118 Head
Milk Cows3,650 Head1,950 Head
Hogs & Pigs262 Head17 Head
Sheep & Lambs144 Head425 Head
Laying Hens52,565 Head3,000 Head
Corn 790 Ac.403 Ac.
Wheat298 Ac.94 Ac.
Oats445 Ac. - 
Barley305 Ac.19 Ac.
Hay & Silage
13,847 Ac.
6,690 Ac.
Vegetables522 Ac.342 Ac.
Potatoes310 Ac.78 Ac.
Fruits
764 Ac.
-

Source: USDA, Economic Research Service, based on information from USDA-accredited State and private organic certifiers. 

 
Shiitake Mushroom Project Teaches Farmers Cultivation and Marketing
The University of Vermont and Cornell University are finishing a three-year project designed to give Northeast farmers supplementary income by teaching them to produce a flavorful mushroom alternative that commands a premium price. One result of the project will be a comprehensive online guide to growing and marketing shiitake mushrooms. Research conducted with "farmer advisers" showed that a modest 500-log shiitake operation could add more than $11,000 to a farm's bottom line. 
Related ATTRA Publication: Mushroom Cultivation and Marketing 
Sorrel yearling and paint mare "Behavior Based Grazing Management: A Plant Herbivore Interaction Webinar by eOrganic"

"No machine can harvest a ton of nutrients with higher quality and less cost than an animal can through managed grazing. However, unlike a machine that does not care what a plant looks, smells, feels, or tastes like; animals do care. And therefore, when pasture is too short, too tall, or not suitable in species composition for the kind and class of livestock present, animal nutritional requirements are not met, performance is compromised, and pasture ceases to be a functional asset." -- Darrell Emmick, Managing Pasture as a Crop: A Guide to Good Grazing.

In this webinar, Dr. Darrell Emmick will address the keys of maximizing plant-herbivore interactions through behavior-based grazing management, defined as the incorporation of behavioral principles in grazing management planning to enhance animal well-being, ecosystem health, and enterprise sustainability.Click here to go to the webinar

 
Free Farm Safety Stickers Available         

Farmers have the seventh most-dangerous job in America.

Annually, there are 26.2 work-related fatalities per 100,000 full-time farmers, according to Business Insider. Of the 268 farm deaths in 2011, 54 percent were transportation related.

With harvest season underway, many Maine farmers and farm workers are operating farm tractors in fields and on roads.To promote workplace safety, the Maine AgrAbility Program of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, in partnership with Goodwill Industries of Northern New England and AlphaOne, developed a brightly colored decal to be applied to tractor fenders, dashboards and windshields. The decal reminds operators to work safely.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension's AgrAbility Program will give as many as five free safety stickers to each farm in Maine. To order, contact Maine AgrAbility Coordinator Lani Carlson at maine.agrability@maine.edu  or 207-944-1533. 

Items of Interest

  • Winter Care of Small and Backyard Flocks. Archived free webinar- Most poultry can handle cold weather very well as long as they are sheltered from wind and kept dry. To keep hens laying, however requires light supplementation. The webinar discusses what is involved in keeping poultry productive through the cold weather of winter. 
  • Small Business Management Topics - Healthcare (Affordable Health Care Law) UMaine Extension has a list of resources where farmers and other small business owners can learn more about the Affordable Care Act  
  • Horse Winter Care Considerations Recorded Webinar - Dr. Nelttie Liburt, gave a presentation that highlighted special considerations for winter horse care. Topics included forage quality and forage alternatives, changes in exercise routines, clipping and blanketing. Presented on My Horse University on October 2013. 
  • 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.  
  • 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 

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.        

  •  It's a Sneeze, It's a Wheeze, It's ... Gape Worm #2112 Does your chicken have gapeworms? Gapeworms live in your chicken's respiratory tract. Learn more about diagnoses, treatment and prevention. 2 pages. 2013. Download it for free, or buy a printout.
  • Rabbit Housing - Planning, Building, and Equipping Facilities for Humanely Raising Healthy Rabbits #1041
    Written by By Bob Bennett, this easy to read book provides clear, step-by-step instructions for building all-wire hutches and surrounding shelters and fencing. Includes building plans for both small- and large-scale facilities proper ventilation and protection from predators, this reference covers everything you need to know to create a healthy, productive rabbit-raising operation. 135 pages, color diagrams and photos. 2012. $19.95. 
  •  Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits #1042 is for both the owner of pet rabbits and the farmer raising rabbits for meat or fur. Covers, breed selection, year-round care and feeding, safe housing, humane handling, and disease prevention and treatment are all addressed. This is the classic, comprehensive, essential reference for all rabbit raisers. 256 pages. 2009 $19.95.

Upcoming Events        

 

  • December 2, 2013 Deadline for Northeast SARE Farmer Grants. 
  • December 3, 2013 Trap Cropping In Organic Strawberries to Manage Lygus Bugs in Strawberries 2 pm Diego Nieto, University of California Santa Cruiz will discuss the rationale for using alfalfa trap crops in organic strawberries will be discussed. Points of emphasis will include the efficient and targeted approach to pest management, improved classical biological control and predator dispersion and behavior. Along with research findings from recent studies, this presentation will include grower recommendations for the implementation of trap cropping. Click here for more information 
  • December 4, 2013 Kitchen Licensing Workshop (snow date Dec. 6) 10 am to 3 pm Common Ground Education Center, Unity. Designed for farmers and others interested in home-food processing for resale. Licensing requirements, food safety and liability insurance will be covered by panel members, including: Dr. Beth Calder, Food Science Specialist, UMaine Extension & Ronda Stone, Maine Dept, of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry. Registration $35 for MOGFA members and $40 for non-members. click here to register. 
  • December 4, 2013 Potato Pest Management Conference, Presque Isle Inn & Convention Center, Rt. #1, Presque Isle. Program starts at 9:00 am. Topics include potato storage management, potato virus Y, aphids, slugs, update from Board of Pesticide Control & research update from the University of Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. FMI contact Dr. James Dwyer at 207-764-3361 or jimdwyer@maine.edu  
  • December 6, 2013 Maine Food Summit: Beginning the Conversation University of Maine, Wells Conference Center. Keynote speaker Dr. Timothy Griffin, Assoc. Prof. & Directory Agriculture, Food & Environment Program, Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy. FMI Maine Food System. FMI Dr. John Jemison at 207-581-3241 or jemison@maine.edu 
  • December 7, 2013 Maine Beef Conference, Hilton Garden Inn, Bangor  http://umaine.edu/livestock/beef/ 
  • December 7, 2013 Local Food: Quality Milk & Dairy Products Safety, 1 pm to 4 pm, East Sangerville Grange, Sangerville. Dr. Gary Anderson, UMaine Extension and Dr. Beth McEvoy, Maine Dept, of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry, MECHAP.
  • December 12, 2013 Maine Highlands Farmers at 7 pm at the Piscataquis County Extension Office, Dover-Foxcroft. 
  • December 17 - 19, 2013 New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference Radisson Hotel in Manchester, NH FMI www.newenglandvfc.org 
  • January 5, 2014 Beginning Women Farmer Holistic Management Classes start. Contact Gail Chase, Maine's WAgN coordinator, wagnmaine@gmail.com  
  • January 7 - 9, 2014 Maine Agricultural Trades Show, Augusta Civic Center, Augusta.  

Need Pesticide credits? Check out the Maine Board of Pesticide credit calendar, many approved pesticide applicator re-certification programs are listed.  You can view the calendar on their web site at: Pesticide Re-certification 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

 or

Penobscot County Office 207-942-7396 or 800-287-1485

307 Maine Avenue Bangor, ME 04401