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Piscataquis and Penobscot
Gardening Newsletter
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Practical horticultural information based on university research
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It was great to meet many new gardening friends at the Maine Harvest Festival and during some recent gardening talks. If this is your first time viewing our monthly gardening newsletter, please note the following key features that are part of the newsletter every month: seasonal recipes, event listings, featured bulletins and videos, and timely articles.
For more frequent updates from UMaine Extension, please consider liking our county Facebook pages
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Why a New Animal/Plant Disease and Insect Control Lab for Maine?
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Photos: Edwin Remsburg & Griffin Dill
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"On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire University of Maine System, I want to thank the voters for approving funding to build a new animal and plant disease and insect control lab for Maine," said University of Maine System Chancellor James H. Page. "The new facility will enable us to provide better public health services to Maine families as well as carry out research critical for our Maine's agricultural and other natural resourced-based industries." "For a century the University of Maine's Cooperative Extension has been putting university research to work in homes, businesses, farms and communities across Maine," said Susan Hunter, President of the University of Maine. "Here at UMaine we are proud of this legacy of service and are grateful to everyone who cast a vote in support of our work on behalf of the people of our Maine."
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Best Winter Companions for Gardeners
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 | | Photo by Ana Bonstedt |
Books and seed catalogs are great winter companions for gardeners. Wisconsin School Garden Initiative recently shared a nice list of books in their most recent newsletter. Many are geared for youth, but are also great for the young at heart. Take a look and enjoy!
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PLU Codes and How To Interpret Them
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by Ana Bonstedt Home Horticulture Coordinator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension,
Upon reading an article published in a recent newsletter, I've learned a great deal about the sticker attached to unprocessed fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. It contains more than just the information for the cashier to find the price to charge, or for the grocery stores to balance their inventory. It's also for us, the consumer. Particularly if we care about specific characteristics to consider when buying fresh produce.  | |
Photo by Ana Bonstedt
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PLU (price look-up) codes are for operational use. They have been developed to speed up the business of self-service grocery stores. Each PLU categorizes fresh produce by variety, size, where and how it was grown. The PLU code system is simple and consists of five numbers. The last four digits are assigned randomly and the prefixes zero, eight, and nine label the farming system used to grow the produce. - 03000 - 04000: Conventional farming (usually the prefix "0" does not appear in the label)
- 83000 - 84000: Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)
- 93000 - 94000: Organic farming
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Photo by Ana Bonstedt
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After I knew the meaning of the numbers on the stickers, I rushed to the fresh produce section of my favorite grocery store to verify if what I've just learned is accurate; the first thing I noticed was that most of the fresh produce stickers show only the four digits and the organically grown stickers have five digits and includes the prefix 9. I could not find those with the prefix 8. I guess, it is because the producers do not feel obligated to show information that is not requested by law, since the use of the prefix is not mandatory and neither regulated by any government agency. To say it in other words, the only thing we know for sure, is that the fresh produce showing 4-digits can be grown under conventional farming methods or can be GMO. By the way the PLU stickers (paper and glue) are food grade and meet FDA guidelines. PLU stickers (video) |
Deer Ticks and Autumn Leaf Color
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Click on the titles above each picture to find information about:
 | | Photo by Ana Bonstedt |
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Piscataquis and Penobscot Counties Gardening Newsletter Update
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The Piscataquis and Penobscot Counties Gardening Newsletter (PPCGN), now received by over 1,200 readers, has been offered as an educational resource by University of Maine Cooperative Extension for over 10 years. As of January 1, 2015, the PPCGN will transition to electronic-only delivery. There will still be three ways to receive the PPCGN from your local UMaine Extension:
- Piscataquis & Penobscot Counties Gardening Newsletter is available online for free! You can sign up to receive the newsletter through your email or view the archived issues anytime at free e-mail newsletter. If you currently do not have an email, you can get one for free from several email hosts. If you do not have a computer, community libraries have computers for you to use to access information on the Internet and to view your email.
- Those without an email can opt to pay an annual subscription to receive the newsletters by regular mail monthly for $15/year. More details on how to subscribe will be available in our December issue.
- A third option is to come into the Piscataquis or Penobscot County Extension Office and pick up a free printed copy of the newsletter.
We appreciate our readers referring others to the newsletter, and sharing it with their family and friends.
Thank you for your continued support of the PPCGN, valuable gardening information from Extension for folks in the central Maine area since 2003.
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Consumer Pesticide Survey
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The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is conducting a Consumer Pesticide Survey to get opinions on how consumers would feel about paying a small fee on their pesticides going toward Extension in the possibility that the State of Maine will implement one.
To complete the survey online, please click on the following link Consumer Pesticide Survey. If you do not have access to the Internet, or prefer to answer the questionnaire on paper, please click here to print it and mail the complete questionnaire to:
James Dill
PSEP Program Coordinator
University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Pest Management Office
491 College Ave.
Orono, ME 04473-1295
Phone: (207) 581-3880 or 1-800-287-0279 (in Maine)
E-mail: james.dill@maine.edu
Your answers will be completely confidential.
Thank you in advance for your participation in this important survey.
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Simple, inexpensive, seasonal recipes from Cooperative Extension
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Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups spinach, chopped and steamed
- 2 cups zucchini, shredded
- 1 medium potato, peeled and shredded
- 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Full Nutrition Information
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- Combine the first eight ingredients in a bowl.
- Stir in egg and mix well.
- Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a well-greased hot griddle and flatten to form patties.
- Fry until golden brown; turn and cook until second side is lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and serve with applesauce if desired.
Makes 4 servings |
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Photo: Ana Bonstedt
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Grow it Right 2015 - Plant Sale Benefits UMaine Master Gardener Volunteers!
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension and its Master Gardener Volunteers are offering a "Grow it Right!" plant sale in 2015 to raise funds for its Master Gardener Volunteers Program. The educational aspect of this special project sets it apart from other plant sales. For more information click here
Applied Poultry Science PD - Monthly Webinar Series is on Egg- Layers.
All times for live broadcasts are Eastern Time Zone (ET). Webinars are 60-minutes in length. All webinars will be presented through eXtension.org and archived. http://www.extension.org/poultry
- Feeds and feeding of pullets & layers by Dr. Paul Patterson, Pennsylvania State University. Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at 11:00 am (E T)
- Quality of eggs from different production systems by Dr. Jacquie Jacob, University of Kentucky. Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at 11:00 am (ET)
- Health concerns for egg layers by Dr. Michael Darre, University of Connecticut
Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 11:00 am (ET)
- Managing egg laying flocks by Dr. Michael Darre, University of Connecticut and others
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 at 11:00 am (ET)
Permaculture Design Certification Course - weekend format
A one-weekend-per-month format for the internationally recognized full Permaculture Design Certificate Course running April through October 2015. Typically sells out. Location: MOFGA Common Ground Education Center. Cost: $250 deposit. More information: http://www.meetup.com/portlandpermaculture/events/201906492/
Woodland Steward Program - Would you like to learn the basics that every woodland owner should know? This online program is aimed at helping woodland owners get the most enjoyment out of their land. To learn more, visit: www.woodland-steward.org or email info@woodland-steward.org
Herb Society - Meetings are held 10am-12pm the second Thursday of every month (except for July and August) at the Penobscot County Extension office, 307 Maine Ave, Bangor, ME. Refreshments at 9:30. Anyone is welcome to sit in on one meeting without having to join. Membership is $15. Visit their website:
https://sites.google.com/site/maineherbsociety/2012-yearly-program Contact Theresa at 942-7396 for more information.
Penobscot Beekeepers Association Monthly Meetings
Meetings are typically the last Thursday of every month. Locations will differ each month with some open hive meetings through summer months. Anyone is welcome to join one or two meetings for free. Educational programs and timely discussions are enjoyed each month. Visit:
MOFGA Online Event Calendar - If you're wondering what may be going on for educational events in the area, the MOFGA Events calendar may be of interest to you. Check out their schedule of upcoming events on the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association website:
http://www.mofga.org/Events/tabid/78/Default.aspx
Find a Farmers' Market - The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry maintains a website where you can search for local farms or local farmers' markets by county or town, or by product that they sell. Check it out at
http://www.getrealmaine.com/.
Sign up for the Maine Home Garden News - You may access the most current issue of the 2013 Maine Home Garden News at:
http://umaine.edu/gardening/maine-home-garden-news/
1) Subscribe via RSS feed by clicking on Subscribe to the RSS feed at:
http://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/feed/
2) Or, to receive an e-mail announcement when a new issue of the Maine Home Garden News is posted, fill out the online form at:
www.umext.maine.edu/forms/maine-home-garden-news/subscribe.asp.
3) OR, like/follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter to hear about updates.
Upcoming programs at Hirundo Wildlife Refuge
Upcoming programs at Fields Pond Audubon Center
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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.
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Contributors
Donna Coffin, Extension Educator
Kate Garland, Horticulturist
Erin Thomas, Master Gardener Volunteer |
The University of Maine does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, including transgender status and gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director, Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens Hall, 207.581.1226.
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Surface mail recipients can contact their county Extension office for further information when web links are included in an article.
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Penobscot Office
307 Maine Ave. Bangor, ME 04401 207-942-7396 or 800-287-1485
Piscataquis Office
165 East Main St. Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426 207-564-3301 or 800-287-1491 |
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 Penobscot County Piscataquis County |
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