Session #3
6:00 – 8:00 PM, Monday, April 16, 2012

Read the following task sheets before Session 3:

3.1: Mechanic Hazards
3.4: Working with Livestock
3.5: Agricultural Pesticides
3.6: Electrical Hazards
3.8: Confined Spaces
3.9: Silos
3.10: Grain Bins
3.11: Manure Storage
3.12: Anhydrous Ammonia
3.13: Farmstead Chemicals
4.7: Starting and Stopping Diesel and Gasoline Tractors
4.8: Mounting and Starting the Tractor
4.9: Stopping and Dismounting the Tractor
4.10: Moving and Steering the Tractor
4.11: Operating the Tractor in Reverse

Session #4
6:00 – 8:00 PM, Monday, April 23, 2012

• Practice driving
• Safety Video
• Review for final exam

Read the following task sheets before Session 4:

4.12: Tractor Stability
4.13: Using the Tractor Safely
4.14: Operating the Tractor on Public Roads
4.14.1: Lighting and Marking
5.1: Connecting Implements to the Tractor
5.2: Using Drawbar Implements
5.3: Using Three-Point Hitch Implements
5.4: Making Power Take Off (PTO) Connections
5.4.1: Using Power Take Off (PTO) Implements
5.5: Using Implements with Hydraulic Components
5.6: Using Implements with Electrical Components

Session #5
5:30 – 8:00 PM, Monday, April 30, 2012

• Driving Test and Written Final Exam

5-session series

Where: UMaine Extension Waldo County Office, 992 Waterville Road, Waldo, ME 04915-3117

Cost: $60 per farm and includes course books and other program materials.

Interested in starting a farm? Getting information at the outset can put you on the road to success by saving you time, money, and energy. University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer a 5-session Beginning Farmer Series in Waldo starting March 13, 2012. Classes will be held on Tuesdays from 6:30 – 9:00 PM.

UMaine Extension Educators Rick Kersbergen and Caragh Fitzgerald will collaborate with farmers and other experts from around the region to present this series. Novice farmers will be given the tools to evaluate and choose enterprises, develop a business plan, and market their products. Cost is $60 per farm and includes course books and other program materials. Registration ends March 7. For more information, contact Caragh Fitzgerald at (207) 622-7546 (toll free 1-800-287-1481 in Maine), TDD 1-800-287-8957, or cfitzgerald@maine.edu.

UMaine Extension programs are open and accessible to all in accordance with program goals. Any person with a disability who needs accommodations for this program should contact Caragh Fitzgerald at 1-800-287-1481 to discuss their needs at least 7 days in advance.

 Position is available to employees of the Associated C.O.L.T. Staff of the University of
Maine from December 30, 2011 through January 6, 2012 and open to external
applicants thereafter.

Part-time, regular position, 30 hours per week. Regular University business hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Times are negotiable within regular business hours. Position is contingent on funding. Employee performs complex clerical work in a busy publicly supported Cooperative Extension office. Employee operates all office equipment; performs receptionist work, screens calls, visitors and mail; types, creates, maintains, and edits materials using word processing, database, spreadsheet, presentation, publication, and communication software; transcribes, assembles and disseminates information; processes confidential information; schedules meetings, conferences and travel; responds to inquiries and gives information in areas not requiring policy interpretation and occasionally answers questions and gives information about defined programmatic areas; maintains a complex filing system; orders and controls office supplies and equipment; maintains financial records, makes bank deposits, and collects and disburses cash; supervises student or temporary employees, volunteers, and interns during a minor portion of the employee’s work time. Knowledge of and demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office including Word, Access, and Excel are required. Strong written and verbal communication skills, judgment and initiative, excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, the ability to work independently, and superior customer service skills are required. Experience in handling office financial records, bank deposits, and processing confidential information strongly preferred. Experience with Quicken preferred. Appropriate background checks will be required. 

To apply, submit a complete University of Maine Employment Application, along with a cover letter and resume relating qualifications and skills applicable to the duties specified above. Deadline for applications is January 13, 2012.

 On January 1, 2011, UMaine joined a growing number—now nearly 400—of colleges and universities around the country that are tobacco-free. Implementation followed more than three years of study and planning managed by a committee of faculty members, staff members and students. A good deal of information about UMaine’s plan and the new policy is online at http://umaine.edu/tobaccofree/.

How to  Apply

This educational event will feature Maryland’s Small Ruminant Specialist Susan Schoenian and is designed to equip producers with skills and knowledge about the identification and management of internal parasites. “Parasites are the biggest health problem for sheep and goats in Maine,” says UMaine Extension Educator Richard Brzozowski. “Parasites of sheep and goats are costly and can easily put someone out of business. For an efficient and profitable sheep or goat enterprise, parasite control needs to be deliberate and persistent.”

More information>>

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers program for Kennebec and Waldo Counties is now open for application. The full schedule is available. The course fee and application is due by September 16.

2011 Application [Word; PDF]

Please mail with check payment to the University of Mail Cooperative Extension Kennebec County Office:

125 State Street, 3rd Floor

Augusta, ME 04330-5692

The program provides participants with more than 40 hours of in-depth training in the art and science of horticulture. In addition, the program trains volunteers to conduct and join sustainable horticulture projects in Kennebec and Waldo Counties.

Trainees receive the latest research-based information from UMaine Extension educators and industry experts. This coming program will focus on vegetables and fruits. The course begins on Oct. 12. Most classes will be held at Colby College in Waterville on Wednesdays, with some Mondays, from 4:00-7:30 pm. Two classes will be held in Belfast (Tuesday, 11/8 and Thursday, 11/10, from 12:30-3:30 pm). Participants must attend two of three tours held at other area sites in spring of 2012. To complete the course, participants must volunteers a minimum of 40 hours at approved community projects the first year. There are many ways to volunteer- demonstration gardens, school programs, Harvest for Hunger campaigns, newsletter articles, public talks and slide shows, and more.

Questions? Please contact the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Kennebec County office by phone at 207-622-7546 (local), and (toll-free) 1-800-287-1481.

This monthly update is provided by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension as a reliable and timely resource for Maine home gardeners.  Learn practical tips and articles corresponding to the growing season month by month.

UMaine Cooperative Extension Harvest for Hunger Program Wants You!

Did you know, Master Gardener Volunteers gathered on an October day last year to glean 5,000 lbs. of squash from a farmers’ field for food pantry donation?

Sign up now as a volunteer for Harvest for Hunger & find out how you can make a direct impact in your community. This statewide program’s mission is to provide all Mainers with better access to fresh produce.

You can make a difference, and there are many fun & educational ways to help:

• Participate in gleaning from a farmers’ field or orchard
• Transport excess produce donated at the end of a farmers market to a food pantry
• Give from your own garden
• Help a group already growing for food pantry donation

• For more information regarding Kennebec County specific volunteer opportunities, please call our office local and toll-free at  207-622-7546, 1-800-287-1481 or email

Nationally known pasture expert Jim Gerrish is the keynote speaker. His experience includes more than 20 years of beef-forage systems research as a faculty member at the University of Missouri. The University of Missouri Forage Systems Research Center rose to national prominence as a result of Gerrish’s leadership. Gerrish now runs American Grazing Lands Services, LLC (www.americangrazinglands.com), which is dedicated to improving the health and sustainable productivity of grazing lands around the world through management-intensive grazing practices

Other conference speakers are fencing specialist David Kennard of New Hampshire, who will address fencing options for multi-species grazing; Lauchlin Titus of Ag Matters Consulting, discussing soil amendments; and Rick Kersbergen and Gary Anderson from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, discussing forage quality issues.

MGFN will host both a grass-fed steak contest and a grain-fed contest again this year. Farmers who think their steaks are among the best in either category are invited to contact Kersbergen at richard.kersbergen@maine.edu for details about entering the contest.

Non-member registration including lunch is $75. Discounts for MGFN and MBPA association members are available. For registration details, visit www.umaine.edu/umext/mgfn or contact Sónia Antunes at 1-800-287-1426 in Maine or (207) 342-5971 outside of Maine.

MGFN is a collaboration of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and member farms.

The Maine delegation at National 4-H Conference. Photo provided by Edwin Remsberg, USDA.

Maine 4-H Ambassadors attended National 4-H Conference in Washington DC where youth selected to represent Maine 4-H learned civic engagement and leadership skills at the nation’s capitol. Delegates attended training workshops, visit government entities, and met with state leaders. 4-Hers met with senators and legislators with a day on Capitol Hill. Delegates were stimulated to think about local needs and issues in a way that promotes youth adult partnerships.

The conference is administered by the National 4-H Council and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Maine 4-H youth are supported by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the Pine Tree State 4-H Foundation, and local county programs.

4-H is a community of six million young people across America learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills.