Deer tick

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in Maine. May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month in Maine, so remember to do your tick checks! With the mild winter, it is never too early to start thinking about tick prevention.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is carried by Ixodes scapularis (the deer tick). Maine had a record high number of cases in 2011, with positives occurring in all 16 counties. Lyme disease is most common among school aged children and middle aged adults. As the weather begins to get warmer, more ticks will be out in the open. Most Lyme disease infections in Maine occur during the summer months.

The most common early symptom of Lyme disease is an expanding red rash that occurs 3 – 30 days after being bitten. Fever, joint, and muscle pains may also occur. Lyme disease is treatable, and the majority of patients recover after receiving appropriate therapy.

Lyme disease is a preventable illness. Maine CDC recommends following the “No Ticks 4 ME” approach which includes:

1. Wear protective clothing
2. Use an EPA approved repellent
3. Perform daily tick checks
4. Use caution in tick habitats

Ticks must be attached for at least 24 hours for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease to be transmitted, so prompt removal of ticks is extremely important. Anyone with a known tick bite, or who spends time in a tick habitat, should watch for symptoms for at least 30 days after exposure. If symptoms develop, call your healthcare provider.

Additional information:

• Maine CDC has numerous educational materials available on their website at www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/vector-borne/lyme/index.shtml.
• UMaine Extension Bulletin #5047, Ticks.

Some cow calf producers consigning animals to the sale have also signed affidavits attesting that their animals have been raised under the MBPA Natural Meats program protocol of never having received hormones, antibiotics, or feeds or feed supplements containing animal-by-products. And/or their animals are 100% grass (forage) fed, no grains, grain-by-products, grain crops, grain crop silages, or other prohibited feeds under the USDA grass fed guidelines have been fed.

The MBPA are expecting about 100 calves weighing from 400 to 900 pounds to be sold at the May 19^th sale at 11 am. If you are interested in buying a few or a lot of animals or have questions contact Sale Manager, Pete Dusoe at 207-948-3233, 207-416-5441 or pbdusoe@uninets.net or Bob Dusoe at 207-322-5609.

Survey participants include breeding stock owners, trainers, farriers, riding instructors, feed store owners, veterinarians, 4-H Horse Leaders, backyard horse owners and others. Questions have also been included on preferred methods of getting information either through face to face meetings, virtual meeting, newsletters, etc. The results of the survey will be used by UMaine Extension and the Department of Animal and Veterinary Science to develop educational programs that will help equine owners meet their goals.

Those interested in completing the survey can go to http://conta.cc/equinesurvey or contact Donna Coffin at 165 East Main St., Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426, phone 207-564-3301 or email donna.coffin@maine.edu and ask for a survey to be mailed to them.

Facebook…Twitter…Linked In…Four Square…. They can be effective ways to connect with your community….Or they can be a huge waste of your time and energy. How can you use social media to build a supportive community online and in-person? Public relations expert Rachel Carter will explain how to develop a strategy for building a community of champions for your farm. Whether you are a farmer, a farm-based educator, or an Extension educator, this webinar will provide guidance for creating a strategy to use social media effectively and manage related risks.

Hosted by: Lisa Chase, Jessie Schmidt, Ben Amsden, and Erica Curry
University of Vermont Extension, UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Plymouth State University Center for Rural Partnerships, and the Farm-Based Education Association

To access the webinar, please follow this link five minutes before the webinar begins: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2009421&password=M.EC2DFDA3A4FD4A8B3CDC30CB8D6610

For technical assistance during the webinar, contact Jessie Schmidt at (802) 223-2389, ext. 203, E-mail: jessica.a.schmidt@uvm.edu.

• May 19, 9:00 a.m., FAMACHA, Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor, Maine
• May 19, 11:00 a.m., Microscope-use, Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor, Maine
• June 2, 2:00 p.m., FAMACHA, Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor, Maine

Download and send in enrollment form with check or call 1-800-287-1471 (in Maine) or 207-781-6099 to register for this workshop with a credit card or for more information.

FAMACHA Enrollment Form: Word | PDF

Articles featured in this issue include

• Spring Preconditioned Feeder Calf Sale
• Maine Agricultural Fairs / Exhibitions – 2012 Livestock Infectious Diseases / Use of Drugs
• Notes from Managed Grazing Systems Talk at Grazing Conference
• Livestock 101 Online Course
• Upcoming events.

If you would like to receive this newsletter go to http://bit.ly.PPfarming

For more information contact Donna Coffin, Extension Educator at donna.coffin@maine.edu or 207-564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1491. Or email donna.coffin@maine.edu.

UMaine Extension programs are open and accessible to all in accordance with program goals. To provide adequate time to respond to your request please provide as much notice as possible.

Participants will hear about techniques and practices to improve profitability on their farms. The workshop will feature soil health expert Ray Archuleta from NRCS and Mark Anderson from Landview Farms in New York. Landview Farms produces 1,250 acres of corn using a combination of tilling and non-tilling methods.

A $20 workshop fee includes lunch. The workshop is part of a research project funded by Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NESARE).

For more information, or to register, contact Rick Kersbergen at the UMaine Extension Waldo County office at 1-800-287-1426 or e-mail richard.kersbergen@maine.edu.

UMaine Extension programs are open and accessible to all in accordance with program goals. To provide adequate time to respond to your request please provide as much notice as possible.

Pre-registration is requested. $15 fee includes lunch. The workshop is designed for both beginning and experienced livestock graziers.

Maine has thousands of acres of grasslands that could easily be utilized as highly productive livestock grazing lands. Ray Archuleta from NRCS and Kevin Ogles from the National Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative will be the featured speakers in the day-long workshop.

For more information or to register, contact UMaine Extension Waldo County at 1-800-287-1426 or e-mail richard.kersbergen@maine.edu.

This year, MGFN has joined forces with the Maine Beef Producers Association (MBPA) to host the conference. Keynote speaker is Dr. Ben Bartlett, a retired Extension specialist and veterinarian who concentrated on dairy, sheep and beef education for 28 years. Bartlett is recognized as an award-winning grazing expert who has traveled internationally to study grazing systems.

Among the presenters are University of Vermont agronomist Sid Bosworth, Cornell University Beef specialist Mike Baker, and Jim Ochterski, also from Cornell. Cole Ward, a nationally known meat cutter (http://www.facebook.com/TheGourmetButcher) will present a pork-cutting demonstration in the afternoon.

MGFN also will host a grass-fed steak contest during the lunch break. For details about entering the contest, contact Rick Kersbergen at richard.kersbergen@maine.edu.

Non-member registration, including lunch is $75. Discounts for MGFN and MBPA association members are available. For registration details, contact Sonia Antunes at 1-800-287-1426 in Maine or 207-342-5971 outside of Maine. Registration details also are on the UMaine Extension website (http://extension.umaine.edu/livestock/mgfn/).

MGFN is a collaboration of University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners (MOFGA), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Maine Department of Agriculture and member farms.

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 Rick Kersbergen at 1-800-287-1481 to discuss their needs at least seven days in advance.