“Thanks to everyone’s effort, we have exceeded our goal of 250,000 pounds,” says Extension educator Barbara Murphy in the South Paris Oxford County office. “I am speechless. My heartfelt thanks for all of the terrific work.”

Murphy, who coordinates the program, had announced her gratitude several weeks ago that preliminary results indicated 90 tons — 180,000 pounds — of fresh fruits and vegetables were donated this year. The final figure is now 140 tons, or 280,076 pounds.

Nearly 500 volunteer gardeners in about a dozen counties this year donated produce to 114 food pantries, shelters or charitable organizations around the state. Murphy also revised upwards the value of the produce to $473,328, from $303,713 earlier.

The number of participants more than doubled from 200 in 2010 and the number of organizations benefiting from the gardeners’ generosity more than tripled, from 45 last year.

Contact: Barbara Murphy, 743-6329, 1-800-287-1482 (toll-free in Maine)

Tar spot and Anthracnose, two fungal pathogens stimulated by wet weather, can damage maples by killing their leaves, but the damage isn’t substantial or long term, Garland says from her Bangor Extension office. Garland has been fielding calls and questions from homeowners and residents worried about the loss of leaves on Norway, sugar, silver and red maple trees.

Loss of leaves interferes with a tree’s ability to photosynthesize, she says.

Garland says there’s not much that can be done about tar spots, since the fungus can survive the winter, but Anthracnose is more of a seasonal affliction. She recommends raking and getting the tainted leaves off the property, or burning them, to reduce the spread of the fungus in subsequent years.

Tar spots look like its name suggests — dark spots on leaves. Anthracnose simply causes the leaves to turn brown, curl up and fall off.

Garland can be reached at (207) 942-7396 or katherine.garland@maine.edu for additional detail.

STILLWATER – The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners Volunteers Demonstration Garden at Rogers Farm will hold a free “Art in the Garden Celebration” Tuesday, Aug. 16 starting at 6 p.m.

The event will feature poetry, a children’s story read-aloud, sculpture, pottery and hand-died fiber arts exhibits, food and more. A pair of dancers will waltz around the garden to live music. Handcrafted items will be available for purchase to benefit the garden and a local food cupboard. The program will be held rain or shine in the garden at 914 Bennoch Road in Stillwater. It is the fourth of this summer’s Public Nights at the Garden series.

The garden is open every day from dawn until dusk. For more information about the demonstration garden, the Master Gardeners Volunteer program, or the Public Nights in the Garden, contact UMaine Extension’s Penobscot County office at 942-7396 or 1-800-287-1485 or visit www.extension.umaine.edu. UMaine Extension programs are open and accessible to all in accordance with program goals.

Fred Sherburne and his nephew Shawn will host for the event and will lead participants on a tour of their pasture system. The program is free.

Once a confinement dairy, the farm is now an organic dairy using pasture to meet a majority of the nutritional needs of their cows during the grazing season. Fred and Shawn will share their stories of how they transitioned to a pasture system and what changes they have seen in their fields and cows.

W.R. Sherburne and Sons, Inc. sells organic milk to Organic Valley, a cooperative that supplies milk to Stonyfield Yogurt in New Hampshire. The Sherburnes have been exploring new crops and markets, growing sunflowers for oil and meal, and participating in research with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension on bread wheat production in an effort to discover new concepts and production practices.

Participants are reminded to wear washable boots for the pasture walk, as the farm implements bio-security measures for all of its farm visits.

The Maine Grass Farmers Network works in cooperation with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Department of Agriculture to provide education and marketing opportunities for producers of pasture-raised livestock.

For more information, and to see the schedule of future pasture walks, visit the website at umaine.edu/livestock/mgfn. UMaine Extension programs are open and accessible to all in accordance with program goals.

• January 8
• February 12
• March 12
• April 23
• May 13
• June 10
• July 8
• August 12
• September 22
• October 12
• November 5
• December 9

Several time slots are available each day and the sessions are free. To register please call the office at 942-7396 or within Maine at 1-800-287-1485 or e-mail Wendy at wendy.robertson@maine.edu