The Maine Highlands Farmers meeting will follow and all are welcome to attend.

For more information about the Maine Highlands Farmers go to their website at www.MaineHighlandsFarmers.com.

Raised bed

UMaine Cooperative Extension Piscataquis County is happy to announce, back by popular demand, the gardening with raised beds series.  This year Master Gardener Volunteer, Dotty Hadler and Janet Yelch-Weatherbee will teach you how to go from start to finish, or more appropriately, from boards to harvest.  In this series you will learn, hands-on, how to build, plant, maintain, and harvest from raised beds.

If you are interested in viewing last years garden, visit us on Facebook.

Objective:
For UMaine Extension staff and local Master Gardeners to care for the garden as a group and give monthly classes to show local county citizens how to successfully grow produce in a raised bed or container garden.

Location:
UMaine Extension Piscataquis County Office
Court House Complex
165 East Main Street Dover-Foxcroft
The garden is to the left of the building.

Session 1 – Building a Raised Bed
Thursday May 10th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Rain Date: Friday May 11th at 3:00 pm

Session 2 – Starting your Garden
Thursday June 7th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Rain Date: Friday June 8th at 3:00 pm

Session 3 – Caring for your Garden
Thursday July 12th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Rain Date: Friday July 13th at 3:00 pm

Session 4 – Using your Harvest
Thursday August 9th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Rain Date: Friday August 10th at 3:00 pm
With special guest Felicia Dumont, Nutrition Associate

Session 5 – Preserving your Harvest
Thursday September 13th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Rain Date: Friday Septmeber 14th at 3:00 pm
With special guest Jane Conroy, Extension Educator

To register for sessions, please call the office at (207) 564-3301 or email amanda.miles@maine.edu with your name, address, phone number and the session you are interested in.

In just two years, the TSC 4-H Paper Clover Campaign has provided more than $1 million to 4-H across the country, with 90 percent of the funds returning to state and local 4-H programs. The effort has provided direct support for local camps, after-school programs and other activities, and has granted scholarships to these events that youth can explore their interests in everything from animal science to robotics.

The National 4-H Council recently announced the launch of the spring 2012 4-H Paper Clover Campaign in partnership with Tractor Supply Company (TSC). This event marks two years of collaboration between the organizations on the national in-store fundraiser, benefiting state and local 4-H programming in each of the communities where a TSC store is located.

This year, funds donated during the national campaign will be tracked online and recorded by state and by store. Visit tractorsupply.com/4-H, for more information and to view the donation tracker.

Date: May 30, 2012
Topic: Hot Water Bath Canning and Freezing
Location: Dover-Foxcroft Congressional Church, 824 West Main Street,
Dover-Foxcroft
Time: 3:00 – 7:00 PM
Cost: $15 ($10 scholarships are available)
To register: call Amanda Miles at 207-564-3301 or email amanda.miles@maine.edu
Taught by: Jason Bolton, Extension Educator, and Felicia Dumont, Food
Preservation Program Aide

UMaine Extension programs are open and accessible to all in accordance
with program goal. Any person with a disability who needs
accommodations for this program should contact Amanda Miles at
1-800-287-1491 to discuss their needs at least 10 days in advance.
For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has
supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting
community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine County.

Farmers will benefit from the weed identification walk by learning common weeds that can invade their vegetable, fruit and other cultivated crops. Donna Coffin, Extension Educator will lead the walk and have a number of references available for farmers to learn how to identify weeds and how to manage them in their crops. Farmers with weeds to identify from their home farm are encouraged to bring a digital picture of their problem weed.

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.

Walter Boomsma welcoming Susan Priest at a recent Piscataquis County Executive Committee Meeting

As a Horticultural Aide for the Piscataquis University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Priest will have plenty of opportunities to put her education and experience to good use by working with trained Master Gardener volunteers to develop and manage their projects this summer including expanding the Extension office raised bed gardens. She will also be presenting gardening classes on starting seeds, vegetable and flower gardening techniques, staffing Extension garden displays at county events and answering individuals gardening questions by phone, email or walk-ins. Gardeners can bring samples of their garden pests (insects, disease or weeds) to be identified and learn what can be done to manage these pests in vegetable gardens and the home landscape.

Priest says she is a big proponent of “using native species in gardens and landscapes whenever possible… to create harmony and connection.” She favors, “natural processes such as composting in place, no-till, inter-planting and density planting.”

Walter Boomsma, president of the Piscataquis County Extension Executive Committee, notes that Priest is joining the Extension Team just in time for planting season. “Susan’s already hit the ground running. We’re looking forward to her contributions to our programs and having her available to farmers and gardeners in the area.  It is more than just a play on words to point out that Susan will be extending our reach—the very nature and purpose of UMaine Extension is to bring a wide variety of resources and programs into Piscataquis County.”

Boomsma also announced the addition of Tish Dutston of Willimantic to the Executive Committee—a group of volunteers who assist Extension Staff by helping determine priorities, promoting and evaluating programs and helping address the needs and interests of area residents consistent with Extension’s Mission. “Tish has both an agricultural interest and experience managing organizations. We look forward to her perspective and contributions.”

The Executive Committee and staff members recently began a process of needs and opportunity assessment that will drive some long range planning. “We have an opportunity to look 10-20 years into the future—an exciting challenge from a staffing and program perspective,” Boomsma said. “We continue to experience growing requests for information and programs that feature traditional skills and a growth of agriculture in Piscataquis County. There is no sign this is going to decrease any time soon and Extension is uniquely suited to contributing to that growth.”

Residents who interested in serving on the committee are invited to attend the next meeting on Monday, May 14^th at 3 PM at the Extension Office (165 East Main Street Dover Foxcroft) or call 564-3301. For gardening questions and assistance, Priest can be contacted by email: susanpriest@maine.eduand by phone at: (207)-564-3301 or 800-287-1485 (in Maine)

Even though times are tough, YOU CAN sustain your family. The Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension have put together a series of workshops that will give you the skills to get started in self-sufficiency.

What’s the best way to start seeds?  High seedling mortalities and leggy, unhealthy plants that never perform well when moved to the garden are some of the common problems that will be discussed.  Learn the best gardening practices for starting plants in the home.  You’ll bring home a newly planted seed that you started in class.  Patricia Jones and Amanda Costello are graduates in the Master Gardeners program through UMaine Extension.

UMaine Extension programs are open and accessible to all in accordance with program goal. Any person with a disability who needs accommodations for this program should contact Amanda Miles at 1-800-287-1491 to discuss their needs at least 10 days in advance.

For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine County.

Even though times are tough, YOU CAN sustain your family. The Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension have put together a series of workshops that will give you the skills to get started in self-sufficiency.

Thinking of augmenting your heat source with wood?  Not sure how to process the wood?  Join Pete Robinson at his farm for hands-on wood splitting and firewood cutting from a woodpile.  Pete Robinson has managed a woodlot for 20 years, and has been President of the Small Woodlot Owners Association of Maine (SWOAM) for several years.

UMaine Extension programs are open and accessible to all in accordance with program goal. Any person with a disability who needs accommodations for this program should contact Amanda Miles at 1-800-287-1491 to discuss their needs at least 10 days in advance.

For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine County.

Even though times are tough, YOU CAN sustain your family. The Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension have put together a series of workshops that will give you the skills to get started in self-sufficiency.

What’s the best way to start seeds?  High seedling mortalities and leggy, unhealthy plants that never perform well when moved to the garden are some of the common problems that will be discussed.  Learn the best gardening practices for starting plants in the home.  You’ll bring home a newly planted seed that you started in class.  Patricia Jones and Amanda Costello are graduates in the Master Gardeners program through UMaine Extension.

UMaine Extension programs are open and accessible to all in accordance with program goal. Any person with a disability who needs accommodations for this program should contact Amanda Miles at 1-800-287-1491 to discuss their needs at least 10 days in advance.

For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine County.