Farm Scoop – August 2019
National Farm Safety and Health Week Free Webinars
National Farm Safety and Health Week is September 15-21, 2019. For a list of all of the free webinars visit AgriSafe Network.
Maine Farms for the Future Program Now Accepting Fall Applications
The State of Maine, Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources is now accepting applications for the Maine Farms for the Future Program. For more information visit Maine Farms for the Future Program news release.
Maple Business Modules
The University of Vermont Extension’s Maple Business Modules can be found here.
Organic Dairy and Livestock Manager Position at Wolfe’s Neck Center
Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment is on a mission to transform our relationship with farming and food for a healthier planet. We are a nonprofit education and research center situated on 626 acres of farmland, forest, and coast in Freeport, Maine. Our campus consists of an organic dairy program, livestock barns, diversified fruit and vegetable production, an oceanfront campground, and miles of wooded hiking trails. As a working farm located within a unique mix of ecosystems, we offer a remarkable and inspiring place for visitors of all ages to learn and play. Our year round programs include farmer training, field trips, workshops, weekend events, and more. For more information or to apply please visit the position posting.
Maine Agricultural Trades Show
The Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry, Maine Agricultural Trades Show, will occur Tuesday, January 14, Wednesday, January 15, and Thursday, January 16, 2020, at the Augusta Civic Center, Augusta Maine. For more information check the State of Maine Agricultural Trades Show site.
Private Pesticide Applicator Credit
Are you a licensed private pesticide applicator looking for a credit towards renewal?
There are up to 8 seats available in the upcoming Androscoggin & Sagadahoc Counties Master Gardener Volunteers Training Class on **TUESDAY AUG. 27th** on Pesticide Use and Storage with John Pietroski from the Maine Board of Pesticides Control.
Class starts promptly at 4:30pm and goes until 8:00pm at the Lisbon Falls Cooperative Extension office, located at 24 Main Street. One credit is available for attending the entire session.
You must call Melissa Freeman to register as space is limited: (207) 353-5550
Respirator Fit Test at Maine Farm Days in Clinton
August 22, 2019
Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Maine Farm Days, Clinton, ME.
Fee: $10
Under the revised Worker Protection Standards, anyone applying pesticides that require the use of a respirator must complete a respirator fit test annually.
Prior to respirator fit testing, each applicant must pass (and maintain a record of) a medical evaluation demonstrating they are physically fit enough to wear a respirator.
Pre-registration is required. Please contact Becky Gray at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Cumberland 207.781.6099 or rebecca.gray@maine.edu for more information. More information on the Respirator Fit Test here.
New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference and Trade Show Poster Session
The New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference and Trade Show will again be having a poster session. Our goal is to enhance the visibility of the good work being done by researchers in the region, and to provide an opportunity to network and connect with practitioners in the field.
The conference will next be held from December 10-12, 2019 at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, NH. Approximately 1500 vegetable and fruit producers, researchers, and extension specialists from throughout the northeastern U.S. and beyond attend the conference. Visit New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference and Trade Show for more information.
Farm Beginnings Registration is Now Open
Designed for farmers with at least one year of production experience and records of their own, this series of intensive workshops will help you to develop a whole farm plan through realistic goal setting, reflection, and assessment of your resources, skills, and markets – and gives you the business planning tools necessary to successfully implement your plan. The Farm Beginnings course consists of 7 six-hour sessions, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Sundays, from mid-October through early March, plus a number of shorter workshops at the January Agricultural Trades Show in Augusta, and an Advanced Business Planning workshop in February. To learn more about this course and to submit an application please see this link: FARM BEGINNINGS.
USDA Opens Signup for Market Facilitation Program
Are you a farmer or rancher whose commodities have been directly impacted by unjustified foreign retaliatory tariffs, resulting in the loss of traditional export markets? The Market Facilitation Program was created for producers just like you. You can find more information on the market facilitation program here.
Educate-2-Cultivate Veteran Farmers Symposium
Saturday, October 26, 2019, Augusta State Armory, every veteran will have a dedicated one-on-one session with a business mentor in the morning, plus a financial management workshop, a locally-sourced lunch, an afternoon filled with assistive technology and mind/body workshops, and throughout the day there will be a veteran-specific resource fair. Lots of great opportunities to network with other veteran farmers and learn about how to make your farming efforts more successful. Register here.
Spotted Wing Droosophila Fruit Flies
Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) fruit flies have been found in raspberry and highbush blueberry plantings in Maine. You can read about spotted wing drosophila findings here.