Other groups are also offering pesticide applicator recertification credits at the Ag. Trades Show (see the
BPC Credit Calendar). There are many opportunities! Licensed pesticide applicators can earn all their required recertification credits for their current licensing period next week! Some presentations may also be of interest to a wider Extension audience.
The full agenda and registration links to the PSEP-BPC programming are available on the program’s
training webpage. All of these sessions will be held remotely via
Zoom. Attendees do
not need to use Whova to attend these presentations and earn credits.
Each training session requires a separate registration. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Kerry Bernard, 207.581.3884 or 800.287.0279 (in Maine); or
kerry.bernard@maine.edu.
A few reminders about pesticide credits that may be relevant for Extension staff:
- If you host an event or give a presentation for a combined hour or more covering any of the topics below, you can probably get it approved for pesticide credit (contact John Pietroski for approval):
- Applicable laws and regulations, environmental hazards, calibration and new application techniques, label review, applicator safety, storage and disposal, pest identification and control, and integrated pest management.
- If seeking approval for an event, per BPC regulations, the agenda or talk title(s) should be submitted at least 15 days before the event.
- Presenters of approved meetings earn double the recertification credit!
USDA’s Local Food Marketing Practices Survey
The 2020 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey is a survey conducted by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service to produce data about local food marketing practices. This 2017 Census of Agriculture special study provides data on the marketing of locally and regionally produced agricultural food products, as directed under the 2018 Farm Bill.
Respond Online
Click here to complete your survey online. Remember, you will need your unique survey code to sign in.
The Four G’s: A Tool for Family Meetings, Too
Authored by Coach Polly Shyka
Small Bites are short, informational articles with practical ideas about stress reduction, improved communication, and farm and family well-being. They are written by coaches from UMaine Extension’s Farm Coaching team. Farm Coaches are available at no cost to work remotely with farmers and farm teams.
In a previous “Small Bites” article, we introduced the Four Gs activity as a way to take the temperature of a team and discover key “Gives, Gains, Groans, and Guidelines” important to progressing toward a shared goal.
You might want to try this out at your next family meeting, as well. Maybe the goal you are working toward is a harmonious weekend. Or a clean house. Or making Nana her birthday cards and gifts. Kids of all ages love markers and a large sheet of paper. Draw the grid then take turns telling your Four G’s to the designated note taker. When everyone takes turns contributing, you have the chance to slow things down with questions, reflections and appreciations for each participant. You can also build connections on your “family team” by linking different people’s contributions to others’. “Looks like a few of us have the same groans going on! Sally and Abby share a give. That is really cool.”
For extra entertainment and humor, try illustrating some of the contributions as the grids get populated. Nothing wrong with a little fun.
Reach out today if your farm team could use some new tools for communication and planning. The
Farm Coaching program is a free service supported by a grant that works with farms state-wide from Northeast Extension Risk Management Education.
USDA Announces Quality Loss Assistance Now Available for Eligible Producers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced that signup for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program will begin Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. Funded by the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, this new program provides assistance to producers who suffered eligible crop quality losses due to natural disasters occurring in 2018 and 2019. The deadline to apply for QLA is Friday, March 5, 2021. For more information, visit farmers.gov/quality-loss, or contact your local USDA Service Center. Producers can also obtain one-on-one support with applications by calling 877-508-8364.
Conservation Reserve Program General Signup Ends February 12, 2021
Agricultural producers and private landowners interested in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) can sign up for the popular program beginning today, Jan. 4, 2021, until Feb. 12, 2021. The competitive program, administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provides annual rental payments for land devoted to conservation purposes. For more information visit Conservation Reserve Program page.
2021 Tri-State Greehouse IPM Workshop
Session 1: Thursday, January 14, 1:00p.m. – 3:30p.m.
Session 2: Thursday, January 21, 1:00p.m. – 3:30p.m
Cost is $40 for both sessions.
To register or for more information please visit Greenhouse IPM Workshop page.
The yearly favorite Tri-State IPM Workshop will be virtual in 2021 and registration is open now!
The Tri-state Greenhouse IPM Program is a collaboration among growers and specialists from ME, NH and VT. This year’s virtual workshop program will be an intensive two-part online (Zoom) session focusing on insect (session 1) and disease (session 2) management. Through popular demand, featured speaker Suzanne Wainwright-Evans of Buglady Consulting will discuss the effective use of biocontrols. She has over 30 years of experience as a pest management consultant with some of the biggest greenhouses in the U.S. Featured speaker Margery Daughtrey from Cornell University is a top disease specialist and will deliver the hottest new strategies for avoiding disease disasters. Other speakers are your favorites from UVM, UNH and ME Dept. of Agriculture to cover new research and things to look out for in the tri-state region. These workshops are for growers with greenhouses or high tunnels, extension specialists and professional pest managers. Growers of all experience levels and from any state are welcome to attend. Preregistration is required. Spots will be limited! 4 pesticide applicator recertification credits for ME, NH and VT applicators (2 per session). Must be in attendance and actively participate to receive credits.
Is 2021 your year for farm coaching? Clarity Shows Care
Authored by Coach Polly Shyka
Small Bites are short, informational articles with practical ideas about stress reduction, improved communication, and farm and family well-being. They are written by coaches from UMaine Extension’s Farm Coaching team. Farm Coaches are available at no cost to work remotely with farmers and farm teams. Read more collected Small Bites.
2020 asked a lot of us. Or perhaps the better word is demanded! As farm managers, we needed to pivot and adapt to a health threat that affected our farm crews, our markets, and our communities. While this kind of adaptability was necessary, change brings with it uncertainty that can feel very uncomfortable to our farm teams.
We heard from our farm crew that clarity was even more important in times of shift and change. One particular situation that came up a few times was when farm crew members were “a little under the weather.” Should they be asked to stay home? Or should they be allowed to work on the farm but on a project by themselves? In all honesty, we wavered and waffled on this issue through the season. We wanted to provide our workers with the hours and wages that they needed but we certainly didn’t want to unwittingly expose anyone to illness.
Our farm crew told us loud and clear that they needed clarity and most importantly, that that clarity felt good and important. It felt like care.
Want a sounding board to think and communicate with clarity? The farm coaching team can meet with you to get clear about fuzzy areas of communication and decision making.
Poultry Flock Talks – Wintertime Ventilation
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
(7:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET)
Visit the event website for more details and to register.
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, January 20, 2021
