Farm Scoop — October/November 2013
The MOFGA Farmer to Farmer Conference
Join with other farmers, University of Maine faculty and UMaine Extension educators, and other agricultural professionals to share information and farming experiences on November 2 – 4, 2013. Full details, including registration and scholarship application forms, are available on the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) website. For further information or questions, please contact Andrew Marshall at MOFGA or call 207.568.4142. The conference will be held at Point Lookout Resort, 67 Atlantic Hwy, Northport ME 04849. Full conference registration $150/person or $50/person half-days. Limited scholarships available. The conference is approved for up to 3 pesticide applicator recertification credits on November 3 and up to 3 more credits on November 4.
Free Work Safety Stickers for Your Farm
With harvest season underway, many Maine farmers and farm workers are operating farm tractors in fields and on roads. To promote workplace safety, the Maine AgrAbility Program of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, in partnership with Goodwill Industries of Northern New England and Alpha One, developed a brightly colored decal to be applied to tractor fenders, dashboards and windshields. The decal reminds operators to work safely.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s AgrAbility Program will give as many as five free safety stickers to each farm in Maine. To order, contact Maine AgrAbility Coordinator Lani Carlson at maine.agrability@maine.edu or 207.944.1533.
Maine AgrAbility is an outreach program for farmers and farm workers with disabilities or chronic illnesses to help them keep farming. Maine AgrAbility is sponsored by UMaine Extension in collaboration with Alpha One and Goodwill Industries of Northern New England. More information about Maine AgrAbility is online (umaine.edu/agrability).
2013-2014 New England Small Fruit Management Guide
Copies of the 2013-2014 New England Small Fruit Management Guide are now available at Highmoor Farm. Cost of the guide is $10.00 plus $2.53 postage for a total of $12.53. Copies of the 2012-2013 New England Vegetable Management Guide with color pictures of the important pests and diseases are also available at Highmoor Farm. Cost of the guide is $25.00 plus $3.43 postage for a total of $28.43. To order the guides, please send your check made payable to UMaine Cooperative Extension mailed to: Highmoor Farm, P.O. Box 179, Monmouth, Maine 04259, atten. Pam St. Peter. For more information, contact Pam St. Peter at 933.2100 or pamela.stpeter@maine.edu. Members of the Maine Vegetable & Small Fruit Growers Association (MVSFGA) or the New England Vegetable & Berry Growers Association receive free copies of the guides. For MVSFGA membership information, contact Bill Jordan at 799.1040.
Ethnic Marketing of Lamb and Mutton
A 4-Part Webinar Series for US Sheep Producers will be offered Tuesdays, November 19 & 26, December 3 & 10, 2013. This series was developed jointly by Richard Brzozowski, Extension Educator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, with Susan Schoenian of the University of Maryland Extension and Roger High of Ohio State University. This free, 4-part webinar series will provide sheep producers with the necessary skills to effectively market sheep/lamb meat to ethnic communities in their respective market areas. The series includes four live webinars, associated readings, activities, assignments, and group discussions.
- What participants will learn
- The pros and cons of producing lamb/mutton for an ethnic market
- Webinar sessions: schedule & topics
- Registration
- Related resources
For more information, contact Richard Brzozowski at richard.brzozowski@maine.edu or 207.781.6099.
The Maine Hay and Straw Directories
As we head towards winter, you may be looking to buy or sell high quality mulch or feed for your farm. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension maintains two online directories for farmers to list the straw or hay they have for sale. Listings include location, contact information, products for sale and pricing. You can create your free listing on the Straw Directory or the Hay Directory with a simple online form or by emailing Sonia Antunes at sonia.antunes@maine.edu. Buyers will find listings throughout Maine and in Canada.
Cornell Small Farms: Online Berry Production Course
Berries and bramble fruits are popular farm enterprises, and for good reason: when planned and managed well, they can be very profitable, and they make a great add-on to existing enterprises. Whether you’re totally new to farming or are an existing farmer considering diversifying into berry crops, the Cornell Small Farms Program’s online course BF 122: Berry Production — Getting Started with Production and Marketing provides a thorough introduction. You’ll hear practical, on-the-ground tips from successful farmers as well as the latest research and recommendations on site selection, cultural requirements and variety recommendations for major and minor berry fruits, post-harvest handling, and marketing berries.
The course runs Thurs. Nov 21 – Thurs. Dec 12, with webinars twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:30 p.m. EST (skipping Thanksgiving on Thurs. Nov 28). The cost is $200, but multiple people from the same farm may participate without paying extra.
24th Annual Maine Beef Conference
The Maine Beef Producers Association (MBPA) will hold its Twenty-fourth Annual Beef Conference titled “Keeping Your Herd Healthy,” Saturday, December 7, 2013 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Bangor, ME with registration open at 8:00 a.m. This year, MBPA has joined forces with the Maine Grass Farmers Network (MGFN) to host the conference with sponsors University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Industry sponsors include Hilton Garden Inn. Speakers include Walter Whitcomb, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Dr. Simon Alexander VMD, Exeter Veterinary Services, Cindy Kilgore, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Livestock Specialist, Dr. Anne Lichtenwalner, University of Maine Extension Veterinarian & Director of the Animal Diagnostic Lab. Non-member registration, including lunch, is $60 for the first person from the farm and $40 for all others from that farm. Discounts for MGFN and MBPA association members are available, as well as a student rate. For registration details, contact Melissa Libby at 1.800.287.7170 in Maine or 207.581.2788 outside of Maine. Registration details will be available on the UMaine Extension Beef website. 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 Melissa Libby at 1.800.287.7170 to discuss their needs at least seven days in advance.
Pesticide Applicator License Exam Training
Pesticide Applicator License Exam Training will be offered at Highmoor Farm on November 14, 2013. The Core pesticide training and exam will be offered in the morning, followed by lunch. There will be Orchard Fruit Commodity AND Vegetable Commodity trainings and exams offered concurrently in the afternoon. This is a great opportunity to gain certification credits. For detailed information, visit our website.
We hope to see you there!