{"id":11542,"date":"2020-04-02T10:38:26","date_gmt":"2020-04-02T14:38:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agriculture\/?p=11542"},"modified":"2020-04-27T11:44:21","modified_gmt":"2020-04-27T15:44:21","slug":"farm-scoop-april-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/agriculture\/2020\/04\/02\/farm-scoop-april-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"Farm Scoop – April 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Navigating the PPP Loan Application Webinar<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Join us for a special Legal Food Hub webinar Tuesday, April 28th<\/sup>\u00a0at 1:00PM EST<\/strong>. Mary Rose Scozzafava is a volunteer attorney for the Legal Food Hub and a board member of a small local community farm in Lexington, MA. She recently assisted the farm in applying for a PPP loan. Join us as she shares her advice and experience.<\/p>\n

Date:<\/strong>\u00a0Tuesday, April 28th<\/sup>, 2020 at 1:00PM EST<\/p>\n

Location:<\/strong>\u00a0Zoom\u00a0Register for this free presentation<\/a><\/p>\n

Navigating the PPP Loan Application<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan designed to help small businesses keep their workers on payroll during the COVID-19 crisis. Mary Rose Scozzafava is both a volunteer attorney for the Legal Food Hub and a board member of a small local community farm in Lexington, MA. She recently assisted the farm in applying for a PPP loan. Join us as she shares her advice and experience.<\/p>\n

If you cannot attend this webinar, it will be recorded and posted to our website for future viewing. Please feel free to send questions in advance to our email\u00a0legalfoodhub@clf.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Family First Corona Virus Response Act – What Farms and Small Business Need to Know<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

What farms and small businesses NEED to know to comply with the Family First Corona Virus Response Act.<\/p>\n

UNH Extension is offering a webinar regarding the Family First Corona Virus Response Act.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Wednesday, 04\/29\/2020<\/span><\/div>\n
7:00pm – 8:00pm<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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To Register visit UNH Extension<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)requires private businesses with fewer than 500 employees to provide employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19. The requirements including notifying employees, are in effect: April 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Maine Farm Emergency Grants<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Maine Farmland Trust (MFT)<\/a> and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA)<\/a> are introducing new Maine Farm Emergency Grants<\/a> to assist farmers impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. This collaborative effort will provide support to farmers who need assistance mitigating the economic impact of COVID-19, and will help them adapt their businesses to be responsive to changing markets.<\/div>\n
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The application deadline is April 27, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Grants will be awarded during the week of May 4, 2020.\u00a0 APPLY HERE<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
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COVID-19 Maine Farmer Survey<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As\u00a0COVID-19\u00a0continues to make its way through our community, farmers are faced with unique challenges in an unpredictable market. Agricultural organizations agencies are continuing to collect information to assess the impact this virus is having on Maine farms to better inform direct assistance and policy in this changing time. IF YOU HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THIS SURVEY, PLEASE TAKE IT AGAIN. New questions have been added as we track changes over the past few weeks.\u00a0\u00a0COVID-19\u00a0Maine Farmer\u00a0Survey<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Free Invasive Plant Management Plans<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Calling all farm and woodland owners: free invasive plant management plans available in Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Somerset, and Waldo Counties<\/strong><\/p>\n

Farm and woodland owners and operators in five Maine counties may be eligible to receive a free invasive plant survey and management plan, prepared by a natural resource professional from the local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD).\u00a0 Staff of SWCDs serving Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Somerset, and Waldo counties are looking for landowners or operators who would like to learn more about the invasive plants on their farms and woodlands.<\/p>\n

Impacts of invasive plants:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Invasive plants like Asiatic bittersweet vines, thorny multiflora rose shrubs, sprawling Japanese barberry, and others can create dense tangles in forests, wetlands, and fields, crowding out native plants and young trees.\u00a0 Along forest edges and hedgerows, thickets of invasive shrubs can reduce the area of productive fields.\u00a0 Some invasive plants create habitat for ticks, cause skin rashes, or are harmful if eaten by livestock.<\/p>\n

Identify harmful plants and get guidance on management: \u00a0<\/strong>Many farmers and woodland owners know that invasive plants are present but aren\u2019t sure what to do about them.\u00a0 Others may not know how to recognize invasive plants.\u00a0 Having a site visit and survey from the local SWCD is a chance to talk with a natural resource professional, learn to identify harmful plants, and get guidance on how to manage them.\u00a0 Survey data also help scientists understand invasive plant distribution in Maine because data are contributed to the online mapping tool\u00a0iMapInvasives<\/a>, the central repository for invasive plant data in Maine.<\/p>\n

Free thanks to funders:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>This service is free to farm and woodland owners or operators thanks to a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture \u2013 Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) administered by the\u00a0Maine Natural Areas Program<\/a>\u00a0in the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.\u00a0 The project is also funded in part by the\u00a0Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund<\/a>, in which proceeds from the sale of a dedicated instant lottery ticket are used to support outdoor recreation and natural resource conservation.\u00a0 Space is limited and landowners\/operators must meet basic USDA \u2013 NRCS eligibility requirements.\u00a0 Site visits will be conducted during the growing season, but sign ups are open now.<\/p>\n

Management assistance: \u00a0<\/strong>Participating landowners and operators are encouraged to act on the management plans they receive by implementing invasive plant treatments.\u00a0 Treatment funding may be available by applying to the USDA NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program through the\u00a0local USDA NRCS office<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To learn more and sign up for a free survey and management plan, please contact the SWCD in the county where the farm or woodland is located:<\/strong><\/p>\n