Wild Blueberry Newsletter, March 2018

Wild Blueberry Newsletter header graphic, text and a photo of blueberries and leaves

March 2018

2018 Wild Blueberry Spring Meetings Agenda

Ellsworth

  • Date: Thursday, April 5, 2018
  • Time: 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
  • Location: Hancock County Extension Office, 63 Boggy Brook Road, Ellsworth, Maine

Waldoboro

  • Date: Tuesday, April 3, 2018
  • Time: 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
  • Location: Knox-Lincoln County Extension Office, 377 Manktown Road, Waldoboro, Maine

Machias

  • Date: Saturday, April 7, 2018
  • Time: 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
  • Location: University of Maine, Machias, Science Bldg, Room 102, O’Brien Avenue, Machias, Maine

Agenda

  • Machias: 1:00 p.m. (All others: 6:00 p.m.): Wild Blueberry Commission update, Nancy McBrady, Wild Blueberry Commission
  • Machias: 1:10 p.m. (All others: 6:10 p.m.): Blueberry crop trends 1996- 2017, David Yarborough, University of Maine
  • Machias: 1:30 p.m. (All others: 6:30 p.m.): Management of spotted wing drosophila, Frank Drummond, University of Maine
  • Machias: 1:55 p.m. (All others: 6:55 p.m.): Wild blueberry disease update, Seanna Annis, University of Maine
  • Machias: 2:20 p.m. (All others: 7:20 p.m.): Break
  • Machias: 2:35 p.m. (All others: 7:35 p.m.): Wild Blueberry Management Tool demonstration, Jennifer D’Appollonio, University of Maine
  • Machias: 3:00 p.m. (All others: 8:00 p.m.): BPC Update, Staff, Board of Pesticides Control
  • Machias: 4:00 p.m. (All others: 9:00 p.m.): Adjourn

Two re-certification credits are available for licensed pesticide applicators!

Be Counted in the 2017 Census of Agriculture!

It’s Not Too Late!

It’s not too late to be counted in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. Every five years, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts the Census of Agriculture. Questionnaires were mailed to all known farmers in beginning in December 2017. NASS is following up with those that have not returned their questionnaires but farmers can still complete their questionnaires and return them by mail or complete their questionnaires using the NASS’s new web response tool on the Census of Agriculture page (USDA website). Reporting online saves time, is user-friendly, calculates totals automatically, and skips questions not applicable to your operation.

“It’s important for all farmers to be counted”, according to Gary Keough, NASS State Statistician for the New England States. “NASS will begin following up with those that have not completed their surveys. The Census of Agriculture is the only source of uniform, comprehensive and impartial agricultural data for every county in the nation. It’s a complete count of U.S. farms and the people who operate them. From small plots of urban and rural land to large farms with thousands of acres, the Census counts them all plus looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, and income and expenditures.” For Census of Agriculture purposes, a farm is any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the Census year.

Why is data like this good to have?

  1. Farmers have an opportunity to decide if they’d like to expand or diversify their operations to fill a gap that may show in the trends.
  2. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry use the data to administer State programs.
  3. Organizations like the Maine Farm Bureau and Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association use the data to educate legislators, local officials, and consumers about the importance of Maine agriculture to the State’s and local community’s economies.
  4. Universities like the University of Maine can identify a need in the county/state, build programs and workshops for farmers to learn about best practices and strategies, and possibly write grant proposals to benefit farmers looking to diversify and grow their operations.
  5. Agribusinesses have insight to where particular farm machinery or processing facilities are needed to address farmers’ needs.

If you didn’t receive a questionnaire please contact Gary Keough at 603.227.3129 or email at gary_keough@nass.usda.gov.

Cavendish Agri Services Invites You to Our 2018 Blueberry Meeting!

R.S.V.P to Steve London, A.S.A.P. at 207.538.6250

Agenda

Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Bangor Motor Inn, Hogan Road, Bangor, Maine

  • 9:00 a.m.: NovaSource, Alex Crouse (45 Minutes)
  • 9:45 a.m.: Precision Ag, Shane Clark (20 Minutes)
  • 10:05 a.m.: Helena, Tom Carter (50 Minutes)
  • 11:00 a.m.: Bayer, Steve Cumming (50 Minutes)
  • 11:50 a.m.: Cavendish, Steve London (45 Minutes)
  • Lunch will be served

Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Columbia Falls Elementary School, 8 Addison Rd, Columbia Falls, Maine

  • 5:00 p.m.: Dinner and Meeting Begins, NovaSource (45 Minutes)
  • 5:45 p.m.: Precision Ag, Shane Clark (20 Minutes)
  • 6:05 p.m.: Helena, Tom Carter (50 Minutes)
  • 7:00 p.m.: Bayer, Steve Cumming (50 Minutes)
  • 7:50 p.m.: Cavendish, Steve London (45 Minutes)

Speakers/Topics:

  • Alex Crouse from NovaSource will cover labeling, best-use guidelines, pests, weeds, disease control for their blueberry products.  The PPE, REI, rates, and timing for these products will be discussed.
  • Shane will discuss grid soil sampling and custom application.
  • Tom Carter from Helena will discuss the use of adjuvants and surfactants to enhance the efficacy of certain pesticides.  He will cover labeling, best-use guidelines, pests, weeds, disease control for their products. The PPE, REI, rates, and timing for these products will be discussed.
  • Steve Cumming from Bayer will cover labeling, best-use guidelines, pests, weeds, disease control for their blueberry products. The PPE, REI, rates, and timing for these products will be discussed.
  • Steve London will talk on liquid and dry fertilizers and follow up with an open forum on  topics the growers would like to discuss in “Preparing for 2018 Season.”

We will be requesting that the Board of Pesticides Control Award points for attendance. Thank you.

We look forward to seeing you!

Sincerely,

Dave

David E. Yarborough
Extension Blueberry Specialist

Wild blueberry fact sheets, past newsletters, contacts, resource links, calendar of events, and more can be found on the Cooperative Extension’s Maine Wild Blueberries website.

Information in this publication is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.

© 2018

Call 800.287.0274 (in Maine), or 207.581.3188, for information on publications and program offerings from University of Maine Cooperative Extension, or visit extension.umaine.edu.

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