Wild Blueberry Newsletter – December 2014
December 2014
CORRECTED VERSION
Agricultural Trade Show
There will be Pesticide Applicator Re-certification sessions on Thursday, January 14, 2015 at the Civic Center in Augusta, Maine. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Board of Pesticides Control will present three hours of training sessions. Licensed pesticide applicators and dealers may attend sessions to earn credits towards recertification. One credit will be allowed for each hour-session attended. The schedule is as follows:
| 9:00-10:00 AM | Water Quality Monitoring for Pesticides: Past, Present and Future, Mary Tomlinson, BPC |
| 10:15-11:15 AM | Spotted Wing Drosophila and Pollinator Protection Update, Frank Drummond, University of Maine |
| 11:30-12:30 PM | Wild Blueberry Pest Management Update, David Yarborough & Frank Drummond, University of Maine |
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Board of Pesticides Control will also present a three-hour training session on Thursday, January 14, 2015 to prepare growers for the Private Pesticide Applicator Core Exam (there is no fee for this training). After the Core exam training, both Core and Commodity exams will be administered.
PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Register online at http://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/pesticides/applicators/sign_up_form2.html, by phone 207.287.2661 or email anne.bills@maine.gov to reserve a seat.
The three-training session dates and times for 2015 are:
- Tuesday, January 13, training 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Exams 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. in the Fort Western Room.
- Wednesday, January 14, training 9:30 – 12:30 p.m. Exams 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. in Washington/York Room.
- Thursday, January 15, training 8:00 – 11:00 a.m. Exams administered 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. in the Fort Western Room.
All trade show events providing pesticide credits can be found at Get Real Get Maine www.getrealmaine.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/calendar.detail/event_id/94/index.htm.
Please read the important email message from Gary Fish, Maine Board of Pesticides Control below.
Sincerely,
David E. Yarborough
Extension Blueberry Specialist
From: Gary Fish <Gary.Fish@maine.gov>
Date: Friday, December 19, 2014
Subject: Pesticide Applicator Exam Training Sign-Up for Agricultural Trades Show
Pesticide Applicator Exam Training Sign-Up for Agricultural Trades Show http://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/pesticides/applicators/sign_up_form2.html
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service is teaming up with the Maine Board of Pesticides Control to offer training at the Agricultural Trades Show, January 13, 14, and 15, 2015. The training covers only material covered in the core exam, which is required for either an Agricultural Basic or a Private Applicator License. The Private Applicator License also requires passing a commodity exam (more on licensing). This training is not for those wishing to license as Commercial Applicators.
Please note that the time is different for each day:
- Tuesday, January 13, training 1:00 – 4:00 pm, exams 4:00 – 6:00 pm, Fort Western Room
- Wednesday, January 14, training 9:30am – 12:30 pm, exams 1:30 – 4:30 pm, Washington/York Room
- Thursday, January 15, training 8:00 – 11:00 am, exams 12:00 – 2:00 pm, Fort Western Room
To sign up got to http://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/pesticides/applicators/sign_up_form2.html
In the spring of 2011, the Maine Legislature passed a law which requires many growers to be licensed by the Maine Board of Pesticides Control (BPC). Growers who annually sell more than $1,000 of plants or plant products intended for human consumption and use any general-use pesticides—those with an EPA registration number on the label—on those crops, must be licensed by April 1, 2015.
This law applies to:
- Growers of fruits, vegetables, herbs and grains for human consumption
- Growers of the above crops who make bread, jam, French fries, wine, cider, juice, etc., or sell produce to be processed into the above
- Greenhouse growers selling fruit, vegetable and herb seedlings
To obtain the new Agricultural Basic pesticide applicator license, growers must pass the BPC “core exam.” The core exam is based on the Pesticide Education (Core) Manual which is available from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension at https://extension.umaine.edu/ipm/pesticide-safety/pesticide-applicator-license-categories-training-manuals/, or by calling 207-581-3880. The exam can also be taken at the BPC office in Augusta (207-287-2731) or at County Cooperative Extension offices. Contact the BPC office to have the exam mailed to the Extension office, and then make arrangements with Extension for taking the exam.
Future training opportunities can be found at http://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/pesticides/applicators/ApplicatorTraining.html
Gary Fish, Manager of Pesticide Programs
Maine Board of Pesticides Control
28 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0028
gary.fish@maine.gov
207-287-7545
Wild blueberry fact sheets, past newsletters, contacts, resource links, calendar of events, and more can be found at the wild blueberry website: www.wildblueberries.maine.edu
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.
© 2014
The University of Maine is an EEO/AA employer, and does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran’s status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 Boudreau Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5754, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).
Call 800.287.0274 or TDD 800.287.8957 (in Maine), or 207.581.3188, for information on publications and program offerings from University of Maine Cooperative Extension, or visit extension.umaine.edu.