News

4 browntail moth caterpillars on a tree

All About Browntail Moth Caterpillars (BTM)

What Browntail Moths Are & What You Can Do: Last week at the UMaine Extension Cumberland County office, we noticed a few caterpillar nest tents in the branches of the crab apples. The caterpillars had just begun to hatch. We removed them by cutting the nests out of the trees. It is important that even […]

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A cartoon sweet potato holding a sign that reads "See me at the Master Gardener Plant Sale May 18th!" with UMaine logo

Growing Sweet Potatoes: An interview with Tom Witwicki, Master Gardener

  Did you know that you can buy a single sweet potato from the grocery store and turn it into many pounds of food from the garden? Fascinating! In this interview for our blog readers, Master Gardener Volunteer, Tom Witwicki describes sweet potato cultivation. He suggests that red garnet and Japanese purple are two varieties […]

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two teenagers building electronics at a table

4-H@UMaine: Connecting Kids to Campus

Connect with us on campus! May 31 – June 1, 2019 Do you ever wonder what it’s like to spend a weekend on a college campus? 4-H@UMaine is the chance to check out what the University of Maine has to offer! Middle school and high school students will be special guests on campus! They will […]

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Master Gardeners helping customers shop for plants

May 18th Plant Sale: Reduce, Reuse, Garden Tools!

The Annual Master Gardener Plant Sale sells more than just plants. They feature gently used garden tools too! If you come to the plant sale, you just may find the exact tool you need at a price you bargain for!   “It goes well with the reduce, reuse, recycle philosophy,” says Master Gardener, Leigh Mundhenk, […]

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Q&A For the Novice Food Preserver

In this interview, Master Food Preserver Volunteer Kathy Shaw offers a Q&A for our readers about food preservation and in particular, the Master Food Preserver Volunteer Program (MFP) offered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Kathy took the course in 2009. She has continued to be a part of the program ever since. She lives […]

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Merrifield Farmer making maple syrup.

Maine Maple Sunday

The annual Maine Maple Sunday is a beloved event here in Maine and a sure sign of Spring as rising temperature creates pressure inside trees, causing sap to flow. Each year nearly 100 participating sugarhouses (building where maple sap is boiled and maple syrup and maple sugar are made) across the state offer a variety of […]

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hands holding strawberries

Happy National Strawberry Day!

It’s national strawberry day and to celebrate we’ve complied some information on the delicious fruit for you! “Fresh strawberries are tasty and wholesome. They are the first berries on the market in the summer. Wild strawberries, which are much smaller but often sweeter, can be gathered most of the summer.” – Bulletin # 4268, Vegetables […]

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Teachable Moments: Using Steam Canners

by Kate McCarty, UMaine Extension Food Systems Professional There’s now another type of canner approved for use in preserving high-acid foods at home. An atmospheric steam canner, an appliance designed to preserve foods using steam, has been sufficiently tested by the University of Wisconsin, National Center for Home Food Preservation, and USDA for us to […]

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Seasonal Publications for the Holidays

With several snowfalls ushering in the new season, its time to get ready for winter and the holidays.  The Cooperative Extension offers food safety fact sheets, recipes, and a variety of other publications relevant to the season. Here are just a few publications that may interest you: #4213  Helpful Hints for Handling Turkeys for Thanksgiving […]

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