Maine Grain and Oilseed Newsletter, Vol. 4, No.2 – July 2016

In this issue:

Dear Grower,

This newsletter should provide some dates to put on your calendar for field days, workshops, and twilight meetings. Lots of good research, education, and information will be shared at these. We encourage you, that if you have the time, to try and attend one or more of these programs.

Best regards,
Andrew Plant, Extension Agriculture Educator
Ellen Mallory, Extension Sustainable Agriculture Specialist

57 Houlton Road, Presque Isle, ME 04769
207.764.3361 or 1.800.287.1462
extension.umaine.edu/aroostook

Sustainable Agriculture Field Day Tour at Rogers Farm, June 30, 2016

Tractor on small grains fieldA Sustainable Agriculture Field Day Tour is scheduled from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, June 30 at University of Maine’s Rogers Farm, 914 Bennoch Road, Old Town. Registration starts at 4:00 p.m.

The field day will focus on research results and sustainable farming practices of small grains, potatoes, vegetable weed control, and risk management for small production farmers. Speakers include research staff and graduate students from UMaine College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture and UMaine Extension specialists.

The event is free; 2.5 Certified Crop Adviser credits and one Pesticide credit will be offered. Refreshments will be provided.

More about the event is online. For more information or to request a disability accommodation, contact John Jemison, 207.581.3241, jemison@maine.edu. More information about sustainable agriculture research at Rogers Farm is on the farm’s website, umaine.edu/rogersfarm.

Malt Workshop and Field Day, July 7, 2016

WHAT: Join experts and colleagues for an afternoon at the farm as we explore all aspects of LOCAL MALT for craft brewing.  Presentations, demonstrations, discussion, and a field tour will be followed by an After Party at Black Bear Microbrew in Orono — featuring a beer with a 100% Maine grain bill!

The afternoon’s topics will include:

  • Malts and malt quality for craft beer, including methods demonstrations and malt sampling
  • National and international trends in using craft and local malts
  • Evaluating grain quality — what maltsters and farmers need to know
  • Producing malt-quality grain on the farm
  • Choosing varieties for Maine-grown malt, including a tour of variety trials

WHO: Brewers, Growers, and Anyone with a professional interest in malt!

WHEN: July 7, 2016

  • 1:00–4:00 PM: Workshops
  • 4:30 PM: After-Party happy hour at Black Bear Microbrew with Maine-sourced beer

 WHERE: University of Maine Rogers Farm, 914 Bennoch Road, Old Town

COST: This is a FREE event. RSVP at the Eventbrite Page and Facebook Page.

For more details and workshop schedule, see Brewers Field Day 2016 Schedule and Information (PDF).

Acreage Report Deadline Approaching for Spring-Seeded Crops

Farmers with crop insurance on a spring-seeded crop (i.e. potatoes, small grains, corn etc.) must submit acreage reports to their crop insurance agent by July 15, 2016.

The acreage report is the basis for determining the amount of insurance provided and the premium charged.

The acreage report includes the:

  • crops you have planted,
  • acreage prevented from planting,
  • what share you have in those crops,
  • where the crops are located,
  • how many acres you planted,
  • the dates you planted them,
  • what insurance unit they are located on, and
  • the cultural practice followed (i.e., irrigated, double cropped, etc.).

Be sure reports are accurate and submitted on time! By reporting too much acreage, you may pay too much premium. If you report too little acreage, you may recover less when you file a claim. Crop insurance agents often say that mistakes in acreage reporting are the easiest way for producers to have an unsatisfactory experience with crop insurance.

More Information

Please visit the UMaine Extension Risk Management and Crop Insurance website or contact Crop Insurance Education Program Manager Erin Roche (erin.roche@maine.edu or 207.949.2490).  A list of agents serving Maine can be found online using the Agent Locator tool.

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is in partnership with the USDA Risk Management Agency to deliver crop insurance education in Maine.

Small Grain, Cover Crop, and Alternative Crop Twilight Meeting, July 19, 2016

Aroostook Farm
Tuesday, July 19, 6:00- 8:00 PM
UMaine Aroostook Research Farm
Meet at the UMaine Extension Presque Isle Office, 57 Houlton Road, Presque Isle

Please join us and learn about:

Small Grains and Alternative Crops

  • Barley variety trial / Disease census in cereals / Cover cropping / Managing Grain Protein / Alternative Crops

Speakers include:

  • Tom Molloy, Sustainable Ag. Research Associate
  • Andrew Plant, Extension Ag. Educator
  • Jake Dyer, Agronomy/Crop and Variety Development, Maine Potato Board

If you are a person with a disability and need an accommodation to participate in this program, please call Andrew Plant at 207.764.3361 to discuss your needs. Receiving requests for accommodations at least 10 days before the program provides a reasonable amount of time to meet the request, however all requests will be considered.

Information on this website 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.

© 2016

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.