2021 March PCEA-EC Minutes

Minutes: Piscataquis County Extension Association Executive Committee Meeting March 8, 2021, 3 PM By Zoom

 

Present: Members Beth McEvoy,  Judy Cross, George McKay, Ben Cookson,
Staff: Donna Coffin, Sheila Norman, Trisha Smith, Annette Moulton, Emily Mott, Lisa Phelps

 

  • President Beth McEvoy called the meeting to order at 3:06 pm. Donna Coffin was appointed timekeeper..
  • Check-in
  • Lisa reported that there are no in-person meetings until April 1, planning is still not sure in the summer. Monitoring the budget situation.
  • Emily is looking forward to biking when the weather is better.
  • Donna reports that office staff is being tested every week.
  • Judy is having trouble navigating funding sources for the veteran groups she works with. 
  • Sheila, Trisha, and Anette are well.
  • Tech Tip from Emily-when in a ZOOM meeting, hitting the escape button will minimize the screen so you can access the items behind.
  • Minutes of the Feb. 8 2021 meeting Judy moved to accept and unanimously approved.
  • Treasurer’s Report Was Presented by Donna Coffin as Karen Murphy was not in attendance, the report was unanimously approved.

 

PROGRAM  UPDATES FROM STAFF
Sheila Norman
Emily Mott

  1. We are planning on doing a program at Brownville Elementary School with the STEM Ambassadors this spring. The curriculum is The Art of Math. Emily will partner with STEM Ambassador Tom in one class. Sheila is looking for a partner for one of the other classes. Any interested EC members?
  2. In-person meetings for 4-H clubs are still restricted to outdoor or barn locations in groups of 20 or fewer. This will be revisited on April 1. 
  3. Isleen Halverson is a new 4-H leader. Her plans are to lead a new SPIN club that focuses on outdoor activities such as cross country skiing and snowshoeing. Geneva Libby is a former leader who will be returning to assist Isleen.
  4. County Public Speaking: Our usual county tournaments will not be held this year, as it would be too difficult to arrange so many ZOOM tournaments. Statewide public speaking workshops have been held to qualify youth for participation in the state competition. Participants age 12 and older may earn a spot on this year’s Communication Science Team. Youth may also qualify to participate in the Northeast Region (10 states) tournament.

Trisha Smith
Garden-in-a-Box:

Garden Coaches have received their binders and will be doing their first check-ins with gardeners in the next couple of weeks! We’re encouraging gardeners to decide on seedlings by the first of April to give farmers as much notice as possible.

3/8 Update: Merrilee Schoen and I are planning a Zoom for April 21 at 3 pm to promote Garden in a Box and the information binders through local libraries. We intend to distribute the information binders at the end of March/beginning of April and hope to take some posters around as well. All the libraries in the county, plus Dexter, will have Garden in a Box binders for patrons to check out. All the libraries except Parkman will have demonstration gardens in the same grow bags as our Garden in a Box gardeners have.

Share Shed Piscataquis:
In storage ‘til spring. 

Merrilee and I have talked about how we could have Share Sheds in other towns. So far my best suggestion has been to offer the creation, maintenance, and management of a Share Shed as a Master Gardener Volunteer project. Merrilee designed and built the one we have and can make an easily reproducible plan. It could be a great 4-H project, too.

Sedomocha School Garden:

I haven’t heard back from David Murray about spring plans for the garden. Outdoor activities are much easier to manage; seeding peas and carrots and greens will probably be the first thing we do.


Dover-Foxcroft Area Food Cupboard: 

Distributions have been smoother and lines faster since we have switched to packaging food in boxes rather than bags. We provide food to 170-200 families in the area.

Master Gardener Volunteer Training
We have 3 trainees for Piscataquis; one is a Garden Coach for Garden in a Box, and the others have yet to choose their projects.

Side projects:

Sedomocha Nature Trail:

Carolyn Clark is one of our new MGV trainees; I expect the Nature Trail will be her volunteer focus (update March 8 : confirmed)

Voices From Home oral history project (Thompson Free Library): 

A storytelling class is in the works for April vacation, with a story slam to follow. The class will be led by Bobby Keniston and will be appropriate for adults and older youth.

A number of ZOOM “Story Slam”s have been held since the pandemic hit, and have been stored on the online archive Omeka. Individuals are welcome to upload their own material (written, recorded, photographs, etc.) to help build the archive. https://heartofmaine.omeka.net/

 

Donna Coffin

  1. One to one contacts –   phone (17), email (28), Facebook (17), Face to Face (4) from 56 people included questions on: poultry processing, Kosher processing, contact tracing of livestock, follow-up on selling meat in Maine program, bedding costs, container farming, soil/compost source, hay business, looking for land/homestead, new farmers, poultry enterprises, livestock enterprises, value-added products, bulk tree seedlings, wood ash in the garden, maple syrup production, insect identification, beginning gardener, MGV materials, invertebrates, growing fruit trees, perennial pruning, barn design. 

 

  1. Upcoming Programs/Meetings/Activities
    1. Gardening Webinar Series Wednesday nights at 6 pm. We are working with UNH to do the six-part series. 
    2. Master Gardener Volunteer training program first session for our area is March 8th at 6 pm. Pre-work is March 1st. Using Brightspace. 
    3. So You Want to Farm in Maine?starting March 29th Mondays and Thursdays at 5:30 pm. For beginning farmers and will be an FSA borrower training. 
    4. Colt Knight and Chef Rob Dumas are doing videos on cutting up poultry carcasses and cooking techniques. 

 

  1. Past Activities  
    1. Livestock Nutrition Webinar Series Poultry (24 attended live) and Processing Expectations (9 attended live).
    2. Rats and Other Vermin Control on the Farm 59 registered (32 attended live) lives streamed to Facebook (39 views) Six folks received two hours of pesticide recertification credits. Post-program poll showed that all through the program was helpful (33%) or very helpful (67%) and 87% plan to change at least one method of vermin control on their farm. 
    3. Cattlemen’s College will be all virtual and recorded. Videos will be available on March 20th. There will be an auction and a cattle judging contest for youth and adults. 

 

  1. Staff
    1. With every other month executive committee meetings, staff will send regular reports of their activities every month. The executive Committee will be meeting in odd-numbered months. March, May, July, September, November. Look in the Google Drive for the reports. 
    2. Staff are being tested weekly for Covid-19. 
    3. I will be presenting a poster at the Extension Risk Management Education National Conference on March 24th. This will be a virtual conference. Topic is our work on the So You Want to Farm in Maine? Training program we have been doing since 2015. 

 

  1. Newsletters & Social Media
Email Sent  Open Clicked
Maine Farm News (Feb. 20th ) 2,697 32% 23%*
Central Maine Garden News (Feb. 1st) 2,531 25% 19%**
Maine Beef  667 41% 24%

  *Blueberry pruning had 53 clicks and Cover Crop Tool had 41 clicks

**Forcing Branches had 36 clicks

 

Facebook posts: 42 posts that reached 2,908and 729 Likes

Date Content Reach
1/28/21 Cooking with Maine Harvest  711

 

  • 2021 Piscataquis Program Plans are “ON GOING”

2021 Piscataquis County Program Plans 

 

Month – Activities Who?
January

  • 11th Pisc. Assoc. Annual Meeting by Zoom – Rural Youth Futures Research & Working Community Challenge Boston FED Grant & Pecha Kucha County Program Summary
  • 13, 20 & 27 Livestock Nutrition Webinars
  • 19th to 23rd Maine Ag Trades Show
  • 20th Selling Meat in Maine – red meat
  • 21st Selling Meat in Maine – poultry
  • Central Maine Garden Newsletter
  • Maine Farm Newsletter (2nd & 4th Saturday)
  • 4-H PEN/PSQ Newsletter
 

Dr. Jessica Leahy, UM, Sue Mackey Andrews, & staff

Donna & others

Donna & others

Donna

Donna

Trisha

Donna

Emily & Sheila

February

  • 3 & 10 Livestock Nutrition & working with processor webinar
  • 12th  Garden in a Box Binders to Coaches
  • 23rd Controlling Rats and other Varmints Around the Farm
  • Central Maine Garden Newsletter
  • Maine Farm Newsletter (1st & 3rd Saturday)
  • Maine Beef Newsletter (2nd Saturday)
  • 4-H PEN/PSQ Newsletter
 

Donna & others

Trisha

Donna & others

Trisha

Donna

Donna

Emily & Sheila

March

  • 5th UMaine Extension “On the Road” Guilford
  • 8th Piscataquis Executive Committee Meeting
  • 9th MGV Orientation 
  • 24th Extension Risk Management Education Conference – Poster
  • 29th 5:30 pm So You Want to Farm in Maine (Monday & Thursday)
  • Garden in a Box Binders to Participants & Libraries
  • Central Maine Garden Newsletter
  • Maine Farm Newsletter (1st & 3rd Saturday)
  • Maine Beef Newsletter (2nd Saturday)
  • 4-H PEN/PSQ Newsletter
  • Brownville Elementary Program
 

Garden staff

Staff

Garden staff

Donna & others

Donna & others

Trisha

Trisha

Donna

Donna

Emily & Sheila

Emily & Sheila

April

 

4-H staff

Trisha & Ex. Com.

Donna & others

Donna & others

Garden staff

Trisha

Trisha

Donna

Donna

4-H

 Emily & Sheila

Emily & Sheila

May

  • 7th UMaine Extension “On the Road” Milo
  • 10th Piscataquis Executive Committee Meeting
  • 18th MGV training till mid-month
  • School Garden
  • Central Maine Garden Newsletter
  • Maine Farm Newsletter (1st & 3rd Saturday)
  • Maine Beef Newsletter (2nd Saturday)
  • 4-H PEN/PSQ Newsletter
 

Trisha

Staff

Garden staff

Trisha

Trisha

Donna

Donna

Emily & Sheila

June

  • 4th UMaine Extension “On the Road” Greenville (tomatoes)
  • 1st One Tomato – 
  • Prepare Annual Highlights Report
  • School Garden
  • Garden in a Box
  • Central Maine Garden Newsletter
  • Maine Farm Newsletter (1st & 3rd Saturday)
  • 17th Refrigerator Pickles & Using Rhubarb & Pressure Gauge Testing
  • Maine Beef Newsletter (2nd Saturday)
  • 4-H PEN/PSQ Newsletter
  • 4-H Summer Learning Series
 

Donna

Donna, Trisha, Ex. Com.?

Donna & staff

Trisha

Trisha

Trisha

Donna

Laurie

Donna

Sheila & Emily

4-H

July

  • 2nd UMaine Extension “On the Road” Guilford
  • 8th Library Garden Program 
  • 12th Piscataquis Executive Committee Meeting
  • Passport Program/ SPIN Garden Club?
  • Garden in a Box
  • Central Maine Garden Newsletter
  • Maine Farm Newsletter (1st & 3rd Saturday)
  • 22nd 9 am-2 pm Pressure Canner Testing
  • Maine Beef Newsletter (2nd Saturday)
  • 4-H PEN/PSQ Newsletter
  • 4-H Summer Learning Series
 

4-H staff

Trisha

Staff

Trisha

Trisha

Trisha

Donna

Laurie

Donna

Sheila & Emily

4-H

August

  • 6th UMaine Extension “On the Road” Milo
  • Prepare County Budget
  • 26th to 29th  Piscataquis Valley Fair – Staff booth??
  • Passport Program?
  • Garden in a Box
  • Central Maine Garden Newsletter
  • Maine Farm Newsletter (1st & 3rd Saturday)
  • Maine Beef Newsletter (2nd Saturday)
  • 4-H PEN/PSQ Newsletter
  • 4-H Summer Learning Series
 

Garden staff

Donna & Ex. Com.

Sheila

Trisha

Trisha

Trisha

Donna

Donna

Emily & Sheila

4-H

September

  • 3rd UMaine Extension “On the Road” Greenville
  • 13th Piscataquis Executive Committee Meeting
  • 7 MGV Regional Meeting
  • Winter Care of Poultry
  • One Tomato Harvest Survey
  • Newsletter Impact Surveys
  • Central Maine Garden Newsletter
  • Maine Farm Newsletter (1st & 3rd Saturday)
  • MGV fall session
  • 16th 9 am-2 pm Making salsa, overview of canning with hot water and pressure
  • Maine Beef Newsletter (2nd Saturday)
  • 4-H PEN/PSQ Newsletter
 

4-H staff

Staff

Colt Knight & Donna

Donna

Donna

Trisha

Donna

Garden staff

Garden staff

Laurie

Donna

Emily & Sheila

October

  • 1st UMaine Extension “On the Road” Milo
  • 4th to 8th 4-H Week Activities
  • Is Farming for ME?
  • Central Maine Garden Newsletter
  • Maine Farm Newsletter (1st & 3rd Saturday)
  • Maine Beef Newsletter (2nd Saturday)
  • 4-H PEN/PSQ Newsletter
 

4-H staff

4-H staff

Donna

Trisha

Donna

Donna

Emily & Sheila

November

  • 5th UMaine Extension “On the Road” Guilford
  • 8th Piscataquis Executive Committee Meeting
  • Central Maine Garden Newsletter
  • Maine Farm Newsletter (1st & 3rd Saturday)
  • Maine Beef Newsletter (2nd Saturday)
  • 4-H PEN/PSQ Newsletter
 

Garden staff

Staff

Trisha

Donna

Donna

Sheila & Emily

December

  • Central Maine Garden Newsletter
  • Maine Farm Newsletter (1st & 3rd Saturday)
  • Maine Beef Newsletter (2nd Saturday)
  • 4-H PEN/PSQ Newsletter
 

Trisha

Donna

Donna

Sheila & Emily

 

  • One Tomato Plans
  • Last year’s distribution was at grocery stores. No Black Fly Festival this year? 400 plants have been ordered. Seedlings and growing information is distributed and a follow-up survey is conducted to see how many tomatoes are harvested. This is the 7th year of this successful program to encourage people to garden. Different people were reached by changing the distribution point to grocery stores. 
  • Extension on the road plans
  • The March event was canceled because it is too cold. Trying to do a ZOOM link did not work well, just a live information session for anyone who comes up. We may run a slide show to showcase our programs.

 

  • What can the Executive Committee do to assist staff to reach more people and be more effective?
  • Like and Share Facebook entries
  • Tell us if you hear of topics that people might want to learn about.
  • Ben Cookson will partner with Sheila for the Art of Math in the Brownville 3rd grade.

 

  • New Business, Other
  • Ben is concerned that items in a food box at a food pantry were past the expiration date. This was not the Piscataquis Food Center. Donna pointed out that there is a movement to prevent food waste. We don’t know the situation in this case. 
  • Kiwanis will do a rubber ducky race instead of a canoe race this year. Ducks will go on sale at stores soon.

Meeting Adjourned At 5; 00 pm

 

Next Meeting July 12, 2021, at 3; 00 pm

Submitted by George McKay