Extension Perspectives Newsletter – April 2024
Mark your calendar!
April
2024 Extension Wild Blueberry Field Days
April 19 – Bangor
A Comprehensive Guide to Raising Backyard Chickens in Maine
April 19 – Ellsworth
A Comprehensive Guide to Raising Backyard Chickens in Maine
April 24
Farm Tractor Safety Course – Gorham
April 30
Jumping Worm and Browntail Moth Webinar
May 1
Basics of Composting: From Scraps to Soil
May 7
Tractor Safety at Kennebec Valley Community College in Hinckley (Fairfield)
May 11
Apple Tree Grafting -Wilton
Click here for a list of all events, workshops and classes throughout Extension.
In this issue…
WCEA
Maine Families
4-H
Home Horticulture
- Home Gardeners: Here’s How Extension Can Help You!
- Jumping Worm and Browntail Moth webinar
- Basics to Composting: From Scraps to Soil
- UMaine Extension Offers Apple Tree Grafting
Commercial Agriculture
- Brett’s Bulletin
- 2024 Extension Wild Blueberry Field Days
- A Comprehensive Guide to Raising Backyard Chickens in Maine – Bangor
- A Comprehensive Guide to Raising Backyard Chickens in Maine – Ellsworth
- Farm Tractor Safety Course
Waldo County Extension Association (WCEA)
Warmer weather, longer days, spring blossoms, and the sound of peepers brings about a certain energy this time of year. Each spring, the Waldo County Extension Association (WCEA) focuses its energy on exciting endeavors: planning next spring’s Rural Living Day, organizing our open-to-the-public annual meeting in September, building the slate of officers for our organization, and recruiting new members for our association. Please consider joining us!
Our final meeting before our summer recess will be held on Tuesday, May 14th at 5:00pm at the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office at 992 Waterville Road in Waldo or via Zoom. You may also contact Darcy Johnston (djohnston@rsu3.org) or the extension office at (207) 342-5971 or extension.waldo@maine.edu for more information. Stay tuned for more information on our annual meeting in September!
Maine Families
Did you know?
A key part of Maine Families Home Visiting is promoting connection between families. In Waldo County, we host Group Connections throughout the year to give families a chance to meet other families in the area and have fun experiences together. Some Group Connection events are designed toward parent-child interactions that parents can learn by observing their child. Other Group Connections are organized towards learning opportunities. Our most recent Group Connection Suzanne Dawson from Safe Kids Maine joined us, in the evening via Zoom to talk about car seat safety.
If you have questions about Maine Families Home Visiting in Waldo County or to learn more about our upcoming Group Connections, please call or email us at 207.322.2879 or melanie.l.bryan@maine.edu.
Remember that you are eligible for a parent educator/family visitor through Maine Families if you are pregnant or have an infant under the age of 3 months. Please call or email us at 207.322.2879 or melanie.l.bryan@maine.edu.
4-H Happenings
Waldo County 4-H Calendar
extension.umaine.edu/waldo/4h/4-h-calendar/
State 4-H Calendar
extension.umaine.edu/4h/events/category/calendar/month/
For more information on how to get involved in a 4-H animal science project please contact your local UMaine Cooperative Extension office or visit our website.
Home Horticulture
Home Gardeners: Here’s how Extension can help you!
University of Maine Cooperative Extension can provide you with practical, how-to solutions based on university research.
- Ask a gardening question.
- Diagnose a problem.
- See our calendar of upcoming classes and events.
- Register for classes and events.
- Learn more about becoming a Master Gardener Volunteer or the Maine Harvest for Hunger program.
If you need a plant identified, bring a sample to your local UMaine Extension county office or fill out our online Gardening Questions Submission Form.
Jumping Worm and Browntail Moth Webinar
Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Time: 6-7:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom webinar
Cost: Free
State Horticulturist Gary Fish will outline how jumping worms have been confirmed in 13 of 16 Maine Counties, how they potentially impact our ecosystem, and provide guidance on how to slow their spread. Brittany Schappach, Maine State Forest Service Entomologist, will discuss the infamous browntail moth and their disruptive presence, from irritating caterpillars to defoliation of trees. Her presentation will cover their life cycle, ecological significance, and how communities can address their presence.
Pre-registration is required. A recording and relevant resources will be shared with anyone who registers for the event. Pre-register here.
Basics of Composting: From Scraps to Soil
Date: Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Time: 5:00pm to 7:00 pm.
Program Fee*: Sliding scale, $5-$15
Registration: Required
Location:UMaine Gardens at Tidewater Farm, 200 Presumpscot Point Rd, Falmouth
Register here
Interested in turning your food scraps and waste into nourishment for your plants? Join us and learn the basics of composting! In this workshop we’ll discuss the advantages of different compost feedstocks, best practices to build and maintain a healthy compost pile, and horticultural uses of finished compost. Participants will also learn about different small-scale composting set-ups, from bins to lobster traps to tumblers. We hope participants will leave the workshop empowered to compost wherever they live, whether it’s a farm, apartment, or community garden.
*Please contact us if these payment options still prove a barrier for participation.
UMaine Extension Offers Apple Tree Grafting
When: Saturday, May 11, 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Location: 105 Cemetery Road, Wilton, ME 04294
Cost: $5-$10
The workshop is open to all apple growers and provides valuable information on grafting techniques for optimal tree growth. Led by UMaine Extension Nick Rowley, Franklin County Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Professional and Dr. Renae Moran, Professor of Pomology along with Senator Russell Black and the Black Family, participants will learn the basics of apple grafting.
Registration is required, and space is limited to 20 people. A suggested donation of $5-10 is appreciated.
Register here
Commercial Agriculture
Timely Information for the Producers of Waldo County
Spring is a great time to test your soil. Testing your soil is important for at least three reasons: it helps to ensure that the plants in your gardens or fields are getting all the nutrition that they need, it saves you money by reducing your fertilizer costs, and lastly it protects the environment from excess nutrient loss that can pollute ground or surface water. Soil samples should be taken as a composite from multiple sites around your garden or commercial production field. 5 to 6 samples from a large garden are usually sufficient. In larger areas you should lay out a grid on your land using a surveying tape and markers sampling every 50 to 100 feet in transects.
Samples are taken from the rooting zone as cores using a soil probe or as slices using a trowel or shovel. Once all samples are taken thoroughly incorporate the samples by mixing. Fill up a single soil testing box from the kit and fill out the information on the side of the box. Fill out the form with information corresponding to what is written on the box and select the appropriate codes for the crops you intend to grow. The recommendations given by the soil testing service are based on the codes selected. You can pick up your soil testing kit at our office (992 Waterville Road, Waldo). Please call our office at 207.342.5971 if you have any questions.
Access to soil testing information is just one of the many educational offerings available through the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. You can always access our library of publications on agriculture topics here. This library is a great place to research best practices in agricultural production, including soil and nutrient management and integrated pest management. Please contact Brett Johnson at 207.342.5971 or brett.w.johnson@maine.edu with questions or requests for information.
Happy growing,
Brett Johnson, Sustainable Agriculture & Farm Business Management Educator
2024 Extension Wild Blueberry Field Days
Spring is here! This year the UMaine Extension wild blueberry field meetings focus on sprayer calibration and burning safety. The burning safety workshops will be hosted by the Maine Forest Service with UMaine Extension present. Integrated pest management and crop management will be interspersed throughout all field meetings. Pizza will be available at all meetings. Join us!
For a list of meetings and times, click here.
A Comprehensive Guide to Raising Backyard Chickens in Maine-Bangor
Friday, April 19, 2024 10:00 AM
When: Friday, April 19, 2024
Time: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Location: Penobscot County Extension Office, 307 Maine Avenue, Bangor, ME 04401
Cost: $12 (option for free/reduced rate) Meal provided.
Who should attend:
Are you new to keeping chickens, or have you been keeping chickens for a while now and want to learn more? Jin Dr. Colt W. Knight, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Livestock Specialist, and Mrs. Ashley, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, for a 2-hour “egg-citing” educational program on brooding chicks at home and raising laying hens in Maine. We will cover in detail how to raise chicks from egg to feather, and then how to care for them once they are older including housing, nutrition, winter care, and common diseases.
Speakers:
Mrs. Ashley Wright, MS (Area Associate Livestock Agent for the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension)
Dr. Colt W. Knight, PhD (Associate Extension Professor and State Livestock Specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension)
A Comprehensive Guide to Raising Backyard Chickens in Maine-Ellsworth
Friday, April 19, 2024 2:00 PM
When: Friday, April 19, 2024
Time: 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Location: Hancock County Extension Office, 63 Boggy Brook Road, Ellsworth, ME 04605
Cost: $12 (option for free/reduced rate) Meal provided.
Who should attend:
Are you new to keeping chickens, or have you been keeping chickens for a while now and want to learn more? Jin Dr. Colt W. Knight, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Livestock Specialist, and Mrs. Ashley, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, for a 2-hour “egg-citing” educational program on brooding chicks at home and raising laying hens in Maine. We will cover in detail how to raise chicks from egg to feather, and then how to care for them once they are older including housing, nutrition, winter care, and common diseases.
Speakers:
Mrs. Ashley Wright, MS (Area Associate Livestock Agent for the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension)
Dr. Colt W. Knight, PhD (Associate Extension Professor and State Livestock Specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension)
Farm Tractor Safety Course – Gorham
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 5:30 PM
Participants will learn how to handle tractors and equipment safely, how to identify hazards, and how to minimize the chances of accidents. The course is open to all adults and youth interested. A Federal Certificate of Training will be issued at the end of the course after successful completion of the written test and driving course and with attendance requirements met. This certificate is required for 14- and 15-year-olds who plan to operate farm equipment for hire on farms other than their own.
Course Information
Format:
- In-person lectures, hands-on demonstrations, and tractor driving.
- Additional reading and coursework outside of class time. Note: participants will need access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone to complete some homework assignments.
- Final written exam and driving test
Textbook: National Safety Tractor and Machinery Operation Program manual, free with registration
Schedule: Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30pm on April 24, May 8, May 15, May 22, May 29 (Test Date)
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For more information or to make a reasonable accommodation, please contact Billiejo Pendleton at 207.342.5971.