Extension Perspectives Newsletter – January 2025 - Cooperative Extension in Waldo County - University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Save the Date April 5, 2025 at Lincolnville School. As well as strategic planning for completion of a $30,000 campaign to endow WCEA’s Post-Secondary Scholarship. Any Waldo County student embarking on a career path that aligns with Cooperative Extension’s mission is eligible to apply for the annual award of $1,500.

Application materials are available through high school guidance counselors or online.

To donate towards this scholarship, click here.

We meet monthly from September-May at the Extension office in Waldo and by Zoom. Please consider joining us. The board welcomes nominations for new members throughout the year. You may also fill out the Volunteer Nomination Form at https://extension.umaine.edu/waldo/wcea/volunteer-nomination/.

Contact the Extension office at extension.waldo@maine.edu or by phone at 207.342.5971 for more information.

Maine Families

Happy New Year!

As we welcome January and a new year, it’s a perfect time for reflection and setting intentions for the months ahead. This month focuses on fresh starts for families and practical tips to kick off the year with positivity and purpose.

Embracing New Beginnings

The start of a new year is an opportunity for families to set goals, reflect on achievements, and make plans for growth. Here are some ideas to help your family embrace this season of renewal:

Family Goal Setting: Sit down together and discuss what you hope to achieve as a family this year. Whether it’s improving communication, trying new activities, or focusing on health and wellness, setting goals can foster teamwork and motivation.
Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge and celebrate accomplishments from the past year, no matter how small. Recognizing progress can build confidence and inspire everyone.
Create a Vision Board: Get creative by making a vision board that represents your family’s hopes for the year. Use magazines, drawings, or digital tools to visualize your goals together.

Tips for Winter Wellness

With winter in full swing, it’s important to prioritize health and well-being. Here are some strategies to keep your family healthy and happy:

Stay Active Indoors: Engage in fun indoor activities to keep everyone moving, such as dance parties, obstacle courses, or yoga sessions. Physical activity is essential for maintaining energy levels during the winter months.
Nutrition Focus: Start the year with healthy eating habits. Involve your children in meal planning and cooking to teach them about nutrition and foster healthy choices.
Encourage Outdoor Play: When weather permits, bundle up and enjoy outdoor activities like sledding or building snowmen. Fresh air and physical activity can boost mood and energy.

Wishing you a joyful and fulfilling January!

4-H Happenings

Summer Camp at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove

Registration for Summer Programs at Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove 4-H Camps opened on January 6, 2025. We would love to see you at one of our 4-H Camps this summer! 1 and 2-week overnight camps, day camps, outdoor trips, and teen leadership camps are open for anyone to attend. This is a great opportunity to diversify your 4-H experience and continue building awesome skills. Scholarships are available from the Camps and the 4-H Foundation to help with tuition costs. Some sessions fill up fast!

To start planning your summer experience, please check out the program pages on our website which have more information and dates. We are excited to welcome you to the Tanglewood and Blueberry Cove Family! For questions, please email or call Emma at the contact information below.

Website: www.umaine.edu/tanglewood – Email: extension.tanglewood4h@maine.edu – Phone: 207.789.5868

4-H Science Toolkits

Maine 4-H has a lending library of 4-H Science toolkits. These come with activities and materials around a variety of topics.

Recent additions include:

eBird Explorers, exploring Ornithology for Cloverbuds
Harmful and Shifting Species, which examines species impacting the Maine coast
Power Protectors, which involves exploring energy use and an introduction to renewable energy through engineering design challenges.

Reach out to your local 4-H staff person or email 4-HScience@maine.edu to make a reservation or with any questions.

ESE 4-H Dairy Intent Forms Due March 1st

In order to be eligible for participation on the Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States Team next fall, 4-H members must submit their completed intent form online or to the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office before March 1, 2025. The 2025 Maine 4-H Dairy Eastern States intent to participate form is available online at https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/dairy/. Please contact Sadee Mehuren at sadee.mehuren@maine.edu or 207.342.5971 with any questions.

Maine 4-H Foundation Scholarships

Every year, the Maine 4-H Foundation awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to participants in the Maine 4-H Program pursuing higher education, this participation includes traditional club membership, as well as the many other ways youth can engage with 4-H, including at our Camp and Learning Centers. Dozens of different scholarships are available to applicants, and a single application is used for all.

To find out more about available scholarships, and access the application and templates, visit the Maine 4-H Foundation website. Applications are due to your local UMaine Extension county office or one of our 4-H Learning Centers by March 3, 2025.

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 Waldo County 4-H, please contact your local UMaine Cooperative Extension 4-H professional, Karen Giles at karen.giles@maine.edu or call 207.342.5971.

Commercial Agriculture

Brett’s Bulletin – Timely Information for the Producers of Waldo County

As we usher in a new year now can be a great time to look through your farm records and develop or update your enterprise budgets. Keeping sales and expense records grouped by enterprise allows you to make more informed projections for the upcoming production year. Enterprise budgets are made up of a few simple components: total income, variable costs, fixed costs, and net income. Enterprise budgets help you compare the profitability of enterprises on the farm, evaluate costs and returns associated with management decisions by enterprise, and implement changes to improve whole farm profitability over time. For more information on this topic contact me by email at brett.w.johnson@maine.edu or by phone at 207.342.5971

Best wishes,

Brett Johnson

Sustainable Agriculture and Farm Business Management Educator

University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Waldo County

Backyard Maple Sugaring Workshop

Date: Saturday, February 1, 2025 (snow date: February 8, 2025)

Join experienced sugar-makers for demonstrations and discussion on all aspects of making maple syrup, the sweetest gift of nature, in your own backyard!

In the morning, learn about identifying and tapping trees, collecting and boiling sap, and more. After a short break, join us at a local maple farm to look at their tubing systems and learn how you can set up this efficient sap collection method.

Morning Session: 9-11:30 a.m. at York County Extension Office, 45 Kennebunk Road, Alfred, ME 04002 Directions Google Maps

Afternoon Session: 12:30-2:30 p.m. Sugarhouse Tour and Discussion at 207 Tappers, 125 Dennett Road, Arundel, ME 04046 Directions Google Maps

Registration includes a copy of Rink Mann’s “Backyard Sugarin’: A Complete How-To Guide.” Register here.

2025 UMaine Wild Blueberry Spring Conference
Date: Saturday, February 15, 2025, 9AM

Join us for the 7th Annual Wild Blueberry Spring Conference! This year’s topics will cover fresh pack and harvesting innovations, the latest pest management tools, nutrient management knowledge to date, burning farmer panels, and more! Three pesticide credits are available for full-day attendance. We know you come for the FOOD! There will be coffee and breakfast items in the morning followed by soups and sandwiches for lunch made by Angie’s Comfort Kitchen. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available. Registration is found at the event website here. Location: Moore Community Center, 125 Main Street, Ellsworth, Maine 04605.

Growing and Marketing Specialty Potato Varieties

Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (virtual webinar)

University of Maine Cooperative Extension Sustainable Agriculture Educator, Brett Johnson will give a talk describing growing and marketing practices in specialty potato production in Maine followed by a report on the results of the 2024 Organic Specialty Potato Variety Trial conducted at Rogers Farm Forage and Crop Research Facility in Old Town, ME. Registration is required (coming soon).

Specialty Potato Variety Showcase

Date: Sunday, March 30th from 12:00 – 4:00 PM at 294 Crosby Brook Road in Unity.

A Specialty Potato Variety Showcase will be held at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners (MOFGA) Seed Swap and Scion Exchange. Sustainable Agriculture and Farm Business Management Educator, Brett Johnson will showcase specialty potatoes and discuss varietal performance. For more information, click here.

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners (MOFGA) Seed Swap and Scion Exchange

The Growing and Marketing Specialty Potato Varieties program will be tabling at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners (MOFGA) Seed Swap and Scion Exchange on Sunday, March 30th from noon – 4:00PM at the MOFGA Common Ground Education Center in Unity. UMaine Extension in Waldo County’s Sustainable Agriculture and Farm Business Management Educator, Brett Johnson will be there to showcase 15 unique potato varieties and discuss which varieties stood out in our 2024 variety trials. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a UMaine sponsored consumer preference study to help researchers learn more about what’s important to consumers of organic fresh-market potatoes in Maine. For more information visit https://www.mofga.org/trainings/annual-events/seed-swap-and-scion-exchange/

Climate Smart Soil Management Workshop

Date: Wednesday, April 2nd from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM and optional field walk 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM at Aldermere Farm Welcome Center, 20 Russell Ave, Rockport, ME 04856. BYO lunch

University of Maine Assistant Scientist, Bruce Hoskins, will discuss climate smart fertility management strategies for Maine, followed by a demonstration of best practices in soil sampling to achieve accurate soil test results with University of Maine Cooperative Extension Sustainable Agriculture Educator, Brett Johnson.

Click here for more information.

Soil Health Day – Improving Farm and Garden Productivity through Soil Testing and Nutrient Management.

Join UMaine Extension in Waldo County’s Sustainable Agriculture Educator, Brett Johnson for a spring workshop titled: Improving Farm and Garden Productivity through Soil Testing and Nutrient Management. During this 3-hour workshop participants will learn about soil macro- and micro-nutrients, generate strategies for nutrient management in garden vegetables or other row crops, and learn about best practices when taking a soil sample for testing through the UMaine Soil Testing Lab. The event is co-sponsored by RSU3 Adult & Community Education and will take place at 577 Mount View Road in Thorndike on Thursday, April 3rd from 5:00 – 8:00 PM. For more information and to register contact Angel Frost by email at afrost@rsu3.org or by phone at 207.568.3426 ext. 1801.

Jumpstart to Farm Food Safety Project for Maine Residents
Cooperative Extension at the University of Maine and the University of New Hampshire have partnered on a three-year grant to assist Fruit and Vegetable farmers in Maine and New Hampshire with farm food safety planning.

The project will fund an Extension Educator, trained in Produce Safety, to work with you one-on-one on your individualized farm food safety plan. Fill out the form below to apply to participate in the project. Click here to register.

Integrated Pest Management Spring Update for Christmas Tree Producers
Date: Thursday, April 17th 2025 from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (webinar) Pre-registration is required (coming soon)

Legumes as cover crops: Cover and nitrogen to the soil
Presenter: Dr. Jaime Garzon, Assistant Extension Professor and Forage Educator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Legumes, such as clovers and birdsfoot trefoil, offer significant benefits as cover crops for soil protection. Using the right varieties, they can homogeneously cover the soil and thus prevent weed establishment. At the same time, their roots have the unique ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, converting it into a form usable by plants. This natural fertilization reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers, benefiting both soil health and the environment. This presentation seeks to show partial results of nitrogen fixation and cover of different varieties of alfalfa, clovers, and birdsfoot trefoil, as a product of the 2024 Maine Legume Trial with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Balsam gall midge update: scouting and timing of insecticide application
Presenter: Brett Johnson, Assistant Extension Professor, Sustainable Agriculture and Farm Business Management Educator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Balsam gall midge is an economically important pest of balsam and Fraser fir grown for Christmas trees in the New England region of the U.S. It causes loss of quality in both Christmas trees and wreath brush through gall formation on needles in current year growth and premature needle drop. Economical control can be achieved through a single well-timed insecticide application to manage adult female gall midge during the egg-laying period corresponding with early bud break. This presentation will report results of a 2024 balsam gall midge insecticide efficacy trial in Southern Maine, as well as describe an integrated pest management approach to prevent economic injury while conserving biological control agents in the plantation.

Home Horticulture

Whales Park Community Garden

The Wales Park Community Garden (WPCG) is now accepting applications for Summer 2025. There are standard garden plots which each measure 4 ft. x 16 ft., and two accessible raised-bed garden plots, each measuring 3 ft. x 8 ft. and table height. A lottery will be held for any Belfast resident who applies and wins the opportunity to rent one. The lottery will be held on February 15, 2025. Individuals requiring an accessible raised-bed garden plot should indicate this on their application. A waiting list will be drawn from the remaining applicants. You may pick up an application at Belfast City Hall or download one on the City of Belfast website at: www.cityofbelfast.org. Please mail your application to Melissa Mattson, WPCG, 43 Pearl St, Belfast ME 04915. Applications must be postmarked by January 31, 2025, to be included in the drawing. If you would like to email your application, please send a filled-in PDF version of your application to CynthiaJabar@gmail.com by January 31, 2025.

If your name is drawn, you will be advised via email, phone call, and/or text and informed of your plot number. You will be asked to pay a non-refundable rental fee of $25 by March 1, 2025. If you are able, please consider a payment of up to $40. *Checks should be made payable to City of Belfast – Community Garden with Wales Park Community Garden in the memo field, and sent to Nat Clifford, WPCG, 63 Church St, Belfast, ME 04915. Funds are available for those individuals who may need financial assistance. Individuals on the waiting list will also be notified.

If you have general questions about the application and registration process, please contact: Melissa Mattson at 315-412-6466, melissamattson55@gmail.com or Cynthia Jabar at 978-889-5988, cynthiajabar@gmail.com.

UMaine Extension Garden and Yard

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Garden and Yard publications are available to download.

You can find these publications at www.extension.umaine.edu/programs/.

Topics include

Beekeeping

Gardening

Garden Angels

Home and Garden Pest Identification and Management

Kids Can Grow

Maine Harvest for Hunger

Maine Home Garden News

Maine Invasive Species Network

Master Gardener Volunteers

Tree Fruit

To Sign up for the Extension Perspectives Newsletter, click here.

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For more information or to make a reasonable accommodation, please contact Billiejo Pendleton at 207.342.5971.