Extension Perspectives Newsletter – February 2025

February 19, 2025 News

Mark your calendar! 

Click here for a list of all events, workshops and classes throughout Extension.

Feb 25 – 2025 UMaine Wild Blueberry Spring Conference

Happening in Waldo County

March 6 – Youth Community Science Explorers program

Mar 30 – Seed Swap and Scion Exchange

April 1 – 2025 Post Secondary Scholarship Application Due

April 3 – Soil Health Day –  Improving Farm and Garden Productivity through Soil Testing and Nutrient Management.

2nd Tuesday of the month – Waldo County Extension Association Monthly Meetings

On Demand Events

In this issue…

WCEA

Maine Families

4-H

Commercial Agriculture

Home Horticulture

Waldo County Extension Association (WCEA)

WCEA

We are still busy planning for the 30th Rural Living Day to be held at Lincolnville School on April 5, 2025, 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 to “to help Maine people improve their lives through an educational process that uses research-based knowledge” 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 here.

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

Maine Families                                                                                                 

As We Embrace the New Year
As we embrace the new year and head into February, it’s a great time to reflect on the meaningful impact of home visiting programs on families in our community. Maine Families continue to support parents and caregivers through personalized visits that empower them to create strong, healthy, and nurturing environments for their children.

The Power of Connection – Home visiting is not just about providing resources—it’s about building relationships. By meeting families where they are, our home visitors offer tailored support, guiding parents through key milestones in child development, safety, and early learning. This holistic approach allows us to connect families with critical services, helping to create a stronger foundation for children’s long-term success.

Thank You to Our Community – We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of the families, community partners, and supporters who make our work possible. Your dedication to nurturing strong, resilient families ensures that our youngest community members have the best possible start in life. Together, we are building brighter futures for everyone in our community.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Maine Families Home Visiting program, or if you would like to schedule a visit, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here to support families every step of the way.

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.

4-H Happenings

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.

Youth Community Science Explorers Exploration of Watersheds
Please join us on Thursday, March 6, 2025, from 3:30-5 pm at the Belfast Free Library for our second session in the Youth Community Science Explorers program.

Our special guest is from the Shaw Institute, which has been conducting coastal monitoring for over 15 years, testing popular beach sites around the Blue Hill Peninsula for harmful algal blooms, fecal bacteria, and other sources of pollution. By analyzing water samples and creating phytoplankton, participants will learn how pollution and nutrient runoff impact them and discover how they can create positive change.

This is a free event for ages 8-12. Space is limited to 30 children. 106 High St., Belfast, ME 0491 in the Abbott Room on the Ground Floor. Pre-registration is required

For more information or to register, please visit the program’s website or contact the Belfast Free Library at www.belfastlibrary.org. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Karen Giles, karen.giles@maine.edu 207.342.5971

4-H Page Day in Augusta
An opportunity to participate in 4-H Page Day is being offered on Tuesday, March 18. It is Maine Agriculture Policy Day in the Maine Legislature, a time dedicated to celebrating the hardworking farmers, producers, and agricultural leaders who sustain Maine’s economy and rural heritage. It’s also a time for youth to get actively involved in their democracy, to see how and who makes decisions that impact our state, and to be involved in that process themselves. 4-Hers age 13 or older are encouraged to serve as Honorary Pages. The Maine 4-H program has up to 20 slots for Honorary Pages and registration is first come, first serve with a deadline of March 7. 

What does a page do? Legislators are constantly communicating and making decisions while in session and pages make that communication possible. Pages hand out information packets or place the paper information on their desks. Pages will also run communication and documents directly from legislator to legislator. It’s fast paced and pages will be moving around the chambers quite a bit, taking direction from the Clerks. We will meet at 8:30 am for pictures and an orientation. Then at 9:00 am we will divide our group with one going to the House and the other to the Senate where each group will receive their instructions. Session will begin by 10:00 am and will likely conclude around 12:30 pm, but the timing is never certain. Lunch will be on your own.

If you are interested in serving as a page, please register here, and if you have questions or would like to request an accommodation please do so by March 7 by contacting Karen Giles, karen.giles@maine.edu.

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.

2025 Post Secondary Scholarship Application
The Waldo County Extension Association in cooperation with the Maine 4-H Foundation offers a $1500 scholarship for Waldo County residents entering their first or second year of post-secondary education.

Applicants must be pursuing a career in a field that supports the Cooperative Extension’s mission “to help Maine people improve their lives through an educational process that uses research-based knowledge.”  Examples of eligible fields of study include, but are not limited to agriculture, horticulture, crop science, animal sciences, natural resource conservation, environmental sciences, home economics, nutrition, food systems, preventative health, youth development, and education.

Students who apply for this scholarship must complete the application and a 500 to 600 word essay discussing their future career goals and how this scholarship will help them achieve these goals. Applications must be returned to the Waldo County Cooperative Extension office by April 1st. www.extension.umaine.edu/waldo/wcea/wcea-scholarship/

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.

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

Success in the commercial production of agricultural and other land or sea based products requires a complex set of skills. At the University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Waldo County we bring the best science based information from our state’s land grant university and our national Extension network to you through educational program offerings and direct technical assistance. In Waldo County this service occurs through new business consultations, assistance with developing nutrient and/or integrated pest management plans, producer roundtable discussions, assessment of site suitability for land based agricultural production, and presentations and workshops covering topics of interest to Waldo County producers. 

In addition to the aforementioned services, faculty based in Waldo County also contribute to statewide educational offerings open to all Waldo County residents, such as our multi-session business plan development course, Business Planning for Producers. This course provides the necessary tools to evaluate natural resource based businesses by applying key concepts and skills in record keeping, enterprise budgeting, market research, financial planning, and more. Upon successful completion of the course, participants qualify for USDA Farm Service Agency Borrower Training Credit. This course is held during the fall of each year. You can be added to the interest list by filling out the form found here.

Additionally, the Maine New Farmers Project is here to provide education, resources, networking, and professional development opportunities for new and beginning farmers in Waldo County and across Maine. UMaine Extension’s Maine Farm News bi-monthly newsletter is a clearing house for events, grants, loans, and other news of importance to Maine producers. You can subscribe by filling out the form found here. 

Local events covering diverse topics such as soil nutrient management, climate adaptation planning, tree fruit pruning, agroforestry, growing and marketing specialty potato products, and more are scheduled for spring 2025 and can be found on our upcoming events page here. 

These are just a sample of the numerous educational opportunities available through the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Our library of publications on the subject of agriculture is also a great place to begin researching best production practices and can be found here. 

We would like to be a part of your business’s success story! Please contact Brett Johnson at 207.342.5971 or brett.w.johnson@maine.edu with questions or requests.

Brett Johnson
Sustainable Agriculture and Farm Business Management Educator
University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Waldo County

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. 

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 www.mofga.org/trainings/annual-events/seed-swap-and-scion-exchange/ 

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. Click here to register.

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. 

Home Horticulture

Wales Park Community Garden Plot Applications Open!
The 2025 Wales Park Community Garden Plot Applications are now open, and applications will be accepted through Friday, January 31.  Once all applications are submitted, the Oversight Committee will hold the garden plot lottery on February 15, 2025.  Any individuals who require an accessible raised-bed garden plot should indicate this on their application.  A waiting list will be drawn from the remaining applicants.

More details are available on page 1 of the application.  You can download the application from the link in the last column, or you can pick-up a copy in person from the Parks and Recreation Department at City Hall, 131 Church Street (Ground Floor, enter from High Street).

The application is available online here: www.cityofbelfast.org/175/Special-Events

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.

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).

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