{"id":10076,"date":"2024-03-14T09:18:07","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T13:18:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/waldo\/?p=10076"},"modified":"2024-03-14T09:18:07","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T13:18:07","slug":"extension-perspectives-newsletter-march-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/waldo\/2024\/03\/14\/extension-perspectives-newsletter-march-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Extension Perspectives Newsletter – March 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mark your calendar!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

March 14
\n<\/b>2024 Maine Dairy Seminar
\n<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

March 22
\n<\/b>Downeast Agriculture and Forestry Conference<\/span><\/p>\n

March 25
\n<\/b>Growing and Marketing Specialty Potato Varieties<\/span><\/p>\n

March 26
\n<\/b>Farm Sitters Course Begins<\/span><\/p>\n

March 26
\n<\/b>Seed Starting at the Commercial Scale<\/span><\/p>\n

March 26
\n<\/b>Maine Vegetable and Fruit School<\/span><\/p>\n

March 27
\n<\/b>Cover Cropping for Nutrient Management<\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

March 28
\n<\/b>UMaine Extension Hosts Online Parenting Workshop for Farmers of Land and Sea<\/span><\/p>\n

April 1
\n<\/b>WCEA Scholarship Deadline<\/span><\/p>\n

April 2
\n<\/b>Harvesting Hidden Gems: Practical Insights for Growing Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes<\/span><\/p>\n

April 3
\n<\/b>Agricultural Mediation Training\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

April 6
\n<\/b>Learn About Growing Fruit Trees as a Business<\/span><\/p>\n

April 9
\n<\/b>Backyard Blueberry Growing Tips from UMaine Experts<\/span><\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> for a list of all events, workshops and classes throughout Extension. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

In this issue\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n

WCEA<\/b><\/p>\n

Waldo County Residents, Please Consider Joining Us!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Scholarship Available for Waldo County Residents<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maine Families<\/b><\/p>\n

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

4-H<\/b><\/p>\n

Maine 4-H has Toolkits for Educators<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Home Horticulture<\/b><\/p>\n

Maine Maple Sunday Weekend<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Commercial Agriculture<\/b><\/p>\n

Extension Offerings<\/span><\/a>
\n2024 Maine Dairy Seminar<\/span><\/a>
\nDowneast Agriculture and Forestry Conference<\/span><\/a>
\nGrowing & Marketing Specialty Potato Varieties <\/span><\/a>
\nFarm Sitters<\/a>
\n<\/span>Seed Starting at the Commercial Scale<\/a>
\n<\/span>Maine Vegetable and Fruit School<\/a>
\n<\/span>Cover Cropping for Nutrient Management\u00a0<\/a>
\n<\/span>Lunchbox Series: Parenting<\/a>
\n<\/span>Harvesting Hidden Gems<\/a>
\n<\/span>16-Hour Agricultural Mediation Training<\/a>
\n<\/span>Learn About Growing Fruit Trees as a Business<\/a>
\n<\/span>Backyard Blueberry Growing Tips from UMaine Experts<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Waldo County Extension Association (WCEA)<\/strong>
\n<\/b><\/h3>\n

<\/a>Waldo County Residents, Consider Joining Us!
\n<\/b>Are you interested in networking with others involved in agriculture around Waldo County?\u00a0 Do you want a voice in local programming to support residential and commercial growers, farmers, and producers?\u00a0 Would you like to help plan the 30th anniversary of Rural Living Day?\u00a0 Consider supporting your local University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Waldo County by joining the Waldo County Extension Association (WCEA).\u00a0 It requires only a couple of hours a month and we take the summers off.\u00a0 Snacks at our meetings are a bonus!<\/span><\/p>\n

The WCEA provides guidance to the Extension for developing and implementing educational programs that will benefit our county\u2019s residents, such as Rural Living Day and Farmers\u2019 Potluck Dinners.\u00a0 We also officially direct the Cooperative Extension\u2019s work in Waldo County and give a yearly post-secondary scholarship to an area student pursuing a career in a field that supports the Extension\u2019s mission.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Please consider joining us!\u00a0 We meet monthly from September-May at the Extension office in Waldo and by Zoom. Members serve three year terms.\u00a0 Contact the Extension office at <\/span>extension.waldo@maine.edu<\/span> or by phone at 207.342.5971 for more information.\u00a0 You may also fill out the Volunteer Nomination Form<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks very much!<\/span><\/p>\n

Darcy Johnston, WCEA President<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

<\/a>Scholarship Available for Waldo County Residents
\n<\/b>The Waldo County Extension Association in cooperation with the Maine 4-H Foundation is pleased to announce the availability of a $1500 scholarship for Waldo County residents entering their first or second year of post-secondary education.<\/span><\/p>\n

Applicants must be pursuing a career in a field that supports the Cooperative Extension\u2019s mission \u201cto help Maine people improve their lives through an educational process that uses research-based knowledge\u201d.\u00a0 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Students who apply for this scholarship must complete the application and a 500-600-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. A single scholarship recipient will be announced by April 15th, with funds awarded following completion of a successful first semester.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More information as well as application materials can be found here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information, contact Sadee Mehuren at\u202fsadee.mehuren@maine.edu or call 207.342.5971 or 1-800-287-1426 (toll free in Maine).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Maine Families<\/strong> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \"\"<\/b><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>April is Child Abuse Prevention Month<\/b>
\n<\/span>Over the next few months our newsletters will highlight Maine Families Home Visiting and supporting families. This month we will focus on community efforts to raise awareness of preventing child abuse and neglect.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"Boy
Boy Playing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Raising awareness is a critical step in preventing child abuse. When we take action, children are safer and have the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong.
\n<\/span>The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Maine Families in Waldo County partners with Maine Children\u2019s Trust to coordinate and support statewide activities for Child Abuse Prevention Month. This is our opportunity to build support for what we know must happen year round: supporting parents and caregivers and building the relationships and connections in communities so that families can readily access what they need to help every child.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All month long, organizations, and individuals throughout Maine and across the country plan activities and promote messages to remind us all of the importance of positive childhood experiences and what we can do to support those experiences as well as support families who experience challenges. It takes all of us working together to build well-being for all children and families. We all want to live in a community where families thrive and we know that takes each of us. We are proud to stand with so many across Maine for this vital effort and we hope that you will join us.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here’s how everyone can show their support:<\/b> Share the message that the well-being of children and families is directly related to if they live in supportive, strong, inclusive, and stable communities. Here’s how:<\/span><\/p>\n