The Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry (DACF) has allocated approximately $20MM in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for the new Agricultural Infrastructure Investment Program (AIIP).

Sign up for updates on the program here.

Knowledge is the best way to ease your worries and fears.

Download this PFAS information sheet (pdf) that includes information on the following topics:

If you have questions or concerns, contact your service providers from Cooperative Extension, NRCS, Dept of Ag, or MOFGA. Read more online at the following websites:

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed two additional findings of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds in South Carolina and North Carolina. These findings are not unexpected, as wild birds can be infected with HPAI and show no signs of illness. APHIS will post all future wild bird findings on its website on a weekly basis. Stakeholders should check the website on a routine basis, as no future stakeholder announcements are planned for wild bird findings.

Since wild birds can be infected with these viruses without appearing sick, people should minimize direct contact with wild birds by using gloves. If contact occurs, wash your hands with soap and water, and change clothing before having any contact with healthy domestic poultry and birds. Biosecurity information is available at: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/2015/fsc_hpai_hunters.pdf. In addition to practicing good biosecurity, all bird owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to State/Federal officials, either through their state veterinarian or through USDA’s toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593. Additional information on biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov.

Damariscotta Farmers Market is now accepting new vendors to add diversity to their current offerings (i.e., cheese, mushroom, seafood, fiber and prepared foods). We are looking for all vendors except vegetable vendors.

Contact Derek DeGeer to apply: hootenannybread@gmail.com

Application and by laws on Website: http://www.damariscottafarmersmarket.org

This 5-week online course is designed for farmers who want to improve their understanding of soil health science, principles, and practical management strategies. Agricultural advisors also are welcome.

The course will run from February 14 – March 25, Wednesdays from 5:30 – 7:00 pm.

Course topics include soil biology and soil organic matter, physical and chemical properties of soil health, soil health strategies and practices, cover cropping, reduced tillage practices, crop rotation, soil amendments, soil health testing, and making a soil health plan.

Registration deadline is February 6th! The course fee is on a sliding scale ($120/$90/$60) and includes one free soil health test ($60 value) for those who complete the course and provide feedback.

For more information, including how to register, visit the Extension Soil Health Course webpage.

The UMaine Extension Maple Team has been hard at work updating our Maple Syrup Production Resource website. The site is loaded with resources about,

The Maple Business Resources section is packed with resources including financial technical support groups who can sit down with you to work on aspects of your business and financial management. There are also lists of various types of low interest loans, cost share programs, grant opportunities, and tax reduction programs specific to the Maple Industry.

MOFGA's Maine Farm Resilience Program application period is now open until February 15th. If you have been running your own farm business for more than 5 years this could be the next step for you!

MOFGA’s Maine Farm Resilience Program provides individualized support to advanced-beginning farmers grappling with critical questions of scaling up, accessing and adapting to new markets, managing risk, innovation and diversification, and re- strategizing business plans to achieve long-term farm viability.

Apply by February 15th!

Join a webinar on Wednesday, February 9^th 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (EST) for an overview and insight to this new pilot program to help eligible producers determine if it’s the right fit to support their risk management strategy.  

Learn More | Meeting options

Join Tamiko Ambrose Murray (Ambrose Consulting) and Marisol Jimenez (Tepayac Consulting) to engage in a liberatory approach to racial equity. This workshop series is designed to invite farmers to develop a foundational understanding of racial equity work; to strengthen their community engagement approaches; and to deepen their leadership practices to advance racial equity efforts.

The four part series is being supported by NOFA-VT and MOFGA and is open to farmers and their teams in Vermont and Maine, with the intention of learning and growing together across state line

February 16, 1-3:30: Our Stories, Our History

March 2, 1-3:30: Understanding Structural Racism

March 16, 1-3:30 Vermont Practical Application

March 23, 2-4:30: Maine Practical Application

Find more information and register here!

The Legal Food Hub is a pro-bono matchmaking service for farmers, food entrepreneurs, and food-oriented nonprofits. Each year we host a Winter Webinar Series. Each 1-hour session is spent covering a legal topic of significance to food businesses in New England. 

•FEB 16: Starting your Farm or Food Business: The Role of Succession Planning

•FEB 23: Labeling Your Food Product             

•MAR 2: Elements of a Farmland Lease: What Farmers Need to Know

•MAR 9: Employment Law for Maine Farmers: WOOFers, Volunteers, and CSA Workers

•MAR 11: Your Legal Toolkit for Starting a Farm

Tax season is just around the corner and there are a variety of important considerations for farmers and livestock producers. USDA has partnered with agriculture tax experts around the country to connect producers to important tax information related to their operations. In February USDA is hosting two informational webinars on income tax treatment of livestock sales and disaster losses. Join us on February 7^th and 8^th for presentations featuring JC Hobbs of Oklahoma State University to learn about the special tax rules that may apply to your operation.

Income Tax Rules that Apply to Disaster Losses 

Register for both webinars on Farmers.gov: Beginning Farmers and Ranchers | Farmers.gov

February 15

Noon to 2 pm

Join Dr. Anne Lichtenwalner, Associate Extension Professor, Extension Specialist, for this workshop on best practices for winter care of camelids. In this session participants will learn about the housing needs of camelids, the nutritional demands of animals in the winter, differences among feeds, and why a properly balanced ration is crucial to animal wellbeing, weight gain, and profitability. We’ll also discuss practical approaches to winter water and shelter management.

This webinar will be recorded, and a link to the recording will be emailed to registrants when it is available.

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct the first-ever National Agroforestry Survey. Data collection begins Feb. 1 and concludes April 5, 2022. The survey will be sent to 11,100 farmers and ranchers nationwide to gather information on the five agroforestry practices used for climate, conservation and production benefits, including windbreaks, silvopasture, riparian forest buffers, alley cropping as well as forest farming and multi-story cropping.

Recognizing the farming challenge related to "unharvested/unsold" surplus produce, the Mitchell Center at the University of Maine would like to assist Maine farms and reduce on-farm food loss by identifying profitable outlets for your surplus products.

To determine the best structure of such a program, we need some basic information from you. Below is a short 10 question survey which should take only 5 - 10 minutes to complete.

Please complete this survey by Friday, February 11, 2022. We will share the survey results with all participants by February 20, 2022 using the email address you provided. If you have any questions or need more information, please call the University of Maine/Mitchell Center at 207-581-3195.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Survey Link: https://forms.gle/rGAgbWwfqEfmWxsr8

You are invited to participate in a research study. The research is being conducted by Tori Lee Jackson, Extension Professor of Agriculture & Natural Resources with UMaine Cooperative Extension, and Rosalie Wilson of Rose Wilson Consulting LLC, two of the authors of the 2016 Elderberry Production Guide published by The University of Vermont.

We are reaching out to commercial elderberry producers across New England to ascertain the overall health of the elderberry industry in our region.

Participants must be at least 18 years old to participate and should have current or recent experience growing elderberries for sale.

The survey anonymous will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Please click on the link below to learn more about the study and to take the survey

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at tori.jackson@maine.edu or 207.581.8201.