 |
|
Your Monthly News & Updates
|
Make sure your farm counts!
NASS conducts a census of all agricultural operations every five years as well as other agricultural surveys. We need to know about all types of agricultural operations of all sizes. The Information you provide is kept confidential by law and will not be disclosed to any other government or private entity.
|
|
|
 Armed to Farm Training
The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) is partnering with United Farmer Veterans of Maine (UFVME) to bring its Armed to Farm (ATF) training to the Northeast. Veterans who want to attend the week-long training in Bangor, Maine, can apply online now.
ATF allows veterans and their spouses to experience sustainable, profitable small-scale farming enterprises and explore career opportunities in agriculture. At ATF, participants learn about business planning, budgeting, recordkeeping, marketing, livestock production, fruit and vegetable production, and more. Participants gain a strong foundation in the basic principles of operating a sustainable farm. In addition, ATF attendees join a nationwide network of supportive farmer-veterans and agricultural advisors.
ATF trainings include an engaging blend of farm tours, hands-on activities, and interactive classroom instruction. NCAT Sustainable Agriculture specialists will teach the training sessions. Staff from USDA Agencies and experienced crop and livestock producers will provide additional instruction.
This training is for veterans in the Northeast, with preference given to those in Maine. The number of participants will be limited. NCAT will notify selected participants by July 19. Spouses are welcome to apply as well.
Dates, Location, and Cost
Armed to Farm will take place August 21-25, 2017, in Bangor, Maine. Participants will attend classroom sessions and travel to local farms, including several successful, veteran-owned operations, for hands-on learning experiences.
The event is free for those chosen to attend; lodging, transportation to local farms, and most meals will be provided. Participants must pay their own travel costs to and from the event.
Sponsors
NCAT is organizing and hosting this Armed to Farm event in partnership with the UFVME. Financial support comes from the USDA's Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.
Questions?
|
Penn State Researchers Hope to Extend the Berry Growing Season in the Northeast
"National demand for fresh strawberries and raspberries is strong and growing, but most domestic production occurs in select regions of the United States with the most suited climate," said Kathleen Demchak, senior extension associate in the
Department of Plant Science.
"Growers in the Northeast are in a great position geographically to supply more berries to consumers. But our growing season is short, temperatures are variable and rainy weather during harvest can be a big problem."
At the
Horticulture Research Farm at Penn State
, Demchak and colleagues have grown a wide variety of crops in 32 high tunnels (6 feet or higher), launching a widespread adoption of season-extension technologies by growers.
Now, 18 of those tunnels are devoted solely to growing strawberries and raspberries, while over an acre of low tunnels (3 feet or lower) are being used for growing strawberries. Researchers keep daily detailed records of tunnel conditions, plant health, and the quantity and quality of fruit.
Over the years, the researchers found that with a combination of the right cultivars and season-extension technologies, they could extend the strawberry production season from four weeks to at least five months, and the raspberry harvest season from three-to-four weeks to four months, albeit with a few peaks and dips in production.
Yield of strawberries doubled, and yields of raspberries doubled, tripled or quadrupled compared to the field, depending on production methods. In addition, the group eliminated the use of pesticides, relying totally on natural enemies for pest control, while improving the quality and shelf life of both berries.
Encouraged by the tunnel data, the researchers now are improving their strategies by studying the effects of various tunnel coverings infused with ultraviolet (UV) light blockers and stabilizers and infrared (IR) light blockers.
"Therefore, if we can control UV light in the tunnels by channeling its positive effects and limiting the negative, we hope to see an improvement in growth and reduction of disease," Demchak said.
|
Silvopasture Benefits Animal Welfare and Productivity
In a study in Virginia, reported in the
Temperate Agroforester,
showed that silvopasture delivered equivalent weight gains in sheep while improving animal welfare. Although the silvopasture system had 30% less forage availability compared to treeless systems, lambs had equivalent weight gains. Researchers believe that greater animal comfort provided by shade contributed to the productivity of the silvopasture system.
Integrating trees and shrubs with other enterprises on a farm can create additional sources of income, spread farm labor throughout the year, and increase the productivity of those other enterprises -- all while protecting soil, water, and wildlife. Such "agroforestry" systems include alleycropping, silvopasture, windbreaks, forest farming for nontimber forest products, and riparian buffer strips. While they clearly offer economic and ecological advantages, these agroforestry systems also involve complex interactions that complicate their management. When designing an agroforestry enterprise, you should research the marketing possibilities and include the agroforestry system in the total business plan for the farm. NCAT ATTRA has a publication that presents an overview of common agroforestry practices, evaluating and planning considerations, marketing opportunities, several case studies, and an extensive list of further resources. New opportunities related to climate change include renewable-energy production and the potential for earning carbon credits.
|
|
|
|
Photo: Edwin Remsberg
|
Cherry Tomatoes in Hoop Houses - Prune or No Prune, That is the Question
Results of vegetable research providing market growers with an unexpected insight into the production challenges associated with the increasingly popular cherry-type tomatoes. The project report, which includes data on labor efficiency, weed control, and brown leaf mold susceptibility, is posted here.
'This research responded to growers struggling with controlling the rampant growth of the cherry-type tomato plants and questioning whether the time they spend pruning this vigorous tomato is worth the effort,' said project leader Amy Ivy, a vegetable specialist with the Cornell University Cooperative Extension Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program.
The Northern NY trial evaluated and compared the labor, efficiency, and yield of three different tomato training systems: an intensively pruned single leader, a standard double leader, and a less intensively pruned four-leader system.
'Most growers feel the intensive system takes too much time, but our research showed that it took less time to train and harvest than the less intensive system which became a tangle of vines that slowed the work,' noted Ivy.
'Comparing yield and efficiency of harvest with each treatment revealed additional significant difference to help growers decide which system may work best for their individual time and income goals,' Ivy added.
|
Items of Interest
|
|
|
Featured Resources
Publications:
- Fiddlehead: Ostrich Fern #2540 Fiddleheads from ostrich ferns are an iconic spring edible in Maine. Fiddleheads are important to Maine's economy, with pickers, retailers, and woodland owners earning extra income from them each spring. Includes information on biology, identification and the when to pick. 4 pages. © 2012 by University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Download it for free or buy a color copy $1.00.
- The Pond Guide Book #2488 Constructed ponds of all shapes and sizes dot the American countryside, for many different purposes: irrigation, fish, recreation, nature study, and real estate value, among others. A pond creates its own microenvironment, bringing peepers, dragonflies, and cool morning mists to the landscape. Yet mistakes in pond management can affect people and wildlife downstream and downhill: water does not recognize property boundaries. This book, developed by faculty from Cornell and Penn State, addresses construction, water chemistry, aquatic weed management, fish stocking, wildlife (wanted and unwanted), maintenance, safety, and more. 76 pages, 2007. by NRAES $19.75
|
|
|
Upcoming Events
|
Newsletter Subscription Information
The Central Maine Farming Newsletter (CMFN), now received by over 875 readers, has been offered as an educational resource by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension for over 10 years. On January 1, 2015 the CMFN transitioned to electronic-only delivery. There is still
three
ways to receive the CMFN from your local UMaine Extension:
1) Central Maine Farming Newsletter remains available online for free! You can sign up to receive the newsletter through your email or view the archived issues anytime at http://bit.ly/PPfarming If you currently do not have an email, you can get one for free from several email hosts. If you do not have a computer, community libraries have computers for you to use to access information on the Internet and to view your email.
2) Those with no email can opt to pay an annual subscription to receive the newsletters monthly for $15/year by contacting your County office.
3) A third option is to come into the Piscataquis, Penobscot or Waldo County Extension Offices and pick up a free printed copy of the newsletter.
We appreciate our readers referring others to the newsletter, and sharing it with their family and friends.
Thank you for your continued support of the CMFN, providing valuable agricultural information from Extension for folks in the central Maine area since 2003.
|
|
Mission
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is the major educational outreach program of the University of Maine with offices statewide. UMaine Extension provides Maine people with research-based educational programs to help them live fuller, more productive lives.
Mention or display of a trademark, proprietary product, or firm in text or figures does not constitute an endorsement and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.
|
Quick Links
|
|
Local Weather Anytime
Many farming activities are driven by the weather. Our local National Weather Service in Caribou has meteorologists on staff 24 hours a day. They are willing to talk with you about rain predictions for your town. Give them a call at 492-0180. Or check out their online detailed maps at
http://www.weather.gov/car/.
|
Need Pesticide credits? Check out the Maine Board of Pesticide credit calendar. Many approved pesticide applicator re-certification programs are listed. |
|
|
Contributors
Donna Coffin, Extension Educator
Rick Kersbergen, Extension Educator
Goal
The goal of the Central Maine Farming Newsletter is to provide timely information on the production and marketing of crops and livestock grown in central Maine.
|
T
he University of Maine does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, including transgender status and gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director, Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens Hall, 207.581.1226.
Photos: Donna Coffin unless indicated otherwise.
|
|
|
|
Open Monday - Friday
8 am to 4:30 pm
307 Maine Ave. Bangor, ME 04401 207-942-7396 or 800-287-1485
|
Open Monday, Thursday, Friday
8 am to 4:30 pm,
Open By-chance on Wednesday
, Closed Tuesday
165 East Main St. Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426 207-564-3301 or 800-287-1491
|
Open Monday - Friday
8 am to 4:30 pm
992 Waterville Road, Waldo, ME 04915-3117 Phone: 207.342.5971 or 800.287.1426 (in Maine)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
