June 2017
News and events for Maine Beef Producers from University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry, Maine Beef Producers Association and other agricultural organizations in Maine.
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.

beefsurveyUMaine Extension Beef Survey 
As a new staff member Dr. Colt Knight is looking for help from Maine's beef producers. He is inviting all those interested in beef production in Maine to complete this anonymous survey (just click here for survey.) 
Responses will help determine the topics of future UMaine Extension programs and projects.
Thanks in advance for your help.  
beefsaleSpring Preconditioned Feeder Calf Sale Sponsored by the Maine Beef Producers Association 
The Maine Beef Producers Association (MBPA) sponsored a preconditioned feeder calf sale at the Northeast Livestock Expo on Saturday, May 20th at 11 am at the Windsor Fair Grounds.
Fifty-nine animals were sold with an average price of $1.35 per pound and an average weight of 774 pounds. Grass fed averaged $1.36 per pound and had an average weight of 653 pounds. 
Here are more detailed prices. 
# of Cattle Wt. Range Ave. Wt. Price/lb Range ($) Ave Price/lb ($)
Steers (22)



2 512 - 530 521 $1.50 - $1.60 $1.55
6 606 - 662 630 $1.21 - $1.60 $1.44
6 709 - 748 726 $1.32 - $1.60 $1.42
3 854 - 885 867 $1.27 - $1.43 $1.34
2 955 - 968 962 $1.35 $1.35
3 1,063 - 1,334 1,195 $1.08 - $1.60 $1.30
Steer Average
786
$1.41
Heifers (37)



6 406 - 590 543 $1.10 - $1.37 $1.23
5 627 - 697 660 $1.22 - $1.40 $1.30
8 700 - 796 753 $0.99 - $1.38 $1.28
12 804 - 899 836 $1.21 - $1.60 $1.34
4 906 - 959 929 $1.28 - $1.35 $1.31
2 1,005 - 1,043 1,024 $1.19 - $1.30 $1.25
Heifer Average
767
$1.29
Sale Manager, Pete Dusoe at 207-416-5441 or  pbdusoe@roadrunner.com.
plannedFall Preconditioned Feeder Calf Sale Planned
The Maine Beef Producers Association is pleased to announce the tentative sale date of Saturday, October 28th for the Fall Preconditioned Feeder Calf Sale. Preconditioning protocols need to be completed by September 23rd. Click here for protocol. 
Sale Manager, Pete Dusoe at 207-416-5441 or  pbdusoe@roadrunner.com.
brandGrow the Brand, Not the Farm
Direct Marketing venues like farm stands, farmers' markets & CSAs are becoming more and more competitive. Some farms are turning to broader markets for their products. But is scaling up the farm, adding more animals, the answer? More animals mean more labor that has to be managed, up-front capital expenditures paid for by added debt, and time to seek new customers & larger markets.Many times it is too much for a small farm family to undertake all at once.  
Mark Cannella, with University of Vermont & UVM Extension Farm Viability program suggests that given these challenges it is necessary to look for solutions off the farm . He sees a new market opportunity that "scale up brands" not farms, to address market opportunities given the limitations of small farm systems. 
"Aggregated brands are companies that buy, market and sell products from groups of farms under one brand name. They recognize that small farms can't "do it all" but they still do many things well. With the right coordination, these brands and their distribution frameworks can improve the economics of independent farms by purchasing their products while helping to solve the key price point, volume, service and quality issues that both producers and consumers want to overcome, says Cannella. 
He suggests that the food system needs a way to adapt the romantic imagery of small farms to products that can reach the broader population. Farmers need the markets that a collaborative brand can reach. 
Source: Building Brands in a Small Farm Food System, Mark Cannella, UVM Food Feed, April 14, 2016.


interestItems of Interest
resourcesFeatured Resources

App: 
PastureMap: Livestock Grazing Management - Free version available (I-Phone or I-Pad)  Graze with confidence using PastureMap. Ready to never lose a grazing record again? Say goodbye to scribbled notes, highlighters, rulers and paper grids, photos with long file names...  Say hello to PastureMap. Spend less time keeping records and more time doing what you love.
Features:  Fencing Planning: Create and subdivide fencelines with a few taps, calculate acres and perimeter;  Grazing Records: Record grazing moves and view recovery days
Monitoring: Take GPS photos of monitoring points. Everything works even without cell signal, and syncs with your PastureMap account when you're back in signal range;  Herd Management: Track herd weights and average daily gains of each animal;  Objects: Mark objects such as hay bales and water troughs on your ranch. By Summer Technologies. 

Website:
Monthly Grass Fed & Vermont Local Beef Market Report: AMS - USDA has two reports available. On the National Monthly Grass Fed Beef Report including wholesale and retail prices received for various cuts of meat, carcass prices, and grazing fee estimate. The other is the Vermont Monthly Beef Report that reflects beef sold direct to consumer on a whole carcass and on retail basis. 

Videos: 
Fly Control in Pastured Cattle: Nebraska State Extension.  The presence of flies on pastured cattle can have a significant impact to cattle health and performance. In this video, Dave Boxler discusses the different species of flies that impact cattle and the control methods available to producers to manage them.

Publications:    

Visit the UMaine Extension Cooperative Extension online Publications Catalog
for agriculture information, such as:
Controlling Smooth Bedstraw in Haylands and Pasture # 2278 The perennial smooth bedstraw is a competitive, invasive species that can significantly reduce the yields of hayfields. This publication documents the findings of recent research trials in Maine that evaluated mechanical and chemical control methods, and discusses key management strategies. 6 pages. © 2008 by University of Maine Cooperative Extension.Download it for free or buy a color copy for $0.50.
events  Upcoming Events
  • June 21, 2017 Organic Livestock Management - 5pm at Milkhouse Farm, Monmouth. Caitlin Frame and Andy Smith raise a MOFGA certified organic dairy herd, laying hens and pigs. At the Milkhouse, animals graze 24/7 in the growing season (as weather and regrowth allow), utilizing rotational grazing methods to increase soil fertility, maximize yields from the land, and manage fly and other pest pressure on the herd. We'll discuss how different age groups of cows can be used in different areas of the farm depending on the specific needs of the land, how we use pigs to renovate pastures, and where chickens come into play on our farm. We'll also discuss our plans for summer silvopasture for cows and pigs. Come learn how we make our system work! Potluck to follow.Part of the MOFGA Farmer in Training. FMI click here. 
  • June 25th, 2017, Cowabunga 5K and Family Dairy Day in Portland, sponsored by the MDACF with the Maine Dairy Promotion Board. The event will feature a 5K run/walk, local farmers, live calves, educational demonstrations, local and state dairy businesses and organizations, and dairy products for attendees.  Proceeds will be donated to the Howard C. Reiche Community School's food pantry, which operates through the summer, as part of the Milk2MyPlate program.  For more information contact Jami Badershall at the Maine Dairy Promotion Board, at  jami@drinkmainemilk.org .
  • July 7 & 8, 2017 Beef Basics, 8:30 am to 4 pm at Aldermere Farm, Rockport. Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) will host Beef Basics, a series of hands-on clinics for novice and experienced cattle farmers. In addition, on Saturday Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District and MCHT are co-presenting for the second year, a day-long series of workshops on pasture management for anyone with grazing animals. 
  • July 23, 2017 Open Farm Day sponsored by the MDACF
  • August 23 & 24, 2017 Maine Farm Days, Misty Meadow Farm, Clinton.
  • September 23, 2017 Deadline for Preconditioned Feeder Calf Sale health protocols to be completed. 
  • October 28, 2017 Tentative Date for the Fall Preconditioned Feeder Calf Sale at D & S Farm, Richmond. Sponsored by the Maine Beef Producers Association. 
  • November 4 - 6, 2017 Farmer to Farmer Conference, Northport, sponsored by MOFGA. 
  • November 11 & 12, 2017 Maine Harvest Festival, Cross Center, Bangor
  • November 18, 2017 Tentative Date for the Fall Beef Conference, all day in Orono/Bangor area. 
joinmbpa Maine Beef Producers Association
Join the Maine Beef Producers Association 
The Maine Beef Producers Association is accepting dues for the 2017 year. Annual dues are $35. For an extra $25 you can get a year subscription to County Folks. For more information on this organization and for membership application go to http://www.mainebeefproducersassociation.com/forms.html

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subscription Newsletter Subscription Information   
The Maine Beef Newsletter (MBN) is now received by over 700 readers, has been offered as an educational resource by University of Maine Cooperative Extension since 2011. As of January 1, 2015, the MBN transitioned to electronic-only delivery. There will still be four ways to receive the MBN from UMaine Extension:
1) Maine Beef 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. If you are interested in subscribing send a $15 check made out to UMaine Extension to Piscataquis County Cooperative Extension, 165 East Main St., Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426.  
 3) A third option is to come into the Piscataquis or Penobscot County Extension Office and pick up a free printed copy of the newsletter.  
4) Maine Beef Producers Association members who do not have an email on file will receive a printed copy of the newsletter as a benefit of their membership.  
       We appreciate our readers referring others to the newsletter, and sharing it with your family and friends.
    Thank you for your continued support of the MBN, providing valuable agricultural information from Extension for beef producers and those interested in the beef industry in Maine since 2011.
Mission
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 Quick Links
weatherLocal 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
and
Colt Knight, Extension Livestock Specialist

Goal
The goal of the Maine Beef Newsletter is to provide timely information on the production and marketing of beef grown in Maine.
The 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 by Donna Coffin unless otherwise noted.  

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