Maine Weather and Climate

After the recent stretch of cold weather, a pattern change is forecast to bring above-normal temperatures overall for the next several days. A nor’easter will impact the state on Saturday with 8–12 inches of snow in southern and western counties, 4–6 inches in the Bangor area, and declining to little or no snowfall north of Millinocket. Sunday will be mild with high temperatures around 40°F in the south, and low to high 30s in the north.  

Morning/afternoon temperatures during the week are forecast to range mid 20s to around 40°F south, and a few degrees cooler in the north and western highlands where high temperatures may reach the low 30s or stay below freezing. There is a chance of precipitation that could develop mid week from a low pressure system forecast to pass over the Great Lakes; but that storm could pass to our south. As always, be sure to check weather.gov for the latest weather forecast for your area. For detailed winter weather information refer to the National Weather Service (NWS) Caribou and Gray forecast office pages.

The NWS Climate Prediction Center 8–14 day outlook probability maps for March 9 – March 15 (issued March 1) show near normal temperature and precipitation. The one-month outlook for March (issued February 28) leans below normal temperature and equal chance of above or below normal precipitation. Looking further out, the three-month seasonal outlook for March–May (issued February 16) leans toward above normal temperature and equal chance of above or below normal precipitation.

Hydrology: The Northeast Drought Early Warning System Dashboard shows that streamflow and groundwater levels are normal or above normal statewide, and recent significant snowstorms have brought snowpack to near normal for this time of year statewide. Visit the NWS Regional Snow Analysis to see the latest snow depth and other related maps.

Sean Birkel, Assistant Extension Professor, Maine State Climatologist, Climate Change Institute, Cooperative Extension University of Maine. For climate/weather questions related to agriculture, send Sean e-mail at birkel@maine.edu

Share Your Thoughts on Cover Crops in the National Cover Crop Survey!

Farmers are invited to share their thoughts on cover crops in an online survey. Why do you plant cover crops...or why don't you? What do you want to know? Your insight will help guide research, communications, seed development, and more.

"Since 2012, the National Cover Crop Survey has been extremely valuable in helping guide research priorities, direct communications and education efforts, provide data to researchers, and illustrate the effects of policy on cover crop use and adoption," says Dr. Rob Myers, regional director of extension programs for North Central SARE.

Please take a few minutes to contribute your voice at bit.ly/CoverCrop23. After completing the questionnaire, you may enter a drawing for one of three $100 Visa gift cards.

Farm Emergency Planning and Communication

These snowy winter days are a perfect opportunity to think through emergency preparedness plans for your farm. Having plans and prevention measures in place can mean minor damage of a building or piece of equipment instead complete loss. Do your crew members, and your local first responders know where fire suppression resources like extinguishers and water sources are? Do then know what to do if there was a spill or fire around agrichemicals (pesticides, fuels, fertilizers)?

Clarifying this plan, mapping your farm, and sharing these plans with everyone on and around the farm can save both infrastructure and lives. The University of Michigan Cooperative Extension has developed an Emergency Farm Planning Template to help you organize this important information.

Labor Law Compliance Resources Available

At last week's workshop with the U.S. Department of Labor- Wage and Hour Division, the following resources were shared explaining regulatory requirements when hiring foreign or local work forces.

USDOL/WHD Agricultural Compliance Assistance Resource Links:

• WHD Main AG Webpage:
• WHD AG Compliance Assistance Toolkit:
• WHD H-2A Final Rule Webpage:
• WHD H-2A Webpage (w/ links to 7 new Fact Sheets):
• WHD Fact Sheet #12: Agricultural Employers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA):
• Fact Sheet #26: Section H-2A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA):
• WHD Fact Sheet #49: The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act:
• WHD Fact Sheet #51: Field Sanitation Standards Under the OSHA:
• Cultivating Compliance: An Agricultural Guide to Federal Labor Law (Booklet):
• Cultivating Compliance: An Agricultural Guide to Federal Labor Law (Video):
• Child Labor Bulletin 101 (Non-AG):
• Child Labor Bulletin 102 (AG):
• DOL Employer.gov:
• WHD eLaws Advisors:

If you have any questions about labor management regulations, you can reach the USDOL- WHD at 1-866-487-9243 - or www.dol.gov/agencies/whd

Northeast Farm to Institution Summit

Transform the food system and join other change-makers at the hybrid conference Northeast Farm to Institution Summit! This April 2023, gather with 500+ stakeholders under the theme "CommUNITY Powers the Food System," to advance farm, food, and sea businesses to create healthy, just communities. Together, we focus on the role of institutions as community anchors with the power to transform the regional food system.

There are many Maine based speakers including Mark McBrine, Maine Dept of Corrections; Heather Kerner, The Good Crust; Amber Lambke, Maine Grains; Tristan Noyes, Maine Grains Alliance; Rebekah Mende, Maine State Prison; Maeve McInnis, Sodexo, Maine Course; Jim Hanna & Zoe Grodsky, Cumberland County Food Security Council; Renee Page, Healthy Communities of the Capital Area; Sophie Scott, Gulf of Maine Research Institute; Matthew Chin, Harvesting Good; Ron Adams, Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative;

Attendees include foodservice operators, producers, supply chain businesses, advocates, public officials, funders, and anyone dedicated to the farm to institution movement. Two days of virtual programming + two days in-person at Farm Fresh Rhode Island in Providence, RI. Tiered ticketing available on a sliding scale. www.f2isummit.org #F2iSummit @Farm2Inst @FarmFreshRI

UPSTART:

UpStart Maine, the Bangor Region's innovation hub that connects entrepreneurs statewide to resources to grow their businesses, is hosting an event on April 5 for entrepreneurs to showcase companies with recently launched products/services. They are focusing their efforts for the event this year on business in the agriculture, aquaculture, food, and food-tech space. 

UpStart Maine is accepting applications for April 5th Maine Innovation Nights, where businesses can launch new products or services. They thought farmers, Maine based value added food developers would be a perfect fit for the showcase!

You can apply here https://maine.innovationnights.com/apply-now/

UpStart will be selecting 10 showcase participants the first week of March, and early applicants will be given priority!

About Maine Innovation Nights:

Maine Innovation Nights allow companies to show off Maine-based innovation by connecting startups and established businesses launching new products or services with customers, social media influencers, and investors. Attendees are both in-person and virtual.

Growing Small Fruit on Your Farm – Online Course



The “Growing Small Fruit on Your Farm” course will teach you the best cultural practices for raising small fruit crops in Maine, including strawberries, raspberries, and high-bush blueberries. All of these crops can work well both in the home garden and on commercial farms, but proper planning and preparation are crucial to their success. This course will illustrate the essential steps needed to make your berry planting a rewarding experience. We will cover how to choose the best site, what to look for in plant varieties, preparing the soil, planting, fertilizing, pruning, and pest management. Instructor: Dr. David Handley, UMaine Extension

Maine Vegetable and Fruit School Announced



March 29, August Maine: This day-long school is sponsored by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Vegetable and Small Fruit Growers Association. Lunch will be provided. More info including agenda and registration.

Renting Out Your Ruminants for Brush Control

In recent years, some small ruminant owners have offered to provide their animals for brush control to nearby landowners. Instead of the farmer paying the landowner for pasturing their animals, the landowner pays the farmer to bring in their animals to control brush or other invasive weeds on their land without using herbicides.

Click here for resource on renting out ruminants for brush control.

Resource Reminders for Livestock Producers:

I was at a recent livestock producer meeting where several folks were not aware of some resources / videos / websites / items that they could find useful in their operations.

UMaine Extension has a website with information for livestock producers at https://extension.umaine.edu/livestock/ There are individual pages for beef, dairy (cow), equine, poultry, sheep & goats, swine, and related resources. There are videos on each tab including the popular “Got Livestock – Need Hay?” by Rick Kersbergen a few years ago.

Click here for information on do it yourself scales for livestock, managing farm mortalities, free farm account book template.

Swine 101 Course Registration Open



This seminar will be held in multiple locations across the state, and a meal will be provided at no cost (smoked pork!). Join Dr. Colt W. Knight, UMaine Extension State Livestock Specialist, for a 2-hour primer on raising pastured pork. Topics include: breed selection, basic reproductive information, swine nutrition, fencing, housing, meat yield, and more. Register online.

Dairy Financial Tri-state Workshops



This is a two-day event where you will learn how to calculate your farm's cost of production and improve economic viability. Learn how to interpret your current financial status and evaluate opportunities for improvement. Lunch and materials provided at no cost to attendees. More info and to register.