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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.
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Call for Nominations for Beef Awards!
The Maine Beef Producers Association is asking for nominations for the following beef awards. When completing your nomination please make sure to include your contact information, contact information for the person you are nominating, what award you are nominating them for and why you think they are deserving of the award.
Maine Beef Producers Association Awards Criteria
Seedstock Producer
A farm operation honored for their accomplishments in the breeding and marketing of purebred seedstock.
Beef Producer
A farm or individual recognized for the production of consistently high quality beef cattle marketed as feeder cattle, fed cattle, or direct-market beef.
Youth
A person under the age of 21 recognized for their beef production and promotion accomplishments.
Service
An individual or organization recognized for their distinguished service to Maine beef producers.
Hall of Fame
Awarded to an individual, a farm operation, or an organization honored for making a significant contribution to beef production in Maine.
Send your award nominations to Kevin Woltemath, President of Maine Beef Producers kwoltemath@pfnmeats.com
Nomination deadline is December 10th.
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Maine Beef Producers Association Annual Conference
Maine Beef Producer's Association Annual Conference to be held on
Wednesday, November 30, 2016, at the Ballroom adjacent to the Governor's Restaurant, 376 Main Street, Waterville, with dinner provided at 6 pm. This is a free event.
Following dinner there will be presentations on these topics:
- Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) funded by USDA Rural Development
- What you should know about the Veterinary Feed Directive? - Justin Bergeron, MDACF Assistant State Veterinarian
- Fly Control Options and Education - Paul Kropp, Central Life Sciences
- Plus an update on MBPA
You must RSVP with the number attending from your farm/family by asap to:
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USDA Direct Slaughter Cattle Dashboard
The Agriculture Marketing Service of USDA publishes the daily/weekly livestock prices from across the county. Generally the prices are for graded livestock sales. The portal to the
state sales is here.
They also have a direct slaughter cattle dashboard that brings in alot of data from around the county into one visual graphic page. Below is this page for November 14, 2016 on the weighted average price tab.
When you go to the website you can click and see numbers of cattle.
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USDA Surveying Cattle Operations
In January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will survey more than 40,000 cattle operations nationwide to provide an up-to-date measure of U.S. cattle inventories.
"This information helps producers make timely, informed business decisions such as planning for herd expansion or reduction. It also helps packers and government leaders evaluate expected slaughter volume for future months and determine potential supplies for export," said Northeastern Regional Director King Whetstone. "Obtaining the current count of cattle will serve as an important decision-making tool for the entire agriculture industry."
During the first two weeks of January, Northeastern producers will have the opportunity to report their beef and dairy cattle inventories, calf crop, death loss and cattle on feed operations. To make it as easy as possible for producers to participate in the survey, NASS offers the option of responding via the Internet, telephone, mail or a personal interview with a local NASS representative.
NASS safeguards the privacy of all responses and publishes only state- and national-level data, ensuring that no individual producer or operation can be identified.
The January Cattle report will be released on January 31, 2017. This and all NASS reports are available online at
www.nass.usda.gov
. For more information, call the NASSNortheastern Regional Field Office at (800) 498-1518.
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Items of Interest
- Maine Farms for the Future RFP was withdrawn. Will offer again in 2017.
- Add the Maine 4-H Foundation to your AmazonSmile account and a portion of your purchases made on Amazon will be donated to the Maine 4-H Foundation. Also November 29th is Maine 4-H Day of Giving: Making Magic for Maine Youth. See their Facebook Page for details.
- Farming and Agriculture Apps for your electronic device.
- SARE Grants Deadline Approaching Have an idea that you'd like to test out, or a problem in your field that you'd like to investigate? The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is offering research grants for Farmers, and for Partnerships between farmers and Cooperative Extension professionals. Link includes: Grant types overview and past funded project overviews. Deadlines for proposals are typically early November. If you have an idea that you would like to pursue, contact your local Cooperative Extension professional.
- Beef producers all across the country, from every segment of the industry, are being encouraged to participate in a survey that will help establish a benchmark and course for the beef industry for 2017 and beyond. The Producer Survey of the checkoff-funded 2016 National Beef Quality Audit (NBQA) will collect producer information and opinions, which will be added to the audit's traditional production research to form an in-depth look at where the industry stands and what its successes and shortcomings are.
- If you missed the Scaling Up - A walk through Sodexo's Maine Course Initiative... Selling to Sodexo 101including the UMaine and UMaine System contact Donna Coffin for the handouts from this meeting.
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Testing Forage Quality - YouTube video from UMaine Extension discusses the nutritional importance of forage quality and recommended sampling techniques.
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Featured Resources
Webinars:
If you missed the "WSU Carcass Calculator App: From Development to Use" it was recorded and is archived at
http://breeze.wsu.edu/p3rrfwuv0eu/. This webinar introduced the WSU Livestock Carcass Grade & Cutability Calculator app, which calculates carcass yield grade, dressing percentages, and cutability of beef, pork, and lamb carcasses from carcass data. It also estimates yield grade or cutability from live animal data. The webinar explains how the app was created and demonstrates how to use it. It is free for both Apple and Android.
APPS:
WSU Carcass Calculator App:
Google Play,
I-Tunes
SoilWeb - Access to USDA-NRCS soil survey data, formatted for mobile devices.
Visit the UMaine Extension Cooperative Extension online
Publications Catalog
for agriculture information, such as:
- Beef Production Checklist #1201 This checklist can help you determine what you know and what you need to know about beef production. Covers breeding and reproduction, calving, cattle health and nutrition, management practices, facilities, fencing and pasturing, and financial concerns. 5 pages. © 2009 by University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Download it for free or buy a color copy $0.75.
- So You Want to Farm in Maine #2433 Have you ever thought about moving to a farm and wondered whether it's really the right life for you and your family? Answering the questions in this 4-page bulletin related to the realities of farming in Maine will help you decide. 4 pages. © 2008 by University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Download it for free or buy a color copy $0.75.
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Upcoming Events
- November 30, December 7, 14 and January 4 - Farm Financial Management Workshops, 1 - 5 pm various locations in Cumberland County, Register online. $10 per session or $30 for all four sessions.
- December 2nd, 2016 Maine Food Network Gathering, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, Wells Conference Center, UMaine, Orono. $30 with some scholarships available. Register online. Registrations due by Nov. 25th.
- December 5th, 2016 Farmland Access Conference, Civic Center, Augusta. Sponsored by Maine Farmland Trust. FMI contact Erica Buswell: ebuswell@mainefarmlandtrust.org
- December 9th, 2016 Maine Soil Health Workshop, 8:45 am to 3:00 pm at the Spectacular Event Center, Bangor. Pre-registration required. Cost is $20 before Dec. 2nd; otherwise $25. Includes morning snack and lunch. Registrations received after Dec. 2nd cannot be guaranteed a lunch. Register online or by phone and for registration questions, contact Michele Lodgek at 207.581.2721 and michele.lodgek@umaine.edu.
- January 10 - 12, 2017 Maine Agricultural Trades Show, Augusta
- January 11, 2017, 1 pm to 5 pm Beef Program at the Agricultural Trades Show
- February 8, 2017 Maine Beef Producers Association meeting, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm,Marquardt Building, Augusta.
- March 8, 2017 Maine Beef Producers Association meeting, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm,Marquardt Building, Augusta.
- March 18, 2017 Grazing Conference, Waterville
- April 12, 2017 Maine Beef Producers Association meeting, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm,Marquardt Building, Augusta.
- May 10, 2017 Maine Beef Producers Association meeting, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm,Marquardt Building, Augusta.
- May 19 - 21, 2017 Northeast Livestock Expo, Windsor
- April, 2017 Meat Cutting School in Central Maine
- April 28 - 29, 2017 New England Meat Conference, Manchester, NH
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Maine Beef Producers Association
Join the Maine Beef Producers Association
The Maine Beef Producers Association is accepting dues for the 2016 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
The Maine Beef Producers Association just started a new Facebook page. Like and follow to get the fastest information from Maine Beef Producers Association.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Quick Links
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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/.
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Contributors
Donna Coffin, Extension Educator
Rick Kersbergen, Extension Educator
Goal
The goal of the Maine Beef Newsletter is to provide timely information on the production and marketing of beef grown in Maine.
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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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Open Monday - Friday
8 am to 4:30 pm
307 Maine Ave.
Bangor, ME 04401
207.942.7396 or 800.287.1485 (in Maine)
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Open Mon, Thurs, Fri
8 am to 4:30 pm,
Open Appointment on Wed
, Closed Tuesday
165 East Main St.
Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426 207.564.3301 or 800.287.1491 (in Maine)
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Open Monday - Friday
8 am to 4:30 pm
992 Waterville Road
Waldo, ME 04915-3117
207.342.5971 or 800.287.1426 (in Maine)
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