Staying out of the Mud: Cover Cropping for Water Management

Harvesting vegetable, fruit, and grain crops in the fall can be a muddy mess. As the days shorten, temperatures cool, and we tend to get more heavy rain, our soils in Maine stay wetter for longer. Without some soil building, harvest season can result in muddy crops, stuck equipment, and soil compaction, potentially worsening the problem for next year.

Incorporating cover crops into farming systems as a regular part of the rotation will improve water drainage, improving how accessible those fields are. Many of you are already doing this to protect the soil through the winter. A new approach is to undersow the cover crop once the cash crop is established. This keeps the crop clean, allows for evapotranspiration to dry the soil, and the roots hold up foot and tractor traffic better. It also allows for cover crop establishment before late season crops are harvested. All of the systems put carbon into the soil, enhancing the soil quality while mitigating the impacts of climate change.

This SARE fact sheet discusses the use of cover crops for carbon sequestration in depth.

USDA Seeks Input on New Grant Program to Strengthen Migrant Farm Worker Programs

The USDA is gathering input to help shape a recently announced planned grant program focused on improving the resiliency of our food and agricultural supply chain by addressing labor shortages in agriculture, reducing irregular migration through increased use of legal pathways, and improving labor protections for farmworkers.

FSA will consider comments received by 30 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register. Find more details in the Sept. 21 notice on the Federal Register or on fsa.usda.gov/farmworkers. 

Resources for Federal Safety and Health in Ag Labor Rules

The U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division is committed to farmworker safety, including safe transportation, housing, and workplaces. In recognition of National Farm Safety and Health Week, the Wage and Hour Division is sharing resources to help farmworkers, employers, and farm labor contractors understand federal safety and health rules in agriculture.

• Agricultural Transportation Safety Webpage
• Corrina’s Story - Safe Transportation for Farmworkers | U.S. Department of Labor Blog
• US Department of Labor Urges Greater Focus on Safety by Employers, Workers As Deaths, Injuries in Agricultural Transportation Incidents Rise Sharply (Spanish) 
• New Field Sanitation Protections for Agricultural Workers Webpage
• New OSHA Field Sanitation for Agricultural Employers Webpage

Northeast SARE Farmer Grower Grants

We are now accepting Farmer Grant Proposals for 2023. The online system opens on October 1, 2022. Proposals are due no later than November 15, 2022 at 5p.m.

Northeast SARE offers grants to farmers to explore new concepts in sustainable agriculture conducted through experiments, surveys, prototypes, on-farm demonstrations or other research and education techniques. Farmer Grant projects address issues that affect farming with long-term sustainability in mind.

A wide variety of topics can be funded by Northeast SARE, including marketing and business, crop production, raising livestock, aquaculture, social sustainability, climate-smart agriculture practices, urban and Indigenous agriculture and much more.

More information is available here

Small Grants to Support Agricultural Well-Being:

Are you an organization, municipality or entity serving agricultural or fishing communities in Maine? Do you have a project that addresses stress, wellness or safety in Agriculture? The Small Grants for Agricultural Wellness applications are open now until November 15th. Awards range from $1-$5,805, these grants can be used to support Maine farmers and fishers in their mental health and wellness needs (broadly defined).

Applications to the Small Grants Fund are expected to be competitive and to exceed the amount of funding available. Should this be the case, program administrators will rank applications based on a variety of criteria including projected impact, availability of requested services, and potential to support farmers and farm communities categorized by the USDA as historically socially disadvantaged or as Limited-Resource Farm Households. 

More information and to apply, can be found on the Maine FRSAN website. More details (including applications and FAQs in Spanish and Haitian Creole) about the opportunity can be found on the FAQ google document.

Swine Seminar - Hold the Date

Friday, October 28, at Pineland in New Gloucester, Maine 

Great speakers have been confirmed, hands-on included with presentations. Biosecurity supplies for attendees and lunch provided.

Watch for more details next newsletter.

Real Maine's Fall Fiber Tour & Trail

The Fall Fiber Tour & Trail agritourism promotion event returns for the second year on Sunday, October 9. Most sites are open 10 to 3 - and will offer varying displays, activities and educational insight. If you're a fan of Maine's fibershed, or a participating site, you can help promote this unique event. 

Ideas to help promote the Real Maine Fiber Tour & Trail

• View and share the list of the 2022 host sites
• Share the 2022 map and trip itinerary
• Download, print, and display the event poster before 10/9/22 - Event Poster (PDF)
• Post the event graphic on your own social media page - 2022 Fiber Tour & Trail Graphic (.png file)

To my dear UMaine Extension Colleagues,

I’m writing you today to let you know of a significant change in ME DACF Animal Health’s staff roster: my last day as Maine State Veterinarian and State Public Health Veterinarian will be Friday, September 30^th. I’ve held this post for almost ten years, and it’s time to make this unique and challenging opportunity available to another enthusiastic veterinarian. I leave Animal Health in great hands, with Drs. Carolyn Hurwitz and Rachael Fiske performing a divide-and-conquer maneouvre on my responsibilities while the Department launches a search for the next person to take up this charge.

Among all the responsibilities of my positions at DACF, I’ve particularly enjoyed my interactions with the Maine agricultural community, and those who aspire to support that great hive of activity. You are a talented, dedicated, supportive, and hard-working bunch – and I’ve learned so much from all of you.

As I move onto other veterinary opportunities, I will carry your influence in my heart and mind, and wish you all continued success and growth. I hope our paths will cross in another Maine dooryard in the future.

I’d be honored to keep in touch: walshdvm@gmail.com. I wish you all the best.

With respect and gratitude,

Michele Walsh