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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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November 5th Preconditioned Feeder Calf Sale Canceled!
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Educational Presentation
and
Fall Pre-Conditioned Feeder Calf
Sale Cancelled
Due to Insufficient Numbers Consigned
A select group of high quality Preconditioned calves and yearlings are available For Sale by Private Treaty. For Information Contact:Pete Dusoe,
phone 207-437-5441 or 416-5441 or by email at pbdusoe@roadrunner.com
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 Beef Cattle and Calf Price Comparison Flame Stockyard
Beef producers selling through auction houses try to compare the price they receive with the industry average. But that average varies according to when and where the auction is, type and condition of the animals, number of animals in the various categories, number of buyers present, etc. Flame Livestock Auction Report in the Weekly Market Bulletin from the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture http://agriculture.nh.gov/market-bulletin/index.htm
This is a comparison of six years sales at approximately the same time of year and the past months sales
($/pound.)
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Is it time to expand your herd, develop a new market for your beef, develop a brand, build new facilities, hire farm workers or other question? The Farms For the Future Grant program has assisted farmers for over 15 years in deciding on the next level they will grow their farm. After completing the first phase where a team of experts help you develop your business plan, you are eligible for investment support to implement your plan. Many farms have become much more profitable after participating in this program. Here are the details:
Farms for the Future Round 16: Phase 1 - Business Plan Development (2016-2018) with potential Phase 2 - Investment Support in 2018.
The State of Maine, Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources is seeking proposals from eligible farms seeking to compete for the Maine Farms for the Future - Phase 1 - Business Plan Development grant.
A copy of the RFP can be obtained by contacting the RFP Coordinator: Lester Dancer. The RFP Coordinator can be reached at the following email address:
Lester.Dancer@maine.gov
or by mailing: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry - Attn: FFF Round 16 RFP
28 State House Station, Augusta, Maine, 04333-0028
Proposals must be submitted to the State of Maine Division of Purchases, located at the Burton M. Cross Office Building, 111 Sewall Street - 4th Floor, Augusta, ME 04330. Proposals must be submitted by 2:00 pm, local time, on Thursday, December 1, 2016, when they will be opened. Proposals not received at the Division of Purchases' aforementioned address by the aforementioned deadline will not be considered for contract award.
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Selling to the University of Maine
The University of Maine in partnership with Sodexo will be holding two informational sessions in early November for farmers and food processors on how to sell their products to the University of Maine System. This event will provide a walk-through of the process of selling to Sodexo and understanding its supply chain, as well as networking opportunities. More details coming soon.
Interested in Selling to Sodexo.
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Items of Interest
- Position Available: University of Maine Cooperative Extension Bryant Pond 4-H Camp and Learning Center invites applications for a full-time, fiscal-year, soft-money funded Education Director to begin work as soon as possible.
- USDA Designates 5 Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas with Assistance to Producers, due to crop damages and losses caused by the current drought occurring in Southern Maine. As a result, farms in Androscoggin, Kennebec, Lincoln, Oxford and Sagadahoc counties and the neighboring Cumberland, Franklin, Knox, Somerset, Waldo and York counties are eligible for low interest emergency loans from the USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA). Farmers have eight months from the declaration date (September 1, 2016) to apply for these loans.
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The temporary variance is from the organic pasture requirements of the USDA organic regulations with the following restrictions: 1. Applies to organic ruminant livestock producers in Maine counties (Kennebec, Lincoln, Franklin, Somerset, and Waldo) declared as primary or contiguous drought disaster areas by Secretary Vilsack in calendar year 2016. 2. Applies to non-irrigated pasture only.
3.
Ruminants must graze on organic pasture for at least 90 days instead of 120 days during the grazing season.
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Ruminants must obtain, on average, at least 15 percent of their dry matter intake (DMI) from pasture during the grazing season.
- 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.
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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:
6 Week Online Grazing Course from Cornell Small Farm Program.
IMPROVED GRAZING MANAGEMENT - Improve your triple bottom line through better grazing.
DATES:
November 9 - December 14, 2016 with webinars each
Wednesday evening from
7:00 - 8:30pm Eastern time.
LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE.
APPS:
The Washington State University (WSU)
Livestock Carcass Grade & Cutablity Calculator is an excellent way for producers, niche marketers, butchers, livestock judges, meat evaluators, and youth to quickly determine the yield grade and cutability of beef, pork or lamb carcasses. Just enter live or carcass data information. The tool is free to download and can be can be run on a smart phone or tablet.
Visit the UMaine Extension Cooperative Extension online
Publications Catalog
for agriculture information, such as:
- Selling Beef in Maine #1048 Are you a beef producer interested in learning more about the different markets available to you to sell your beef? This bulletin discusses the risks, benefits, and requirements for selling beef in Maine. 2 pages. © 2015 by University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Download it for free or buy a color copy. $0.50.
- Barn and Manure Storage Safety #2304 This bulletin covers general barn housekeeping, hay storage, dusts, manure pits and lagoons. See item #2365 for the entire Maine Farm Safety Program. 4 pages. © 2002 by University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Download it for free: or buy a color copy $0.75.
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Upcoming Events
- November 1; December 6, 2016 & January 24, 2017 New England Farm Succession School at Viles Arboretum in Augusta. The Farm Succession School is a three-session program designed for farmers looking for a bit of structure and motivation to tackle succession planning. The program will bring you from thinking about the future to doing active planning. Your commitment of three winter days will help to guide you toward a successful planning outcome for you, your family and your farm. FMI flyer. FMI - flyer (pdf)
- November 3rd, 2016 Marketing to UMaine... Scaling Up, Wells Commons, UMaine Campus, Orono. More details later.
- November 5, 2016 Fall Preconditioned Feeder Calf Sale Cancelled!
- November 9, 2016 Buying Meat from Local Farms, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, Bucksport Adult and Community Education RSU#25. Cost $15. Register through RSU#25 ACE.
- November 19 & 20, 2016 Harvest Festival, Bangor. Many farms have booths to sell their products or advance sales for next year.
- December 1, 2016 Deadline for Maine Farms for the Future applications.
- December 5th, 2016 Farmland Access Conference, Civic Center, Augusta. Sponsored by Maine Farmland Trust. FMI contact Erica Buswell: ebuswell@mainefarmlandtrust.org
- January 10 - 12, 2017 Maine Agricultural Trades Show, Augusta
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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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