Your monthly news & updates
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News and events for the Maine Beef Producers from the 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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For those of you who missed the Cattlemen's College, please take 5 minutes to rate the beef topics you are interested in going to a program or reading about in a newsletter. You can also add other topics not listed.
Click here for the survey.
Thanks in advance for your help. Donna & Colt
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What's New?
- 2nd Annual Cattlemen's Conference
- Call for Nominations for Beef Awards
- Improve On-farm Communication
- Principles of Beef Cattle Nutrition
- Public Meeting on Agriculture Needs - Calling All Farmers
- UMaine Extension Offers Free Recordkeeping Consulations
- Items of Interest
- Featured Resources
- Upcoming Events
- Newsletter Subscription Information
- Mission and Quick Links
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Maine Beef Producers were treated to a great low stress handling hands-on workshop at Maple Lane Farms in Charleston. Dr. Dean Fish,
certified trainer for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, traveled from his ranch in Arizona, to demonstrate and talk about low stress handling of cattle to increase cattle productivity and reduce stress in the farmers as well.
While the turnout was lower than expected, the Cattlemen's College program was well received by farmers who attended. Dr. Fish gave the Keynote talk on the importance of low stress handling and how it can reduce the stress hormone cortisol in cattle (and humans) by keeping them calm through these techniques. Increased levels of cortisol can impact the immune system of cattle and result in more susceptibility to disease. Also, stressed cattle don't eat as much and theefore gain less or take longer to be finished.
Dr. Colt Knight, UMaine Extension Livestock Specialist discussed the importance of providing cattle with all the nutrients they need while on a grass-fed program. Water, vitamins and minerals need to be provided along with nutritious forage from either pasture or stored hay. While it can take months longer to finish a grass fed beef animal, farmers must be very vigilant about providing adequate nutrients to their animals' diets. Dr. Knight also presented the Beef Quality Assurance Transportation training to certify those attending.
Select Sires representative Jerry Emerich, talked about the importance of determining your farm's goals and then selecting beef sires that can best move the cow herd to your goal. A tool that can be used is the Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) that rates bulls on their capability of improving such characteristics as calving ease, increased weaning weight, marbling, etc. A suggestion for grass-fed producers was to consider selecting sires with the ability to improve marbling in the next calf crop.
Beef producers learned about the activities at the new UMaine Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Orono from Dr. Anne Lichtenwalner, UMaine Extension Veterinarian. She talked about the ability of conducting necropsies with clients able to view from a class room. Also, she encouraged farmers to have fecal samples of their animals to determine the status of internal parasites.
Information on beef import/export marketing from the state of Maine was discussed by Cindy Kilgore from the Maine Department of Conservation, Forestry. She also mentioned the regular livestock auctions and special auctions that happen in Maine.
Kevin Woltemath spoke about the Maine Beef Producers Association activities and reminded folks that they are looking for nominations for their annual awards program by December 12th. Award categories and descriptions are included below. He also mentioned the new scholarship program that will provide scholarship moneys to someone attending post-secondary education. The silent auction that ended at the end of the meeting brought in $235.
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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.
Nomination deadline is December 12th.
Awards will be presented on January 16th at the MBPA meeting at the Maine Ag Trades Show at the Augusta Civic Center.
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Improve On-farm Communication with UMaine Extension
First workshop December 5
- Do you find yourself wondering “what should I say?” or asking “what did I say?”
- Do you ever feel tongue-tied talking with customers or concerned about their reaction?
- Are you worried about discussing problems with your partner?
- Is it hard to find the time to have productive meetings?
- More information and registration online.
Effective interpersonal communication is essential and cost effective for your farm operation. In this 3-hour interactive workshop,
Improving Communication,
participants will address real farm situations to learn about communication styles, ways to have better conversations, and have a chance to practice new skills. Each participant will identify unique needs and create a plan to address them.
On-farm communication is critical for farm viability, and is one of the most common sources of conflict and frustration for farmers, family members, employees, and customers.
If you:
- Are part of a farm family or farm team
- See the benefit of improved communication skills
- Would like to have conversations that aren’t so awkward
- Are ready to tackle difficult conversations
- Find the stress of farm life difficult to express to others
Your participation in
Improving Communication
will give you tools to adapt to different communication styles, structure dialogue between generations, identify obstacles to shifting management roles, improve internal and external communication, build your relationship capital to improve farm operations, have information-sharing conversations, and create positive, rewarding personal and professional relationships.
You will leave the workshop with at least one goal and steps to reach it.
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Con't Improve on-farm communication
WHEN:
- Dec. 5, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., at Kennebec Valley Community College, 92 Western Ave., Fairfield
- Jan. 8, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., at University of Maine Cooperative Extension Hancock County office, 63 Boggy Brook Road, Ellsworth
- Feb. 5, 9 a.m.–noon, online only
UMaine Extension human development specialist Leslie Forstadt, and family and community mediation director Karen Groat will lead the workshops. Each participant will identify unique needs and create a plan to address them. All workshop attendees also are eligible to apply for up to four coaching sessions at no cost. The farm coaching sessions will focus on farm decision-making, goal setting or communication.
COST:
$15/person or $25/couple, and includes workbook and refreshments for Fairfield and Ellsworth trainings; $10/person for online session. Register
online
.
For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Angela Martin, 207.581.3739;
angela.martin@maine.edu
. More information also is
online.
The workshops and coaching are made possible by a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Northeast Extension Risk Management Education.
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Principles of Beef Cattle Nutrition
December 8th from 4 to 6 pm
Designed for producers, the workshop will focus on maximizing production while minimizing feed costs. UMaine Extension assistant professor and livestock specialist Colt Knight will discuss the basic principles of beef cattle nutrition including digestive anatomy, rumen development, and body condition scoring.
The cost is $5 per person; financial assistance is available. Register
online
by Dec. 7. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact 207.743.6329;
extension.oxford@maine.edu
.
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Public Meetings on Agriculture Needs -
Calling All Farmers
We need your knowledge and ideas to shape the future of agriculture in Maine!
How can state government and other service and education providers better support YOU?
Please help us develop an assessment of farmer needs and priorities to inform program development, state government, and service and education providers supporting farmers and Maine's agricultural economy.
Attend an upcoming work session to share your thoughts about what you need to strengthen your farm business and grow Maine agriculture.
WHEN & WHERE
At the following Cooperative Extension Offices
*SKOWHEGAN, Dec. 13, 10am-12pm, 7 County Dr.
*LISBON FALLS, Dec 6, 9:30-11:30am, 24 Main St.
*FALMOUTH, Dec 11, 3-5pm, 75 Clearwater Dr.
*PRESQUE ISLE, Jan 8, 10am-12pm (Snow Date Jan 15, 10am-12pm), 57 Houlton Rd.
*WALDOBORO, Jan 10, 10am-12pm (Snow Date Jan 30, 10am-12pm), 377 Manktown Rd.
Locally-sourced refreshments provided.
RSVP's are appreciated! to plan group sizes.
At the Agricultural Trades Show
Maine Agricultural Trades Show, Jan. 16, 5-6pm and Jan. 17, 10-11:30am, 76 Community Dr., Augusta
Remote Option
This effort is being coordinated by: AGCOM, CEI, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Maine Farmland Trust, Maine Food Strategy, MOFGA, and Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society
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UMaine Extension Offers Free Record-Keeping Consults for Farmers
University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) are continuing to provide free consults to Maine farmers through January 2019 on production and financial record-keeping.
Consults will be done by phone, email and video chat unless in-person assistance is needed.
Consults are free, confidential, and require only a participant’s time. For more information, to set up a consultation or request a reasonable accommodation, contact Calvert Schaefer at 443.340.4324,
calvert.schaefer@maine.edu
.
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Maine Hay Directory
-
is available to help farmers with hay to sell and farmers looking for hay to buy. Be cautious of hay scams.
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Webinar:
Direct farm marketers are invited to participate in a free “lunch and learn” webinar series. “In a world where, ‘If you aren’t on the web, you aren’t,’ the webinars will help direct farm marketers learn about online marketing tools and strategies to improve the effectiveness of their marketing efforts,” says Megan Bruch Leffew, University of Tennessee. Webinars are held the fourth Tuesday of each month (except December) from June 2018 – June 2019 at noon-1 p.m. Eastern. The series will cover a variety of topics related to marketing through websites, social media and email. A listing of topics and speakers and archived sessions is available on the Center for Profitable Agriculture website:
ag.tennessee.edu/cpa/Pages/webinars.aspx
.
Video:
So, you're in the cattle business.
Do you know where you're going? This video will share five key steps to creating a successful farm or ranch operation. Alabama Extension. (5 minutes)
Santa Fe Ranch Manager - Dean Fish
. NCBA cattle handling trainer and Arizona cattleman who helps make sure that the cattle handling demonstrations run smoothly. We take a closer look at life on Dean's home operation - way down south in Arizona at the Santa Fe Ranch. To learn more, visit SantaFeRanchFoundation.org.
On-line Course:
Pasture Management Course,
Univ. of Mass. Amherst. Topics covered include specifics about pasture plant growth, plant response to defoliation, types of grasses and legumes suitable for the Northeast, acreage required for your animals, rotational grazing, forage quality, grazing season extension, and more. 3-credit hours - $1,500. For more information, including course syllabus, please contact Masoud Hashemi, at
masoud@umass.edu
.
UMaine Extension On-line Pasture Management Course
, FREE,
This self-study course was originally developed as a correspondence course by the University of Minnesota. With permission, we modified portions of the course for Maine as well as converted it to an online offering. One of the benefits of taking a self-study course is that you can move through the material at your own pace.
Publications:
Visit UMaine Extension online Publications Catalog for agricultural publications such as:
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- December 8, 2018 Beef Nutrition Workshop, 4 pm to 6 pm, Oxford County Extension Office, 9 Olsen Rd, South Paris. Fee $5. Online signup.
- Dec. 12, 2018 Deadline for Maine Beef Producers Association Awards program.
- December 12, 2018 NxLevel Tilling the Soil of Opportunity Course, Kennebec Valley Community College - Farm Center in Hinckley.
- December 12, 2018 Hide Tanning Workshop, MOFGA, Unity. 9 am to 2:30 pm. Fee $75 ($50 for members)
- December 18, 2018 Growing Corn Silage in a Changing Climate, 9:30 am to 3 pm, Governors in Waterville. Fee $20 (includes lunch), Pre-register here. Two pesticide recertification credits and three CCA credits applied for.
- January 15 to 17, 2019 Maine Agricultural Trades Show, Augusta Civic Center, Augusta. See their Facebook events page for updates from organizations.
- January 16, 2019 1 pm to 5 pm, Beef Educational Program and Maine Beef Producers Meeting at the Ag Trades Show.
- January 17, 2019 noon to 3 pm Ag Leadership program at the Ag Trade Show, Augusta Civic Center. How to make your organization or association more effective.
- January 30 to Feb. 1st, 2019 National Cattle Industry Convention, New Orleans, Louisiana. Sponsored by NCBA.
- February 23 & 24, 2019 Butchery Workshop 9 am to 4 pm, KVCC, Hinckley. Fee $425 for hands-on workshop, $825 for hands-on workshop with side of pig. Instructor Sow Belly Butcher and the Butcher & the Baker.
- February 26, 2019 Advanced Hide Tanning. Pre-requisite: MOFGA's Hide Tanning Workshop or equivalent experience. 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. $100; ($75 MOFGA members).
- March 23, 2019 Grass Farmers Conference, Hinkley School. More details to come.
- April 10 - 13, 2019 Maine Meat Cutting School, 9 am to 4 pm, Maple Lane Farm, Charleston. Fee $$275 (includes meals, handouts and knife.) Instructors Dr. Gregg Renfrow, Univ. of Kentucky Meat Specialist; Dr. Colt Knight, UMaine Extension Livestock Specialist; Dr. Robson Machado, UMaine Food Science Specialist. (Sold Out).
- May 17, 2019 NELE - Preconditioned Feeder Calf Auction and Beef Pen Sale, Maine Beef Producers Association, Windsor Fair Grounds. More details to come.
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Maine Beef Producers Association
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Join the Maine Beef Producers Association.
The Maine Beef Producers Association is accepting dues for the 2018 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 has a Facebook page. Like and follow to get the fastest information from Maine Beef Producers Association.
Facebook
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Newsletter Subscription Information
The Maine Beef Newsletter (MBN) is now received by over 670 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
The 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.
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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/.
Need Pesticide Credits
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Contributors
Donna Coffin, Extension Educator
Colt Knight, Extension Specialist
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 central 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: Donna Coffin unless indicated otherwise.
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Piscataquis County Office
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Maine Beef Producers Association
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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
Piscataquis County Office -
website
Open Monday, Thursday, Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm
Open By-chance on Wednesday, Closed Tuesday
165 East Main St Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426 207-564-3301 or 800-287-1491
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