Media Survey -
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension Piscataquis County Office wants to make it easy and convenient for people to get the information they want quickly and through the preferred method by surveying users and potential users. You can help by completing the
survey online
at
http://bit.ly/UMaineSurvey
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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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What's New?
- Fall Preconditioned Feeder Calf Sale?
- Low Stress Cattle Handling Workshop & Pasture Walk -
- Maine Farms for the Future
- Adding Value Through Cattle Handling Facilities
- Results of Statewide Farmer Needs and Priorities Assessment
- 2017 Census of Agriculture
- Affect of Early Calving on Management
- Hay Directory for Maine
- National Beef Prices
- GPS Cows
- Items of Interest *Featured Resources
- Upcoming Events *Newsletter Subscription Information
- Mission and Quick Links
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Fall Preconditioned Feeder Calf Sale?
Maine Beef Producers Association is considering offering a fall preconditioned feeder calf auction as it had done in previous years.
To make this happen Pete Dusoe needs to hear from producers ASAP.
Are you interested in a fall sale, what animals would you be interested in selling at a fall sale, etc.
If you are interested in selling animals or have questions contact Sale Manager, Pete Dusoe at 207-437-5441 or
pbdusoe@roadrunner.com
. Pre-conditioning protocol is available at
As a reminder to Cow-calf producers preconditioning includes weaning calves and starting the first course of shots 35 days before the sale.
Preconditioning reduces the incidence of respiratory disease and enteritis by increasing the immunity of the calf in preparation for the stress of weaning and shipping. Dehornings and castrations should be healed by sale day.
Some cow calf producers consigning animals to the sale can also signed affidavits attesting that their animals have been raised under the MBPA Natural Meats program protocol of never having received hormones, antibiotics, or feeds or feed supplements containing animal-by-products.
And/or producers can sign an affidavit that their animals are 100% grass (forage) fed, no grains, grain-by-products, grain crops, grain crop silages, or other prohibited feeds under the USDA grass fed guidelines have been fed.
If you are interested in selling animals or have questions contact Sale Manager, Pete Dusoe at 207-437-5441 or
pbdusoe@roadrunner.com
.
Pre-conditioning protocol is available at
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Low Stress Cattle Handling Workshop and Pasture Walk
We had a great turnout for the Low Stress Cattle Handling and Pasture Walk at Ben and Fred Cookson's farm, Shaw Road Farm last Saturday. Colt Knight, Extension Livestock Specialist and the Cookson's talked about how to reduce stress on cattle using Temple Grandin's principles.
Also, the Cookson's utilize mob grazing and move their cattle into different paddocks each day to maintain productivity of the pasture. The heat didn't keep people away. The Cookson's prepared a wonderful beef brisket and hamburg lunch that was delicious.
Thank you all for coming. And a Big Thank You to the Cookson's for hosting!
The Cookson's are planning a fall farm tour for interested beef producers. Stay tuned for details.
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Maine Farms for the Future
The Maine Farms for the Future Program is a competitive grant program that provides selected farms with business planning assistance and investment support.
The goal is to provide grants to for farm business owners to conduct research and strategic business planning on their “Ideas for Change” that might increase Farm Vitality, which is defined as, “an increase in long-term, maintainable, farm profitability and net worth."
The Phase 1 grant allows selected farmers to research ideas for change on their farm and work with a certified business advisor, as well as other agricultural and professional service providers to develop an investment-grade business plan.
The Phase 2 cash grant and/or low-interest rate on a loan through the Agricultural Marketing Loan Fund (AMLF), assists those farmers selected for Phase 1 between January 1, 2000 and the current year, who have a current business plan with implementing the project(s) described in their Business Plan.
To apply, prospective applicants can go to the FFF website.
Deadline is October 8, 2019
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Adding Value Through Cattle Handling Facilities
A cattle handling facility can contribute to both the savings and making of money. Handling facilities offer the opportunity for added value by carrying out practices that are economically important, such as checking for pregnancy, castrating, dehorning and reducing labor costs. Without handling facilities these practices and others are not done.
University of Tennessee records from the 2014 Master Beef Producer were used to develop two examples. One a 50 cow-calf operation without adequate handling facilities and the other a 40 cow-calf operation with adequate handling facilities.
They found that having adequate handling facilities increased percent weaned calf crop to 90% instead of 70% without adequate handling facilities. Calf sale weight increased an average of 20 pounds with adequate facilities.
Using Maine Farms for the Future grant or SARE grants may help provide financial capability to put in adequate handling facilities.
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Results are in from a Statewide Engagement Process: Maine Farmers’ Needs and Priorities, a report developed by consultant Ellen Skakalski. Click
here
to view the report or the executive summary. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas, and for your patience while the report was being prepared.
Please feel free to email
maineagneeds@gmail.com
if you have suggestions for opportunities to share these findings.
Information in the report is strictly data with minimal interpretation. The next step in this initiative is for industry representatives to review the report, to identify themes that are representative of and broadly applicable to Maine’s diverse farming community, and to prioritize action items relevant to economic sustainability. Once identified, these unifying themes can serve as the basis for further program and policy development work that benefits Maine farms and businesses.
Thank you again for your time and participation!
-The Farmer Engagement Planning Cohort
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The Ag Census has just been released. Every 5 years the Ag Census measures the changes that have occurred in the farm community.
Nationwide the number of farms is down and the value of production per farm is down also. Maine also experienced a loss in farms and value of production.
The chart above looks at the percent change in numbers of farms that sold cattle and the percent change in the number of cattle & calves sold between 2017 and 2012 by county.
Oxford and Franklin had increases in the number of farms that sold cattle. While Franklin, Kennebec, Androscoggin, Somerset and Waldo all posted increases in number of animals sold.
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A Canadian study described current calving management practices on western Canadian cow–calf ranches and investigated the association of herd demographics with herd-level incidence of calving assistance, morbidity, mortality, and use of calving and colostrum management practices.
Of the 97 cow–calf producers who were surveyed the average herd-level incidence of assisted calvings was 4.9% (13.5% heifers, 3.2% cows), stillbirths was 2.1% (3.3% heifers, 1.9% cows), preweaning mortality was 4.5%, and preweaning treatment for disease was 9.4% (3.0% neonatal calf diarrhea, 3.8% bovine respiratory disease, 2.6% other diseases). Greater than 90% of producers assisted calvings and would intervene with colostrum consumption if the calf did not appear to have nursed from its dam.
Late calving herds (i.e., started calving in March or later) had significantly lower average herd-level incidence of assistance, treatment for disease, and mortality. There were no associations between herd size and herd-level incidences or management techniques.
This study suggests that in western Canada earlier calving herds are more intensively managed, whereas later calving herds are more extensively managed.
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension manages a statewide
online hay directory
for buyers and sellers of hay, straw and silage. Sellers can list their products with details including location and type. Buyers can search for sources by county and the specific product needed. The website also offers information about sampling, quality testing and harvesting quality hay products.
For more information about the online hay directory or other forage questions, contact Rick Kersbergen, 207.342.5971;
richard.kersbergen@maine.edu
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National Beef Prices
USDA Ag Marketing Service publishes agriculture price for a number of commodities throughout the US. Here is the latest cattle dashboard graph showing the current, last year and three year average of live cattle.
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Information
- Study Examines Where Food Hubs Flourish A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics found that a county seeking to establish its first food hub needs roughly 182,000 residents for that food hub to break even.
- Farm Beginnings course consists of 7 six-hour sessions, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Sundays, from mid-October through early March, plus a number of shorter workshops at the January Agricultural Trades Show in Augusta, and an Advanced Business Planning workshop in February. Sponsored by MOFGA.
Grants & Loans
Equipment, supplies, etc.
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Webinars:
National Farm Safety Week September 15 - 21
(pdf) has webinars scheduled for every day covering topics such as ergonomic safety for women, safeguarding children and youth who work on a farm, and understanding the tractor factor.
Website:
California Agritourism
- Information and resources for farmers planning & developing an agritourism enterprise; for educators, promotors & community partners teaching and supporting agritourism; regulators & rulemakers planning & regulating agritourism; and researchers & students - agritourism research, maps, & reports.
Video:
Online Course:
Beef Quality Assurance Online Course -
These courses teach methods for raising your cattle in accordance with BQA fundamentals. Topics involve cattle health, stockmanship, marketing, emergency planning, and meat quality. With three classes available, you can choose one that relates to your operation.
Publications:
- 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
- Beef Cattle Herd Vaccination Guide for Maine #1031 - A herd health management plan is vital to profitable beef production. Do not wait until a disease outbreak occurs before implementing a sound herd health program. For cattle to reach their performance potential, they must be healthy. Vaccinations are an approved practice for organic producers. 5 pages. © 2014 by University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Download it for free or buy a color copy. $0.75.
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- August 19, 2019 Swine 101 Raising Pasture Pork: 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Cumberland Extension Office, Falmouth. Free. Act fast it is Tonight.
- August 21, 2019 Swine 101:Raising Pasture Pork: Noon to 2 pm, Houlton Extension Office, Houlton. Free
- August 21 & 22, 2019 Maine Farm Days, Misty Meadows Farm, Clinton. Free
- September 26, 2019 Winter Poultry Care, 10 am and 6 pm, Piscataquis County Extension Office, 165 East Main St, Dover-Foxcroft, ME FMI and to signup for this free program click here.
- October 24, 28 & 30, 2019 Helping Customers “Find” You... Digital Resources and Tools for Farmers and Direct Marketers, with Adult Ed 10/24/19 NOKOMIS/ Newport, 6 pm to 8 pm, 10/28/19 Piscataquis Extension Office/ Dover-Foxcroft, 6 pm to 8 pm, 10/30/19 United Technology Center/Bangor 1 pm to 3 pm. Sign up through Adult Education.
- October 3-4, 2019 Maine Farm to School Conference, KVCC Alfond Campus, 677 Skowhegan Road, Clinton.
- October 26, 2019 Educate 2 Cultivate: Veterans Business & Assistive Technology Symposium, 9 am to 3 pm, Augusta Armory, 129 Western Ave, Augusta. $20 includes lunch. Hosted by University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Maine AgrAbility program and the United Farmer Veterans of Maine.
- November 23, 24, 2019 Maine Harvest Festival, Cross Insurance Center, Bangor.
- January 14-16, 2020: State of Maine Agricultural Trades Show, Augusta, ME.
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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 660 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
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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