Maine Farm News
Maine Farm News
August 7, 2021
In This Edition
ARTICLES
  • Farmers Tour of UMaine Campus in Orono Survey
  • Changes to Maine Pesticide Laws
  • Maine Fiber Promotion Opportunity
  • FSA Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program
  • 2022 Maine Agricultural Trades Show
  • Ag Market Price Reporting Meeting Summary
  • Consider Attending UMaine This Fall
OTHER INFO
  • Upcoming Events
  • Resources
  • Payments Grants and Loans
  • Information for Livestock Keepers
  • Surveys
Maine Farm News
We are trying to plan tour opportunities for farmers including labs, centers, and farms on the Orono campus of the University of Maine and need help picking the dates, times, and facilities.

Changes to Maine Pesticide Laws
Beginning October 18, 2021:

  • It will be unlawful to distribute insecticides containing chlorpyrifos in Maine (i.e. Dursban, Lorsban, Warhawk, etc).
  • Use of herbicides containing either glyphosate or dicamba will be prohibited on school grounds.

Maine Fiber Promotional Opportunity
Real Maine's pilot FIber Promotional event will be Sunday October 10, 2021. Sign up by 8/8 to add your Real Maine profile to the fall publication and the online map and itinerary. More info and instructions to sign up here.
FSA Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program
 The Farm Service Agency has rolled out a Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program for swine, chicken and turkey producers who suffered losses due to insufficient access to processing facilities during the pandemic.The program will accept applications starting July 20, 2021.The time-frame for euthanized swine, chicken and turkeys under the program is March 1, 2020 to December 26, 2020. You may be eligible for help. Give your local county FSA office a call for more information.

2022 Maine Agricultural Trades Show
Ag Market Price Reporting Meeting Summary
For those unable to attend the July 22 program on USDA Ag Marketing Service price reporting opportunities for Maine here is a summary.
The types of market reports that farmers have mentioned include having Maine data similar to Vermont’s Weekly Summer Farmers Market Report that reports on low, high, average of not certified organic and certified organic produce by the pound, bag, pint or each and Vermont Monthly Beef Report that includes information on direct to consumer retail beef prices by carcass and by individual cuts all by the pound.
To make this happen the state/university would need to take the lead and individual farmers or farmers’ market managers would need to be willing to send in regular price reports by a standardized pricing sheet. Prices received from individuals would not be made public. Only composite prices would be reported.
Consider Attending UMaine This Fall
University of Maine offers degree programs and certificates in subjects related to growing plants and animals. The Orono campus College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture offers the following majors: Animal & Veterinary Science; Environmental Horticulture; Forest Operations, Bio Products, and Bioenergy; Forestry; Marine Science; Sustainable Agriculture; and Wildlife Ecology.
They also offer the following minors: Equine Studies; Forest Products; Resource & Agribusiness Management; Sustainable Food Systems; and Soil Science. Non-degree Certificates include: Environmental Horticulture Studies and Equine Studies.
Find out more about these degree and certificate programs at the NSFA website.
Meetings - Webinars - Upcoming Events
Sessions preceded by * are eligible for Pesticide Re-certification Credits.


Resources
coronavirus image from CDC
Payments, Grants & Loans
USDA Funding Announcements
Information for Animal Keepers
African Swine Fever Found in Dominican Republic
As you may already know, the USDA has been monitoring the global status of African Swine Fever (ASF) in response to outbreaks of this virus in central Europe and throughout Asia. The USDA released information last week regarding a new detection of the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFv) in the Dominican Republic. This detection represents the first confirmation of ASFv in the Western Hemisphere.
The USDA continues to work cooperatively with the Dominican Republic to gather additional information about this detection and to assist the country with it’s ongoing diagnostic efforts. Along with this cooperation, the United States will be maintaining and bolstering infectious disease safeguards that are already in place, such as those restrictions associated with Classical Swine Fever (CSF) control programs. To view the USDA Statement about this case of African Swine Fever, please look here.
We are reminded that many high consequence diseases of livestock can be introduced through lapses of biosecurity practice, including feeding of contaminated food products to swine. The risks associated with feeding food scraps to swine are well known, and should be carefully managed at all times. In light of the renewed concerns regarding transmission of ASFv via this route, we would like to offer the following resources that we encourage you to share with your livestock production communities:
  1. USDA African Swine Fever Biosecurity: English/Spanish (more translations may become available soon!)
  2. ME DACF Feeding Food Scraps to Swine Infographic
If you have questions about this information or these materials, please do not hesitate to contact your State Animal Health Officials for clarification.
Surveys
Maine Wholesale Supply Survey
Maine's Bureau of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources is seeking information about food producers with wholesale capacity within Maine's local food network.
Our goal is to gather information to help mitigate short-term supply chain issues across the state by providing food service providers, food distributors, and other Maine based businesses a snapshot of what opportunities are available for the bulk purchase of Maine-grown food.
See the collected data in real time on this temporary website.
Send any follow up questions to Alexander.Williams@Maine.gov.
Health Survey for Maine Women in Agriculture
Maine women involved in production agriculture to complete this short survey. It is designed to identify topics of interest and gaps in educational resources related to women's physical, mental and cognitive health.Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete this survey.
Greenhouse Biostimulants Survey
To better help vegetable and ornamental growers with the use of crop biostimulants, Muhammad Shahid, scientist at the New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Station and State Specialist Greenhouse and Nursery, has started a research project for the effective and efficient use of various types of biostimulants. Please help us out by filling out this short survey on the use of biostimulants in vegetable and ornamental/nursery production:
New England Veg Management Guide: Input Needed
Let the authors of the New England Vegetable Management Guide know what you'd like to see from the next edition.
Hemp Grower Survey
A group of hemp university research and extension faculty are working on a series of hemp surveys in efforts to determine the types and distributions of major diseases and insects across the US and Canada. 
Edited by:
Donna Coffin, Extension Professor, donna.coffin@maine.edu
Jason Lilley, Extension Professional, jason.lilley@maine.edu
Rebecca Long, Extension Professional, rebecca.j.long@maine.edu 
Tori Jackson, Extension Professor, tori.jackson@maine.edu
Brian Erickson, Extension Professional,
Information in this publication is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.

Photos by Edwin Remsberg and others.
A message to our stakeholders:
As a valued UMaine Extension stakeholder, we just wanted to let you know that most county offices have reopened following Per University of Maine guidelines, face coverings are required indoors for any visitor or employee who is not fully vaccinated — on University or non-University property, in University administered facilities, or non-University administered facilities.
UMaine Extension is gradually returning to normal operations. Buildings and offices may have different protocols depending on staffing and, with that, we encourage you to call ahead.
Please contact UMaine Extension staff with any questions.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Penobscot County
307 Maine Ave Bangor, ME 04401 207-942-7396 or 800-287-1485

University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Piscataquis County
207-564-3301 or 800-287-1491 
Donna Coffin - Voicemail 207-262-7726

University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Cumberland County
(207) 781-6099 or 1-800-287-1471

University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Oxford County
207.743.6329 or 1.800.287.1482

University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Androscoggin / Sagadahoc Counties
207.353.5550 or 1.800.287.1458

University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Somerset County
207.474.9622 or 1.800.287.1495 (in Maine)


The University of Maine is an EEO/AA employer, and does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran’s status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5754, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).