June 11, 2022
Your Monthly News & Updates
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.
Note: underlined words are linked to webpages with more information.
SASWCD Field Day: Better Soils Through Adaptive Grazing

When: Thursday, August 11 - 9 am to 3 pm
Where: Moosehead Ranch, Smyrna
Speakers:
Dale Strickler: Rancher & Agronomist for Green Cover Seed
Jonas Esch, Moosehead Ranch

Sponsor: Southern Aroostook Soil & Water Conservation District
Registration fee: $20, children free
Local lunch provided.
207-254-4126
Grassfed Beef in Maine: From Fence to Finish

Whether you’ve got 200 cattle, or 5, or you’re still dreaming and planning - you’re invited to learn, network, and get fed at Heartstone farm.
They believe there is a real opportunity to grow the reputation and quality of Maine grass-fed beef. And they're happy to share their experience - so perhaps one day Maine grass-fed beef will be as sought-after as Maine lobsters and wild blueberries!

When: Saturday, June 25 10 am - 2 pm
Where: Heartstone Farm, Charleston, Maine
Speakers:
  • Percy Lorette, Farm Manager, Heartstone Farm
  • Dan Kaplan, Heartstone Farm
  • Trey and Tom Gilbert, Owners, Herring Bros. Slaughterhouse
  • Donna Coffin, UMaine Cooperative Extension
  • Colt Knight, UMaine Cooperative Extension, Livestock Specialist

BONUS: Colt Knight from Cooperative Extension will offer a 1-hour Beef Quality Assurance Training
Maine Beef Producers Meet and Greet Brisket BBQ
Twenty people gathered at Knight Family Farm for the Maine Beef Producers Meet and Greet Brisket BBQ on Saturday June 4th. A mix of beef producers, Farm Service Agency, Rural Development, NRCS, Maine DACF, University of Maine Deans, and Cooperative Extension personnel all had the opportunity to interact and meet one another informally.

Colt Knight, of UMaine Cooperative Extension prepared a wonderful meal of barbecued brisket and all the trimmings. Not a piece was left! Following the meal, a tour of his Berkshire Swine operation made a fine ending for the day.
Money for PFAS Testing

The PFAS Testing Grants Program is available to all commercial farms throughout the state. The program is administered by MFT and MOFGA to assist farmers who have concerns regarding potential PFAS contamination.

The Program will pay for:
  • Testing of home or irrigation water for contamination with these chemicals.
  • Testing of products or inputs if a farm has any concerns relating to the purchase of inputs (hay, milk, etc.) from a farm known to have contamination.
  • A simple application form will assess eligibility for the program and several farms will be selected upon a weekly review to participate in the program.

Get full eligibility requirements and program details at this Webpage.
2022 Ag Census Sign Up Deadline

June 30, 2022 is the last day to sign up for the 2022 Ag Census. If you have never received a census and are new to NASS surveys, sign up to be counted today. You do not need to sign up if you already receive NASS surveys.
Key Dates:
  • June 30, 2022 – sign up ends
  • November 2022 – census mails out
  • February 2023 – response deadline
  • Spring/summer 2024 – data release
The Census of Agriculture is a complete count of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Even small plots of land - whether rural or urban - growing fruit, vegetables or some food animals count if $1,000 or more of such products were raised and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the Census year. The Census of Agriculture, taken only once every five years, looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures. For America’s farmers and ranchers, the Census of Agriculture is their voice, their future, and their opportunity.

4-H Fridays on the Farm

University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H is offering its on-farm summer learning series for ages 12-18 starting 9 a.m.–noon July 15 at Rustic Roots Farm, 120 Vipah Lane, Farmington.

This is the second year “4-H Fridays on the Farm” has been offered for Maine teens to gain hands-on experience, talk with local growers and learn more about the Maine food system. 

Additional farms in the six-session series include:

  • Morning Glory Farm, 343 Flat Road, Bethel; 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. July 22; includes lunch
  • Brigeen Farms, 278 Upper Street, Turner; 9 a.m.–noon Aug. 5
  • Lone Spruce Farm, 306 Bald Mountain Road, Dedham; 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Aug. 5
  • Pumpkin Vine Family Farm, 217 Hewett Road, Somerville; 9 a.m.–noon Aug. 12
  • McDougal Orchards, 201 Hanson Ridge Road, Springvale; 9 a.m.–noon Aug. 19 
 
The program is free; current 4-H enrollment is not required. Register on the program webpage for one or more sessions. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Alisha Targonski, 207.622.7546; alisha.targonski@maine.edu.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has updated three key crop insurance options for livestock producers: the Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP), Livestock Gross Margin (LGM), and Livestock Risk Protection (LRP).

USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) revised the insurance options to reach more producers, offer greater flexibility for protecting their operations, and ultimately, better meet the needs of the country’s swine, dairy, and cattle producers.

DRP is designed to insure against unexpected declines in the quarterly revenue from milk sales relative to a guaranteed coverage level; LGM protects against the loss of gross margin (or livestock’s market value minus feed costs); and LRP provides protection against price declines.


Over 30 beef producers from across the Northeast region, Maine to Virginia, jointed together, both in-person and virtually, on May 13, 2022, for the Northeast Beef Producer Workshop hosted by the Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative, a subcontractor to the Beef Checkoff. The event provided regional producers with insights surrounding consumer trends, the latest science-based nutrition research, sustainability and more.

The highlight of the workshop was the roundtable discussions, where producers learned innovative beef marketing strategies from each other, as well as gained insight on additional industry support that exists.Many of these producers are direct marketing beef to consumers, whether through an on-farm store, utilizing e-commerce, retail/foodservice networks, etc.

The workshop also highlighted the benefit the Northeast Beef Directory provides. The Directory is a robust online resource designed to help connect Northeast-based families with local beef markets and farmers selling beef directly. There are currently more than 200 regional farms as part of the Directory, representing all 12 Northeast states, Maine to Virginia.

Butchers from across the Northeast region traveled to compete in Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative’s (NEBPI), Best Beef Butcher Contest on Thursday, May 12. This contest was hosted in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Meat Processors annual conference and was held at the Penn State Meat Laboratory in State College, PA.

These butchers showcased their butchery skills in a head-to-head competition where they had 30 minutes to turn a beef chuck roll sub-primal into merchandising cuts as well as give a 2- minute consumer sales pitch and correctly identify 15 fresh beef cuts.

This event was designed to celebrate the skills, knowledge and value independent butchers and meat processors bring to the overall beef supply chain. Without the passion and dedication to the craft of butchery and meat cutting, beef consumers wouldn’t have as many choices and options available to them regarding the availability of beef.
Upcoming Events
MBPA logo 2-16
The MBPA website has information about the association, the board of directors, and forms for awards, activities, and sales. Members have the opportunity to have their farm listed with a photo, description of their farm, and a link to their own farm website. You can add this information when you join or send the information and digital photo to Russ Florenz at info@mainebeefproducersassociation.com

The Maine Beef Producers Association has a Facebook page. Like and follow to get the fastest information from Maine Beef Producers Association. Facebook

Join the Maine Beef Producers Association. 
The Maine Beef Producers Association is accepting dues for the 2022 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 and online payment go to http://www.mainebeefproducersassociation.com

You can join the association online and pay by credit card on a secure site or by mailing the information to Sally Caverly by either printing off the form from the website, or completing the pdf version of the form and mailing to her at 1457 River Rd., Clinton, ME.
National Beef Prices

USDA Ag Marketing Service publishes beef cattle prices for a number of locations throughout the US.
This report shows the Weekly average steer price for this year, last year and the 5-year average. Get the full pdf of this National Weekly Cattle and Beef Summary.

National Monthly Grass Feb Beef Report - includes wholesale and retail (direct to consumer) prices of cuts of meat as well as small and very small producer carcass prices (wholesale $4.39/# - direct to consumer $7.27/# to $9.18/#.)
Vermont Monthly Local Beef Report - includes carcass prices as well as retail prices (direct to consumer) per cut for locally raised beef
Items of Interest
Publications:
Grants & Loans
  • Rural Rehabilitation Trust Fund: The Division manages this dedicated revenue fund for purposes of providing policy and loan-making decisions of this fund. Investments of fund dollars go to providing low interest loans to farmers for purchasing land, or feeder cattle. The fund also provides capital improvement loans to agricultural fairs. For further information about the program contact us at (207) 287-3491 or email dacf@maine.gov .
Equipment, supplies, etc.
Agriculture Jobs
Newsletter Subscription Information
The Maine Beef Newsletter (MBN) is now received by over 730 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.
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.
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

Need Pesticide credits?  Check out the Maine Board of Pesticide credit calendar.  Many approved pesticide applicator re-certification programs are listed. 

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.
Penobscot County Office - website 
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, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm - Closed Tuesday 
165 East Main St Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426 207-564-3301 or 800-287-1491