2022 Spring Webinar Series
Thank you to everyone who participated in the webinars series! Recordings of each event are linked below.
The Maine Climate and Agriculture Network is offering a three-webinar series about climate change and agriculture. Each webinar will consist of several short presentations followed by questions and a general discussion. Speakers will include farmers, outreach professionals, and agricultural and climate scientists. The series is free and open to the public. See session details and registration links below.
Adapting to Climate Change on the Farm (I)
Tuesday, March 22 @ 2–3pm | Click here to view recording.
Panelists
Sarah Simon – Maine Farmland Trust
Melissa Law – Bumbleroot Organic Farm
Ben Crockett – Opportunity Farms at Morrison Center. Ben Crockett has worked in agriculture and horticulture throughout the Northeast for the last 15 years. Most recently he has worked with the Morrison Center to revive production at the historic Opportunity Farm in New Gloucester, ME, with the goal to improve the availability and quality of fresh food for Morrison’s residential clients.
Jason Lilley – University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Jason Lilley is a Sustainable Agriculture Professional with UMaine Cooperative Extension. He supports farmers in Cumberland County with the adoption of soil conservation practices, farm safety, and sustainable business management.
Adapting to Climate Change on the Farm (II)
Monday, March 28 @ 2–3pm | Click here to view recording.
Panelists
Caro Roszell – American Farmland Trust. Caro Roszell is the New England Soil Health Specialist at American Farmland Trust. She works on farmer network organizing, technical support and research around agricultural practices and soil health. She has 15 years of experience in environmental nonprofit work and 10 years of concurrent experience in organic farming across multiple scales.
Jeremy Barker Plotkin – Simple Gifts Farm. Jeremy Barker Plotkin is the co-owner of Simple Gifts Farm an organic vegetable and livestock farm in Amherst, MA. He and farming partner Dave Tepfer raise approximately 10 acres of organic vegetables, along with laying hens and beef cattle. They are currently entering in the 3rd year of transition into a no- and reduced-tillage cropping system.
Alessia McCobb and Virginia Winkler – Sound Pine Farm. Alessia McCobb and Virginia Winkler own and operate Sound Pine Farm, a 2-acre diversified vegetable farm in Brunswick, Maine, supplying a 100-member CSA. Because of the farm’s heavy clay soils, Alessia and Virginia have been working to maintain and improve soil health through cover cropping, establishing low-till beds, and reducing erosion through the application of mulch.
Rebecca Long – University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Rebecca is a Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Professional for UMaine Cooperative Extension. She works with the farmers and gardeners of Oxford County and on statewide programs focused on supporting beginning farmers.
Using Seaweed as Feedstock to Reduce Methane Emissions from Cows
Thursday, April 14 @ 1–2pm | Click here to view recording.
Panelists
Dr. Andre Brito – Associate Professor in Agriculture, Nutrition, & Food System, University of New Hampshire. Dr. Brito’s research focuses on enhancing nitrogen utilization in lactating dairy cows through dietary manipulation and on enhancing forage quality and digestibility. He works to develop efficient supplementation strategies to reduce the output of nitrogen and methane to the environment and improve milk composition and animal health.
Dr. Nichole Price – Senior Research Scientist and Benthic Marine Ecologist, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. Dr. Price is interested in how global change phenomena, like ocean acidification and warming, can alter ecosystem function in shallow coastal regimes, with a focus on the eco-physiology of seaweeds. She also applies her expertise to explore mitigation strategies for climate change (e.g., blue carbon and uses of farmed seaweeds) in her role as director of the Center for Seafood Solutions. She is a member of the Science and Technical Subcommittee within the Maine Climate Council.