Gardens, Root Cellars, Greenhouses Are Focus of Extension Presentations
Contact: George Manlove, (207)-581-3756
ORONO — The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is holding several public events in the next few weeks — beginning Tuesday, Aug. 18 — related to farm energy use and production, root cellars, and gardens and green houses.
Events will be held rain or shine.
Gardens and Greenhouses
On Aug. 18 at 6 p.m., Extension will hold free a “Gardens and Greenhouses” seminar at the UMaine Master Gardener Volunteers Demonstration Garden at the Rogers Farm on Bennoch Road in Stillwater. Participants will visit the greenhouse next to the garden and hear about the experimental gardens planted indoors and outdoors for comparative purposes by master gardeners. The program also includes visiting the university’s All-American Selections demonstration garden at Rogers Farm.
For more information the UMaine Extension Penobscot County Office can be reached at 1-800-287-1485 in Maine or (207) 942-7396.
Maine Farm Days
On Aug. 21, several Extension educators will participate in free presentations on farm energy at Maine Farm Days events at the Barker Farm at 9 Barker Road in Leeds.
From 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Jeff Bragg of Rainbow Valley Farm, Will Brinton of Woods End Laboratory and Caragh Fitzgerald of Cooperative Extension will review results of a feasibility study of methane digestion on a medium-sized Maine dairy farm. The focus will be on a high-solids procedure that appears to be suited to smaller farms. The technology can be used to produce methane from manure. Methane can be burned for heat or to fuel a generator and produce electricity.
Cooperative Extension specialists Rick Kersbergen, Ellen Mallory and Caragh Fitzgerald will talk from 12:45 p.m.-2:15 p.m. about growing oilseeds and small grains and also basic production practices, pest management and potential markets. Both types of crops can provide livestock feed, and the oil from oilseeds can be burned or used to produce biodiesel. The presentations are scheduled at the oilseed-small grain demonstration area near the sunflowers.
Other energy topics being presented include community wind technology, solar energy and carbon sequestration. For more information about Farm Days and for a full list of presentations, see the Farm Days website www.mainefarmdays.com.
Root Cellars
Cooperative Extension will hold a root cellar class Sept. 8~and Sept. 10 at the Cape Elizabeth Community Center at 343 Ocean House Road, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Extension professor Richard Brzozowski will explain building a root cellar for winter vegetable storage. The fee is $30 per person or couple, with a $5 discount for Cape Elizabeth residents. An online registration form available online and can be mailed with a check payable to Cape Elizabeth Community Services at 343 Ocean House Rd., Cape Elizabeth, 04107. Those who prefer can call 799-2868 to have a form mailed to them.