Handley focus of Sun Journal ‘People You Know’ feature
David Handley, a University of Maine Cooperative Extension specialist of vegetables and small fruits, was the focus of the latest column in the Sun Journal “People You Know” series. Handley, who is based at Highmoor Farm in Monmouth, started 33 years ago with UMaine Extension in what was supposed to be a four-month position, according to the article. His work varies by the season and includes overseeing students who check in on farmers and scout fields to monitor for pests, as well as working on research plots, the article states. A pair of Handley’s UMaine Extension videos, “How Do I Prune Raspberries?” and “How to Grow Raspberries,” have received a half-million hits between them on YouTube. “Horticulturally, I don’t consider them a real tricky crop,” Handley said. “(Yet) I have more people get into raspberries, and get out of raspberries, than any other crop I work with. It takes time and they’re thorny, and they come right at the same time of year you’d rather be at the beach.”