WVII (Channel 7) spoke with John Jemison, a soil and water quality specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, and two members of the Black Bear Food Guild for a report about Maine’s high commitment to local foods. Jemison said people want to know what’s in their food and how it’s grown, and he has seen a lot of that interest in Maine. UMaine students and Black Bear Food Guild members Laura Goldshein and Lindy Morgan spoke about their work within the guild. The Black Bear Food Guild is a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program that is organized and managed by sustainable agriculture students and offers CSA shares to community members in an effort to increase accessibility to fresh, seasonal produce.
Archive for the ‘Cooperative Extension’ Category
Jemison, Black Bear Food Guild Members Talk to WVII About Local Foods
Wednesday, April 16th, 2014Pen Bay Pilot Reports on UMaine Extension Plant Orders, Pickup Sites
Wednesday, April 16th, 2014The Penobscot Bay Pilot reported the University of Maine Cooperative Extension is taking orders for highbush blueberry plants, asparagus crowns and strawberry plants until May 1. Plants will be available for pickup May 17 at various locations throughout the state, including the Knox-Lincoln Extension office in Waldoboro and the the Waldo Extension office in Waldo. Proceeds from the “Grow it Right!” sale go toward scholarships for UMaine Extension’s statewide Master Gardener Volunteer Program and fund statewide community-based horticulture projects.
Become a Community Resource for Food Preservation, Safety
Thursday, April 10th, 2014University of Maine Cooperative Extension is offering a 10-session Master Food Preserver training program starting June 19 and ending Sept. 25. Lectures, discussions and hands-on kitchen lab education will be conducted 10 Thursdays, 5:30–8:30 p.m., at Gorham Middle School, 106 Weeks Road, Gorham, and at the UMaine Extension Office, 75 Clearwater Drive, Falmouth.
A Master Food Preserver is a UMaine Extension volunteer who has successfully completed the practical, research-based program on food safety and preservation. Volunteers agree to give back 20 hours of time for community-based projects within a year. Projects could include hands-on food preservation workshops, staffing educational displays and demonstrations and providing information at farmers markets, county fairs and other food-related events.
May 2 is the deadline to apply. Fees are on a sliding scale, from $125 to $330, based on household income. To request an application or disability accommodation, call 207.781.6099 or 800.287.1471 (in Maine). For more information, contact Kathleen Savoie, Extension Educator, 207.781.6099, ksavoie@maine.edu.
Applications are available online.
UMaine Cooperative Extension Publication Cited in Examiner.com Parenting Article
Wednesday, April 9th, 2014The University of Maine Cooperative Extension publication “Children and Respect” was cited in an examiner.com parenting report titled “Respect: You get what you give.” The article states the publication helps breakdown what respect is and how better to teach it. Marilyn Ellis, a UMaine Extension 4-H youth specialist, prepared the publication.
Grow Food in Raised Beds, Containers with UMaine Extension
Wednesday, April 9th, 2014University of Maine Cooperative Extension is offering a six-class workshop on building, planting, maintaining and harvesting square-foot gardens in raised beds and containers.
Classes meet monthly from May through October at the UMaine Extension office, 7 County Drive, Skowhegan. The first class is 9–11 a.m. May 1; the final class is Oct. 9. UMaine Extension Somerset County staff will teach the classes, and local Master Gardener Volunteers will work with participants in demonstration gardens throughout the growing season. Harvested produce will be shared with area schools and senior and food kitchen programs.
Course fee is $10 per person. Scholarships are available. To register, or to request a disability accommodation, call Pete Bastien at 207.474.9622 or 800.287.1495 (in Maine).
Savoie Demonstrates How to Make Flavored Vinegar for Press Herald
Monday, April 7th, 2014Kathy Savoie, a University of Maine Cooperative Extension educator, provided the Portland Press Herald with a step-by-step demonstration on how to make flavored vinegar. Savoie’s method can be used with any herbs, such as rosemary, basil and mint; and for any type of vinegar, such as apple cider or champagne.
Free Press Advances Training Sessions to Help with Climate Research
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014The Free Press reported the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Maine Sea Grant will offer free training sessions for Signs of the Seasons, a program for volunteers to contribute local plant and animal life-cycle data for climate change research. Sessions are open to all interested volunteers, and registration is required. Sessions in the midcoast area will be held March 22 in Newcastle, March 25 in Belfast and April 5 in Boothbay.
Media Report on UMaine Cooperative Extension’s Tick ID Lab
Monday, March 31st, 2014WABI (Channel 5), WLBZ (Channel 2), Portland Press Herald, Morning Sentinel and Kennebec Journal reported the University of Maine Cooperative Extension has taken over state tick identification from the Maine Medical Center Research Institute, which had operated the program for 25 years. UMaine Extension’s Insect and Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab, which identifies 3,000 plant, pest and insect species each year, will expand its services with the Tick ID Lab. The lab is expected to receive up to 1,300 additional tick specimens this year. Jim Dill, pest management specialist with UMaine Extension, said the lab is excited for the opportunity and is ready for the increased workload.
UMaine Cooperative Extension Gardening Workshop Previewed in Morning Sentinel
Monday, March 31st, 2014The Morning Sentinel reported the University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer a six-class workshop on building, planting, maintaining and harvesting square-foot gardens in raised beds and containers. The first class is scheduled for May 1 at the UMaine Extension office in Skowhegan.
UMaine Cooperative Extension Cited in Press Herald Report on Bond Endorsement
Friday, March 28th, 2014The Portland Press Herald reported Maine lawmakers are taking up a proposal for a $73 million bond package that would target investment in the state’s biotechnology and marine sectors and help the growth of small businesses. The package, called the “small business and innovations jobs bond,” includes a proposal of $8 million to renovate and improve a University of Maine Cooperative Extension lab that assists farmers and foresters and identifies pests, as well as plant and animal diseases.
