The Portland Press Herald reported on an initiative from the University of Maine to build a statewide automated weather station network. The effort will be supported by $3.5 million in Congressionally Directed Spending secured in the federal fiscal year 2024 budget by U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King. The project team includes Sean Birkel, […]
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News Center Maine interviewed Chris Howard, program manager of the New Farmers Project with University of Maine Cooperative Extension, on the market for small scale dairy farming. UMaine Extension is using the example of a small dairy farm, Grace Pond Farm, in hopes of encouraging other farmers to get into the dairy business. Howard said […]
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The Sun Journal cited a report written by Rebecca Long, coordinator of horticulture programs at University of Maine Cooperative Extension, titled “To Rake or Not to Rake.” Long wrote about the benefits of leaving leaves in the yard for insects and the ecosystem after finding woolly bear caterpillars sheltering in leaves she had just raked.
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The Portland Press Herald interviewed Charles Armstrong, a cranberry associate with University of Maine Cooperative Extension, on the results of the cranberry growing season. Armstrong said Maine’s 20 farms harvested approximately 500,000 pounds of cranberries and now have to navigate high holiday demand. The Sun Journal shared the report.
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WFVX (FOX 22/ABC 7 in Bangor) interviewed Sean Birkel, Maine state climatologist, on the drought affecting Maine. Birkel, assistant research professor with the Climate Change Institute and University of Maine Cooperative Extension, said the drought is beginning to affect ground moisture and water well supply, but isn’t yet considered severe. Upcoming precipitation could better prepare […]
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News Center Maine reported on a University of Maine program titled Science Education Addressing the Blue Economy and Rural Success (SEA BEaRS). A joint effort between the School of Marine Sciences and University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the program intends to bolster the next generation of marine scientists and industry leaders, equipping students with skills […]
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Maine Public interviewed University of Maine Cooperative Extension faculty Ankit Singh, assistant Extension professor and Maine sustainable agriculture and ornamental horticulture educator, and integrated pest management professional Griffin Dill on nontraditional ways to dispose of or clean up leaves. Singh said that leaving leaves can support local pollinators and enrich soil, while Dill explained the […]
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Mainebiz, WFVX (FOX 22/ABC 7 in Bangor) and Maine Public reported on an award of over $15 million from the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service to the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine to help state producers develop greater resilience to climate change by enhancing water conservation. The project will boost agricultural engineering opportunities in the […]
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In her first year of full-time employment with University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Leah McCluskey taught youth how to make miniature lava lamps. She led the students through an experiment that combines sodium alginate, a compound derived from seaweed, and calcium chloride inside a test tube to form the familiar funky bubbles. The experiment gave […]
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MarthaStewart.com featured Lynne Holland, a University of Maine Cooperative Extension horticulture and social media professional, as an expert on how to protect flowers from frost to survive cold fronts. Light frost can destroy entire flower beds without the protection of barriers, such as old linens or frost blankets. Preemptive watering can also help protect plants. […]
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