Cooperative Extension

McConnon speaks with Morning Sentinel about sale of Backyard Farms

Jim McConnon, a University of Maine Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of economics at UMaine, spoke with the Morning Sentinel for an article about Madison, Maine tomato-growing company Backyard Farms being sold to Mastronardi Produce Ltd., of Kingsville, Ontario, Canada. McConnon said these kinds of deals are standard across all industries, and the purchase could […]

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‘Growing Maine’ with a lifetime of farming

University of Maine Cooperative Extension has released the fifth installment of “Growing Maine,” a series of short documentaries highlighting Maine food producers and farm families. This latest video in the series tells the story of Cedar Run Farm in Bradford, a natural grass-fed beef and pork operation. Leanne and Billy Waters started the farm when […]

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WLBZ interviews Dill about black fly population

Griffin Dill, an integrated pest management professional with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, spoke with WLBZ (Channel 2) for a report about Maine residents claiming to see more black flies this year. Dill said the amount of black flies you see depends on where you live; with more being found close to water sources. […]

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Handley speaks with Maine Public about strawberry crop

David Handley, a University of Maine Cooperative Extension specialist of vegetables and small fruits, spoke with Maine Public for a report about this season’s strawberry crop. Handley said the cold, wet spring means a later start this year. “There’ll be some berries to pick in southern Maine next week, maybe a few this weekend, but […]

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WABI reports on Master Gardener Volunteers’ weekly open house sessions

WABI (Channel 5) reported the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (MGV) is offering weekly open house sessions 5:30–6:30 p.m. Tuesdays throughout the summer at Rogers Farm in Old Town. “Much of the farm is for research commodity crops that are important to the economics of Maine, but here we have a small […]

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Green crabs

Food for thought: Green crab pastries pass UMaine taste test

For clam harvesters in Maine, invasive green crabs are voracious predators that threaten their livelihood. One green crab (Carcinus maenas) can devour 40 half-inch clams in a single day, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Which might be one reason Maine’s soft clam harvest dropped from 9.3 million pounds in 2015 to […]

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Press Herald interviews Dill about confirmed cases of rare tick-borne virus

Griffin Dill, an integrated pest management professional with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, spoke with the Portland Press Herald for an article about two confirmed Maine cases of the Powassan virus, which is transmitted primarily through deer tick bites. Both midcoast Maine residents were hospitalized with encephalitis in late April but have since been […]

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UMaine Extension cited in BDN article on fiddlehead dishes

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension was mentioned in a Bangor Daily News article about the wild edible ostrich fern green that is being worked into a variety of appetizers and main dishes in restaurants around the state. While nearly all ferns do have a “fiddlehead,” according to UMaine Extension, it’s those of the ostrich […]

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Rogers Farm site of new foodscaping garden, weekly open houses

University of Maine Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (MGV) will offer weekly open house sessions 5:30–6:30 p.m. beginning June 6 at Rogers Farm in Old Town. The UMaine Extension Penobscot County MGV Demonstration Garden — which features 34 different theme gardens, including the new foodscaping garden — is open to the public during daylight hours. […]

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