Courses for Small-Scale Poultry Owners

MONMOUTH, ME—University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Alternative Poultry Association (MAPA) are sponsoring the 2007 Maine Poultry School for small-scale poultry producers. The poultry school will be held at UMaine’s apple, small fruit and vegetable research facility at Highmoor Farm in Monmouth, in two parts—one specifically for turkey producers and one for a general audience of poultry producers. The Turkey Production Short Course is scheduled for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 16 and will cover turkey care and marketing. “What Makes Poultry Tick?,” a practical anatomy and physiology workshop, will be offered from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 17. Pre-registration is required for each session, as space is limited.

The turkey short course is $10 per person and includes refreshments and a reference manual on small-scale turkey production. The poultry anatomy/physiology session is $30 per person, which includes lunch and a reference manual. Discounted fees are available for MAPA members. For registration and other course information, please contact UMaine Extension at 800-287-1471 or visit www.umext.maine.edu.

Dr. Mike Darre, Extension poultry specialist from the University of Connecticut, will lead the workshops. Extension Educator Richard Brzozowski, who is coordinating the course, called Darre an expert poultryman, remarking that “folks who raise poultry will gain the skills and knowledge from Dr. Darre to become better managers of their poultry—whether they raise laying hens, broilers, game birds, or turkeys."

Brzozowski further commented that “poultry are one of the most efficient producers on the farm. They can convert feed into eggs or meat with ease under the proper management. These fresh products can be marketed locally and there is a growing demand for them.”

Contact: Richard Brzozowski, 207-780-4205, rbrz@umext.maine.edu

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UMaine Cooperative Extension Offers Sheep Shearing School

CUMBERLAND, ME—University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Sheep Breeders Association (MSBA) are offering a hands-on sheep shearing school on Saturday, March 24 at Sunrise Acres Farm, 42 Winn Road in Cumberland. It will begin at 8 am and will continue into the early afternoon. There is space for 22 participants. Pre-registration is recommended: call UMaine Extension’s Cumberland County office at 800-287-1471 for registration and information.

The course fee is $20.00 per participant and includes lunch. The public is invited for free to watch sheep being shorn. Participants should be in good physical health as shearing sheep takes leg, back, and upper body strength.

Shearing instructor David Averill and Extension Educator Richard Brzozowski will lead the workshop. Joan Rolfe of the MSBA will demonstrate table shearing, proper wool handling, and the procedure for skirting raw wool, in order to prepare sheep owners for Maine's traditional spring shearing and pasture season.

Contact: Richard Brzozowski, 207-780-4205 rbrz@umext.maine.edu


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Tanglewood Offers Affordable Camp Experiences

LINCOLNVILLE, ME— Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center, part of University of Maine Cooperative Extension, has announced its 2007 programs. Tanglewood’s 2007 catalog, now available, includes new residential summer camps, school programs, and day camps in Lincolnville and at Blueberry Cove in Tenants Harbor. For details call 877-944-2267 or visit www.tanglewood4h.org.

Tanglewood, an American Camp Association-accredited camp, has been a staple for outdoor learning in the midcoast region for 25 years, with some of the most affordable programs in the state. Additionally, some need-based financial aid is available (completed applications must be received by May 1). Tanglewood programs are open to all: it is not necessary to be a member of 4-H—Cooperative Extension's youth development program—to participate.

New to residential summer camp this year is the "Focus Plus!" program, which will add photography, Passamaquoddy culture, woodworking, pottery, music, and advanced ecology to Tanglewood’s already-unique offerings.

Other new summer programs include Mini Camp, a shorter, introductory residential program designed for children aged 8 to 10. The Vaughn Island Venture is an advanced-level canoe and camping trip geared toward 12- to 14-year-olds. The new immersive hiking program, Teen Quest, offers 13- and 14-year-olds experience with outdoor exploration and solving real-life issues. Campers between the ages of 14 and 17 can choose from two exciting Leadership Development programs that teach participants skills including group building, problem solving, camping, and sustainable living. Camp season begins June 24.

Tanglewood’s Elderhostel program offers college-level classes for Maine residents aged 55 and up. This season, registered Maine guides will take hikers to the peak of Mount Katahdin, Maine’s tallest mountain, and explore the history, fauna, and geology of Baxter State Park.

Contact: Corey Pickett, 207-789-5803, cpickett@umext.maine.edu


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UMaine Holding Stallion Clinic

ORONO, ME— University of Maine’s Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and Cooperative Extension are teaming up with the USDA’s Risk Management Agency to provide a Stallion Clinic for mare and stallion owners. The clinic will be held on Saturday, March 10 from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm at Page Farm and Home Museum on the UMaine campus in Orono.

The registration fee is $15 for adults and $8 for students in advance—$20 for adults and $10 for students at the door. To pre-register, send payment along with your name, mailing address, e-mail address, and phone number to University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Piscataquis County Office, 165 East Main St, Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426

The fee covers lunch, refreshments, and printed materials. Space is limited, so please pre-register. A limited number of scholarships are available.

The clinic will cover how to prepare for a successful breeding season and include an overview of the artificial insemination process. In addition the USDA Risk Management Agency will present information on crop insurance and whole farm insurance policies.

The morning discussion will focus on stallion reproductive physiology, stallion breeding soundness, disease prevention, preparing the mare for the breeding season, and artificial insemination. The afternoon session will be a wet lab at the Witter Livestock Teaching and Research Center where demonstrations in collecting a stallion, evaluating the semen, and handling semen will take place.

For more information, call at 800-287-1491, e-mail at tallen@umext.maine.edu , or visit www.umext.maine.edu/maineequine.

Contact: Donna Coffin, 800-287-1491, dcoffin@umext.maine.edu


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Tanglewood 4-H Camp Receives ACA Accreditation

LINCOLNVILLE, ME—University of Maine Cooperative Extension's Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center, an organization that works with more than 3,000 Maine youth every year, has been granted a national accreditation from the American Camp Association. Accredited camps must meet more than 300 standards and safety guidelines set forth by the ACA, going beyond local and state requirements. Staff qualifications, training, emergency management, building conditions, and hundreds of other aspects of Tanglewood passed an extensive inspection last August.

“ACA accreditation is a mark of distinction for camps,” said Bette Bussel, Executive Director for ACA New England. “We strongly encourage parents to pay attention to the ACA-accredited camp status of camps during the camp search process.”
Tanglewood, a 4-H youth development program of University of Maine Cooperative Extension, is one of the most affordable camps in the state and has been teaching youth and adults to live harmoniously with the earth for 25 years.

“This accreditation made us take stock of what we do and how we do it,” said camp director and Tanglewood co-founder Cindy Dunham. “These kids mean the world to us. Knowing that what we have been doing for the last 25 years is worthy of this accreditation makes it that much better, both for us and the kids who come here.”

Tanglewood has announced its 2007 programs, which will include day camp and residential camp for younger children, and discovery trips and leadership training for older children and teens. Tanglewood also invites adults over the age of 55 to participate in Elderhostel, a series of college-level courses on topics such as natural history and discovering the Maine woods and coast. For more information on Tanglewood and its programs, visit www.tanglewood4h.org.



Contact: Corey Pickett, 207-789-5803, cpickett@umext.maine.edu


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UMaine Cooperative Extension Hosting Potato Conference and Trade Show in Caribou

Caribou, ME—University of Maine Cooperative Extension will host the 2007 Maine Potato Conference on January 24 and 25 at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center. Registration at the door is $7 per day, or $12 for both days; no preregistration is necessary. For more information contact Pamela Hickey at 207-764-3361 or phickey@umext.maine.edu.

The conference will feature presentations on insect, disease and weed pests. Speakers from the USDA, the Maine Potato Board, McCain Foods, and specialists from UMaine Extension and other universities will present sessions on potato agronomy, varieties, food safety and other timely topics, with a particular focus on potato storage management to produce a quality product. Credits will be available for those holding a valid pesticide applicator license or CCA license. A complete conference schedule is available online on the UMaine Extension potato site at http://www.umaine.edu/umext/potatoprogram/.

Registration includes entrance to the trade fair sponsored by the Young Farmers Organization. More than two dozen exhibitors will be displaying the latest in storage technology, agricultural chemistry, machinery, crop insurance, and much more.

Contact: Steve Johnson, 207-764-3361, sjohnson@umext.maine.edu or Pamela Hickey, 207-764-3361, phickey@umext.maine.edu


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Maine Tree Club Offers Outings and Education

PORTLAND, ME— Maine citizens and visitors can learn more about one of our state's greatest resources by joining the Maine Tree Club, an educational project designed for people of all ages to learn about trees, offered by University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the Maine Forest Service, and the Pine Tree State Arboretum.

The annual registration fee for the Maine Tree Club is $20 per person, $30 per couple, $35 per family, and $65 per group of up to 15. A limited number of Maine Tree Club scholarships are available for those in need. There is no deadline for registration. Request a free informational brochure by calling University of Maine Cooperative Extension at 800-287-1471, e-mailing treeclub@umext.maine.edu, or visiting the Maine Tree Club Web site at www.umaine.edu/umext/mainetreeclub.

The Maine Tree Club is planning at least three outings around the state in 2007 to get people into the woods for hands-on learning and enjoyment. These outings, guided by experts, are planned for the mountains and coastal regions as well as other parts of Maine. Through these outings and twice-monthly fact sheets featuring different Maine tree species, club members will learn to recognize 50 different types of trees over a period of two years and gain skills that can be applied in their own yards and communities.

Participants receive additional materials including a 10X hand lens for close-up viewing of tree parts, an attractive notebook for the tree species fact sheets, a pocket guide to Maine trees, and several practical guides related to tree growth and care.

Maine's trees attract tourists by the thousands, support the state economy, and deliver constant inspiration to area artists, poets, naturalists; they are at the root of Maine's identity. As one Maine Tree Club member states, "the Maine Tree Club has been a great way to reacquaint myself with the trees I grew up with and for so many years was distant from.”

Contact: Amy Witt, 207-780-4205, awitt@umext.maine.edu


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