UMaine Extension to Hold Symposium for Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity Professionals

Orono, ME—University of Maine Cooperative Extension will hold the 2008 Nutrition, Food and Physical Activity Symposium on May 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Donald P. Corbett Business Building on the University of Maine campus in Orono. The cost is $25 and advance registration is required. Certificates of Attendance will be provided for all attendees. For more information or to register, visit www.extension.umaine.edu or contact Kathy Savoie at 207-780-4205 or ksavoie@umext.maine.edu.

Public health sector professionals and those whose work focuses on issues related to nutrition, health, and wellness will benefit from this event. The Nutrition, Food and Physical Activity Symposium will examine research and programs in areas of community nutrition, physical activity, and food safety related to improving the health and well-being of Maine people and reducing obesity. The symposium will highlight innovative work that will help Maine lead the way in promoting lifestyles that improve wellness and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

The schedule includes sessions on nutrition education, heart-healthy living, nutritional risks related to whole grain intake in seniors, supplemention for premenopausal women, attitudes and behaviors of high school students to nutrition and excercise, and more, as well as a wide variety of poster sessions.


For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county.

UMaine Extension Reissues Landmark Book on Forest Biodiversity

ORONO, ME—University of Maine Cooperative Extension has published the 2008 edition of Biodiversity in the Forests of Maine, a book that has been hailed as the definitive reference and field guide on biodiversity for forest landowners in the Northeast. The new edition is available from UMaine Extension by calling 207-581-3792 or visiting extensionpubs.umext.maine.edu.

In Maine, our well-being is inextricably linked to our forests. Maine’s forests provide us with livelihoods—including timber production, tourism, and nontimber forest products—as well as with recreation. Genetic diversity in a forest provides avenues for life forms to adapt to changing conditions and support ecosystem processes. A lack of diversity and complexity limits options and reduces the resiliency of forest ecosystems.

Biodiversity in the Forests of Maine, the result of four years of work by the Maine Forest Biodiversity Project, outlines considerations and associated recommendations to help maintain viable populations of existing native species and viable representatives of existing native ecosystems in Maine. The book is organized around forest characteristics relevant to biodiversity that are affected by forest management practices. The manual represents the efforts and perspectives of large and small forest landowners, environmentalists, sporting advocates, loggers, the scientific community, educators, and state and federal agency representatives.

This 2008 edition was produced in response to continuing demand for this authoritative guide.


For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county.

Spring flood waters can make your water and food unsafe

According to the National Weather Service Hydrologic Outlook, the spring flood potential is above normal for parts of Maine.

Flood waters can disrupt the electricity needed to pump water in to your home and contaminate the water supply. They can also make storm-damaged foods unsafe to eat. Following these guidelines and plan ahead to be sure you have enough safe water and food.

Storing Water

Store water ahead for use in emergencies. Boiled water stored in sterilized containers will keep for six months to one year.

Water From the Hot Water Heater

Your hot water heater or water pressure tank could supply many gallons of safe water during an emergency. Before using water from the water heater, switch off the gas or electricity that heats the water. Leaving the power on while the heater is empty could cause an explosion or burn out the elements. After turning off the power source, open the drain valve at the bottom of the tank. Do not turn the water heater on again until the water system is back in service.

If your well has been flooded or surface water has entered your well, the water needs to be treated with shot chlorination. (See UMaine Extension bulletin #7115, How to Disinfect Your Well, or contact your county UMaine Extension office.)

Disinfecting Water

Unless you are absolutely certain your water supply is not contaminated, purify all water before using it for drinking, preparing food, brushing teeth, or washing dishes. If the water contains sediment or floating material, strain it through a cloth before purifying it. If you have access to heat or power, water can be made safe by boiling. If not, you will have to treat it with chemicals.

Boiling (preferred method): Boil water at a rolling boil for 10 minutes to kill any disease-causing bacteria.

Chemical treatment: If you can’t boil water, chemical treatment will kill most disease-causing organisms. Household bleach is a good disinfectant for water. Make sure hypochlorite is the only active ingredient. Do not use bleach that contains soap. Since the amount of chlorine in bleach is variable, use the following table to determine the appropriate amount needed to purify water. Mix the bleach thoroughly in the water, and let it stand for 30 minutes.

Percent chlorine, Add per gallon water
1%: 40 drops
2 to 6%: 8 drops
7 to 10%: 4 drops

Household iodine will also purify water. The iodine should be 2 percent U.S.P. strength. Add 20 drops per gallon of clear water and 40 drops per gallon of cloudy water.

Food

Discard foods if flood water has covered, dripped on or seeped into the package. Destroy all foods that were covered by water that may have been contaminated with industrial waste, including foods sealed in unopened cans. If you have a question about the safety of any item, dispose of it.

Cans of food that do not have dents or rust can be saved if they are handled properly if they are properly washed and sanitized before opening the can. For added safety, boil food before eating it.

Disinfecting Food Cans

To disinfect undamaged cans remove paper labels (paper can harbor bacteria) and re-label with a permanent marker. Wash the containers in a strong detergent solution. Rinse well.

Immerse the clean, rinsed containers in a lukewarm chlorine solution for two minutes. Use two (2) tablespoons of chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Change this disinfecting solution frequently. Air dry cans before opening or storing. Use foods from disinfected containers as soon as possible because cans may rust.

Disinfecting Dishes and Utensils

Wash all dishes and utensils in hot, soapy water with a brush to remove dirt. Sanitize glass, ceramic and china dishes, glass baby bottles, and empty canning jars in the same way as for undamaged cans. Dishes with deep cracks should be thrown away. Metal pans and utensils can be disinfected by immersing them in water and boiling for 10 minutes.


This column was excerpted and adapted from “Is My Water Safe?,” bulletin #9031 and “Safe Handling of Food and Utensils After a Flood,” bulletin #9005 from University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Visit UMaine Extension at www.extension.umaine.edu and click on “Publications” for information on additional topics.


For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county.

UMaine Conference to Consider How Businesses Benefit From Investment in Childrens’ Programs

BREWER, ME—Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe will headline a conference sponsored by the University of Maine examining why investment in family-friendly programs and policies is good business. The conference will be held at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer on May 13, but the registration deadline is April 14, with a cost of $30 for the day, and $15 for breakfast. Registration is limited to 100. For more information or registration visit www.extension.umaine.edu or contact Nannette Marcinkowski at (207) 581-3445, njones@umext.maine.edu.

Why the Future Matters Now: Maximizing Returns by Investing in the Families and Children of Maine will focus on the ways in which supporting childcare, preschool, and parenting education programs can improve workforce retention and productivity. Conference organizers hope to attract business and community members from Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo, and Washington Counties. In addition to Attorney General Rowe, speakers will include Dr. Richard Aronson, a public health consultant, and Dr. Burtt Richardson of the Maine American Academy of Pediatrics.

The conference aims to increase the understanding of how early childhood and family issues relate to economic development and Maine’s regional competitiveness. Discussion will cover how families and children affect workforce development and worker satisfaction, as well as a look at employee issues that may derive from early childhood. Participants will strategize about how best to help Maine children succeed from preschool through college, and how to promote investment in children locally.

The conference is sponsored by University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, and the Center for Community Inclusion.


For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county.

Flower Show Organizers Announce Student Essay Contest Winners

PORTLAND, ME—Nine area students won prizes in the Portland Flower Show essay contest sponsored jointly with University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Student essays addressed the question, “Why should I care about plants?” Winners were announced at the Show’s opening preview on Wednesday, March 5.

Maine residents between the ages of 6 and 18 were invited to participate in this contest. Essays were judged on (among other things) creativity, focus, age appropriateness, and passion for topic.

Three prizes ($50, $30 and $20) were awarded in each of three age categories (6–9; 10–13; and 14–18). The prize winners in the 6- to 9-year-old category were Ellie Sapat (9) of Falmouth, first place; Malia Martinez (6) of Scarborough, second place; and Ewka Varney (8) of Portland, third place. In the 10- to 13-year-old group, Jennifer Sawtelle (13) of Scarborough came in first place, Emma Sapat (10) of Falmouth came in second, and Daniel McCarthy (13) of Hollis Center came in third. In the 14- to 18-year-old group, Nikola Champlin (17) of North Yarmouth came in first place, Sophia Jackson (16) of Whitefield came in second, and Brittany Corey (17) of New Gloucester came in third.


For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county.

“Extension Excerpts” from University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s publications library

Wash Fruits and Vegetables to Prevent Illness

Take a quick stroll through the produce section of your local supermarket. You will most likely see fruit and vegetable washes on display. Why are supermarkets selling these washes?

We hear that eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables will keep us healthy. Research has shown that eating lots of fresh produce reduces the risk of some cancers and other diseases. On the other hand, we also hear safety warnings about raw fruits and vegetables. News reports have linked salmonella outbreaks with alfalfa and other sprouts. Fruits and vegetables are often eaten raw, without cooking to destroy pathogens. Thus they are potential sources of foodborne illness. People need to know how to keep raw fruits and vegetables safe to eat.

According to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), you should wash raw fruits and vegetables very well before you peel, cut, eat, or cook with them. Chemical rinses and other treatments for washing raw produce—usually called fruit and vegetable washes—are now being sold. They are often advertised as the best way to keep fresh fruits and vegetables safe in the home. But are these washes effective?

In the fruit and vegetable product industry, chlorine is commonly used to remove microbes such as bacteria and mold from produce. In the home, a water wash, either with or without the help of a produce brush, is typically used to clean fruits and vegetables. So how do water washes hold up to the new “fruit and veggie” washes?

In the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Maine, researchers tested three commercial wash treatments:

•Fit® (Proctor & Gamble, Cincinnati, OH)
•Ozone Water Purifier XT-301 (Air-Zone Inc., Leesburg, VA)
•J0-4 Multi-Functional Food Sterilizer (Indoor Purification Systems, Layton, UT)

All three products were tested according to product directions. We used lowbush blueberries as the produce. A water wash was also tested, using blueberries soaked in distilled water for one to two minutes. Here are the results:

•Fit® washes got rid of roughly the same amount of microbes as distilled water. Both Fit® and distilled water reduced the level of residual pesticides compared to the unwashed samples.
•Both ozone systems—the Ozone Water Purifier XT-301 and the J0-4 Multi-Functional Food Sterilizer—removed microbes from the blueberries. However, the distilled water wash was more effective than either of the ozone washes.

What are the best ways to keep raw fruits and vegetables safe?
•Wash your hands before preparing food.
•Because some produce washes are costly, we advise consumers to wash fresh fruits and vegetables with distilled water. Soak all produce for one to two minutes to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
•Why use distilled water? Because distilled or bottled water has been filtered and purified to remove contaminants.
•For produce with thick skin, use a vegetable brush to help wash away hard-to-remove microbes.
•Some produce should not be soaked in water. Put fragile produce in a colander and spray it with distilled water.
•Clean your counter top, cutting boards, and utensils after peeling produce and before further cutting. Bacteria from the outside of raw produce can be transferred to the inside when it is cut or peeled. Wash kitchen surfaces and utensils with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item.
•Eating on the run? Fill a spray bottle with distilled water and use it to wash apples and other fruits.
•Don’t forget that homegrown fruits and vegetables should also be well washed.

Help prevent foodborne illness from striking you and your family. Wash fruits and vegetables before you eat them.

This column was excerpted and adapted from “Best Ways to Wash Fruits & Vegetables at Home,” bulletin #4336 from University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Visit UMaine Extension at www.extension.umaine.edu and click on “Publications” for information on additional topics.


For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county.

“Extension Excerpts” from University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s publications library

HOW TO TAP MAPLE TREES AND MAKE MAPLE SYRUP
It takes about 10 gallons of sap to produce one quart of syrup. The yield of sap varies greatly with the method of tapping, the size of the tree, and seasonal differences, with the average yield for a taphole being from five to 15 gallons. The sugar content of sap can also vary a great deal. Sugar maple trees (Acer saccharum), are usually the best producers. Red maples (Acer rubrum) also provide sweet sap.

Tapping Trees A tree should be at least 10 inches in diameter, measured at 4 1/2 feet above the ground, before tapping. Trees between 10 and 20 inches in diameter should have no more than one tap per tree. A second tap may be added to trees between 20 and 25 inches in diameter. Trees over 25 inches in diameter can sustain three taps. No tree should ever have more than three taps.
Step 1. Drill the hole using a drill bit with a diameter of 7/16 inch, two inches deep if you are using standard size spouts. If you are using small taps (5/16 inch), or the health spout (19/64 inch), use the corresponding drill bit size and drill the taphole only 1 1/2 inches deep. Drill with a slight upward angle so the sap flows out readily.

Step 2. Tap the spout in so that it is tight and cannot be pulled out by hand. But don't drive it in so hard that you split the tree. Tap on warmer days to minimize the risk of splitting the tree.

Step 3. Hang your bucket or container on the hook of the spout if it is a purchased one; or, if you have made your own, use wire as a hanger. Cover the bucket to keep out rain, snow, and foreign material.

Boiling Sap
Step 1. Use a hobby-sized evaporator, an outdoor gas range, or an outdoor fireplace, and have a large pan or series of pans ready for the sap. (Don’t do this indoors: boiling sap creates a lot of steam.)

Step 2. Do not fill your pan to the top, as it will boil over. As the sap boils down, keep adding more sap. Keep the sap at least 1 1/2 inches deep in the pan, or it may burn. Never leave boiling sap over a wood fire unattended.

Step 3. Do not leave sap in the collection buckets, especially in warm weather. Sap will sour if left in the sun. Keep the sap in cold storage. Boil it as soon as you can.

Step 4. Sap becomes finished maple syrup when it reaches 66-67 percent sugar content and 7.1 degrees F above the temperature of boiling water. You can learn the boiling point of water, which varies depending on your elevation and the barometric pressure, by measuring the temperature of the raw sap when it begins a rolling boil with a syrup or candy thermometer. Concentrations below 66 percent sugar content can sour over time, and above 67 percent can form sugar crystals in the bottom of storage containers.

Step 5. Filter syrup while still hot to remove “sugar sand” before you hot-pack it in containers, using clean filter material such as wool or Orlon™, available from maple equipment dealers. Or you may put the syrup in a container and let it cool for 12 hours. The sediment will settle and the clear syrup can be poured off. This should be reheated to 180 degrees F before it is poured into containers for final storage.

Step 6. Syrup should be canned hot (180 degrees F). Pour the hot syrup into sterilized canning jars and seal. Fill them full so that very little air will be in the jar. Lay them sideways while cooling for a better seal.

Step 7. Store your syrup in a cool, dry place, with the jars turned on their sides to coat the air space at the top of the jar. After a container has been opened for use, it must be refrigerated. Should mold form on syrup that has been stored for several months, discard the syrup: there is the potential for contamination by a micro-organism that can cause foodborne illness.

Step 8. Be sure to clean your equipment with plenty of hot water and a solution of one part chlorine to 20 parts water (no soap or detergent). Ttriple-rinse with hot water.

Where to Go for Help
The Maine Forest Service and University of Maine Cooperative Extension both provide help for beginning maple syrup producers:
• Maine Forest Service, 800-367-0223 or http://www.state.me.us/doc/mfs/
• Your county UMaine Cooperative Extension office: 800-287-0274.


This column was excerpted and adapted from “How to Tap Maple Trees and Make Maple Syrup,” bulletin #7036 from University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Visit UMaine Extension at www.extension.umaine.edu and click on “Publications” for information on additional topics.

For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county.

Spring 2008 Dairy Forage/Grain Conference

Contact: Rick Kersbergen, Sustainable Dairy and Forage Systems Educator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 1-800-287-1426

WATERVILLE --University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Organic Milk Producers (MOMP) will sponsor the 2008 Dairy Forage/Grain conference with a focus on processing grains for their livestock. The conference will provide information to answer the question, "Is it time to grow some of your own grain?" With increasing costs of grain and higher transportation costs, producers may want to consider adding these crops to their farm enterprise.

This seminar will be held on March 28 in Waterville at Governor’s Restaurant, beginning with registration at 9:30 a.m. Topics and presenters include Sid Bosworth from the University of Vermont who will discuss various corn harvest methods, including grain, high moisture ear and shell and high cut corn silage. Also featured will be Loic Dawarvin from Les Fermes Longprés, Qué. Dawarvin and his family grow organic corn, soybeans, small grains and sunflowers on their farm. They also press many of their oilseed crops and are true innovators in cultivation and harvest equipment. In the afternoon, Heather Darby from the University of Vermont will present research from a SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) project that she has been working on with Tim Griffin (USDA/ARS) and Rick Kersbergen from the Unversity of Maine. That work involves growing small grains in the northeast. There will also be a farmer panel discussion with Maine grain growers.

Pre-registration is required. The cost is $10.00 per person and includes lunch. Registration materials can be found at www.umext.maine.edu/waldo/calendar/forageconf.htm or by contacting UMaine Extension Waldo County Office at 1-800-287-1426 (in Maine) or 207-342-5971.

Additional support for this conference is provided by Northeast SARE and the Maine Crop Insurance Program.


For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension Offers Special “Living Well” Workshops

ORONO— During the week of March 10-15, educators from University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer “Living Well” workshops around the state, in honor of national “Living Well” week. Workshops include Simplify Your Life in Piscataquis County, Cooking for a Crowd in York and Androscoggin/Sagadahoc counties, a parenting class called Alternatives to Punishment in Penobscot County, and a food safety workshop for day care providers in Aroostook County. Contact UMaine Extension at
800-287-0274 or www.extension.umaine.edu, to find out more about your county UMaine Extension office’s Living Well week programs. The Living Well campaign is sponsored by the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.

For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county.

"Extension Excerpts" from University of Maine Cooperative Extension's publications library

STARTING SEEDS AT HOME

Starting seeds indoors can give you a head start on Maine’s short gardening season. It also allows you to choose from the much broader array of varieties offered by seed catalogs; commercial plant growers are limited in the number of different varieties they can produce for sale. (Be aware that some plants, including beans, beets, carrots, corn, peas, spinach, turnips, and zucchini, do better when direct-seeded in the garden.)

Supplies
Seed: Use fresh seed from a reliable source. Only use seeds saved from a previous year if they have been stored in a cool, dry place.

Containers: Seeds may be planted in any clean, 2- to 3 1/2-inch deep container with adequate drainage holes. Containers that have been previously used for planting should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with a 10-percent chlorine bleach solution, to help prevent disease.

Growing medium: Seeds should be germinated in a fine-textured soil-less mix with no fertilizer. Potted garden soil is not recommended for germination—it may contain weed seeds or diseases, and it tends to compact, dry out, and crust over too quickly for fragile seedlings.

Once seedlings have emerged and developed one or two sets of true leaves, you can transplant them into a slightly larger container with a coarser seedling-growing mix.

Planting Seeds
Time your plantings based on how long the seedlings will take to become mature enough to be transplanted into the garden. Check the information on the seed packages, and then count back from the estimated last spring frost date for your area. Last frost dates for most of Maine are in late May or early June—check with a local nursery. Since seeds vary widely in how well they germinate, plan to sow extra.

Fill containers with moist growing medium and press seeds onto the surface, following package directions for depth. Label the container, and cover it with clear plastic.

Most seeds need warmth to germinate, usually a soil temperature of 65°F–70°F. Find a warm spot in the house, like on top of a refrigerator or near a wood stove, or use heating cables or mats.

Growing Seedlings
When sprouts appear, remove the plastic cover and move the seedlings into bright light. They need 14 to 16 hours per day of natural or fluorescent light to keep from becoming leggy. The growing temperature should be about 55°F–65°F, so avoid drafty windowsills. Many people use grow-light frames that suspend fluorescent lights over the plant trays.

Once the second set of leaves appears, water with a half-strength solution of fertilizer; you can use a water-soluble all-purpose plant food. Gradually increase the strength of the solution over time. Water from the bottom or use a very fine sprinkler to avoid damaging the tender seedlings. Overwatering contributes to fungal diseases, so wait until seedling trays are almost dry before watering again.

Seedlings should be thinned to at least 1 inch apart or transplanted into individual pots. When transplanting seedlings, handle them by the leaves only. Stems are very delicate, and while a seedling can stand to lose part or all of a leaf, it will not survive with a bruised or broken stem.

Transplanting to the Garden
The young plants will need one to two weeks of hardening off before they go into the garden, to get used to outdoor conditions. Start by setting them outside for a few hours at a time in a protected, semi-shady location. Outdoor temperatures should be at least 45°F. Gradually increase the time outdoors and the exposure to direct sunlight. Transplant your seedlings to the garden in the cool morning hours or on a cloudy day, and water them thoroughly.

This column was excerpted and adapted from “Starting Seeds at Home,” a new bulletin from University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Visit UMaine Extension at http://www.extension.umaine.edu/ and click on “Publications” for information on additional topics.


For more than 90 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land-grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county.