UMaine Sponsors Tree Tour of Mackworth Island

FALMOUTH, Me. — University of Maine Cooperative Extension will offer a tree tour of Mackworth Island in Falmouth, on Friday, September12 from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. Dennis Brennan, district forester with the Maine Forest Service and Thomas Rawinski, botanist, USDA Forest Service, will lead the tour. Brennan and Rawinski will identify trees, invasive plants, and discuss and demonstrate forest mensuration (the measurement of volume, growth and development of individual trees and stands). Mackworth Island consists of 100 acres. It is a legislated bird sanctuary that includes a wide variety of tree species and a perimeter trail that offers scenic views of Casco Bay. This event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is requested. Please call the UMaine Extension office in Cumberland County at 800-287-1471 (in Maine) or 207-780-4205 before Monday, Sept. 8.

This tour is an organized outing of the Maine Tree Club, an educational outreach program established by UMaine Extension, the Maine Forest Service and the Pine Tree State Arboretum. The club is designed to teach people young and old how to identify 50 trees of Maine over a two-year period, to teach participants how to best care for trees on their property and in their community, and to help people to better understand the importance of trees to Maine, their ecosystems and their economy.

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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.

Registration Now Open for Watershed Stewards Program

Contact: Laura Wilson 207-581-2971

Waldoboro, ME— University of Maine Cooperative Extension next Watershed Stewards Program begins on Sept. 19 at the Miller School in Waldoboro. This program will take place weekly through Oct. 30, with sessions held Thursday evenings from 6:30 – 9 p.m. Participants will learn about how lakes work, what threatens Maine's lake resources, and how to protect lakes for the long-term.

The Watershed Stewards Program has been an effective educational tool for more than ten years, with some 400 people now involved in protecting 30 Maine lakes. Program participants learn how to identify and document pollution threats. Guest speakers from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the Maine Department of Agriculture, and other agencies visit steward groups to talk about soil erosion, septic systems, invasive aquatic plants and other relevant topics.

Watershed Stewards Programs have helped local groups organize lake associations, survey their watershed area (the land area surrounding a lake) for erosion threats and obtain grant funding to correct problems.

There is no cost to participate in this program. All participants are encouraged to volunteer their time to a local lake watershed project.

The Damariscotta/Waldoboro area program is held in cooperation with several local groups, including the Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association, the Boothbay Region Land Trust, the Pemaquid Watershed Association, Georges River Land Trust and the Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association.

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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 Recommends Updated, Safer Canning Practices

ORONO, ME—University of Maine Cooperative Extension is advising Mainers to get up-to-date information before canning their garden harvest. Botulism can occur when safe canning methods are not used, because botulism-producing bacteria thrive under the low-oxygen conditions found in canned foods, and at food pH levels above 4.6. Contact your UMaine Extension county office for current canning information.

Rising food costs have inspired many Mainers to plant new or expanded gardens this year with an eye to preserving their harvest. Yet many people may not know that vegetables that are not pickled (including pumpkin and squash)—as well as meat, poultry, fish, and seafood—must be canned using a pressure canner, because these foods have a low acid content. This is why canning salsa has been a hot topic this year: some tomatoes do not have enough acidity to make a safe canned salsa. The National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends adding two tablespoons of bottled lemon juice or a half teaspoon of citric acid per quart of whole, crushed or juiced tomatoes before water-bath canning.

Match the canner to the food
There are two types of home canning methods: boiling-water-bath canners and pressure canners. The type of canner that you use should be based upon the type of food you are preserving. According to UMaine Food Science Specialist Beth Calder, fruits, pickled foods, sauerkraut, marmalades, fruit spreads, jams, jellies, fruit butters (except for pumpkin) and salsa can be safely preserved using the water-bath canning method. “However, make sure you use a scientifically tested recipe from a reputable resource,” said Calder.

All other foods should be preserved using a pressure canner. This is because botulism-producing bacteria produce spores that can survive boiling water temperatures, but are destroyed using a pressure canner with the appropriate time and pressure, which reaches temperatures between 240 and 250 degrees F.

Dial-type pressure gauges should be checked annually for accuracy. Contact your county UMaine Extension office to determine whether they are equipped to test your dial gauge. If they are not, you can contact National Presto Industries, Inc. to have them test your dial gauge (this process can take up to two weeks). Call 800-368-2194, e-mail contact@gopresto.com, or write to Test Kitchen, National Presto Industries, Inc., 3925 North Hastings Way, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54703-3703.

Use the right types of jars and seals
Only glass mason-type jars with self-sealing lids and screw bands should be used. Avoid older glass canning jars with the wire bales and rubber rings. Also, the use of paraffin wax in jam or jelly products does not ensure a proper seal and is no longer recommended.

Resources for home canning
UMaine Extension publishes the Let’s Preserve series of 13 publications on home canning, and also offers So Easy to Preserve from University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Call (207) 581-3892 or visit www.extension.umaine.edu and choose Publications, Food & Health, Food Safety. Also the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving can be found through many online booksellers as well as at stores that sell canning supplies. The National Center for Home Food Preservation carries the USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning as well as a wealth of information and recipes; visit www.uga.edu/nchfp.

The Maine Department of Agriculture would like to remind consumers that canned low-acid vegetables cannot be processed for selling. Call (207) 287-3841 if you have questions on this topic.


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.

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Servello Named UMaine Associate Dean/Associate Director

ORONO -- Frederick Servello has been named associate dean for research in the University of Maine College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture and associate director of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station. In these roles, Servello will work with the Edward Ashworth, the college dean and experiment station director, in leading and managing the college's research programs. The job also includes management responsibilities for UMaine's research farms and gardens.

"Fred is an established leader in our academic community, with a long-standing record of accomplishment in teaching, research and public engagement," Ashworth says. "This is an important role, central to UMaine's interface with the statewide agricultural community, and I am certain that Fred will help us build on established momentum and continue to serve this vital sector of Maine's economy."

He will also serve as director of the Maine Agricultural Center at UMaine.

Servello joined the UMaine faculty in 1990 in the Dept. of Wildlife Ecology. He served as department chair from 2002-2007 and has also been interim associate director of the Experiment Station. Before moving to Maine, Servello was a University of Kentucky extension specialist in wildlife. He earned a doctorate in 1985 from Virginia Tech.

At UMaine, Servello has taught courses in natural resources policy and conducted research on a wide array of wildlife conservation and public policy issues in forest, marine, agricultural and wetland systems. His current research projects focus on aquaculture-seabird interactions, wildlife damage in wild blueberry agriculture, status and ecology of endangered marsh birds and wildlife-forestry interactions in Maine.


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.

http://www.umaine.edu/news/article.asp?id_no=2230

What’s at the Farmers Market: Zucchini & Summer Squash

Zucchini and other summer squash varieties, such as patty pan, yellow crookneck, and yellow straighneck, are harvested at the immature stage. They have soft shells and tender, light-colored flesh.

Low in calories, high in nutrients
A cup of raw zucchini contains only 20 calories. Yet summer squash are generally a good source of vitamin C and potassium.

Selection
Maine farmers markets will be offering summer squash from now through September. Look for squash that are firm and heavy for their size. The best squash are still small or medium in size, as large summer squash fruits have very large seeds, tough rinds and stringy, coarse flesh. Look for bright green or yellow squash, and avoid squash that are shriveled and dried out. Skins should be sound, glossy, and without nicks, bruises, or decay.

Storage
Store unwashed summer squash in the refrigerator crisper in an open or perforated plastic bag. The squash will generally keep for up to a week.

Preparation
Wash and trim summer squash before cooking. Peel and seed any older, tougher, oversized squash.

Raw: For a low-calorie snack, wash and cut small squash into strips, rounds, or chunks and eat them with low-fat dips or hummus—or add them raw to salads.

Baking: Cleaned squash can be sliced or left whole and baked with seasonings, herbs, and other vegetables. Try it with onions, tomatoes, and breadcrumbs for a tasty dish. Cook in a 350ºF oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Young, tender squash cut in slices or halves take less time to cook. Larger, tougher squash should be seeded before baking.

Steaming: Cleaned squash can be cut into bite-sized pieces or rounds and placed in a steaming basket over 1 inch of water. Cover squash, bring water to a boil, and steam for 4 to 5 minutes. Small squash (1 to 2 inches long) can be steamed whole, but will take 10 to 12 minutes.

Sautéing or stir-frying: Slices or chunks can be sautéed in a little oil, in water, or in stock. Add squash to a stir-fry with other light-flavored vegetables. Stir and toss the vegetables while cooking for 3 to 6 minutes.

Zucchini Bake
Serves 6
3 cups zucchini, sliced
2 cups tomatoes, cut in chunks
1 cup onions, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
dash cayenne pepper

Arrange zucchini, tomato, and onion in a lightly greased casserole dish. Sprinkle seasoning over the mixture. Bake at 350ºF for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how well cooked you want the vegetables.

Squash Stuffing
Serves 8
1 tablespoon margarine, melted
1 small package herbed stuffing
2 cups zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup onion, chopped
3 carrots, shredded
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Put the herbed stuffing, reserving 1 cup, in a 3-quart casserole dish. Combine all other ingredients with the stuffing mix. Pat lightly into the casserole dish. Sprinkle the reserved stuffing cubes on top. Bake at 350ºF for 45 minutes.

This column was excerpted and adapted from “Zucchini & Summer Squash,” bulletin #7257, from University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Visit UMaine Extension at www.extension.umaine.edu and click on “Publications” for the complete publications listing.

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.

http://www.umaine.edu/news/