UMaine Extension Teams Up with State, Agencies to Keep ME Warm

Oil prices may have dropped for the moment, but keeping Mainers warm this winter continues to be a concern. University of Maine Cooperative Extension is doing its best to make sure residents are bundled up for the cold season now upon us through collaboration with the Maine State Housing Authority and the Governor’s Office of Energy Independence and Security.
On Saturday, Oct. 25, Keep ME Warm Kits will be distributed at all UMaine Extension sites with the exception of Cumberland County where they will be handed out at the county’s Department of Transportation headquarters in Scarborough.

For important kit distribution details, including what the kits contain, visit: http://www.mainehousing.org/EDUWantToHelp.aspx

Saturday’s date coincides with National Make A Difference Day, which is exactly what UMaine Extension and other state agencies are trying to do in providing 2,000 kits for distribution.
There also will be a variety of volunteers and organizations on hand to help install the kits, including a group of UMaine students heading to Cherryfield to lend a hand for the weekend in Washington County as part of the Alternative Spring Break program.

"Our mission is to help the people of Maine help themselves through education," John Rebar, UMaine Extension executive director, said. "Our long history is to look at what’s the issue that’s of greatest need and how can we help. Certainly, energy is that issue this year."

In addition to the kits, UMaine Extension provides frequently updated research-based information on how to save money through energy conservation and alternative energy sources at its Web site and through literature it helps to produce and distribute to the public.

On the Web site, residents who want to weatherize their homes and are looking for cost-saving tips will find video clips and downloadable information. The clips can be found at www.extension.umaine.edu/energy.

The Do-It-Yourself Guide To Saving Money On Home Heating provides information about how to properly weatherize windows and doors, walls, attics and basements. The brochure is available at UMaine Extension county offices, on the Web site and will be handed out this weekend with the Keep ME Warm Kits. Other area organizations also have asked for copies to pass around.

Other energy-saving resources are available at the UMaine Cooperative Extension Web site www.extension.umaine.edu or by contacting your local UMaine Extension county office.
"UMaine Cooperative Extension is a can-do organization and we are really community based with our offices across the state," Rebar said. "As a result, our folks are hearing and seeing firsthand the challenges that every citizen is facing. We’ve had a tremendous response from our staff to rally to support this issue."


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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UMaine and SARE Offer Help to Farmers as Grant Deadline Looms

ORONO, ME—Help is available from two sources for farmers seeking grants from the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s new SARE Outreach Coordinator, Thomas Molloy, is available to help farmers develop SARE grant proposals. Molloy, who has been helping farmers and researchers conduct research on farms for the last eight years, became Maine’s SARE Outreach Coordinator on October 1. Contact him at 207-581-2926 or thomas.molloy@maine.edu for help writing your grant application.

Farmers considering applying for one of SARE’s highly competitive grants may also want to attend an October 28 workshop offered by Northeast SARE. Representatives from SARE will familiarize workshop participants with the SARE grant process and provide resources and tips for creating successful proposals. The workshop will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Anderson Learning Center (Nasson Room), 21 Bradeen Street, Springvale, ME. For more information call UMaine Extension’s York County office at 800-287-1535 (in Maine) or 207-324-2814.

SARE offers grants to farmers who want to develop, refine, and demonstrate new sustainable techniques and explore innovative ideas in sustainable agriculture. To apply for a SARE Farmer Grant, you must be a farmer in the Northeast SARE region. You need not be farming full time, but your operation should have an established crop or animal product that you sell on a regular basis. Awards are capped at $10,000, and applications for 2009 grants must be postmarked by Tuesday, December 16, 2008. Awards will be announced in March of 2009.

SARE also offers Partnership Grants for service providers who work directly with farmers—specifically Cooperative Extension, NRCS, state departments of agriculture, educational institutions, nongovernmental organizations, veterinarians, consultants, and other advisors in the farm community. These projects develop on-farm demonstration, research, or marketing projects related to sustainable agriculture with the purpose of building knowledge that farmers can use and to encourage the understanding and widespread use of sustainable techniques. Awards are capped at $10,000, and applications for 2009 grants must be postmarked by December 9, 2008. Awards will be announced in March of 2009.

To learn more about Northeast SARE, visit www.uvm.edu/~nesare or call 207-581-2926.


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/

Maine Grass Farmers Network's 5th Annual Conference

PORTLAND, Me. --The Maine Grass Farmers Network (MGFN) annual fall conference is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15 at Verillo’s Convention Center in Portland. The Maine Grass Farmers Network works cooperatively with University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Natural Resources Conservation Service to provide information and support to interested farmers.

This year's speakers will focus on critical topics for all livestock owners currently utilizing pasture and grass land in their farming operations. Keynote speakers will include Karen Hoffman, an animal scientist from New York Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), speaking on maximizing intake on pasture and transitioning between stored feed and pasture. Steve Washburn from North Carolina Cooperative Extension will discuss pasture-based dairying and finishing beef and dairy calves on pasture. Some of the other topics for the conference include parasite control strategies for camelids, learning more about grants, public funding and other assistance programs, and a lamb meat cutting demonstration.

Grass farming can increase profitability helping to keep farms viable while maintaining the rural character of communities. Growing grass in Maine takes advantage of the short growing season and cool climate. Pasture raised livestock utilize pasture lands effectively, while improving animal health, product quality and market advantage.

To register email xandy@longmeadowsfarm.com or call (207) 873-5212. Registration rates are as follows: non-member early bird (before Nov. 1) $45; non-member (after Nov. 1) $50; member registration $35; each additional farm member $25. MGFN membership costs $25. \

For a complete listing of educational events, you can check the MGFN Web site http://www.umaine.edu/umext/mfgn.

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/default.asp