April 2002

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension offices in Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset and Waldo are presenting a public program for small farm operators and those thinking about starting a farm on April 18^th at Scotty’s Restaurant in Newport from 7:00 – 9:00 PM.

Jay Paine of Farm Family Insurance will be the guest speaker for the evening. Jay will lead a discussion on "What should you have, what could you have, and what do you need to know to make wise insurance decisions." Many new farm operators have questions about insurance needs, liability issues, and if they are currently protected. This discussion will help answer many of those questions. This free two-hour session will include ample time for questions and discussion. For more information, contact:

Gleason Gray, Penobscot County 1-800-287-1485

Kathy Hopkins, Somerset County 1-800-287-1495

Donna Lamb, Piscataquis County 1-800-287-1491

Rick Kersbergen, Waldo County 1-800-287-1426

April 3 - UNH Extension is hosting a meeting on farm labor management at the Makris Lobster and Steak House in Concord, NH. Speakers are from UNH Extension and also the well-known and highly respected Don Rogers from Farm Credit. Cost is $10 including lunch. Call Mike Sciabarrasi at 603-862-1700 for reservations (the meeting is also being held this Friday, March 29 at the Sturbridge Host Hotel).

April 8 - A workshop on Farm Estate Transfer will be held at Governor's Restaurant (Exit 34 off of I-95) in Waterville, ME from 10 am - 2:30 pm. Everyone has or soon will have estate transfer questions. This meeting will address the basics in the morning. A lawyer who specializes in farm estate transfer will speak at the afternoon program. This is applicable to all fields of agriculture. Cost is $5 per person including lunch. Call Jenifer Kooiman in the Cooperative Extension dairy/livestock office 581-2787 or 800-287-7170 for reservations Deadline of April 3 for reservations.

April 16 - A workshop entitled, Using the Dairy Options Market to Manage Risk in Milk Price, will be held at Governor's Restaurant in Waterville (Exit 34 off of I-95). The meeting time is 10 am - 2:30 pm. The morning will cover the basics of the options market and the afternoon will involve an interactive session of paper trades on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Cost is $5 per person including lunch. Call Jenifer Kooiman in the dairy/livestock office 581-2787 or 800-287-7170 for reservations. The deadline is April 8 for reservations.

SBA AND MY OWN BUSINESS, INC., TO PROVIDE FREE ONLINE COURSE TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES

The U.S. Small Business Administration and My Own Business, Inc., today announced a joint effort to provide a free, comprehensive online entrepreneurship course for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. The announcement was made at the Conference on Women Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century, a two-day event offering cutting-edge insights on the most pressing concerns of women business owners. Attendees at the meeting, held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, included women business leaders, owners and entrepreneurs.

If you would like to receive the Apple Pest Report newsletter by first class U.S. mail, the cost is $12 (check made out to Cooperative Extension) to cover mail and printing. Please send your Name and Mailing address to: Glen Koehler, Associate Scientist, Pest Management Office, 491 College Ave. Orono, ME 04473-1295 or call 207-581-3882, or Email: gkoehler@umext.maine.edu

Emergency conservation programs – This program is designed to address damage caused by the recent drought and will provide cost-share assistance to eligible agricultural producers. The purpose of the program is to provide water conservation and enhancement measure to provide emergency water for confined livestock operations. This practice may be applied to farmland suffering form sever drought because of an extended period of insufficient moisture. Cost sharing is authorized for specific practices such as but not limited to: installations of pipe to another water source, constructing or deepening wells, submersible pumps that are part of the well casing, hauling water, holding or storage tanks, troughs or truck rental.

Emergency loan assistance – As a result of the natural disaster declaration by Ann Veneman, farmers in 15 Maine counties are eligible for emergency loans if they have suffered a qualifying physical loss or a production loss of at least 30 percent. Call your county Farm Service Agency office for more information and applications.

edited by Kathy Hopkins

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