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Maine Farming News

Nominees Needed

Nominees sought for the Farm Service Agency Cumberland and York County Committee. The area having an election this year includes the towns of : Kittery, Eliot, York, South Berwick, North Berwick, Berwick, Ogunquit, Wells, Sanford, Alfred, Kennebunk, Kennebunkport and Arundel. The nominee must live in or operate farms in the towns listed above. Please give their office a call at 883-0159 x 2 for a nomination form. For additional information:

Fact Sheet: County Committee Election and USDA Brochure

New England Grows 2008

NEW ENGLAND GROWS 2008 Features All-New Schedule New England Grows --- the world-class educational conference produced by the green industry, for the industry ---  has announced an exciting new format for 2008. New program elements include an intensive opening day on Wednesday, February 6 with Master Classes for experienced green industry professionals and an engaging keynote address featuring renowned entrepreneur, Chris Zane, owner of Zane’s Cycles in Branford, CT, will be followed by an Expo Preview Reception from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Thursday and Friday, February 7 & 8 offer educational sessions and the exposition will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. In addition to Master Classes, New England Grows 2008 offers a cutting-edge educational program focused on skill-building and business solutions. New this year is "Essentials of Plant Identification" led by Professor Jack Ahern from the University of Massachusetts, combining classroom instruction with a self-guided, plant ID challenge on the tradeshow floor. More sessions are led by other top green industry thought leaders including Robert Hendrickson, Chris Woods, Troy Marden, Art Cameron, Page Dickey, and Glynn Percival. As always, continuing education credits are offered.

The Great Ideas Pavilion is back by popular demand. Designed and staffed by the region’s top extension personnel, you’ll find an interactive opportunity to meet one-on-one with university faculty about the newest and most important research-based information that will impact you and your customers. The Great Ideas! pavilion is located in the middle of the Common on the exposition floor. Stop by any time during regular exhibit hours and tap this wealth of information. The Jump Start Café is another exciting feature for 2008. Before sessions begin, conference attendees can enjoy early morning conversation with colleagues. New England Grows 2008 also debuts the Retailers' Choice Awards, giving special recognition to the hottest new retail garden center ideas and trends on the tradeshow floor.

The exposition features an open floor plan with 700 suppliers in 1400 idea-rich exhibit booths filled with new products and trends that will drive green businesses in the coming year. A special discount rate of $35 is offered for those registering before January 15, 2008.

For more information or to register for the conference, please visit New England Grows or call (508) 653-3009. New England Grows is an educational partnership between the New England Nursery Association, Associated Landscape Contractors of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Arborists Association, Massachusetts Nursery & Landscape Association, and its network includes more than 30 allied green industry organizations.

Maine leads region in farm marketing

Friday, September 21, 2007 From Fosters Daily Democrat  Maine farmers led New England in 2006 with cash receipts generated by farm marketing totaling $593 million, a 9 percent increase over the previous year.

"Last year was a good one for potato farmers," Maine Agriculture Commissioner Seth Bradstreet said. "We've been working closely with Maine's livestock producers and that whole sector has been coming along."

Of the total, potatoes accounted for nearly $130 million, livestock and poultry $126 million, milk $84 million, wild blueberries $60 million, and eggs $51 million. Rounding out the total were fruits and vegetables at $44 million, greenhouse and nursery at $42 million, "other" crops at $28 million, and aquaculture at $28 million.

The numbers represent sales off the farm. As the products move through the economy that impact grows and grows.

"It shows just how important farming is," Bradstreet said. "It's critical to much of rural Maine and our commitment to it has never wavered."

Maine led the region for the first time since 2003, according to data compiled by the New England field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"Farming in Maine has grown into a very diverse industry, from small organic truck farms to dairy operations milking a 1,000 cows, and that is our strength," Bradstreet said. "We produce more brown eggs and harvest more wild blueberries than anyone in the world."

Farm-gate sales in the six New England states amounted to $2.28 billion in 2006. Sales in the other states amounted to $523 million in Connecticut, $503 million in Vermont, $433 million in Massachusetts, $162 million in New Hampshire, and $65 million in Rhode Island.