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Winter 2011  

Somerset County SWCD Annual Meeting – January 19, 2012 Somerset County Soil and Water Conservation District will hold its Annual Meeting on Thursday January 19, 2012 at 6:00 pm at the Starks Community Center, 57 Anson Road (Rt. 43), Starks, ME. Starks Enrichment and Education Society (SEEdS) is sponsoring the event.

The evening’s activities will include an award presentation to 2011 Outstanding Farmers of the Year Scot and Christine Adams of Moonshadow Farm in Starks, and 2011 Outstanding Woodlot Owners, The Gray Family Woodlot in Starks. WIND OVER WINGS founder Hope Douglas will bring a golden eagle, a raven, a saw-whet owl, and a red tailed hawk to the SCSWCD Annual Meeting, and present us with a unique opportunity to learn more about these magnificent birds of prey. Cost for the event is $12.00 per person, and includes dinner / banquet provided by SEEdS. Register by calling Somerset County SWCD at (207) 474-8324 x 3 before January 17, 2011.  

Sky, a Golden Eagle, will be part of the presentation by Hope Douglas of Wind Over Wings wildlife rehabilitation at the SCSWCD Annual Meeting.

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To all Maine fruit and vegetable growers who sell edible produce to consumers - new law may require you to be licensed to use over-the-counter pest control products. In the spring of 2011, the Maine Legislature passed Public Law 2011, Chapter 169: An Act To Require Certification of Private Applicators of General Use Pesticides. The new law requires the Maine Board of Pesticides Control (BPC) to begin licensing growers who use only general-use (over-the-counter) pesticides and annually sell more than $1,000 of plant or plant products intended for human consumption.

By definition, a pesticide is any naturally or synthetically derived substance used to kill, control, or repel undesired insects, weeds, fungi, bacteria, mammals, birds, rodents, or other organisms. Products which are organic are also pesticides if they are used as described above. Consequently, these substances may include insecticides or bug sprays; herbicides, including weed killers and top killer products; fungicides or disease controls, rodenticides; deer repellents; defoliants; growth regulators; and disinfectants.

To obtain a license, you must pass the BPC “core exam.”  The BPC and University of Maine Cooperative Extension are offering a three-hour training session to help prepare growers for the core exam at the Maine Agricultural Trades Show on January 11.  Ideally exam candidates should review the Pesticide Education (Core) Manual prior to taking the exam. The Pesticide Education (Core) Manual is available from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension at http://pmo.umext.maine.edu/patrain/prices.htm or by calling 800-287-0279. 

This three-hour training session will help prepare growers for the Private Pesticide Applicator Core exam and will be offered at the Augusta Civic Center in the Pine Tree/Capital Room on Wednesday, January 11, 2012.  The schedule is as follows:

9:30 – 12:30  Private Pesticide Applicator Core Exam Training – Jim Dill, UMCE & Gary Fish, BPC

1:30 – 4:00    Private Pesticide Applicator Core & Commodity Exams Administered

Pre-registration is required. Please call 207-287-2661 or email anne.bills@maine.gov to reserve a seat.

If you cannot make it to this session we do plan to hold many more before the requirement becomes fully enforceable on April 1, 2015.  The exam can also be taken at the BPC office in Augusta (207-287-2731) or at County Cooperative Extension offices. Contact the BPC office to have the exam mailed to the Extension office, and then make arrangements with Extension for taking the exam. The three-year license will cost $15.  You will need to obtain one hour of continuing education per year in order to maintain your license.

CONSERVATION TIMES, the current newsletter for Somerset SWCD and Kennebec SWCD, is available HERE .

Somerset County SWCD Election - Congratulations to Gabe Clark on his re-election to the Somerset County SWCD Board of Supervisors. Gabe attended Bates College, and then graduated from the University of California in Berkeley with a degree in Agricultural Economics. After college Gabe operated a hay and cattle ranch in California for three years. Gabe went on to obtain a masters degree in Animal Science from the University of Maine, Orono.  As his experience and knowledge developed, he came to understand the business of raising beef, and decided to start his own ranch with the goal of providing a more natural and healthier food product. Cold Spring Ranch is committed to supplying high quality grass fed beef, while operating responsibly within the environment, and marketing  locally to the communities of Maine and throughout the states of New England. 

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS) PROGRAM SIGNUP

FUNDS TO PROTECT MAINE'S WORKING FARMS - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced that nearl $1 million will be available to successful applicants this year through the agency's Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRRP). NRCS is seeking proposals from local and state governments, federally - recognized tribal governments, and non-governmental organizations interested in working together to acquire conservation easements on farms. To view the press release for more information on this funding opportunity, click here . The deadline for applications considered for funding in 2012 is March 23, 2012.

CUT OFF DATE for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) is January 13, 2012. CSP is a voluntary conservation program that encourages producers to address resource concerns in a comprehensive manner by undertaking additional conservation activities and/or improving, maintaining and managing existing conservation activities. Applications for CSP are accepted on a continuous basis; however producers interested in CSP should submit applications by the deadline to be considered during the first ranking period of 2012. To access the USDA News Release, click here .

NRCS PROGRAM APPLICANTS must complete eligibility paperwork with Farm Service Agency (FSA) before the next ranking period for FY 2012 funding. Call the USDA Service Center in Skowhegan at (207) 474-8324 to make an appointment to complete the necessary paperwork.

SOMERSET COUNTY NATURAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT is available online by clicking HERE . Appendices, maps, and supporting documents are available upon request.

Check Back Often! New projects and programs focusing on conservation, and in line with area identified priorities, prompt workshops, training, and education in a wide variety of topics. Whether folks need information about their woodlot, technical assistance with agricultural operations, planning a rain garden, or stocking their pond with trout, we're on hand to assist.

                         Somerset County SWCD  12 High Street  Skowhegan ME  04976  (207) 474-8324   ext. 3