The MOF&G Online
Tips and News
Incorporate Manure Quickly to Reduce Nitrogen Losses
Manure is a great source of nutrients for crops and, when managed well, can often eliminate most of the need for fertilizer. Average dairy manure contains about 23 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 gallons or 10 pounds of nitrogen per ton. However, about a third to a half of the nitrogen is in the ammonium, or urea, form and can easily be lost as ammonia gas when left on the soil surface. To maximize N for annual crops, manure should be tilled into the soil as soon as possible. A delay of even six or eight hours can mean a loss of about a quarter of the ammonium-nitrogen.The nutrient content in manure can vary two- or three-fold from farm to farm. Sample the manure on your farm for a better estimate of the application rate needed for crops. Adjust fertilizer P and K rates by crediting those nutrients in manure.
Source: "Quick Manure Incorporation Reduces Nitrogen Losses," in Extension News, reprinted in Weekly Market Bulletin, N.H. Dept. of Ag., May 7, 2003.
Maine Environmental Policy Institute Studies Blueberry Cultivation, Salmon Recovery
The Maine Environmental Policy Institute (www.meepi.org) has received a $37,000 grant from the Downeast Maine Salmon Restoration Fund to identify opportunities for blueberry growers to cultivate their crop in a way that is economically competitive yet ecologically compatible with salmon recovery in Down East Maine. The Fund has so far awarded $255,000 to local organizations committed to environmental research, education and watershed restoration projects focused on Washington and Hancock Counties.This May, MEPI was awarded $6,000 from the Fund to develop and publish forest management guidelines for forestry operations located in critical salmon habitat areas.
"We will be researching ways that forestry and blueberry cultivation can be pursued profitably in watersheds that will support a recovering population of salmon," says MEPI director William Sugg. "We believe that endangered species can recover and coexist in areas of intense human activity with some careful research and planning."
The $375,000 Downeast Maine Salmon Restoration Fund was established last year through a settlement between the United States Public Interest Research Group (U.S.PIRG) and Heritage Salmon, Inc. The Fund provides grants for environmental research, restoration, preservation, protection and/or education projects intended to benefit wild Atlantic salmon and their habitat and ecosystems in Down East Maine. For more information, contact Downeast Maine Salmon Restoration Fund, c/o Josh Kratka, National Environmental Law Center, 29 Temple Place, Boston, MA 021111;
Downeast Maine Salmon Restoration Fund, c/o Michael Nelson, Jensen Baird Gardner & Henry, 10 Free Street, Portland, ME 04112; for more information on applying for Fund grants, contact Ariana Wohl, at (617) 422-0880 or at nelc@nelconline.org.
New England States Unite to Promote Local Agriculture
The New England state departments of agriculture have formed a cooperative marketing program called Harvest New England to support the sale of New England food products through supermarket channels. The program recognizes that many consumers prefer food products from local producers, because the products are fresher and the sales help keep local farms in business. The products include fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy products, eggs, meat, fish, maple syrup, honey and processed foods (for which 85% of the product must be produced in New England). The program also supports plants and flowers from local greenhouses.Several supermarket chains have agreed to use the logo of Harvest New England in their ads and on signs in stores to help consumers identify which products are from local suppliers. Because the program includes so many products, promotions can continue throughout the year. A directory of food suppliers is forthcoming for stores to refer to when looking for local suppliers.
Individual states will still have their own "buy local" campaigns. However, if a product is not available from a particular state, buying it from another New England state is preferable to buying it from another part of the country or the world. Not only do local sales help local farms, but they also reduce the pollution associated with long-distance transport.
Harvest New England is also developing a program for communicating with suppliers. A weekly produce availability survey is being discussed as well as a regular newsletter, which would keep suppliers posted on ideas, problems, potential new products and more. The program is developing a Web site, as well. For more information, please contact Lynn Thurston, Marketing Representative, 207-684-2172; email hope@tdstelme.net.
Green Power Gaining
After its first quarter of existence, the Maine Green Power Connection is building up steam, with more products and tools to bring green power to Mainers. No matter how big the organization or how small the budget, increasingly, "it IS easy being green," says the Connection. Among the green power accomplishments are:
- On September 17, 12 major U.S. corporations joined the World Resources Institute in announcing their combined purchase of 97 megawatts of green electricity -- enough to power 73,000 homes. This is a wonderful commitment to improving air quality and building the market for green power.
- Since the Maine Green Power Connection (MeGPC) was launched last spring, over 2,000 customers signed up for one or more green power products through Maine Interfaith Power and Light, and the number is growing steadily. Governor Baldacci has switched the state's accounts to renewable electricity.
- Many Mainers visited MeGPC's booth in the Energy and Shelter area of the Common Ground Fair; hundreds took green power Menus and/or product contracts, and over 30 people signed up for green power on the spot.
- The Connection's Web site now lists six green power products on the Maine Green Power Menu (www.mainegreenpower.org; go to Menu), and more are coming. The Menu compares the offerings and links directly to supplier sites, so you can "buy green" at the click of a mouse.
- Two foundations--the Henry P. Kendall Foundation and the John Merck Fund--have funded the Connection for a year-long effort to bring cleaner forms of electricity to Maine's business and institutional customers. Also, MeGPC's product suppliers have been using the MeGPC Web site in their own marketing, thus spreading the word even further.
- Program manager Erika Morgan was honored by MaineBiz magazine as "one of 12 people shaping the future of Maine's economy."
Logos, Labels, Brochures: CEI Program Offers Free Promotional Services to Maine Farmers
Do you struggle with making promotional materials? No money to hire a designer? Need to look professional to compete in new markets? Image Building Concepts (IBC), a FREE graphic design and promotional services program, may be your answer. This is a program of Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), a non-profit, community development corporation based in Maine. Under the direction of CEI’s Maine Farms Project, IBC provides low-income, small-scale farmers, farmers’ markets, farmer cooperatives, and non-profit farm organizations with a full spectrum of promotional services. This service is coordinated by graphic designer and illustrator Gabe McPhail. A Belfast-area resident with a strong background in both farming and the arts, McPhail launched the program in 2000 with Maine Farms Project director John Piotti."In the work we were doing in the ag sector, John and I saw farmers were lacking in time and resources to develop effective marketing materials," McPhail explains. With CEI funding, IBC has been operating full-force statewide for three years, assisting over 50 farms and organizations in developing promotional materials.
IBC services include graphic design of promotional materials: logos, labels, brochures, business cards, farm signs, newsletters and other advertising materials; farm image building: murals, barn art and other innovative ideas that help build an image and attract customers; and design consultation: review and critique of existing marketing materials, assistance with layout and general design, and printing advice.
"My job as IBC coordinator," says McPhail, "is to work one-on-one with farmers. I listen to their promotional ideas and provide them with a design and materials that fit their farm, their budget and their marketing needs."
Examples of IBC projects include:
- White Orchard Farm (Frankfurt) -- milk labels for both plastic and glass bottles;
- Round Rock Farm (Montville) -- logo, business card, seedling catalog and farm sign;
- Sunset Acres Farm and Dairy (Brooksville) -- goat cheese labels;
- Little Garlic Girl Farm (Morrill) -- logo, business card and farm sign;
- Maine Cheese Guild (statewide) -- logo, poster, survey and directory;
- Belfast Farmers’ Market -- logo, brochure, promotional post card and flyer, T-shirt and market sign.
Anyone who is interested in receiving an IBC application, portfolio samples or further information should contact McPhail at 207/ 338-9832; glm@ceimaine.org; or Image Building Concepts, attn: Gabe McPhail, PO Box 935, Belfast, ME 04915. For more information about other Maine Farms Project and CEI programs, visit www.ceimaine.org. Burger w/ Pickles & Catsup, Hold the Growth Hormones The European Union is permanently banning beef from cattle given synthetic growth hormones, due to a number of studies showing such meat to be a human health risk. The Bush Administration will likely file a complaint to the World Trade Organization against the European Union, since the vast majority of synthetic hormone-laced beef comes from the United States. Ninety-four percent of U.S. beef cattle have growth promoting hormones implanted in their ears. Organic standards prohibit the use of growth hormones. For more information, see www.organicconsumers.org/Toxic/hormone_beef_europe.cfm. Best and Worst Conventionally Grown Produce After compiling over 100,000 laboratory tests, the Environmental Working Group has released a list of conventionally grown produce that is the most and the least contaminated by pesticides. Among the worst were apples, peppers, celery and cherries. Among the best were asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, kiwi, mangoes, onions, papayas, pineapples and sweet peas. Of course, the safest course of action is to buy organic fruits and vegetables. Download the full list at www.foodnews.org/reportcard.php.