MOFGA at the 2023 Agricultural Trades Show

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MOFGA at the 2023 Agricultural Trades Show

January 10 @ 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

The State of Maine Agricultural Trades Show is sponsored by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. It takes place every January and is a place for farm, agricultural and related sectors to network and connect around business needs and trends. Producers and consumers alike visit this three day show to get professional expertise, learn about technologies and to gather information on the agriculture industry. 

Join MOFGA staff and presenters on Tuesday, January 10, for a full schedule of programming in the Piscataquis/Sagadahoc Room.

SCHEDULE:

9 a.m. – Insurance and Retirement Benefits for Employees

Have you wondered about offering insurance to your farm employees, or retirement accounts, and more? Come join a discussion of what benefit package options and considerations there are for farmers to offer to their workers. This session will feature John Heller from Farm Family Insurance and Philip Doucette from Austin Associates. Topics to consider include short-term disability insurance options, long-term disability, retirement accounts and other benefits for Maine farmworkers.

10 a.m. – Review Your QuickBooks Set-up for Your Farm

Catherine Durkin of Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) and Nicolas Lindholm of MOFGA will lead this session, to show how we recommend setting up your Quickbooks chart of accounts, and why — which will include an overview of financial reports that QuickBooks gives you (a profit and loss statement [P&L] and balance sheet in particular) and how your chart of accounts set-up gives you the best data presentation to make the best decisions for your farm business and/or pinpoint concerns, reasons for making changes or addressing shortfalls, etc.

11 a.m. – Maine Organic Milk Producers Meeting and Recap of Farmer to Farmer Dairy Day 

Maine Organic Milk Producers (MOMP) will hold a meeting to discuss any new developments in organic dairy in Maine. The remaining time will be spent discussing parts of the Farmer to Farmer Conference presentation by Dr. Meggan Hain about livestock welfare benchmarks within the industry, as well as Levi Cahan’s presentation on how water quality affects our farm systems, from animal health to equipment.

1 p.m. – Planting Your Fertilizer: Cover Cropping for Fertility Management

Fertilizer is a huge expense to farmers, especially recently. Join Jason Lilley of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension to discuss fertility management with cover crops. In this session we’ll highlight how cover crops capture nutrients to prevent them from leaving the system, and the nuances of managing legume cover crops for maximum nitrogen fixation. We’ll discuss planting and termination timing, seeding rates and species selection to maximize your fertility management with cover crops.

1:30-4:30 p.m. – Shaping Public Policy: Listening and Learning from Farmers’ Experience

You probably have noticed how decisions made in Augusta, ME and Washington, DC affect day-to-day operations on your farm. Public policy shapes the resources that are available to farmers, which lands are protected and how, agricultural markets, and our food system. Come share your ideas for how state and federal policy can respond to farmers’ experiences and best meet your needs! This session is an opportunity for farmers and industry associations to hear from participating state organizations about their policy ideas and priorities as well as to share your own ideas. Hosted by Maine Farmland Trust, MOFGA, Coastal Enterprises, Maine Farm Bureau, Maine DACF. In the Somerset Room.

2 p.m. – Organic Certification Information Session

Join staff from MOFGA Certification Services (MCS) as we discuss the basics of USDA organic certification and the MCS accredited program. The session will include a Q&A, so participants are encouraged to come with questions! If you are an existing farmer or food producer looking to transition some or all of your operation to certified organic, or a beginner wanting to learn more, this session is for you. For more information about MOFGA certified organic, please visit our website.  

3 p.m. – *Organic IPM for New and Upcoming Invasive Pests in Maine: Who They Are, When to Worry, and What to Do 

Invasive organisms and native organisms newly emergent as pests pose difficult and constantly evolving challenges to farmers. This talk will cover the biology, impacts and management of five key new and emerging pests in Maine and New England: Swede midge, cabbage whitefly, leek moth, allium leaf miner and spotted lanternfly. 

* Pesticide Applicator Credits

Details

Date:

January 10

Time:

9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Cost:

Venue

The Augusta Civic Center

76 Community Drive
Augusta, ME 04330 United States
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