Maine Farm Bureau Annual Meeting

You are invited…..

Maine Farm Bureau’s 63rd Annual Meeting!!

(hosted by Cumberland County Farm Bureau)

 Location: Hilton Garden Inn, Freeport Downtown

5 Park Street, Freeport, Maine, 04032

November 8-10, 2014

Come for one day or all three….something for everyone! Enjoy Freeport, Portland and great conversation with fellow farm bureau members! Check out this website as a great resource to plan your trip – shops, events, and more.  Plan a bit of extra time to explore the area… http://www.freeportusa.com/

Room rates are $139 + tax per person per night.  Please call the Hilton Garden Inn directly to book your accommodations – 207-869-3018.  Reference the MFB Annual Meeting to get this discounted rate.  RESERVE YOUR ROOM BY NOVEMBER 1^st and RSVP to the Farm Bureau office for meals and activities by November 1^st (see form below).

Throughout the meeting –Exhibitor Tables and Silent Auction Tables will be set up to raise money for the Disaster Relief Fund (designed to offer assistance to Farm Bureau members in times of crisis).  The registration table will also be set up throughout to answer questions, etc. If you’d like to exhibit your farm or business, please contact the office – 1-800-639-2126.  There is no fee for this and it’s a great way to showcase the diversity of agriculture in Maine! 

Saturday – November 8^th –

• 10 a.m. – Meet in the Hilton Garden Lobby at 10 a.m. where we will board a bus for tours of three farms focused on covered agriculture and year round production !  Snacks & lunch will be provided on the tour…. We will visit:Olivia’s Garden in New Gloucester – Scott Howard will host a tour of his year round hydroponic operation where he grows mixed greens, basil, cucumbers and lettuces. Scott recently incorporated an aquaponics system where their fish happily swim around in a comfortable environment.
• Cozy Acres in North Yarmouth- Jeff and Marianne Marstaller are the owners of Cozy Acres Greenhouses. Growing in 21,000 square feet from 2001 to 2013, Cozy Acres Greenhouses. In 2013 the Marstaller’s completed a new, organically focused greenhouse that is powered by the sun, via photovoltaic panels, and the earth supplies the heat through a horizontal, closed-loop geothermal system.  The goal is for the greenhouse to produce plants with zero emissions.
• Laughing Stock Farm in Freeport – Lisa and Ralph Turner at Laughing Stock Farm operate a four season, family owned vegetable farm in Freeport, Maine. They have been serving the restaurant, retail, and consumer markets from Freeport to Kennebunkport since 1997. They operate a season farming in their 15,500 square feet of winter greenhouses providing fresh, local produce to their CSA shareholders, restaurants and retailers all winter. In addition Ralph and Lisa farm over 15 acres of mixed vegetables for their customer base.
• Cold River Distillery in Freeport – We will tour the distillery where Vodka from Maine potatoes is produced. In addition we will visit the tasting room and store. ( http://www.coldrivervodka.com/our-story/ )

We will return around 4:30 p.m.  NO CHARGE BUT RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED

6:30 p.m. – Young Farmer Dinner – Gather in lobby (each person pays for own meal)

Sunday – November 9^th –

12:30 – p.m. – Afternoon sessions begin

                Welcome from Cumberland County President Ben Hartwell

1:15 – 2:15 – Maine Food Strategy Presentation

Break

2:30 – 3:15 – Legislative Updates – Update on GMO Free Labeling Initiative

3:15 – 4:15 – Update from the Marketing & Visibility Committee

Our new website will be unveiled and hear about the next steps for visibility!

4:15 – 5:15 p.m. – Open Resolutions

5:15 – 6:30 – Break and Visit Exhibits & Social Hour

6:30 p.m. – Banquet and AWARDS! Keynote speaker will be Lisa Webster, from North Star Sheep Farm in Windham, also Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Conservation Commissioner Walt Whitcomb will speak. We will have program awards at this time – open to public, invite your friends to learn more about Maine Farm Bureau and ag in Maine ($30 per person)

Monday – November 10th

            Exhibitor space open throughout the morning

7-8 a.m. – Continental Breakfast for overnight guests

8:30 a.m. – General Session

9:30 a.m. – Voting Delegates Session

11:30 a.m. – Exhibitor Introductions and viewing before lunch

Noon – Lunch

1:00 p.m. Resume Voting Delegate Session

Brief board of directors meeting

3 p.m. – Adjourn

Please RSVP to Lena at the office: lsirois@mainefarmbureau.com or 1-800-639-2126 to let us know which meetings and meals you plan to attend.

Saturday Tour (no charge)                   _____(number of people)

Saturday Young Farmer Dinner           _____(each person paying for self, but need number for

reservations)

Sunday Workshops                              _____ (number)

Sunday lunch                                       _____(number of people, no fee)

Sunday banquet                                   ______(number of people, $30 per person)

Monday meetings                                ______(number of people)

Monday lunch                                      ______(number of people)

MORE WAYS TO BE INVOLVED:

• Have an exhibit at our mini Trade Show
• Donate an item for our Silent Auction (all proceeds to go to the Disaster Relief Fund)
• Donate Sponsorship Funds in exchange for “free” advertising in all promotional and wrap-up materials about the event. (including mention in The Maine Farmer newsletter and place cards thanking sponsors at each dinner table)

Name______________________________________________

Company or Farm Name_______________________________

Address_____________________________________________

Phone_______________________________________________

Email:______________________________________________

Reserve Table__________Sponsorship amount___________Silent Auction item____________

Join us for our first Horse Council program of the season!!

We will be inviting several legislative candidates and this will be a great time for you to let our potential legislators know what issues are affecting you and your horses and what is needed to protect your livelihood.

The focal point of the meeting will begin with the controversial issue of fireworks and how the legal use of fireworks is affecting those of us in the equine community.

Executive Secretary, Jon Olson will speak briefly on latest legislation.

There will also be time to bring up other ag or equine related topics.

Hope to see you there! Let me know if you have any questions.
Robert Morin

Chairman for Maine Horse Council.

Email: rlmorin@midocast.com or 207 832 7900

www.horsmeanshipwithrobertmorin.com

National Network of Food Banks Unites to Raise Hunger Awareness During September’s Hunger Action Month

Good Shepard Food Bank Turns Orange to Help Solve Hunger in Maine

Auburn, ME – (August 27, 2014) – Hunger advocates from Maine and across the country will be wearing orange on Thursday, September 4 in an effort to raise awareness of the 49 million people in the United States who struggle with hunger. It’s just one of the many awareness events taking place throughout the month of September in recognition of Feeding America’s Hunger Action Month – a month-long campaign to help end hunger in our country.

 Throughout September, Good Shepherd Food Bank and its network of local partner agencies, along with other food banks in the nationwide Feeding America network, will engage in Hunger Action Month by holding events throughout the country to inspire people to take action to help the millions of people who are food insecure in the United States.

In addition to “going orange” on September 4, the Food Bank will be raising awareness at the Lake Auburn Half Marathon, 5K, and Bike Tour on September 14. The Food Bank will also host a “Gallon Give” Milk Drive at select Hannaford locations with the Maine Dairy Promotion Board on September 20. 

 Good Shepherd Food Bank is encouraging people to engage in Hunger Action Month by helping out at their local food pantry or meal site, volunteering at the Food Bank in Auburn, or raising awareness about hunger with their family and friends.

 “With one in six Americans facing hunger, this problem should be at the top of everyone’s minds,” says Kristen Miale, president of Good Shepherd Food Bank. “Hunger Action Month gives us the opportunity to bring this issue to the forefront and it mobilizes people to get involved. We are encouraging all Mainers to find a way to take part in Hunger Action Month.”

 According to the USDA, 49 million Americans are food insecure which means they lack access to enough nutritious food to live a healthy life. This includes 16 million children and nearly five million seniors.

 Here in Maine, 15 percent of the population struggles with hunger, including more than 64,000 children.

 “There is more than enough food to feed every man, woman and child in this country, yet one in six Americans are facing hunger,” said Bob Aiken, CEO of Feeding America. “By raising awareness and working together, we can solve hunger.”

You can learn more about Hunger Action Month and download a “30 Ways in 30 Days” calendar, which lists a different way to get involved for every day of September, at gsfb.org/hunger-action-month.

 Sponsorship for Hunger Action Month activities at Good Shepherd Food Bank is being provided by TD Bank.

 ###

About Good Shepherd Food Bank

As the largest hunger relief organization in Maine, Good Shepherd Food Bank provides for Mainers facing hunger by distributing nutritious food to 600 partner agencies across the state, including food pantries, meal sites, and youth programs. Together with its network, the Food Bank leads a statewide effort to combat the root causes of hunger by engaging in advocacy, nutrition education, and strategic partnerships. In 2013, the Food Bank distributed more than 15 million pounds of food to families, children, and seniors in need throughout Maine. Website:  feedingmaine.org; Phone:  (207) 782-3554; Facebook: facebook.com/feedingmaine; Twitter: twitter.com/feedingmaine.

 

About Feeding America

Feeding America is a nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 37 million people through 61,000 food pantries, community kitchens, and emergency shelters across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit http://www.feedingamerica.org/. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

 

Contact:

Clara Whitney

Good Shepherd Food Bank

(207) 272-3865

cwhitney@gsfb.org

Androscoggin County Farm Bureau to Particpate in Turner’s 4th of July Festival on the Green

For the second year, Androscoggin County Farm Bureau is particpating in the popular Fourth of July Festival on the Green hosted by the Turner Public Library.

 The biggest draw of the event, just may be the Strawberry Shortcake, made with fresh local berries produced by Maine Farm Bureau farmers.  Look for Farm Bureau information at one of the many exhibits during the event. 

 A community parade begins at 10 a.m. at Schrep’s market and proceeds up Main St. to Leavitt Area High School.  Games for kids, and vendors with antiques and more for adults will be open throughout the day.  The Turner History Museum and Historical Museum will have an Open House and a book sale will take place in the Leavitt Institute Building from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

 The Turner Public Library’s next big event is the annual Garden Tour being held on August 16^th.  Sign-ups for the tour will be taken in the strawberry shortcake area.

 

 

 

 

Celebrating the U.S. of Agriculture – a 4th of July Post

This is republished from the American Farm Bureau, but it’s point is valid through Maine.  Hopefully everyone enjoys their holiday – nice weather, family, and delicious foods brought to us by the hard work of our local farmers……

 

 

How will you mark this Fourth of July? Family barbecue, apple pie, fireworks?

 Why not add a celebration of agriculture to the festivities? After all, capturing wealth and joy from making the land productive drove our forefathers on the original Independence Day, and the fruits of today’s farms and ranches are vital to maintaining our freedom and prosperity.

 The men who signed the Declaration of Independence wanted to be able to own land, produce goods, trade and grow within the bounds of their own form of government. In pledging their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to these principles, they inspire us to continue to improve our economy and society. Working the land has remained central to who we are as a people brought together by the dream of a better life. 

 Our continued independence rests on the rule of law, a fundamental belief in freedom and our status as a leader in innovation and inspiration. All of those are made possible only when there’s a stable agricultural system that people trust to provide the next meal.

 Our farms contribute the food, fiber and, increasingly, the fuel to meet our basic needs. This intricate and often misunderstood system of inputs, production, markets, transport and processing allows most Americans to focus on their work, families and futures. In a land of plenty, we often fail to appreciate how rare this has been throughout human history and how important it is to our continued progress and prosperity.

 Our nation’s farms also contribute mightily to our national security by allowing us to be self-sufficient if we need to be. For the same reasons no one is surprised when lunch is just down the road at the restaurant or grocery store, the general public rarely thinks about the role food security plays in our national defense. However, our leaders have consistently recognized this crucial element and continue to support policies that help maintain our agricultural infrastructure.

 In modern history, much of our energy has been devoted to growing agricultural trade and providing food assistance at crucial times. Trade not only creates wealth; it also increases vital ties with trade partners. It’s much more productive to share goods and build economies than to aim guns at one another. Sharing our abundance when and where it’s needed is also a form of soft power. Some of our greatest foreign policy successes in the post-war era have come from providing people in desperate need with gifts of food from the American people.

 The values of owning and maintaining property are fundamental to our culture and our ethos, and striving to do better is one of the things that unites us most strongly. Farmers naturally embody these shared values in an increasingly urban and hectic world. In recent years, they have started to meet the call to tell their stories with authenticity and forthrightness and to bring people back to the land, even if just for an afternoon or the length of a YouTube video.

 The things that we think of as inherently American wouldn’t exist without farms, ranches and the people who work them. Agriculture is as American as that apple pie it allows us to all have.

 So as you eat up this weekend, remember to thank a farmer and give three cheers for the U.S. of Agriculture. 

New Stackable GM Bonus Cash Offered to FB Members

Farm Bureau is pleased to announce that a new FB Member Advantage! “Bonus Cash” program with General Motors is available to members, effective immediately. While the $500 discount on the purchase or lease of a new GM car or truck is the same, the ability to stack the offer with one other private offer is new, and demonstrates Farm Bureau’s commitment to exceed member expectations.

“We are committed to providing our members exclusive access to superior, high-quality brands, programs and products,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman. “The ability to stack the current GM ‘Bonus Cash” offer with another private offer means our members are saving more money than ever before when they purchase a vehicle from General Motors – and is just one of the ways it pays to be a member of Maine Farm Bureau.”

The new Bonus Cash offer can be stacked with all other offers available to eligible Farm Bureau members, such as Owner Loyalty (discounted employee, dealership employee and supplier pricing is excluded). Additionally, members are eligible 30 days after becoming a member – a reduction from the previous 60-day eligibility requirement. The $500 “Bonus Cash” offer can be used on the purchase or lease of all 2013, 2014, and 2015 Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC models without exclusions in states that participate in the GM program.

To take advantage of the GM program discounts through FB Member Advantage!, members should log on to fbverify.com/gm where eligibility will be confirmed once a member enters his/her membership number and zip code. A certificate will be made available online that must be printed and taken to the dealership of choice for presentation to the salesperson. There is no limit to the number of certificates that a member may print or use. Certificates expire after 60 days.

FB Member Advantage! Increases the economic value of membership in Farm Bureau by teaming with leading companies to offer special incentives that demonstrate their strong support for agriculture and rural America. FB Member Advantage! is the member benefits program of the American Farm Bureau Federation, America’s largest, most influential, and most effective organization of farmers and ranchers, and those who support them. General Motors is the official vehicle sponsor of the American Farm Bureau Federation. For more information about the FB Member Advantage! Programs, please visit http://www.fbadvantage.com.

Knox-Lincoln County Farm Bureau is planning a bus tour to the Equine Affaire, in Springfield MA.

We will be leaving early morning on Friday, November 14, 2014 via bus from Union (with possible stops in Waldoboro, Nobleboro and Edgecomb). We will arrive in time to spend the day at Equine Affaire and stay for the fabulous event “Fantasia”. We will return to the Clarion Hotel
for the night and enjoy breakfast in the morning, before our return trip home. Plans are in the works to have a possible stop at an equine farm on the way home. This will be announced as things are confirmed.

Price includes bus fare, tickets to Equine Affaire and Fantasia, one night stay at the Clarion and breakfast. You will be responsible for other purchases and meals.

Single Room              2 in a Room                   3 in a Room                  4 in a Room
$221.00/per person   $168.00/per person      $150.00/per person       $141.00/per person

A Deposit of $35.00 is required by July 1st. (Tickets to the event and rooms must be reserved by July 1st). Be sure to reserve your seat early. Seats are limited. You do not have to be a Farm Bureau member to join us.

To reserve your seat on the bus or for more information please call: 832-4160 or e-mail
wishingwellacres@gmail.com

Find out more about the event here:  http://www.equineaffaire.com/massachusetts/

 

Maine Farm Bureau will use its Disaster Relief Fund to help MOO Milk dairy farmers

Maine’s Own Organic (MOO) Milk Company ceased operations on May 17, 2014. This has affected 12 dairy farmers throughout the state.

Maine Farm Bureau, along with MOFGA, has a long history of supporting these farmers and was instrumental in the development of the MOO Milk Company in 2009 when a number of organic dairy farmers lost contracts with Hood and needed to find a way to bring their milk to market.

Since the MOO Milk Company announcement earlier this month, there has been a number of offers of assistance, including private donations. Because the farmers themselves did not have a mechanism to collect the donations, Maine Farm Bureau has authorized use of a pre-existing non-profit emergency fund to facilitate the support.

The fund, called the Maine Farm Bureau Disaster Relief Fund, is a 501(c)(3) organization created in 1998 to administer fast-delivery emergency funds to farmers in the wake of natural disasters or other hardships. The fund is financed by both individual donations and fundraisers. A committee will help facilitate and oversee the donations, and farmers affected by MOO Milk’s closing will decide the best use of the funds and what to do with any other offers of assistance.

To make it easier to accept donations, an online donation form [link: https://www.mainefarmbureau.com/donation-form%5D was added to the Maine Farm Bureau website on Thursday, 5/29. Please feel free to send this link to anyone you think might be interested in supporting the MOO Milk farmers.

For more information about the Maine Farm Bureau Disaster Relief Fund, call Jasmine at 1(800) 639-2126.

 

Latest Legislative Digest Update

Here is an example of Maine Farm Bureau’s latest Legislative Digest update with a status update on some of the bills we have been monitoring that affect agriculture, forestry, or landowner rights:

STATUS OF BILLS:

LD 707 An Act To Refund the Sales Tax Paid on Fuel Used in Commercial Agricultural Production (Cushing-
Penobscot, Gifford-Lincoln, Mason-Androscoggin, Thibodeau-Waldo, Thomas-Somerset, Whittemore-Somerset, Cray-Palmyra, Dill-Old Town, Harvell-Farmington, McCabe-Skowhegan). Requires the refund of sales tax on purchase of fuel for use in agricultural production and permits the issuance of a certificate permitting the purchase of such fuel without paying the fuel sales tax if the purchaser obtains a certificate verifying eligibility from the State Tax Assessor. Farm Bureau favors. It had the initial approval, but was not funded by the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee because of the annual fiscal note of $316,000 from loss of the state sales tax.

LD 1177 An Act To Implement the Recommendations from the Discontinued and Abandoned Roads
Stakeholder Group (Saviello-Franklin, Keschl-Belgrade). Implements the recommendations of
the stakeholder group, that included Farm Bureau, to review discontinued and abandoned roads. The State and Local Government Committee did not accept the recommendations of the stakeholder group. Instead it drafted its own recommendations which Farm Bureau opposes. The bill was attempted to be further changed by four amendments in the House and Senate. The bill finally died because the House and Senate could not agree on which version to pass.

LD 1287 An Act To Deregulate Face-to-face Transactions between the People and Small Farms and Small Farm
Food Producers (Hickman-Winthrop, Lockman-Amherst, Saviello-Franklin, Chapman- Brooksville, Jones-Freedom, Kumiega-Deer Isle, Libby-Waterboro, Marean-Hollis, Turner-Burlington, Whittemore-Somerset). Allows direct food sales, excluding fluid milk and food requiring temperature control for safety, between a farmer and consumer without being licensed as a food establishment. Farm Bureau favors. It had the initial approval, but was not funded by the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee because of the annual fiscal note of $23,000 from loss of licensing fees.

LD 1431 An Act To Support School Nutrition and Expand the Local Foods Economy (Johnson-Lincoln, Hickman-Winthrop, Craven-Androscoggin, Haskell-Cumberland, Jackson-Aroostook, Lachowicz-Kennebec, Millett-Cumberland, Dill-Old Town, Hubbell-Bar Harbor, Kent-Woolwich, Kornfield-Bangor, MacDonald-Boothbay, Maker-Calais, McCabe-Skowhegan, McClennan-Raymond, Pouliot-Augusta, Rankin-Hiram). The bill was amended by the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee. It allows one grant of no more than $30,000 to conduct a market feasibility study for establishing a food hub. The business plan for this grant must be crafted to serve local farms to supply the local food hub and to minimize, if not remove, any negative effects of the new food hub on existing farm operations. The amount of the grant can’t be more than 50% total amount of the feasibility study. It also permits loans from the existing Agricultural Development Grant Program to be used for the establishment of a local food hub in diverse geographic areas of the state. Farm Bureau accepts the amended bill. It was enacted and vetoed by the Governor. The veto was sustained.

 LD 1744 An Act To Protect Lakes (McCabe-Skowhegan, Gratwick-Penobscot, Black-Wilton, Chipman- Portland, Graham-North Yarmouth, Hamann-South Portland, Hickman-Winthrop, McLean-Gorham, Powers-Naples, Johnson-Lincoln). Among other things, amends the laws governing the Lakes Assessment and Protection Program by prohibiting the application of fertilizers, pesticides and soil amendments within 25’ of fresh surface waters. Farm Bureau opposed this portion of the bill because
the application of pesticides, fertilizers and soil amendments are already regulated by other state
agencies. The bill was amended to remove these prohibitions from the bill. Farm Bureau accepts the
amended bill. It was enacted and vetoed by the Governor. The veto was sustained.

LD 1861 An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Create an Animal and Plant Disease and Insect
Control Facility Administered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service (Fredette- Newport), Provides a $8 million bond to assist Maine agriculture and to protect Maine farms through the creation of an animal and plant disease and insect control facility administered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service. Farm Bureau favors. It has been enacted into law (Public
law 572).

 

Hydroponic Greenhouse Tour in York County

York County Farm Bureau will host a hydroponic greenhouse tour at Riverside Farm in North Berwick on Sunday, April 27th at 1 p.m.

Meet at the greenhouses on Dennett Road, just past the farm stand if you are coming from the north.

We hope you will join us, and please bring friends!

-Clint Harris, York County Farm Bureau President