OLD TOWN - Recent negative publicity about an expectedenvironmentally friendly production of biofuel at the bio-mass plant here would haveyou think the retooling ofwood waste for newusage was not goingwell. At nearby Univ-ersity of Maine, anOctober news article inThe Maine Campuscited Old Town Fuel &Fiber as having paid

AUGUSTA - Each yearfarmers come home to theAugusta Civic Center tonetwork, innovate and ed-ucate themselves and oth-ers as to what ishappening in Agriculturein Maine. This FREEJanuary 10, 11 and 12event promises a varietyof meetings, public eventsand more. Cont. to pg 12

Vol 3 No 5 Mid Winter / Ag Trade Show 2011

Farmer Fact 1: Lactose: White sugar in milk, commercially obtained from whey, tasteless.Agriculture’s

On land, sea& in the air

AG NEWS Above the fold...

Wind sciences electric future?

Water retooled as generator...CASTINE & EASTPORT -A completed study to formal-ize techniques for sea pow-ered electric tidal turbines islikewise pushing the edge forthe new decade in Maine topotentially recapture all waterborne power production moreenvironmentally cleaner thanthe past allowed. With this

comes the news that withinten years tidal power produc-tion science will additionallytransfer back to fresh waterin-stream turbine power pro-duction in rivers, repeats awater borne history withnewer techniques. Given thepresent knowledge of com-mercial turbine generation,

Bio-mass refined biofuel...

#

It is not enoughthat Maine’s off shore wind technology andcomposite science already places us abovethe bar and that millions are invested from

Power generation major story of 2011

Continued to pg 2

Press run this issue: 10 K

Alba Briggs (L) and Conrad Cook play chess bycampfire next to the Pierce Statue at BangorLibrary during the last week tents were allowedto stay up in Bangor, whilst answering questionsregarding national protests and Maine protests,the week of December 4. Most cite the 2012election a pending impetus for this throw backpublic protest action on many American streets.

Photo & summary by the Publisher.

Vous parlezfrançais ?

Notre colonnesur l’agriculture

par notreCorrespondante

Françaiseest en page 4.

Glass Hill Trading Post seasonal symbols - No. Guilford

71 Annual

Ag show

%99 Occupiersleave Maine camps

Continued to pg 10

ORONO and LIMESTONE - If UMaine Professor HabibDagher were the only scientist in Maine getting air powerpublicity as of late, it would seem all current bragging rightssuffice, however, now that the people of Altaeros Companyhave moved into a rented aircraft hanger at the former LoringAir Base to test balloon tethered turbines, Maine seems to becovering all the possibilities of wind fired power generation;full speed ahead. Dirigo!

all over the world to that end, along comes alumni from MITand Harvard to test portable off the grid turbines tethered inthe air upwards of 500’ to prove high altitude winds aresquandered if not used to generate power in out of the wayplaces, as well. Catch the wind! See story on page 13

AUGUSTA, BANGOR, PORTLAND -Young folks and boomer age people haveleft the tent sites of continued “occupy”protesting for counter protest maneuverselsewhere in Maine’s major cities to makethe point that the culture of the sixties hasrenewed to meet a new enemy, nation-wide, the so called 1 % of Americancorporate entities and rich citizens pay-ing-in a less than a fair public tax citizen-ship of the recent past and beyond thecoming election. The strategy of howcrowds were in 1968, 2012 bodes ill if thenational election debate is not more ele-vated say those protesting greed as un-American to a public good. Multinationalcorporate entities escaping taxes, partiallycreating a dwindled working class andexpanded underclass unable to leave min-imum wage recession jobs, fires the rage.

U M grad at 2010 Energy Show

ORONO - The Wells Conference Cen-ter was the scene for a wind forum inOctober about reducing Maine’s reli-ance on fossil fuels and diversifying itsenergy futures. Four experts addressedthese topics to include public angst forand against wind farms, ocean based,tidal based and now, possible air loftedpower generation possibility for isolatedcommunities, military and public poweruse, mountain and island outposts andsuch. Two economists, an environmen-talist and a representative of CentralMaine Power Co chatted about jobs,environmental impacts, subsidies, andwhether our power grid can support anddeliver the electricity produced by off-

shore and onshore wind turbines. Theincreased number of wind farms, wind-related development projects and legis-lation has increased significantly inMaine since 2000. There are 11 onshorewind power farms now across Maine,new projects are in the works and theunique proposal to install a network of1,000 floating offshore wind turbines inthe Gulf of Maine by 2030 is the first ofits kind in the nation. Despite this sci-ence progress, this has incited activism,strong opposition and even litigationagainst the industry. Maine has alsostruggled to find a way to wean itself offdependence on fossil fuels, economist

See story on page 13

At presstimePortlandOccupiersvow fightfor freeAssemblyin court

AUGUSTA – Theacting deputy direc-tor for the Maine Bu-reau of Parks andLands (BPL), underthe Maine Depart-ment of Conserva-tion, has been award-

ed the 2011 ElliotBates StewardshipAward by the An-droscoggin LandTrust. KatherineEickenberg, who hasbeen BPL chief ofplanning since 2008,was honored for herleadership role inplanning conserva-tion and land stew-ardship along theAndroscoggin River.She was recognizedespecially for her

work on the masterplanning process forthe AndroscogginRiverlands, now theAndroscoggin River-lands State Park,Maine’s newest statepark located in Turn-er and Leeds.. The award is namedafter the late ElliottBates of Auburn andKennebunk, an avidoutdoorsman, hiker,photographer, andlong-time supporterof the AndroscogginLand Trust (ALT),who died earlier thisyear at the age of 90.“We’re so pleasedand proud when ourpartners recognizethe dedication andprofessionalism ofour staff,” Will Har-ris, BPL director,said. “Kathy certainlydeserves this.”Harris noted thatEickenberg also isthis year’s recipientof the WilliamTwarog Manager ofthe Year Award forthe Maine Depart-ment of Conserva-tion. Eickenbergthanked the ALT andcalled her receiving

the Bates Award “agreat honor,” becausethe award was estab-lished to recognizeElliott Bates, “a per-son who did so muchfor conservation andwho thought highlyabout the need to sup-port others who dothe same.” Membersof the Auburn-basedland trust have“enduring vision thatdrives their successtoday that links bothconservation andcommunity,” shesaid. “It really isabout people as wellas conservation.”ALT formed as agroup of people whoin 1987 wanted toconserve more than1,900 acres of riverfrontage in Turner,plus additional front-age in Leeds, nowowned and managedby BPL. The landtrust became a for-mal, non-profit orga-nization in 1991 andcontinues its conser-vation efforts today.In 2006, Eickenberglistened to local con-cerns and “saw theopportunity to createa different kind ofstate park: a non-tra-ditional state park,

based on a river, anopportunity just 5miles away fromLewiston-Auburn.The new State Park,is a 2,675 acre parkwith 12 miles of riverfrontage. The“uncommon park,” isdesigned to highlightthe natural and cul-tural features andhabitat of the areawith minimal devel-opment, while pro-viding public accesswith a variety of trailsand river access lo-cations. Androscog-gin Riverlands “isreally open to thepeople,” she contin-ued. “There is no fee.There is a blend ofrecreational opportu-nity all the way fromATVs to remote hik-ing.” The riverfrontpark also is “part ofan extensive regionalhabitat corridor so wehave opportunities tosee a wide variety ofwildlife close to thecity,” Before joining theMDOC, Eickenbergwas partner in a smallconsulting firm thatworked on agriculturalpolicy and farmlandprotection with theMaine Department ofAgriculture. FYI:www.parksandlands.com

2 MidWinter/Ag Trade Show Issue Agriculture

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Farmer Fact 2: Bean: Seed of leguminous plants. Food for humans & animals.

Power Ratescoming downTypical to farming, summer refrigerationoften meant the difference to dairy farms

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Given the present knowledge of commercialturbine generation, smaller units will tapmost water realms for power generation,some say. Since FDR the Bay of Fundy,between eastern Maine and Canada, hasmeasured some 100 billion tons of water flowin and out of that bay each day, for a recentlyestimated force of 8,000 locomotives. A tidal

range of up to 50 feet or more. Off of Eastportand Lubec, ORPC is poised to install the firstcommercial power tidal systems with the startof the Maine Tidal Energy Project. A threepart notion.

ORPC will deploy power systems in Cob-scook Bay at Kendall Head, and at WesternPassage. Both will be connected to the NewEngland power pool through the BangorHydro utility grid say recent news reports. In2008, ORPC became the first company togenerate electricity from Bay of Fundy tidalcurrents without the use of dams. A year longprogram of in-water testing also proved theirprototype turbine generator unit to be a tech-

nical success. Their next step plan is aimedtowards commercializing the ORPC designpower systems and in 2010 they tested a betapre-commercial version of the TidGen™Power System, which met or exceeded alltechnical expectations. This Beta TidGen™System was the largest ocean energy deviceto ever be deployed in the United States. Inthe first half of 2012, following FERC ap-proval, ORPC will begin the Maine TidalEnergy Project by installing a commercialTidGen™ Power System in Cobscook Bay.After running and monitoring this initial sys-tem for a year, they hope to install additionalpower systems over the ensuing three years toincrease the project’s capacity to 3 megawattsenough electricity to power an equivalent1,200 Maine homes and businesses from tidalenergy generation. That leaves oil poweredgeneration smoking stagnant. Since 2006, ORPC has been working withthe Federal Energy Regulatory Commissionto secure the necessary permits to deploy theMaine Tidal Energy Project. At the sametime, they have engaged a dialogue with theLubec and Eastport communities to collabo-rate plans and ideas, seeking input and advicewithin the development process. They haverelationships with City of Eastport and Townof Lubec officials, the Eastport Port Authori-ty, the Cobscook Bay Resource Center, theCobscook Bay Fisherman's Association andarea fishermen, local harbor pilots, The BoatSchool, Sunrise County Economic Council,the public and other local organizations, whohave expressed enthusiastic support for suchefforts. Building installing, testing, and mon-itoring such power systems will create localjob opportunities. Source material: BangorDaily News and Washington County weeklynewspapers.

Kathy Eickenberg,Maine Bureau of Parksand Lands chief of plan-ning, at the Androscog-gin Land Trust annualmeeting in November.(BPL photo)

Maine BPL Planner getsland stewardship award

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you can useNewsFORT KENT - Recently, Senator Collins announced that the University of Maine atFort Kent has been selected to receive a High Energy Cost Grant from the U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture in the amount of $2,617,569. This funding will be used by theUniversity to purchase and install a large district biomass heating system that will beconnected by underground hot water pipes to provide space heating and domestic hotwater for nine university buildings and two neighboring local high school buildings.Sen Collins wrote to USDA last September urging support for the proposal and ancil-liary to this change, it augurs well woods supply activity for local woodsmen.

MONTREAL, PQ - Biomass and currency volatility is the new game in towns such asLivermore Falls, Stratton, Ashland and Fort Fairfield with the selling off of Boralex,Inc of Montreal to an Albany, New York based entity called ReEnergy Holdings LLC.An energy resource investment firm. The Staceyville property remains in Boralexcompany control and is not presumed to open any time soon. Currency issues ofCanada and Europe have contributed - cited - as cause to this sale to the American firmwith aspirations of a better future use of wood and other materials after harvest, herein Maine. Goals set are to boost growing a labor force to one megawatt per worker.They approach a known factor of 240 mw feasible and hope 260 workers will result inthis retool. A Bangor Daily News summary timely for this quarterly’s deadline ofMainelyAgriculture is currently hinged upon ReEnergy’s desire to be a precursorbiomass extraordinare - first - in the USA and elsewhere. This augurs fuller use ofavailable wood and other fiber materials to produce this much electric energy. ReEn-ergy with this Boralex sale may lead prospectus to further Boralex investments inwind, hydro and solar; subject to US regulators approval; marking the end of 2011 tofinalize all T’s and dot all i’s in the present agreement. A plant in northern NY withthe 4 Maine towns’ involvement, will make up the coorporate structure for ReEnergyLLC, reports CEO Larry Richardson. Focus dollars number $230 million to establishthis idea and allow Boralex greater potential to retool activities in Canada and France.A story to watch for more about in MainelyAgriculture next time.DOVER-FOXCROFT - Tractor Supply Inc has located a new store in a former groceryspace at a Dover Mall. It has 4 other feed store competitors in Piscataquis County, 3Rivers Feed, Milo, Bob’s Hardware and Foxcroft Agway in Dover and Lovell’s Hard-ware in Guilford. The manager is Ron Ingalls and an open house was held Dec. 3 with4-H & UMMC participants from Piscataquis and Penobscot Counties participating.

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MATTAMISCONTIS - A Bald Eagleparked on a carcass Hallows Eve afternoonon the north bound lane of I 95 so close onecoulda spat your gum at it in the passinglane. Just gorgeous. All transport had thesame view north that evening. That one oranother pair cruise the Piscataquis airspace & pick up food that trip often. Theirrange is a long and winding air road.

Agriculture MidWinter/Ag Trade Show Issue 3

Internetgenerated

HOULTON - In summer and winter thisdowntown foot bridge, is a pleasure ofengineering to walk upon. A wood and steellamination. Not far from here is a hugebust of George Washington. Mainely Ag photo

Farming to be use of spaceDEXTER - “...To create a new economy” isthe goal of the Fossa General Store here, saysJudy W. Craig to our researcher in December.Craig has spearheaded a drive to take Com-munity Block Development Grant money andsave a corner of the downtown area for thebenefit of shoppers, the tax base and farmers.Gifted to the the town, closed for years, theextensive rebuilding included foundation, re-habbing the exterior and establishing a facili-ty for cold storage of produce. For the DexterRegional Development Committee (DRDC)this is timely to entering phase 2 of the retrofitas the upstairs comes next. The downstairs isready for occupancy after 2 years of work bycontractors, volunteers and supervised crewsfrom Charleston Correctional facility whotore up the old hardwood floors on the secondstory, to mention some of the chores alreadyaccomplished. A 2012 opening is “gettingthere” says Craig and more news will begenerated in that regard in January. Bids tofinish the interior are sent and time will tellthe full costs but the project will proceedCraig leads in the tone of her voice.

Just how this trans-lates into a rebirth ofFossa’s General Storeremains to be seen butit is likely it will in-volve members of thealready active summerFarmer’s Market onthe Corinna road southof Main Street. Thereare farmers marketfarmers with year-round items to sellneeding shelter andshelf space along withcraftspeople andwares, useful items forthe household and tra-ditional items notfound easily for aworking general storeto bring in shoppersand add to the eco-nomic vitality.

BANGOR – Eight Maine Counties weredisaster areas agriculturally in 2010. CountyUSDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Execu-tive Director Valerie Porter has announcedthat the Supplemental Revenue AssistancePayments (SURE) program enrollment for2010 crop year losses has started in eachcounty affected. The following counties re-ceived a disaster designation or are contigu-ous to a county receiving a designation during2010: Aroostook, Hancock, Knox, Penob-scot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo andWashington Counties.“Producers across the state experienced sev-eral natural disasters during the 2010 cropyear that caused hardship and financial lossesto many agricultural operations,” said Porter.“The SURE program provides assistance toproducers when disaster strikes, so I stronglyencourage producers with 2010 crop losses tocontact their County FSA office to learn moreabout the program," she said. To qualify fora SURE payment, the producer's operationmust be located in a county or contiguous toa county that that was declared a disaster for2010 and have at least a 10 percent produc-tion loss that affects one crop of economicsignificance. Producers with agricultural op-erations located outside a disaster county areeligible for SURE benefits if they had a pro-duction loss greater or equal to 50 percent ofthe normal production on the farm. To meetprogram eligibility requirements, producersmust have obtained a policy or plan of insur-ance for all insurable crops through the Fed-eral Crop Insurance Corporation and obtainedNoninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Pro-gram (NAP) coverage on non-insurablecrops, if available, from FSA. Eligible farm-ers and ranchers who meet the definition of asocially disadvantaged, limited resource orbeginning farmer or rancher do not have tomeet this requirement. Forage crops intendedfor grazing are not eligible for SURE benefits.FMI: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/sure.

Sign up for 2010 Crop Loss

Wild turkey

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"After losing a lawsuit with the TSA, former MinnesotaGov. Jesse Ventura says he's going to renounce his U.S.citizenship and move to Mexico. Hey, if he changes hismind, he can always sneak back in." –Jay Leno

"Four women have accused Herman Cain of being inappropriate.That's got to remind him of the deal he offered back when he ranpizza joints: Harass four, you get the fifth free." –Craig Ferguson

4 MidWinter/Ag Trade Show Issue AgricultureWe accept

Letters if thewriter gives full

name,town, phone &email contact data

If sent by postal mail,no email address needed.

Keep in mind spacein a quarterly is tight.

Max length, 250 words.

Founding Publisher & Editor WG Sinclair

965-2332Advertising Manager

Candee McCready446-7910 fx 943-2476

On the RFD with MainelyAgsBy Jack Strout

Maine State Grange NewsOur activities each quarter

Agriculture’s#Farmer Fact 4: Salmon: Bony game fish, spawn in fresh water return to the sea; silvery spotted.

Sheep Market Publishing Co.PO Box 632 Brownville 04414

- Public Notice - Mainely Agriculture has entered a new businessrelationship with the new owners of Globe Print-ing Company of Lincoln who will take over afterJanuary 1, 2012. We are confident about theprospectus. The Globe Printing business namewill remain the same and matters affecting thisnewspaper or any new printing business may bedirected to the Lincoln office at 39A Main Street,at 794-2973. The Brownville editorial office num-bers are numbers to call to directly speak with thepublisher if not available at the Lincoln address, ortelephone directly Candice McCready, Advertis-ing manager, numbers listed @ top/bottom of page.

It is our volunteer mission to support and encourage avibrant and thriving return to family farming / forestryalong with building a more healthy farm infrastruc-ture, a sustainable and wider regional economy basedupon agricultural traditions handed down for centu-ries. Such agrarianism is indeed a culture at the sametime it is an economy. We foster and support such alocal agriculturally based economy, state wide.

Fabienne Prost Emily Adams Bill SawtellGordon Moore Anah McCready David DechesneJack Strout Ellen MacMillan Bonnie McCready

Jesse A Schwarcz - Photography

MainelyAgriculture Mission Statement

Editorial Contributors

The next election, a time to get real... Twenty thousand eight swept unknown Sen. Barrack

Obama into the president’s office. Less than 100days later megabanks failed and car companies camenear to melt down. This historical fact was not MrObama’s fault. Car manufacturers have reboundedfrom taxpayer bailouts and bankers are still payingoff banker-citizen-backed loans whilst also stem-ming business and personal loans in a perfect stormeconomy bashing Catch 22. Now we must endure theRepublicans and Dems for all of 2012 finger pointingeach other while small business suffers waiting outthe election. This is not what the founding fathersenvisioned. We urge Maine business people to votebut do not let the bickering quell your own businessforward push positive progress and thinking. WGS.

- with Fabienne Prost, Paris - skype: prost. Fabienne Port: 06 69 20 00 97

“It’s heartbreaking,” he writes, “to see somany people trapped in a web of enforced

idleness, deep debt, and gnawing self-doubt.We have to change that. And we can.”

- Bill Clinton November, 2011.

New book best seller ...

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fameWith conquering limbs astride from land to land;Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall standA mighty woman with a torch, whose flameIs the imprisoned lightning, and her nameMother of Exiles. From her beacon-handGlows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes commandThe air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame,"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries sheWith silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"by Emma Lazarus, New York City, 1883

Editorial StaffingAnah McCready Staff Photographer

Bonnie McCready Staff Reporter

La crise mondiale…La crise mondiale, que nous traversons semble ne pas avoirde fin.Après la Grèce en déroute, l’Europe, et ses pays leadershipsemblent être dans le viseur des agences de notation, et desspéculateurs. Ici, chaque jour apporte ses mauvaises nou-velles, et l’on se prend à espérer que le ‘couple franco-alle-mand’ , qui prend les commandes du grand paquebotEurope réussisse dans sa mission de sauvetage.Des crises importantes provient souvent le changement.Espérons que le monde ira dans ce sens, sans avoir à re-passer par les guerres fratricides, engendrées par les na-tionalismes exacerbés.Dans ce vaste marasme mondial, ce fut une chance qu’unhomme politique brillant et internationaliste comme Ba-rack Obama soit à la tête des USA. Espérons que le peupleaméricain lui apporte à nouveau son soutien pour lesprochaines élections électorales.

At Globe Printing Co.

Obama seen as more worthy internationalist

An all volunteer farming publication

MainelyAgriculture- Established Summer 2008 -

Publisher : 965-2332 794-2973 279-0029 C(when on)milksheep@myfairpoint.net pvsmilksheep@aol.com

Read back issues @ www. scribd. comFounding Publisher - Wallace Sinclair -

---------------------------------------

Newspaper Business Office:39 A Main Street, Lincoln

794-2973 Phone & Fax

It was an early 1960s morning at the camp onthe Sebec, when I awoke from a grand sleep tosomeone knocking at the door. This was not entirelyunusual for as it was a familiar sign of hunting seasoncoming to a close. "Morning Warden Leathers." I saidsquinting as the first rays of sun reached my blood shot eyes. " Your traps Strout!" The Warden said harshly. "Last andfinal warning." Now I must admit there was more said by himthen those two statements but in my current state that was aboutall I could understand, either way I got the point I had no desire tohave my traps confiscated for the second year in a row. The GameWarden had barely left before I was pulling on my fleece lined flannelsand heading out the door. on an empty stomach. I had been in the woodsout behind my camp for the better part of two hours searching for the trapsI had set after seeing the bottom of too many Bud bottles and no breakfastyet. I finally found the last of the traps beneath a generous pile of leaves. Myrelief at having found it was quickly replaced by an annoyance at the sound ofdried leaves being crushed hevily under foot and running. Angrily I turned aroundto confront the Warden. Only it was not the Warden standing behind me, it washim! "The Bear." To anyone else he would just be another black bear but to me, heis so much more. The Bear is the one that got away like all fishing stories. Pleaseunderstand me when I say this, in my 30+ years as a hunter trapper I never failedto bag moose, buck before turkeys were reintroduced to Maine. I bagged them all.Perfect record in my lastl ten years out and about setting sights on a certain blackbear missing part of his left ear. In my haste to collect traps I left the campunarmed. Nothing. Not even an empty bottle of Bud to throw at him. For ten yearsI have stalked and baited this bear now it was his turn. All I could do was stand myground and hope it would be quick. The Bear ambled up to me emitting lowgrowls. I held my breath as The Bear sniffed at the many stale jelly donuts’ scentleft on the leaves scattered about me before coming to stand no less than two feetfrom me. He stood on his hind legs glaring down at me he let out a great roar.Wincing I braced myself for the end when The Bear dropped back down onto allfours swatting the earth with his massive paw he gave me one last look beforeretreating into the woods. The last look said it all, this year he won. Next year my friend I thought as I watched him disappear back into the woods.

Interesting articles brought to you by merchants who serve farms & farming interests. Tell them you like Mainely Ag & thank them for their support.

The global crisis ...The global crisis we are experiencing seems to have noend. After the bankruptsy of Greece, the countries of Europeand its leaders are in the viewfinder of rating agencies, andspeculators. Here, each day brings its bad news, and wemay hope that the 'Franco-German couple’, which tookcontrol of the great Liner Europe will succeed in itsmission of rescue. From major crises often comes Change. Hopefully theworld will go in this direction, without having to gothrough the fratricidal wars, caused by excessive newnationalisms. In this vast global slump, it was chance that a brilliantpolitician and internationalist such as Barack Obama wasat the head of the United States. Hopefully the Americanpeople will reelect him for the timely election next fall.

- Fabienne Prost

December 16, 2011Garland Grange Christmas Party, Garland

December 17, 2011Riverside Open Meeting, York

December 17, 2011Santa Is Coming To Parkman!

Christmas Party, ParkmanDecember 25, 2011Ammadast Grange

Christmas Breakfast, EnfieldJanuary 6, 2012

2012 Northeast Leaders' Conference Conference, Hartford, CTPUBLIC NOTICE

Because the price of oil has tripled and water/sewer hasdoubled,Enterprise #48 in Richmond will close for thewinter. We will meet at the home of our Master – C. J. Roy at151 Beedle Road, Richmond, until we get ready to host Pomonain March. The MVH ‘store’ is held the first Saturday inDecember. There is a ramp so older people will be able to getin her house. We meet the 1st. Thursday monthly. 6:00 forfellowship and snack and 7:00 for our meeting. Come join us!!

Agriculture MidWinter/Ag Trade Show Issue 5

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Maine farmer cited internationally Jim Gerritsen

runs a small organicfarm in AroostookCounty. In additionto doing his dailychores, he spearheadsa lawsuit against cor-porate agriculture gi-ant Monsanto, filedlast spring on behalfof 270,000 familyfarmers, gardeners,and consumers whoare suing to keepsome food crops freeof genetic modifica-tion. “The stakes are sohigh,” says Gerritsen,president of the leadplaintiff, the OrganicSeed Growers andTrade Association.“We have a right notto be invaded bysomething that wouldbe catastrophic to ourbusinesses and ourfamilies.” Withoutthe lawsuit, Gerritsenprophesies a worldfood supply devoidof organic crops. Monsanto has awell-documentedhistory of aggressive-ly defending its ge-netically modifiedseeds—including,ironically, claimingpatent infringementby organic farmers

whose produce be-comes contaminatedfrom modified seedthat drifts onto theirfields. Indeed, acci-dental pollution hasalready turned someheirloom crops intoextinct species. Thelawsuit has two stat-ed goals: to challengethe constitutionalityof Monsanto’s seedpatents and to protectfarmers accused ofstealing patentedseed.“You can’t help butdo what needs to bedone,” says Gerrits-en. “Either we standup and fight now forthe right to an alternative or we will losethat option forever.”

This article first ap-peared in the November-December 2011 is-sue of Utne Reader.

Maine Senator Wants E-W RoadAUGUSTA - State Sen. Doug Thomas (R-Ripley) has pushed withan easy 10-0 vote of the Transportation Committee a recent LRmeasure to secure seed money for a new east west road study by thestate’s transportation authority for the next session of the Legisla-ture. Citing recent private emphasis on this same effort he wants thestate to get behind the work that has already been done to push thisfor Maine. The financial return on this private and public investmentwould be “...huge”, he said. It could potentially “...pump billionsinto the Maine economy in an area that needs all the help it can get.”LR 2358 will go out for a public hearing this winter as a result of thisbipartisan vote and the possibility of a public private partnership toimprove a corridor across one of the poorest regions of Maine wasalso given by Thomas as the impetus for this now when constructionand land purchase pricing will never be better to secure a greatertransport network across Maine linking Maine and the Maritimesand the rest of the US for trucking and all transport growth. Citingbenefits construction jobs, road maintenance would bring to the areatransversing Maine, Thomas said we, “...desperately need this.”

Governor & Congressional delegationwants groundfishing declared disaster area

promote economic de-velopment strategiesfor our coastal com-munities as effortsmove forward to re-build a more sustain-able fishery.Over the last severalyears, Maine has ex-perienced a series ofsevere red tides, whichresulted in closures ofup to 97 percent of thefisheries. Approxi-mately 3,000 harvest-ers and dealers dependdirectly upon access tohealthy shellfish beds.Mike has worked hardwith Maine’s congres-sional delegation tosecure disaster assis-tance funding forthose affected by thesered tide outbreaks. Most recently, inFebruary of 2011,Mike wrote a letter tothe House Appropria-tions Committee to re-quest disaster relieffunding for the 2009shellfish season inMaine, a recently de-clared commercialfisheries failure, to beincluded in any fund-ing source for FiscalYear 2011 or 2012.

WASHINGTON, DC – Maine’s congres-sional delegation, U.S. Senators Olympia J.Snowe and Susan Collins and Representa-tives Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree,urged U.S. Department of Commerce Secre-tary John Bryson to heed Governor PaulLePage’s request for federal assistance anddeclare a fisheries disaster for the Northeastmultispecies groundfishery the last day ofNovember. In a letter to Secretary Bryson,the delegation highlighted the challengesMaine fishermen face in the wake of theimplementation of annual catch limits andaccountability measures as part of the 2007reauthorization of the Magnuson-StevensFishery Conservation and Management Act.Governor Paul LePage sent a letter to Secre-tary Bryson on November 21st requesting afederal fisheries disaster declaration for

Maine.In the letter, the delegation wrote:“The challenges of operating efficientlywithin this new management system are notunique to any one state. They are felt inharbors across the region, including those inMaine, from the small boat fleet Downeast tothe historic groundfish hub of Portland. From2009 to 2010, there was a 33 percent reduc-tion in the number of vessels home-ported inMaine that received revenue from at least onegroundfish trip. Many Maine fishermen seepotential in the sector management system,though acknowledge that it comes with addi-tional administrative costs. In the near future,the industry will also have to absorb the costof catch monitoring. While revenues appearto have increased, the costs of operating un-der sector management have also risen dra-matically, far exceeding any increasedrevenues at the dock and resulting in a netloss for many fishermen.”According to the Commerce Department, thegoal is to provide customized technical assis-tance for fishing communities that experi-enced reductions in groundfish revenues inrecent years. The Economic DevelopmentAdministration (EDA), in partnership withother federal agencies, will meet with localleaders to assess current and emerging eco-nomic issues, ranging from infrastructurechallenges to development and financingneeds. After the assessment, EDA will pres-ent a report that captures economic develop-ment best practices and customized strategiesfor long-term strategic planning. This collaborative effort proved to beeffective in the Gulf Coast, and Mike thinksit will be very beneficial to our communitiesin Maine. He believes it’s critical that we

6 MidWinter/Ag Trade Show Issue Agriculture

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Farmer Fact 6: Sake: Japanese wine made from rice. Served dry or sweet, hot or room temp.Agriculture’s

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and his wife Helenwho worked tireless-ly with Ralph andJustina Longstaff andother volunteers toprepare the museumfor the public. Haganwas also the Presi-dent at the time of theconstruction. One of the town’sone-room schools,the Ross School hasbeen moved to themuseum yard fromthe Ross Ridge Road.This school was lo-cated on the Treston& Ivan Bubar farmwhere it has seen sev-eral uses since its clo-sure as a school in‘51. Thanks to Pris-cilla Bubar,Treston’s widow, thebuilding was savedand with the help ofCarl Crawford ofCrawford MobileHomes it was movedits new location. Thebuilding sits on the

original rock wallconstructed by FrankBurtt of Monticello.Necessary repairshave been completedand it is furnishedwith many desks andschool items fromthose early schools inthe area. It is a favor-ite among visitors,especially children. The museum is ledby Jay Clark, presi-dent; Karen Donato,vice-president; Deb-bie Melvin, secretaryand Debbie Camp-bell, treasurer, withthe help of volunteerswho; serve as tourguides, mow lawns,work on suppers,pick-up donateditems, publish a quar-terly newsletter andbrochures, cataloguedonated items, aswell as housekeepingand miscellaneoustasks. The museum isopen for tours fromJune through Sep-tember on Thursday,Friday and Saturdayfrom 1 p.m. until 4 orby appointment. Ad-mission is $5 per per-son and $3 forchildren. Member-ships help support themany projects at themuseum and areavailable at variouslevels. A member-

ship, depending onthe level entitles youto tour the museumthroughout the yearand to receive quar-terly newsletters.

Currently fundsare being secured toreplace the roof onthe main building. Ifyou or your businesswould be interestedin donating to thisproject, please mailyour contribution toS.A.A.M., 304Campbell Road,Littleton, ME04730; Att: DebbieCampbell. The mu-seum is a 501(c)3non-profit organiza-tion and is handi-capped accessible.FMI Jay Clark 207-532-7125 or KarenDonato @ 538-9007countymuseum@hotmail.com.

MILO - ExtensionAgents Donna Cof-fin, Dick Brzozowskiand Anne Lichten-wainer, DVM willconduct a workshopat Penquis ValleyHigh School in caringfor chickens Mar.15.Text will be Sto-rey Guide to RaisingChickens. Breeds,housing,health andnutrition will be dis-cussed.

So. AroostookMuseum Story

The US Senate, overriding the House of Rep-resentatives has offered the pivotal transportmeasure to allow heavy transport trucks ofMaine interstates for a period of the next 20years. The U.S. Senate, tonight, approved the Fis-cal Year 2012 Transportation funding billthat includes a provision, written by SenatorSusan Collins, that will allow the heaviesttrucks to travel on federal interstates in Mainefor 20 years instead of forcing them off thehighways and onto Maine’s secondary roadsand downtown streets.While the Senate originally approved SenatorCollins’ provision to make this change per-manent, the House never approved a similarprovision. As the top Republican on the Sen-ate Transportation Appropriations Subcom-mittee, and a member of the conferencecommittee charged with working out the dif-ferences between thetwo bills, Senator Collinssuccessfully negotiat-ed this 20-year com-promise agreement.This bill will now besigned by the Presi-dent.

Heavy truck bill to besigned by President

Backyard PoultryCONFERENCE CALL - A callmade to members of the MaineYoung Farmers recently was heldrecently to keep members posted.A discussion about the comingannual meeting took place andresevations at the time of the con-ference call numbered 15 people.A mention was made that a fewnew members have been added tothe group, one of which owns anequine facility. Andy Rickergave information about a fruit andvegetable grower convention inManchester, NH and plans were

made to send a few members tothat meeting. The Decembermeeting would include nomina-tion of officers. A mention ofspot lighting non dairy farmers tohelp members see other forms ofagriculture was discussed and thegroup would like to send a fewmembers to the American FarmBureau’s Committee meeting andcome back with a report about thesame. A past national winner willbe asked to come to a future meet-ing to discuss that experience.

Young farmers meet, discuss new year events

DOVER-FOXCROFT-Piscataquis, Penob-scot and SomersetCounty residentslearned about currentland use values at ameeting sponsoredby the CooperativeExtension and theMaine HighlandsFarmers. Jeff Kend-all with the PropertyDivision of the MaineRevenue Service ex-plained the differenc-es between CurrentLand Use Categories:Farmland, OpenSpace and TreeGrowth. These cate-gories provide for avaluation based onthe lands current userather than its poten-

tial fair market valuefor more intensive us-es. They are viewedas a permanent desig-nation for land tohelp maintain theselands in their currentuse. Crimpers knockdown and kill covercrops. The Roller/Crimper for Walk-Behind Tractors has asmooth roller thatflattens the standingcover crop and acrimping bar thatstamps down onto thestalks to crimp andscarify the crop to killthe crop. These typesof tools are used tokill mature covercrops and lay themdown as a mulch so a

cash crop can beplanted. This mulchwill protect the soilfrom erosion, reduceweed germinationand growth and con-serve water for thefollowing cash crop. Bill Seekenswith the Maine De-partment of Agricul-ture, Food and RuralResources just re-leased a compostingmanual. It includes aninformation aboutBest ManagementPractices for com-posting techniquesthat are environmen-tally sound, economi-cal to implement andare unlikely o resultin significant nui-

sance problem. Hecan be contacted at287-7531 ormailto:bill.seekins@maine.gov Sheep & Goat Pro-ducers Richard J. Br-zozowski, Extension

Educator, is workingwith Hillary Knight,on an applied re-search project per-taining to a commondisease of sheep andgoats - coccidiosis.

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Farmer Fact 7: Sap: vascular fluids of trees that feeds tissues with water proteins, alkaloids.Agriculture’s

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everything we do. The Farm Family group of insurance companies, headquartered in Glen-mont, N.Y., is part of the American National Family of Companies. Farm Family has beenproviding insurance protection for families and businesses in rural and suburban areas since the1950s in the Northeast and Great Atlantic regions. Over the years, Farm Family has earned asolid reputation, with an established tradition built on integrity and trust. Visit us at our booth atthe Maine Agricultural Trade Show in January.

Farm Family agents take a personal interest, protecting what you value most. We recognize that personal service is the key to meeting your individual and business needs.We live and work in your community and chances are, we’ll probably talk insurance with you

over your kitchen table. Many of ouragents come from agriculture back-grounds, and some of them even begantheir relationship with Farm Family asclients. So it’s not unheard of for ouragents to pitch in and help you load yourtruck as you’re conducting business to-gether. We’re ethical. Farm Family’s agentsand employees adhere to a strict code ofethics which provides guidance on howto maintain the company’s commitmentto being honest, fair and ethical in all itsbusiness dealings. Simply put, we do theright thing. Talk to a local Farm Familyagent today, and find out what we can dofor you. Call 1-800-THE FARM (1 800-843-3276) or visit our Web site atwww.farmfamily.com.

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AgribusinessInsurance SolutionsFor more information or tolocate an agent near you call1-800-The Farm Or visit www.farmfamily.com

Auto * Farm Life * Liability

Lambing 2012 Stories, Pictures?

Mainely Agriculture knows the scene, contribute jpgs of your nighttimeadventures, kidding and/or lambing events. Some are news worthy. Jot itdown email pvsmilksheep@aol.com Young readers would like to know more.

Daffy and Dummy

Dummy from Muscovy - Several ducks, chickens, geese, goatsinhabit a central Maine farm. Recent trends indicate more peopleare getting into raising farm animals for the table. Anah McCreadyphoto.

Farm & Business Storiesgenerate business contacts

Contact the publisher to learn more

A barefoot teenage girl moved through some scratchingchickens and cut across the fenced-in yard of her house next doorto tell me Chet Drew’s place was the one opposite. That fall dayin 1970 pushed in a warm passing Indian summer moment and asI soon learned, the chickens, the girl and the stout man next doorwere equally spirits from another time, a far less modern Maine.The chickens stopped pecking to stare me down it seemed, whenI spoke to her as she came to the fence. She kept her eye upon meafter leaving until Chet answered the door nearby and she and thechickens resumed a more natural, straight out of time murmuringroutine, briefly. Her starting up the vinyl of Jim Morrison and theDoors from her open front porch warped an otherwise, more 19thcentury Monson, Maine image.

Chet, then an elderly gas pumper at the Gulf station and a naturalborn talker kept me asking questions and taking disjointed notes,some three hours. His story - rehearsed by years of repeating toany lost flatlander gas customer seeking directions - was pepperedwith ayuhs. The type of ayuh that is sometimes translated as ‘sadbut true’, not the affirmative ayuh or the negative ayuh, thepejorative ayuh of the ‘can you believe it’ ayuh. His was an ayuhfor the man to catch his breath before moving on with the tellingof tales. A breathing ayuh, you might call it. Chet was consumedby the nostalgic ayuh. His memory loss back then was alsoshowing.

Story begins. “Samuel Goodwin Bodfish,” Chet began, “...was thefirst white man to build a cabin and settle Onawa in the early 1800s.” Sam Bodfish was Chester R. Drew’s great uncle on his mother’sside, and landed in Bodfish Valley in 1823. He came from Fairfield,Maine to build a cabin that summer. He went back the next springwith his family upon the crust snow with a hand sled. From Chet Drew’s version of early life in Onawa, the CP rail linewas the first road in and out of the village that followed the whitesettlers who followed Bodfish. Sadie, Chet’s mother, was born in thisvalley, a Bodfish. She lived there and died there after 87 years. Shepaddled a canoe every day in her early years and especially after sheand her husband-to-be established a post office and store to servicethe habitation surrounding the rail line on Onawa Lake. From theBodfish family farm she walked down a farm road to a stream andcrossing it to her canoe site, she paddled across the lake each day insummer to work at the store. The whole trip being about 4.5 miles,some 3 miles of lake crossings daily. When it was too windy topaddle, or in winter, she walked up over Borestone Mountain, 2.3miles to a rail crossing and 3.5 miles up the tracks to the station andOnawa Village.

When Chet started school in 1913, there were 50-70 families livingthroughout the Bodfish Valley and some 20 students on average at hisschool house. In summer some 200 people would come by train from

Ag’s - ‘A Page In Time’ This is the first of 5 articles per year devoted to our collective agricultural historiesand Ag evolution here in Maine. We invite submissions of a similar nature from allreaders including art work and photographs and hope your response remains favor-able. Homesteading and industry are part of this legacy. - Article by the publisher

Early life in Onawa:

The postmaster, Edmund ‘Old Man’ Drew. c 1896

Chet Drewas a boy

in Onawac 1896

Bill Sawtell’s OnawaStory book available at

Robinson’s Irvingdowntown Monson

Megantic and Brownville Jct by Scoot. The“Scoot” was established by his father EdmondDrew, Postmaster. Mr Drew was a steamengineer on the rail line and later establishedthe telephone service, the scoot on the trainand started the Post Office, Chet called out inPiscataquis-speak, he said, “...dad wasn’tbashful about telling newcomers,’There ain’tno bad in Onawa, just God, nature and oldman Drew.’ ” Chet laughed, translating: hisdad had not let on who old man Drew was.

Chet related that Sam Bodfish, like theother early settlers raised crops and home-steaded but Mr Bodfish soon guessed thatsporting visitors to this handsome valleywould pay for lodging and board just likethose in the growing popular Mooseheadregion. He was correct. The railroad alsohelped. Between the log cabins he built forguests, the store and post office managed byhis relatives, the Bodfish and Drew familieshad a fine life in a beautiful setting, in thoseforgotten years. It was no wonder SamBodfish’s niece, Sadie stayed there her entirehealthy life, independent, and even “wealthy”from having no bosses and the great beauty ofthe land under her feet each day. The Sport-ing Camps of log and stone kepthunters and fishermen and evenin winter guests were warm andas modern as the standard of thetime. Sawdust stored lake ice insummer and the winter’s woodwere supplied as part of the fare.Bodfish kept two guest campsheated all winter for cash flow.

Chet Drewin his 70s

in Monsonc fall 1970

Speculators were also amongthe guests.

Chet remembered some of histime growing up in Bodfish Val-ley. “There was a slate quarrylike the ones in Monson. Amer-ican Thread soon moved out toMilo and Schoodic Lake but rana birch mill over across the lake.Onawa Lake was the first birch-thread spool squares mill site. “There was some talk about aBlack Granite quarry but thetownspeople refused to let itcome in. “They say there isbeautiful Black Granite hereabouts. I seen some from Ona-wa so polished you could seeyour reflection as good as a mir-ror, “ Chet related. The people he rememberedlike Eph Gerrish who worked inthe woods was the first man tobuild a canvas canoe said Chet.He said Gerrish regretted themany people who had lost theirlives using the Gerrish canoe.

AgricultureMAg Farm

-HISTORY(s)-

lished mills in Willi-mantic, CT and Milo,Maine just for theproduction of spools. The spools

Sadie Drew,Chet’s

Mother

Farmer Fact 8: Kelp: Seaweed. Edible for ovine and caprine; high source of iodine.Agriculture’s

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Author’s Note:

“There was a Mr Cloud, thefounder of Malibu Iron Works ofRhode Island, who had a huge cabinon the lake and owned much of theland of the area and a Mr Hichbornwho owned most of the rest of thevalley at one time as part of thebooming period of Bodfish Valleyor Onawa as it was commonlyknown. From the Indian “On away” Chet Drew believed. Twotribes warred when the other cap-tured Princess On a way and killedher. There were no other Indianstories passed on by the Bodfishfamily to the Drews or none thatChet knew but he said Onawa gotthat name from that Indian legend. Chet said grandfather, SamBodfish’s brother, Nymphus alsoworked with his wife Lydia for theBodfish Valley Sporting Ranch as itbecame known and was mentionedin Holman Day’s book “KingSpruce.” Chet Drew was the keep-er of those stories of early BodfishValley and as he came to live outthe final years of his life pumpinggas and doing janitor work in Mon-son, soon these tales were lost touninterested tourists stopping forgas. Lost completely save our briefpassing that Indian summer like fall- 1970 - day.

During the 1890s AmericanThread was producing 85,000 milesof thread a day. The company estab-

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were shipped to Connecticut to wind the thread. Alot of the factory work was piece work; people gotpaid for how many pieces of product they made, nothow many hours they worked. In 1925 the workersat the American Thread Company went on strikebecause their per piece wages had been cut, andmanagement refused to negotiate. The Onawa, Lakeview and Milo birch spool plants ofAmerican Thread are all dusty history now as is American Thread Co. Wikipedia images NYC

Maine made birch spool

Former American ThreadCo. headquarters, NYC .Now upscale condos.

Snowy wagon scene Bodfish Valley, Onawa, 1896

Newsprint copies of originalWest photos from The Spectator

Published in Greenville 1970-1974

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Before& AfterWESTERN MAINE - Tree specialists will trim yourapple trees no matter the age. It is a craft like chimneycleaning that most landowners think about and do notknow when or how to do such things. Likely some havethought an old apple tree such as the one pictured is be-yond repair. Not so, if properly trimmed. These con-tributed photos to Mainely Agriculture demonstratesome of the cuts seemdrastic but most arenecessary for the goodhealth of the tree andmost importantly thecontinued production offruit. There are a fewprofessional fruit treetrimmers in Maine andIf you wish to learn thecraft yourself, a work-shop will be held atHighmore Farm in Mon-mouth Apr. 14. from 10-2pm, for the FREE ses-sion. See Coming Events-page 15 for more details.

They have been a vendor at the MaineAgricultural Trades Show for years. Whetheryou are a farmer looking to improve cropyields, a nursery owner making your ownpotting mix, a gravel pit owner in need ofreclamation, or a municipality closing a land-fill, we likely have a product that will meetyour needs, and we understand the importanceof finding the right solution at the right price.Our staff of professionals are always ready tohelp. In addition to compost, mulch and soils our

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Farmer Fact 10: Sandpiper: Songbirds to include godwits, curlews and snipes, shorebird.Agriculture’s

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Bio-mass refined biofuel...Continued from page one$200,000 in fines for uncontrolled pollutedsteam discharge in the last 3 years. Indeed thesugary smell like maple syrup is an improve-ment over the old tissue making wood pulpprocess of a decade or more ago. Howeverthe new process produces 600 tons a day ofextracted byproduct destined for markets allover the US and the world. Biorefined fuelgrade biobutenol distilled out of wood pulpextract. A new intellectual property and pro-cess wholly owned by Fuel and Fiber of OldTown. The company has started constructionof a new facility here of a new biorefinerycapable of producing industrial levels ofchemicals that will be high grade biofuels.The current refinery is about 100 X 130 feetsquare, the next will be almost 10 times aslarge and when completed will add nearly30-40 employees adding to the plus 200 workforce at present. With a sister operation inGorham, Fuel and Fiber has plans to get backinto tissue-making, itself a spin off from thesame raw materials. Mnagement of the twomills is shared, the Gorham mill buys woodpulp from Old Town and already makes tis-sue. The expense, some $200 million to in-stall such a machine, might be there as thework force to integrate that into the operationis also to be had locally. The owners: Patri-arch Partners, whose lead owner, Lynn Tilton,specializes in turning around failed manufac-turing operations, and for all intents and pur-poses, it looks like Old Town Fuel & Fiber isgoing to be just that, a new success.

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Agriculture MidWinter/Ag Trade Show Issue 11

71st Annual Ag Trades Show exhibitors, 2012Ag Matters,VassalboroAndroscogginValley SWCDArthur CarrollCrop InsuranceAustin Assoc.,AuburnBackyardFarms MadisonBest Way WoodHeat ReadfieldBlue Seal FoodsAugustaBoer GoatBreeders ofMaine, BowdoinCase, J.L. Co.,KnoxCDL-MaplePro, Inc., St.Albans, VTCentral Petro-leum Co. WayneCollege of Nat-ural Sciences,Forestry andAgriculture,OronoCommunityMediation Ser-vices, BrunswickCountrywayInsurancePortlandCrop Produc-tion Services,New GloucesterDale A. Thomas& Sons Brooks

Eaton Agricorp- BrownfieldEqp., Eaton NHEfficiencyMaine, AuburnFarm Credit ofMaine, AuburnFarm EnergyPartners NetVassalboroFarm FamilyInsurance,AugustaFarm Fresh forME, BangorFarm ServicesAgency / USDAAugustaFarmers DraftHorse, Mule &Pony ClubHarrisonFarming Maga-zine; MooseRiver Media, St.Johnsbury, VTFeed Commodi-ties Internation-al DetroitFinanceAuthority ofMaine, AugustaFoss & Sons,Inc. WalesGood ShepherdFood Bank,AuburnGriffin Green-house & Nurs-ery SupplyTewksbury, MA

HammondTractor Co.,Fairfield, UnionAuburn,HannafordBros., PortlandHarness RacingPromotion Bd.,BelgradeIngrahamEquipmentKnoxIrishpanIndustries/SteelBuildings ofMaine,LewistonJ. Houle & Fils,Inc. SidneyJ.S. Wood-house, Inc. WSpringfield, MAJanet’s AgTours Travel,NobleboroJohnny’s Se-lected Seeds,WinslowJr Boer GoatBreeders ofMaine, PittstonAcademy TWP-Koppert Bio-logical Systems,Romulus, MIKramer’sTractor, SidneyKubota,FairfieldKuhn/Knight,Broadhead, WI

Lapierre USAMerrifieldFarm, GorhamLeader Evaora-tor CompanySwanton, VTLiving Acres,New SharonMaine Ag Ctr.OronoAgriculture inthe Classroom,AugustaMaine AlpacaAssociation,PalermoMaine AntiqueTractor Club,SmithfieldMaine Aqua-culture Assoc.,HallowellMaine ArboristAssoc., BathMaine Assoc.Of AgriculturalFairs AugustaMaine BeefProducers As-soc., DrydenMaine CheeseGuild, MonroeMaine DairyIndustryAssociation,New SharonMaine DairyPromotion Bd.,/ME Dairy Nu-trition Council,Augusta

ME Dept. AgAugustaME FarmBureau AugustaFarm BureauConvergenceExhibit AugustaFarmland TrustBelfastForest ServiceAugustaJunior AngusAssoc. & MaineAngus Assoc.ReadfieldMaple Produc-ers AssociationNewfieldOrganic Farm-ers & Garden-ers UnityPork ProducersLivermore FallsSheep BreedersAssociationState Beekeep-ersPortlandGrange Assoc.AugustaState TreeFarm Cmte.AugustaVegetable &Fruit GrowersVassalboroMeuneric Saw-yerville HarrisonNE GallowayGroup Freeport

New EnglandOrganics UnityNewmanGamageAugusta

Northeast AgSales WalesNortheastSARE, UMCEOronoOldcastlePrecast AuburnOsgood & SonsEast DixfieldPage Farm &Home Museum,OronoParis FarmersUnion So ParisPayeurDistributionsAscot CornerQCPen-BayTractor SupplyBurnhamPoulin GrainNewport, VTScythe SupplyPerrySoil Prepara-tionPlymouthStephensonAgri SalesPoultney VTSuga CountryProductsVassalboro

The KneadingConferenceBangorUnion FarmEquipmentUnionUniv MaineCooperativeExt. OronoUSDA-ARS,NE Plant Soil &Water LabOronoUSDA, APHIS,PPQ HermonUSDA, NASSConcord, NHUSDA-NaturalResources Con-servation Ser.,BangorVitamin SeaSeaweedBuxtonWatermanFarm Machin-ery SabattusWellscroftFence SystemsHarrisville, NHWindy Hill Res-torationWindhamWoodmizer ofMaineIndianapolis, IN

Civic Center, Annual site forAgricultural Trade Show

AUGUSTA - The city park in downtown Augusta hasthis handsome structure for various events in summer,not the least of which is the Farmers Market, crafts andother types of commerce conducted under the roof nearthe Kennebec River. This location is not far from theCivic Center and Ft. Western. MainelyAgriculture photo.

Another Farm bites the dustNEWPORT - About the time this early satellite dish was soldand installed in parts of Maine, this farm had ceased any realfarm activity along Rte. 2 here and, now the land and build-ings are close by straddling the highway to Skowheganopposite Walmart. The value of the land beneath it no longergreater for cropping or substandard housing but commerceand as a present eyesore, the farm buildings are being re-moved in the name of progress. This does not rule out thevalue of the nearby loam and woodland, only the priority ofwhat comes next vs what has been. We remember whenNewport was much smaller and such a farm so near to thedowntown area likely provided vegetables and milk to others.

12 MidWinter/Ag Trade Show Issue Agriculture

Farmer Fact 12: Juneberry: Tree or shrub, white flowers, purple edible berries.Agriculture’s

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A sampling of opening DayAt the Ag Trades Show

Tuesday, January 10, 2012Each year at Maine's Agricultural TradesShow, offers a series of presentations anddiscussion groups covering a wide range ofsustainable agriculture subjects. All pre-sentations are free and open to the public.9:10 am Weather & Climate for Farmers(Piscataquis/Sagadahoc)Farmers have a special interest in understand-ing Maine’s weather and climate,especiallysince it seems to be becoming increasinglyunpredictable. This session will be an over-view of basic meteorology with a specialemphasis on those phenomena that affect ourcrops and livestock.10:10 AM Resources & Services for New &Beginning Farmers(Piscataquis/Sagadahoc)This special 2-hour session will feature repre-sentatives from organizationsthat provide ser-vices to help and support new and beginningfarmers.11:10 AM What You Need to Know AboutSelling to a Distributor (Androscoggin /Aroostook)More and more small, diversified farms areexploring options for diversifying their mar-kets beyond selling direct to the consumer.Local foods distribution companies are oneoption, but you need to understand how thismarket works and what the distributor needsfrom you before a successful sales relation-ship can be established. Come hear from anexpert in local foods distribution to prepareyourself for selling to a distributor.1:30 PM MOFGA Annual Meeting(Piscataquis/Sagadahoc)Hear from Executive Director, Russell Libbyand from committee chairs about MOFGA’sactivities and accomplishments in 2008 andour plans for the future. Participate in elec-tions for MOFGA’s Board of Directors, voteon bylaw changes, and network with MOF-GA staff, members, and certified growers.4:00 pm Garlic: An Update on Productionand Dealing with Old and New Pests(Piscataquis/Sagadahoc)Steve Johnson of University of Maine Coop-erative Extension Preseason, in-season, andpostharvest practices will be discussed andresearch data presented.

Agriculture

Agriculture

Power generation storyContinued from page one

The event was sponsored by E2TECH, a nonprofit dedicated to pro-moting a clean technology sector inMaine. All speakers were proponentsof wind power there to sway the pub-lic as often these projects are partiallyfunded through a combination of pri-vate investment, federal and state sub-sidies and argue feasibility in leantimes, so say some of those againstsuch progress. Charles Colgan, an economist withthe Muskie School of Public Serviceat the University of Southern Maineposits that wind has become an energywhose time has come with the dynam-ics of constructing the same now innew fashion and has created and sus-tained many new jobs in Maine. Hecited three areas of job growth, con-struction, the technology and the ser-vice sector to include the food andlodging sectors. At the peak of landbased construction of wind farms heestimated 500 jobs were created whererecession had taken away 8,000 simi-lar construction jobs. Some 300 busi-nesses he said invested in the sameprojects that will bring about a muchmore electric-intensive economy inthe future. U Maine economics pro-fessor Gary Hunt said former Gov.John Baldacci set a goal to install2000 megawatts of wind power by2015 and install 3000 megawatts by2020. And while it may cost 10-15cents less to oil fire power generation,wind power generation is far cleanerthan the ramifications of oil and coalgeneration. Decreasing the cost ofwind generation is also a likely factorin the future, said Hunt. According tothe National Renewable Energy Labo-ratory, Maine has wind resource ofnearly 133 gigawatts worth of elec-trcity in the western mountains ofMaine alone. Maine’s Gulf is like-wise compared to the value of SaudiaArabia’s oil for wind power values,some 133 gigawatts of power.

Maine is considered one of thewindiest states in the nation.

One gigawatt is equal to 1000 mega-watts. It takes 2.4 gigawatts to powerMaine.

Each speaker in turn agreed thatwind power will generate revenue inMaine despite the fact that currentlysome components are not made inMaine presently. If resources are de-veloped the excess electricity could besold to other states in New England.However, the state faces an uphill bat-tle in building consensus for the ener-gy resource. According to the USEnergy Information Administrationrenewable energy accounted for only8 percent of the electricity consumedin the United States last year NewEngland on the other hand , is alreadyproducing a surplus of electricity.And investments in the renewable en-ergy industry grew in 2010, accordingto a report released in July that at theend of 2010, renewable energy invest-ments equaled $211 billion world-wide. China led with $94.7 billion inrenewable energy investments, pri-marily in wind powerwith the UnitedStates surplus and reduced cost ofnatural gas caused a decline in renew-able energy investments setting it be-hind developing countries for energyinvestments.

In Maine, the LePage administrationhas expressed an interest in natural gasand introduced legislation aimed atpower companies to derive 10 percentof their power from renewable sourcesby 2017.

Wind power is now seen as the bestenvironmental, economic and moralenergy choice we can make goingforward, said speaker Colin High ofthe Vermont-based consulting firmResource Systems Group. I stand be-fore you emphasizing just how weneed to speed this technology up be-cause we cannot wait until 2045 to getit off the ground. We just don’t havethat kind of time.

Arab Television interviewsU Maine Scientist

Habib Dagher, the director of UMaine’sAEWC Advanced Structures and Compos-ites Center, was interviewed by the AlJazeera network for a TV report on theprospects of deepwater offshore wind pow-er in the Gulf of Maine. Dagher told AlJazeera the goal is to replace gasoline andheating oil with clean energy from the gulf.Models show there is enough wind powerin the gulf to supply all of the US withelectric power times 4.

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WASHINGTON, DC– US Rep. Mike Mi-chaud joined with Rep-resentatives ChelliePingree (ME), PeterWelch (VT), David Ci-cilline (RI), Jim Lan-gevin (RI), and EdwardMarkey (MA) to intro-duce a bill that wouldrestore the Low IncomeHome Energy Assis-tance Program’s(LIHEAP) funding to atleast last year’s fundinglevel of $4.7 billion.The bill introduced fol-lows a companion billintroduced by SenatorsOlympia Snowe (ME),Jack Reed (RI), andBernie Sanders (VT)the first week in De-cember, 2011.

This bridge is the only completely shingled covered bridge in the State. It was builtin 1876 crossing the Kenduskeag Stream in Robyville, a part of Corinth .about 3miles northwest of Kenduskeag Village. The supporting members are the long trussdesign and this spans 73 feet between stone abutments. It was reinforced in 1984 tocarry heavier local traffic. Eight other wood covered bridges grace Maine roads.

Anatomy of a bridge Agriculture MidWinter/Ag Trade Show Issue 13

BANGOR - FarmService Agency(FSA) Executive Di-rector, Don Todd an-nounced that farmersand ranchers inMaine now have amore efficient, timelyoption for receivingimportant FSA pro-gram eligibility re-quirements, deadlinesand related informa-tion. allowing imme-diate notification offarm program news-pertinent to your agri-cultural operation.Through FSA’s Gov-Delivery electronicnews service, produc-ers can establish sub-scriber preferences bychoosing to receivefederal farm programinformation by topic,by state and/or bycounty. Producerscan select as manysubscriber options asthey want, which al-lows producers whofarm in multiple

counties oracross state lines toreceive updates fromeach county in whichthey operate or havean interest."GovDelivery willenable FSA to keepproducers better in-formed and allow usto conserve resourcesand reduce taxpayerexpenses associatedwith the preparation,printing and distribu-tion of hardcopynewsletters," he said.To begin using GovDe-livery, subscribe onlinehttp://www.fsa.usda.gov/subscribe or con-tact your local FSA of-fice for subscriptionassistance.

FSA online news serviceNews Directto YourEmail orSmartphone

Congresson LIHEAP

Wind, electric futureContinued from page one

The Northeastern Regional Association ofCoastal Ocean Observing Systems, whichnow includes the buoys that have been partof the Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing Sys-tem, recently won a competitive fundingaward of $1.77 million from the federal Na-tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-tion, NERACOOS officials announced earlyin December. Some of the money, whichrepresents the first year of funding for afive-year period, will be going to Universityof Maine and Gulf of Maine Research Insti-tute for maintaining the buoys and for man-aging and making available to the public thedata the buoys generate. This will havedirect effect upon the planned ocean basedwind farms of the future. Zdenka Willis,director of the nationwide U.S. IntegratedOcean Observing System, said that contin-ued operation of the data collection systemwill have widespread benefits that such fund-ing to NERACOOS will expand upon a mis-sion of increasing the understanding ofcoastal waters, to improve safety, enhancethe economy, and protect the environment.The original buoy sites have been generatingdata now for more than 10 years and is in-valuable to scientists who study changes andtrends in ocean conditions. Confidence thatthe system will continue to get much neededfederal funding. to maintain the buoys lookencouraging . In other related news, a Massachusetts-based business has secured the rights to testits airborne wind turbines at the former Lor-ing air base. Carl Flora, president and CEOof the Loring Development Authority, re-ported that Altaeros Energies is preparing totest its helium filled floating turbines, whichare being developed to turn high-altitudewinds into electricity. This project is in thedevelopment stage. The product is a heliumfilled cylinder approximately 30 feet across.It is light enough to float and it is tethered tothe ground by cable. Led by alumni of MITand Harvard University the company’s air-borne balloon, is designed to hold a turbinein its center and can produce abundant,low-cost renewable energy. It can ascend to500 feet or more and the generated electricityis transmitted into the power grid throughthe tether. Flora said that Altaeros will beoperating out of Loring’s arch hanger for

several months while the testing program isunder way. Altaeros will be a subtenant inthe building with Science Applications Inter-national. In regard to ongoing discussion, eventstaking place with offshore wind power,Maine, largely through the efforts of privateindustry and the University of Maine, hasbeen developing prototypes, studying areasoff the coast for environmental and commer-cial issues and setting up the process forapproving such projects. The offshore pro-posal galvanizes the commercial deep-waterdevelopment in Maine and the United States,said Habib Dagher, the UMaine professorwho has been at the forefront of such windresearch in the state; currently an internation-al race to deep water power generation, andMaine is in the middle of that race. NedFarquhar, deputy assistant secretary at theDepartment of the Interior, talked about theObama administrationâ’s goals to reduce de-pendence on foreign energysources.’Opportunities like Atlantic wind,where there is significant potential, don’t

come along every generation, said recentlyin South Portland. State and federal officials are discussing aproposal by a Norwegian energy companyto build a wind farm about 12 nautical milesoff the coast of Maine Statoil North AmericaInc., a division of the Norwegian companyStatoil ASA, submitted an application inOctober for a commercial lease to the federalBureau of Ocean Energy Management for anarea of ocean that is about 22 square miles,for full assessment of environmental im-pacts, sea bed conditions and wind speeds.The lease area is offshore of the Boothbayarea. The eventual size of the Hywind Maineproject would be narrowed down to an areaof between 2.32 and 3.86 square miles. Theywant to test water off Scotland as well. Thatplan is to start installation of the turbines insummer 2016, with a request for proposalsfrom the Maine Public Utilities Commissionfor companies seeking offshore energy gen-erattionand the company also has applied tothe New England electric grid to connect atthe Boothbay substation.

Sources: Bangor Daily News and Maine Forest Products Council

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Saturday, April 14, 201210:00 AM - 2:00 PM–Highmoor Farm in Mon-mouth Pre-registration isnot required. Learn toprune fruit trees with Re-nae Moran, University ofMaine tree fruit specialist.A one-hour lecture will befollowed by a demonstra-tion in the orchard and achance to prune apple,peach, pear and plumtrees. There is no chargefor the class, but pleasebring your own pruningtools and lunch. Afterlunch, there will be agrafting demonstration.

News of farming, fishing, forestry and minerals. The true wealth of Maine14 MidWinter/Ag Trade Show Issue Agriculture

Resources, Logging, Recreation, Woods, Fields, Water & Commerce

Farmer Fact 14: Sarsaprilla: tonic drink derived from several plants of genus.Agriculture’s

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Conservation Service and funded through the Environmental QualityIncentives Program (EQIP), three ranking dates have been set for theOn-Farm Energy, Organic, and Seasonal High Tunnel initiatives forFiscal Year 2012; in the past there was one ranking period per year.All three initiatives offer technical and financial assistance.

BANGOR–Agricultural producers will have moreopportunities this year in all Maine Counties to beapproved for funding for three conservation initia-tives, announced Juan Hernandez, State Conserva-tionist for the USDA Natural Resources

score may be ap-proved for an EQIPcontract before theend of the ranking pe-riod. Applicationsrating below thethreshold score willbe deferred to thenext period. A newthreshold score willbe established at thebeginning of eachranking period. Thisnew scoring processallows organic pro-ducers to implementconservation practic-es in a timelier man-ner.

“Moving to multiple ranking dates for eachinitiative is going to make it easier for moreproducers to apply and help them get startedwith implementing the practices they need tobenefit the natural resources on their opera-tions,” said Hernandez. “We hope producerswill visit their local USDA Service Center formore details on how NRCS can help themconserve Maine’s natural resources.”NRCS accepts applications for financial assis-tance on a continuous basis throughout theyear; however, there will be three rankingperiods for the three initiatives, all ending onFebruary 3, March 30 and June 1, 2012. Atthe end of a ranking period, NRCS will rankall submitted proposals for funding consider-ation, notify all applicants of the results of therankings, and begin developing contracts withselected applicants.Initiatives Overview:On-Farm Energy Initiative: NRCS and pro-

ducers develop Agricultural Energy Manage-ment Plans (AgEMP) or farm energy auditsthat assess energy consumption on an opera-tion. NRCS then uses audit data to developenergy conservation recommendations. EachAgEMP has a landscape component that as-sesses equipment and farming processes and afarm headquarters component that assessespower usage and efficiencies in livestockbuildings, grain handling operations, and sim-ilar facilities to support the farm operation.Organic Initiative: NRCS helps certified or-ganic growers and producers working toachieve organic certification install conserva-tion practices for organic production. New forfiscal year 2012, applicants will be evaluatedcontinuously during the ranking periods. Ap-plications meeting or exceeding a threshold

Seasonal High Tun-nel Pilot Initiative:NRCS helps produc-ers plan and imple-ment high tunnels,steel-framed, poly-ethylene-coveredstructures that extendgrowing seasons in anenvironmentally safemanner. High tunnelbenefits include bet-ter plant and soilquality, fewer nutri-ents and pesticides inthe environment, andbetter air quality dueto fewer vehicles be-ing needed to trans-port crops.Since 1935, NRCS has pro-vided leadership in a part-nership effort to helpAmerica’s private land own-ers and managers conservetheir soil, water, and othernatural resources. NRCS em-ployees provide technical as-sistance based on soundscience and that is suited to acustomer’s specific needs,and provides financial assis-tance for many conservationactivities. For more information;www.me.nrcs.usda.gov orcontact your nearest USDAService Center, or in the tele-phone book under UnitedStates Government, Agricul-ture Department.

with Gordon MooreThis article appeared lastyear but with the comingsap season and backyardMaple Syrup activitypending it is time to getready for it. Our Marchissue is devoted to sap col-lection and logging inMaine. This is an agri-culture growing popular.

OUT ONA LIMB

A guy I work withmakes his living fromhis farm and thesugar bush is a bigpart of his yearlyincome. He’s not alarge operation bytoday’s standards butmore of a mid-sizedproducer. The bigguys are putting in50,000+ taps aseason, and sendingout bulk syrup in 35gallon drums. Hisprocedure utilizesplastic tubing andpiping whichconcentrates sap toseveral large drums.His procedureutilizes plastic tubingand piping which

concentrates sap toseveral largecontainers which hepumps into a transfercontainer and takesdown to his sugarhouse. Part of thisoperation is pipeddirectly to the sugarhouse where there areseveral holding tanksfor the sap. At thisoperation sap isboiled on a mid sizedboiler fired withwood. He uses almostall Northern WhiteCedar to fire theboiler. He isfortunate in that hehas a fair sizedownership with lotsof cedar growing on

it. Recent im-provements in thewoods included thecleaning (cutting ofall mature timberexcept sugar maple)of several acres. Ithink he is planningon tapping about 800trees this spring. Thisadded to about 1/3 asmuch acreage to thesugar bush. These aremostly forest growntrees and not ideal asthe sugar trees butthey are large treesand have relativelylarge crowns. In timethese crowns shouldspread out andincrease the amount

sap that is producedby each tree. Aftercompleting thecleaning he noticedareas which were notstocked with sugarmaple. The landownerdecided to purchasemaple trees to fill inthe voids. Wecalculated about 40trees needed to fill invoids, based on a 35foot by 35 footspacing for each tree.He didn’t just use anyold tree but he did hishomework andlocated sources forhigh sugar yieldingSugar Maple andSilver Maple. Yes Isaid Silver Maple.He went with SilverMaple as the nurserywhich sold the treesclaims that these treeswill be valuable ofproducing veryquickly. I hesitate torepeat the claim of thenursery. Silver Maplethrives in warmerclimates than SugarMaple. It’s veryinteresting and if theclaims prove to betrue it mayrevolutionize theindustry.

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At a time whenmany folks are feel-ing the effects of achallenging econo-my, the UMaine Ex-tension professionals,volunteers and pro-grams that have madea difference in pro-grams that reach andeducate youth, adults,homemakers, fami-lies struggling tomake ends meet, gar-deners growing food

for the hungry, farm-ers and beginninghome based businesses should know that100% of a donationmade directly to thecounty extension willgo directly to supportextension programs.Partnering with theMaine Department ofAgriculture’s Adopt aGarden Program, ex-tension backed .4-HSewing Program forSomali Women inLewiston, the MaineHarvest for Hungerserve as examplesthat has benefited

from donations withUMaine Extensionstaff and volunteerssupporting ongoingwork. An online do-nation that is secureand easy and may betax deductible. Fundsgenerated online willbe directly depositedinto the County officeaccount you specifyand are accessible bycounty staff to sup-port Extension vol-unteers, programsand operations. If youare unable to give atthis time, that is un-derstood. Selectingyour County from theonline list and fol-lowing the easy stepsor readers may send acheck payable toUMaine CooperativeExtension, yourCounty c/o FinancialAdministrator, Den-nis Harrington, 106Libby Hall, Orono04469. Either way,you will receive ac-knowledgement ofyour gift as theextension’s way tothank you and for tax

purposes. Best wishesfor the holiday seasonfrom all of those atUMaine Extension.

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Hardware * Electrical * Plumbing * TarpsTools * Grass Seed * Fertilizer & Soil * Mulch

Pet Supplies * Electric Fence SuppliesGates * Corral panels * Wood Pellets & Much more...

Hours: Mon-Fri 7-5 / Sat 8-12 delivered by to these feed dealers:

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Agriculture MidWinter/Ag Trade Show Issue 15

152 Rockland Rd., Washington 845-2480

PO Box 99 22 Horseback Rd. BurnhamAlways Buying & Consigning

Consignment Sales Every Sunday * Estate Sales1 800 254-2214 h-b@uniets.net

207 948-2214 www.houstonbrooks.com

Farmer Fact 15: Legume: Pod plant such as peas, lentils, clover and alfalfa. Roots fix nitrogen.Agriculture’s

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This Advertsize just $5.in Classifieds

Buy the paint and decals1. All new hydraulics2. New 6 V battery3. Rebuilt Generator4. Rebuilt Starter5. Rebuilt Carburetor6. New front tires7. All new fluids drained twice and installed8. New tube in rear tire treads good9. Will be using to move snow until sold

10. Asking $4,50011. Raymond Harvey family owned and serviced

- Cockshutt 30 -

Will trade valued items partialmoney with sale. Wally Sinclair

Tel. 207-965-2332 no calls after 8pmTractor located in Milo

- Your horse’s health is our business -Farm Calls - Hospitalization - Emergencies

Tel. 207 525-4596 452 Goshen RoadTanjatab@yahoo.com Winterport, ME

Tanja N. Ebel, D.V.M.

Auction house owner passes onSKOWHEGAN - Clayton Clark, 72 passedaway November 1 at home near his wellknown and now empty, auction house. AJersey cattle lover he showed them at manyfairs around the state in his youth and was aformer president of Eastern States Directors,and trustee, winning the Big E Distinuishedservice award in 2009.. In 2010, he receivedthe Maine Department of Agriculture Dis-tingjuished Service Award. He started hisauction house business more than 25 yearsago, served on the board of Good Will-Hinck-ley. He was a 7th degree Grange memberholding offices on local, county and state lev-

Thousands of cattle, sheep, goats passed down this ramp in

25+ years of auctionsvels. He leaves hiswife of 55 years,Joanne, three sons,four grandsons, andstep great-grandchil-dren. Gifts in his be-half to RedingtonFairview Oncologyare suggested @POB 468 Skowhegan

With the groundstill thawing by af-ternoon on mostdays, you might con-sider taking soil sam-ples from fields andgardens now andhold them until Janu-ary 1, 2012. The feefor the standard soiltest at the Maine SoilTesting Service is re-duced to $12 (from$15) for samples sub-mitted from January1 to March 1 eachyear. Contact Ana-lytical Lab and MaineSoil Testing Service5722 Deering HallOrono 04469 Ph(207) 581-3591 | Fx(207) 581-3597.

Soil Tests

Holiday gifts

Apple TreePruning Clinic

Be sureto attend

and Grafting ClassSat., April 14, 2012 10to 2:00 PM HighmoorFarm in Monmouth,Learn to prune fruit treeswith Renae Moran, treefruit specialist. A one-hour lecture will be fol-lowed by a demonstra-tion in the orchard and achance to prune apple,peach, pear and plumtrees. There is no chargefor the class, but pleasebring your own pruningtools and lunch. Afterlunch, there will be agrafting demonstration.

16 MidWinter/Ag Trade Show Issue Agriculture

Farmer Fact 16: Leek: Onion like plant of lilly cultivated bulbs edible vegetable.Agriculture’s

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876 Stillwater Ave.,

This Advertsize just $5.in Classifieds

Agriculture

Order a 2012 Animal Calendar Now.

By Karen DonatoVice-president Southern Aroostook

Agricultural Museum - Littleton

Since 2001, the building that was the Lit-tleton Consolidated School has been theSouthern Aroostook Agricultural Museum. As a school, it was the centerpiece of thetown of Littleton from 1952, until its closingin 1999. Originally built to educate the youthof the community it is now attracting manyof those former students and those from sur-rounding communities as volunteers who arepreserving the furnishings, tools and equip-ment of local farm families. They guide localresidents, school groups and tourists throughrooms filled with primitive tools and house-hold items. At the time of construction in ’51 theschool cost $80,000. A portion of the fundscame from the town and a portion from theMaine School Building Authority, makingLittleton the first town in the County to buildunder the Building Authority Act. The school was originally designed tohouse grades one through eight, but over timean addition was built on the southern end toaccommodate kindergarten, special educa-tion classes and a library/computer area. Lo-cated on U.S. Highway 1 just south of theStation Road this building has seen numerousevents that include, town meetings, talentshows, PTA fairs, wedding receptions, anni-versary parties, reunions, retirements, busi-ness gatherings and plenty of basketballgames. The original gymnasium with itsknotty pine walls, hardwood floor and full

stage area looks the same as it did when thebuilding opened nearly 60 years ago. Although all of the classrooms are nowfilled with items from the past, the multi-purpose room is still used for many events,including monthly suppers open to the publicwhich provide much of the funding for theday-to-day operating expenses of the muse-um. Cedric Shaw, a Littleton resident was oneof 11 members on the original school plan-ning board. Ironically, he was the only one tosee the school transition to a museum and hewas also instrumental in the quest for preser-vation of the County’s memorabilia. Back in 1988 Shaw and his wife Emily

ing a deeper appreciation of items saved frompossible neglect and loss. It was the vision of ten area citizens, JohnFleming, Charles Upton, Ralph Longstaff,Barry Campbell, Francis Fitzpatrick, CedricShaw, Pat Coville, J. Thomas Fitzpatrick,John Mooers and Frank Peltier who took aninterest in the empty Littleton building. Theysecured a low-interest bank loan to make thepurchase from the town of Littleton for thepurpose of preserving the items that werebeing thrown away or left in fields due tomodernization. The loan for $51,000 was paid off withmoney raised through public suppers, dona-tions, memorials, raffles, rentals from themulti-purpose room within five years. Eachyear the museum has continued to grow bothwith items donated by many families andwith buildings. In 2006, a barn was built to house largerpieces of farm equipment. With the supportof Maine Community Foundations, HoultonRotary Club, United States Rural Develop-ment, Naturally Potatoes and many business,individuals, fundraisers and volunteer laborthis 60’x100’ structure costing $80,000 wasbuilt. It was dedicated to the late Carl Hagan

organized their ownPastime Museum as ahobby on their familyfarm on the Framing-ham Road, not farfrom the site of the Agmuseum. He and Emi-ly cleaned out theirbarns and potato hous-es and set up their owncountry museum in-viting friends, neigh-bors and schoolchildren to take a stepback in time. After the purchase ofthe former school

Shaw donated enoughfarm items, tools andfurnishings to fillthree rooms, nowcalled the Shaw Col-lection. He and hiswife dedicated theirtime each Thursdayfor seven years tomeet the many visi-tors and share infor-mation aboutAroostook Countyand the life of a farmfamily. AlthoughShaw has passedaway and his wifenow lives in the Au-gusta area, his storieslive on through theitems on display.Shaw always painteda small wooden lathewith the family nameof any item donated tohis own country mu-seum and those namesare still attached to themany items at the mu-seum. Many childrenvisiting on schoolfield trips recognizenames of their grand-parents and great-grandparents instill- Story continued to page 6

Variety of kitchen ware - Museum photos

Multitude of hand tools - Museum photo

Southern Aroostook Ag MuseumMecca of tools for farming

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