Maine Association of Conservation Districts News

Learn to enhance your enjoyment and the productivity of your home garden through the application of simple techniques. Roland Dupuis, of the US Dept. of Agriculture, will cover topics including garden planning, soils and fertility, seedling production, watering, and weed and pest management. The workshop will take place on Saturday, March 28th from 9:00am to Noon at the Maine Grind in Ellsworth, with a cost of $10 per person. Pre-registration is required by calling the Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District at 667-8663 ext 3. Sign up early- this workshop will fill up fast! USDA and Hancock County SWCD are equal opportunity providers and employers.

The 2009 editions of the Local Food and Farms Booklets are being updated this winter. Farms and businesses that sell locally grown and raised food products are invited to list their business in the directory.

Directories will be produced for each of Oxford, Somerset and Franklin Counties, thanks to the generosity of many local partners. The booklets, which are available free of charge, help consumers who live in or visit western Maine to find places to Eat Smart – Eat Local. Also posted on the website of the project sponsor Western Mountains Alliance (WMA), the directories list farms offering Community Supported Agriculture shares, meat, veggies, dairy, berries, farm tours, and much more.

Farms may participate by sending descriptions of their products and a small listing fee. Registration forms and more information are available by calling WMA at 778-3885 or email: tcook@westernmountainsalliance.org. The form may also be downloaded from the website: www.westernmountainsalliance.org. The deadline for early bird registrations is January 31.

Districts throughout Maine will be hosting septic system trainings for contractors, code enforcement officers, licensed plumbing inspectors and site evaluators. The trainings are as follows:

• Ethical and Technical Issues for the Site Evaluator – This course will be presented by Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Subsurface Wastewater Program staff and guest speakers, who will discuss ethical and technical subjects experienced by designers of subsurface wastewater disposal systems. The ethics portion of the course will focus on the point when a Site Evaluator stops being a consultant and becomes an advocate for a client. Technical topics will include calculation of fill and fill extensions, site evaluation requirements on filled sites, on-site monitoring of seasonal high groundwater, and the determination of whether a system is engineered or can be designed by a site evaluator. This course will primarily be of interest to licensed site evaluators, but is open to all, including local plumbing inspectors and system installers. This course will be held on February 4, 2009 at the Holiday Inn West in Portland and February 6, 2009 at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer
• Subsurface Wastewater System Inspection – Attendees completing this day-long session will earn a voluntary certification for conducting inspections of operating subsurface wastewater disposal systems. Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) have developed a voluntary inspection program that is promoted for use at the time of property transfers. By law, this inspection is now mandatory in the coastal shoreland zone. This process, however, can be used any time a system owner wishes to document an existing subsurface wastewater disposal system. This session, presented by Subsurface Wastewater Program staff and certified system inspectors, will describe the techniques needed to complete the DHHS State Inspection Report Form (HHE-240). Several examples of typical inspection scenarios will be discussed including a review of completed inspection report forms. Advanced techniques and equipment relating to existing system evaluation will be reviewed. This cource will be offerd on February 26, 2009 at the Village by the Sea in Wells.
• Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rule Revisions – This course will be presented by Maine DHHS Subsurface Wastewater Program staff, who will focus on the changes to the Maine Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules, CMR 241, which become effective in April 2009. Attendees will receive a full copy of the Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules, April 2009 edition. This course will primarily be of interest to licensed site evaluators, local plumbing inspectors, and system installers, but is open to all interested parties. This cource will be offered on March 5, 2009 at the State Firemarshal’s Office in Augusta, March 11, 2009 at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer, March 18, 2009 at Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle and March 31, 2009 at Holiday Inn West in Portland.
• Basic Onsite Wastewater System Instillation – This session will be presented by Maine DHHS Subsurface Wastewater Program staff and will provide installers of subsurface wastewater disposal systems with a basic understanding of the design, permitting, construction, and inspection processes contained in the Maine Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules, CMR 241. The various types of recognized systems will be discussed, with significant time devoted to identification and explanation of the rule sections that relate directly to the construction of subsurface systems. A detailed description of the inspection process will be featured, stressing system construction aspects that are critical to the successful long-term functioning of subsurface systems. The use of erosion control devices and the Dig Safe process will also be covered. Attendees who submit HHE-200 Forms for two successfully completed system installations will be granted a certification number. The details of the voluntary Certification Program for System Installers will be covered during this session. This Course will be offered on April 7, 2009 at Granary Brew & Pub in Farmington and April 14, 2009 at Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle.

Six and one-half training contact hours will be awarded for each workshop attended and will apply towards recertification for L.P.I.’s and C.E.O.’s, as well as Maine Department of Human Services and Department of Environmental Protection Voluntary Certification Programs for Septic System Installers and Contractors.

The cost for each workshop is $75 (includes training materials, lunch, and breaks).  For registration information please contact your local Conservation District or the Joint Environmental Training Coordinating Committee (JETCC) at 253-8020 or www.jetcc.org.

The evening starts at 6pm with our social hour & Annual Silent Auction to benefit Environmental Education in York County. The Business meeting starts at 7pm. Several awards will be given to acknowledge the efforts of conservation in York County.

Our guest speakers include:

• Kris Wescott, 4th grade teacher at the Line school in Limerick & Teacher of the Year for YCSWCD & Me Ag in the Classroom
• John Blais from Kennebec County SWCD will talk about Farm Energy Audits

We hope you will joins us. For more information contact Melissa Brant at the York County SWCD.

Saturday, May 16, 2009
Tour: 3:00-4:30pm at Horsepower Farm in Penobscot
Dinner & Door Prizes: 5:00-7:00pm at the Halcyon Grange in Blue Hill
Cost: $12 per person

Join us as we tour Horsepower Farm in Penobscot to view successful management techniques including a horse plowing demonstration, woodlot management, and best management practices that increase productivity and protect our natural resources. A delicious buffet will then be served at the Halcyon Grange in Blue Hill followed by fabulous door prizes! Pre-registration is required by calling the Hancock County SWCD office by Friday, May 1.

Saturday, March 28, 9:00am-Noon
Maine Grind in Ellsworth

Learn to enhance your enjoyment and the productivity of your home garden through the application of simple techniques. Roland Dupuis, of the US Dept. of Agriculture, will cover topics including garden planning, soils and fertility, seedling production, watering, and weed and pest management. Cost: $10.00 per person. Pre-registration is required by calling the Hancock County Soil and Water Conservation District office at 667-8663 ext 3. Sign up early- this workshop will fill up fast!

Supervisors & Staff at the Knox-Lincoln SWCD donated over 100 toys to the “Toys for Tots” campaign this year to help make a difference in a child’s life & ensure their families have a brighter Holiday Season.

Supervisors at Knox-Lincoln SWCD show off their favorite toys which were collected to be donated to the “Toys for Tots” campaign this year. Shown left to right are: Chairman Mark F. Hedrich, Supervisors Sharon Chadwick, Tim Hathorne, Barrie Brusila and Secretary/Treasurer Rick Parent, Jr.

MACD Executive Board left to right, Steve Follette, Jeff Meserve, Marianne Huber, standing, Tony Carol, Tom Gordon, Arthur Dunlap

At the Maine Association of Conservation Districts Annual Meeting, held during the first week of December at the Black Bear Inn in Orono, District supervisors elected a new Executive Board. The new Executive Board is as follows:

• President – Dan LaBrie, from St. John Valley SWCD, who operates a family potato farm in St. Agatha.
• Vice President – Stephen Follette from Washington County SWCD, a manager with Domtar Industires.
• Secretary – Marianne Huber from Kennebec County SWCD, an engineer with Maine DEP.
• Treasurer – Tom Gordon from Cumberland County SWCD,a water quality and conservation specialist.
• Director at Large – Arthur Dunlap from Androscoggin Valley SWCD, a code enforcement officer.
• Director at Large – Jeff Meserve from Oxford County SWCD, an independent forester from South Paris.
• Past President – Tony Carol from York County SWCD, a dairy farmer from Limerick.

As a meeting outcome the Conservation Districts unanimously passed a resolution, drafted by the Franklin County SWCD, urging that any reorganization of Maine’s natural resources agencies be designed to strengthen, rather than diminish, the importance of agriculture. The Districts also voted to support a bond issue being proposed by Maine’s Congress of Lake Associations to protect lake water quality.

Do you have a nutrient management plan for your farm? When was the last time you looked at your nutrient management plan? Is it gathering dust on a shelf in your milk room?

If you have 50 or more animals on your farm, the State of Maine requires you to have a certified plan for the nutrients those animals produce. It is a landowners’ responsibility to keep this plan up to date and accurate.

Somerset County Soil & Water Conservation District is hosting a workshop – Understanding Your Nutrient Management Plan – to assist farmers, landowners, and the general public in recognizing the responsibility that goes along with the plan.

Mark Hedrich, Nutrient Management Coordinator, Maine Department of Agriculture, will speak about how to stay in compliance with State regulation, rules and mandates and how those apply specifically to your operation. He will further explain the complaint process and penalties for non-compliance.

Laura Suomi-Lecker, Technical Director, SCSWCD, will highlight key points of plans and how to interpret them for your operation. Topics covered will include the whole farm budget, record keeping, and spreading rates. She will also answer questions specific to these plans.

Kevin White, District Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will also be on hand to explain the nutrient management requirements necessary for applying for Federal funding assistance programs.

The workshop will be held at the Skowhegan Community Center on Tuesday, December 9th from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. The cost is $10.00 per person and space is limited. Pre-register by sending check or money order to SCSWCD, 12 High Street, Skowhegan ME 04976. Questions can be directed to Carol Weymouth by calling 474-8324 x 102.

Farmers, forest landowners, land managers and others interested in the Conservation and Commodity Titles of the 2008 Farm Bill will have the opportunity to attend one of many information workshops being held through the state.  The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and the USDA Farm Service Agency will be providing up-to-date information on the Farm Bill and what assistance may be available to you, followed by questions and answers.

The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill), which became law on May 22, 2008, increases funding for conservation programs by 38%.  This meeting will provide you the opportunity to hear about changes made from the 2002 Farm Bill and how it will benefit Maine farmers and forest landowners.  Detailed information on the forestry aspects of the new Farm Bill will be further highlighted and discussed at separate meetings in 2009.

The meetings are being hosted by Maine’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts.  Please look at the schedule below to find a convenient time and location to attend:

If you plan to attend one of these workshops and/or require special accommodations, please notify the appropriate Soil and Water Conservation District by no later than one week prior to the meeting.