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Extension Perspectives

                      Waldo County Cooperative Extension's Monthly Newsletter                       

Master Gardener Training!

This year’s program will focus on fruits and vegetables.

Beginning September 25th, classes will run from 10am to 1pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays until November 6.

Most classes will be in Waldoboro at the Knox-Lincoln Extension office and some will be in Waldo at the Waldo County Extension office.

In the spring of 2008, the training will continue with a minimum two hands-on workshops. Participants are encouraged to carpool.

After completing all 13 classes, an open book exam and 2 spring workshops, participants are required to give 40 hours of volunteer time to their community. There are many ways for trainees to share their new gardening knowledge – demonstration gardens, school programs, Plant-A-Row for the Hungry campaigns, newsletter articles, public talks and slide shows, answering home gardening calls and more.

After 40 hours of volunteerism, Master Gardeners become certified and can maintain yearly certification with as little as 20 hours. Advanced training opportunities and newsletters are available to all certified Master Gardener Volunteers.

The total program costs $90.00 and includes a large reference manual and extensive hand-outs from Extension specialists and industry experts.

If you’re interested in taking the program, please call or e-mail for an application. Class size is limited, so we will accept applicants on a first-come first-served basis and a clear indication that the applicant is committed to the volunteer component of the program. Please do not send payment at this time.

Please note that there will be another program for Waldo and Kennebec Counties in February.

Thank you and we look forward to talking with you soon!

$50 Maine Senior FarmShares still available!

The Maine Senior FarmShare program still has 2,000 FREE produce shares available for income eligible seniors. The free produce shares, worth $50 each, are a great way to support income eligible seniors with fresh local produce. The shares are available at 80 Maine farms.

Some farms deliver but most require seniors to pick up their produce. Some farms will do a drop off for a larger group of seniors.

How it works: See the senior tips that follow. It explains who can qualify and what they need to do. The seniors’ contact the farms. Once they are in touch they can sign a contract. More information can be found on the web site at: http://www.getrealmaine.com/connect/farmshare/senior.html 

The Farm Share web site sorts farms by county. Each farm on the site has the number of shares available listed in the upper right hand corner. Seniors may need help getting this information. The web site is http://www.getrealmaine.com/connect/farmshare/individual.pdf 

The Department of Agriculture would like to make sure we don't return any USDA grant funds that make these shares available to qualified seniors who would be able to utilize the free, fresh, local produce. Time is of the essence as the growing season is at its peak but will be starting to wind down in September for northern Maine and by October elsewhere.

If you have any further questions please contact Deb Everett of the Maine Department of Agriculture Senior FarmShare Program at 287-7526.

What Seniors Need To Know

A FarmShare is $50 worth of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs during the growing season. To take part in the Senior FarmShare program you must: Be a Maine resident, 60 years old or older (55 if Native American) Not be an immediate family member or live in the same household as the farmer Meet the income guidelines $1,575/month for 1-person household $2,111/month for 2-person household

This program is based on a partnership between you and the farmer you've selected. Do your part by following the tips below: You may sign up with only one farmer per program season. Before you sign an agreement form, be sure you have a way to get to the farm or farmers’ market to get the produce (unless your farmer delivers). Before you sign an agreement form, check to see if your farmer plans to have the fruits and vegetables you are looking for. Plan to make FarmShare purchases regularly throughout the season. Your farmer is required to give unused shares to other seniors. Let your farmer know as soon as possible if you are not able to use all of your FarmShare. FarmShare purchases can be used to get fresh, unprocessed Maine-grown fruits, vegetables and herbs only.  If your farmer has other products for sale, i.e., eggs, cheese, meats, pickles, jams, jellies; you can buy them with your own funds.  Try some new vegetables and fruits as well as old favorites.  Some farms and farmers’ markets have recipes and storage tips available. Remember, weather may affect what your farmer has to offer.

Parenting the Preschooler Keep Your Child Active!

Physical activity helps children build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints builds lean muscle helps decrease body fat helps prevent and reduce high blood pressure may enhance self-esteem and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety may increase a child’s capacity for learning as it helps teach them about their world.

Many concerns have been raised about the increasing levels of obesity among children. While a variety of factors contribute to this effect, declining levels of physical activity likely exert a major influence.

Your expectations and encouragement influence your child. Do the children of active parents tend to be more active? Experts say that parents who are active themselves and who support and encourage their children to be active have a positive influence on their children’s physical activity levels.

Expect your child to be successful in sports or physical activities. Show your child you value their physical activity and your preschooler will be more likely to pursue this behavior. Promote physical activity for your children - both boys and girls. Be sure to encourage physical activity even if you think your child is not apparently gifted regarding physical activity. Help your child find some movement to enjoy. Give your child practice time to build competence and a sense of mastery. Give your child many opportunities to gain a skill and increase confidence.

Show the importance of physical activity by being involved. You show that physical activity is important when you are involved. Play catch, take a walk, push the swing, twirl with a hula hoop, go skating, or ride bikes together. Do it often!

Make it easy to be to be physically active. Provide access to facilities, programs, and equipment to engage your child in physical activity. Go to parks and schools where you can access playground equipment. Be sure to check playground equipment for safety. Purchase equipment to have available to encourage physical activity. Look for used equipment to keep costs down. Again, check to see that the equipment is safe for use. Look for daily opportunities for your preschooler to be active.

Take action for your child’s physical activity: Promote daily physical activity (e.g., walking, running, riding a tricycle or bike, dancing, playing with a ball or at the playground, playing on equipment that requires balance, playing games such as “Simon Says”). Encourage your preschooler to be independent (e.g., letting them climb up into the child safety seat). Let your child make choices about which activity to do. Involve your child in the decision-making by asking questions such as, “Do you want to ride your three-wheeler or play catch?” Play with your child before watching television. Gradually extend your active playtime and decrease television time. Include indoor activities with soft equipment that can be used in small spaces (e.g., playing tag or hide-and-seek, tossing a nerf ball, or crawling through an obstacle course). Reduce your child’s fears of trying activities by providing an encouraging atmosphere which reduces fears of getting hurt and shows empathy. Use child care providers who promote physical activity and have the space and equipment for it. Provide appropriate safety equipment such as helmets when children participate in physical activity. Understand that children do not develop catching, throwing, and kicking skills by a specific age. However, if children have not attempted any of these activities by age 4, they may have difficulty keeping up with their peers. Match the activity to your child, not your child to the activity. Engage your child in developmentally appropriate organized activities such as tumbling, gymnastics, and dancing. Seek out qualified, experienced instructors. Children under 6 years old need time to develop their motor skills. For this reason, they are not ready for organized sports, which require visual acuity, control, and balance. Make it fun!

“We are what we repeatedly do.” Aristotle

Author: JP Ploetz, Nutrition Program Coordinator, University of Wisconsin-Extension, Vilas, Forest, Florence Counties Editor: Joan E. LeFebvre, Professor, Department of Family Development, University of Wisconsin-Extension Reviewer: Amy Rettammel, Outreach Specialist, Nutrition Program, UW-Extension & UW-Madison Layout: Penny Otte, Program Assistant III, Family Living Area Office, Vilas County

Storage as a Food Preservation Method

The increasing cost of food has resulted largely from higher energy and labor costs in producing, processing, and transporting food. More than half of the money spent on food is for marketing services.

Cutting food costs and concern for the wholesomeness of food have led many people to return to producing part or all of their own food supply. Coincident with this is the resurgence of interest in home food preservation. Home canning has become popular again, and the home freezer has been adopted by many as a convenient means of food preservation.

Storage of fruits and vegetables was used extensively by our ancestors. It makes use of cold weather for refrigeration and includes any method of preserving food that does not require processing. It will be of interest to gardeners hoping to increase their self-sufficiency beyond the growing season and to those wishing to purchase quantities of certain fresh produce, in season, for use throughout the winter. While storage does require an awareness of food characteristics and some materials and maintenance to assist natural conditions.

Below is a table, comparing food preservation methods. For more details, please call our office and ask for bulletin #4135: Storage Conditions - Fruits and Vegetables, or find it online for viewing or printing at: www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/4135.htm

RECIPES

Zucchini Muffins

1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup egg whites
½ cup sugar
¼ cup Splenda
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup skim milk
1 ½ cups grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray. In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites slightly and stir in sugar, Splenda, oil and zucchini. Add to flour mixture stirring just until combined. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for about 18 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then turn out of pans. Serve warm or refrigerate/freeze for later use.

Serves 12. Each serving: 1 muffin Total Preparation & Cooking Time: 35 min. (15 Prep, 20 Cook)

Diabetic Exchanges: Bread & Starch: 1.0, Fat: 0.5, Fruit: 0.5

Nutrition Information (per serving) Calories 130 Dietary Fiber 2.2g Total Fat 3.7g Sugars 9.9g Saturated Fat 0.4g Protein 2.9g Trans Fat 0g Vitamin A 72.8iu (1%) Cholesterol 0mg Vitamin C 1.7mg (2%) Sodium 87mg Calcium 30mg (3%) Carbohydrates 22.8g Iron 0.8mg (4%)

Sicilian Chicky Pita

This pita sandwich features crunchy sweet peppers with robust pasta sauce and velvety chic peas for an easy, almost no-cook meal.

1-15 ounce can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 cup garlic pasta sauce
1 cup cooked broccoli florets
1 cup diced bell peppers
4 whole wheat pita breads

Toss all ingredients together and chill until ready to serve. If making the day before, keep broccoli separate and toss in at the last minute. Warm pitas lightly and cut in half. Fill with Sicilian Chicky salad and serve.

We found that this sandwich goes well with tossed green salad, carrot sticks and fresh sliced melon.

Servings: 4- 1 pita per serving

Diabetic Exchanges: Bread & Starch: 3.0, Vegetable: 2.0

Total Preparation & Cooking Time: 10 min. (5 Prep, 5 Cook)

Nutrition Information (per serving) Calories 320 Total Fat 2.5g Saturated Fat 0g Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 550mg Carbohydrates 60g Dietary Fiber 8g Sugars 6g Vitamin A 750iu (15%) Protein 14g Vitamin C 72mg (120%) Calcium 80mg (8%) Iron 2.7mg (15%)

Recipes from: Communicating Food For Health

Grants offered for projects in agricultural sustainability

The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program offers three different competitive grant programs, all with application deadlines in the late fall and early winter. These grants are capped at $10,000 and should offer innovative approaches to sustainable agriculture.

Farmer grants are for commercial farmers who would like to explore a new practice or idea, often by conducting an experiment, trial, or on-farm demonstration. Projects can explore a wide range of topics such as pest management, soil health, adding value, marketing, or new production techniques, and funds can be used to pay for the farmer's time and for materials specific to the project. The application deadline is December 18.

Partnership Grants are for Cooperative Extension, NRCS, and other agricultural professionals who work directly with farmers. They support on-farm research and demonstration projects in sustainable agriculture, and funds can be used to pay for personnel, materials, sampling, supplies, testing, and to compensate cooperating farmers for their time. The application deadline is December 4.

Sustainable Community grants are for projects that connect farming and rural economic development. Projects can address issues like finance, marketing, land and water use, adding value to farm products, enterprise development, or farm labor. Applicants must be affiliated with an organization such as a community nonprofit, Cooperative Extension, local government, an educational institution, a planning board, a farming cooperative, or an incorporated citizens' group. This grant is offered in partnership with the Northeast Center for Rural Development. The application deadline is November 27.

Applications are posted on the Northeast SARE web site at www.uvm.edu/~nesare, or call (802) 656-0471 to request a printed copy.

Wondering where you can take your extra garden produce ?

Are you running out of friends and neighbors who will take those extra zucchini off your hands? Wondering what you were thinking when you planted all those rows of green beans?

Then it’s time to Help your local food cupboard or soup kitchen. Local food cupboards are more than happy to accept your extras for their monthly food distribution.

Belfast

• Greater Belfast Area - 338-5575 Ministerium Food Cupboard 23 Mill Lane Every other Friday 9 to 11:30 am

• Little River Baptist Church - 589-4557 259 Northport Ave Second Tuesday monthly 8 to 11 am

• Stone Soup Kitchen - 338-4845 9 Field Street Unit 224 A Monday - Friday 10 to 1 pm

Jackson

• Jackson Church Food Pantry - 722-3205 Village Road (Community Center) Third Thursday monthly 9 to 10 am

• Knox Happy Time Food Pantry - 382-6181 171 Knox Ridge South Third Thursday monthly 4:30 to 6:30 pm

Liberty

• AMVETS Memorial Post #150 - 589-4218 Main Street Last Sunday monthly 10 to 1 pm

Northport

• The Northport Food Pantry - 338-3625 491 Atlantic Hwy 3rd Wednesday Monthly 7-11 am

Prospect

• Prospect Com. Food Pantry - 223-5757 Bangor Road Second Saturday Each Month 9 to 11 am Searsport

Searsport

• Cong. & Meth. Church - 548-6204 Main Street Every Saturday 9:30 to 11:30 am

Unity

• Volunteer Regional Food Pantry - 948-6232 Grammar School Gym) - School St 3rd Saturday Each month 8:30 to 10:30 am

Winterport

• The Neighbors Cupboard, Inc. - 525-3208 Main Road Every Wednesday 9 to 10 am

Parents Are Teachers Too program
If you are expecting or recently had your first baby, call 1-800-287-1426 for more information or to enroll in the PATT program to help your child get the best possible start in life.

Eat Well program
Could you use help in stretching food stamps, cooking and shopping for one or two, providing snacks for children? Contact UMaine Cooperative Extension Eat Well Program for a nutrition aid to help you.

Newsletters available from UMaine Extension Waldo County

• 4-H on the Move – Monthly newsletter covering County, State & National 4-H activities, news, and resources

• Eat Well - Quarterly newsletter featuring food topics, nutrition, health, exercise & food safety, emphasizing our EatWell program

• MGFN - Published quarterly, Maine Grass Farmers Network features articles & events related to raising animals on pasture

• Perspectives - Monthly newsletter with upcoming programming and events in Waldo County, and informative articles from various program areas

• Publications Catalog – Listing all UMaine Extension publications available

Staff

Extension Educators:
Jane Haskell, Business, Youth & Community Development
Rick Kersbergen, Agriculture & Natural Resources

Eat Well Program Staff: Beth Chamberlain, Pat Fraser

4-H Program Aide: Joyce Weaver

Parents Are Teachers, Too Staff: Pam LaHaye, Coordinator, Martha Powers, Diane Russell, Ellie Weider

Extension Support Staff: Sónia Antunes, Connie Clements

Horticultural Aide, Knox-Lincoln-Waldo: Liz Stanley
 
Waldo County Extension Association
PRESIDENT: Barbara Gould
SECRETARY: Lucia (Chia) Murdock
TREASURER:

Michelle Gharst
Jacqui Lee
Andrew Marshall
Robert Nelson
Anne Rothrock