On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Glenda Pereira, Assistant Extension Professor and State Dairy Specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, has a conversation with Kate Turcotte, Maine Field Agent for Land For Good and the Maine Education Coordinator for the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship. Kate has returned to Maine with her family after farming and making cheese in Vermont. The conversation today highlights resources for farmers looking to navigate succession planning, as well as change in land ownership. Kate and her team will be offering a succession planning school in Maine during the Fall of 2024 so be sure to check that out when dates are released.

• Land For Good
• Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Program

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).

Dr. Gregg Rentfrow, University of Kentucky Meat Science Specialist, visited Maine to help with the Maine Meat Cutting School. While he was here, Dr. Colt Knight sat down to discuss what it takes to set up a commercial meat processing facility and what it takes to get setup processing animals for yourself and family.

Gregg started out as a retail meat cutter, then entered academia earning a B.S., and M.S. in Animal and Meat Science from the University of Illinois and Ph.D. in Meat Science and Muscle Biology from the University of Missouri while coaching the meats judging team and serving as the interim meat lab manager. He joined the University of Kentucky as the Extension Meats Specialist in 2006, with an extension/teaching appointment. Dr. Rentfrow received the university’s highest extension award, the M.D. Whiteker Award for Extension Excellence, in 2017. Rentfrow recently received the prestigious Animal Industry Innovation Award from the American Society of Animal Science. He lives in northern Madison County, Kentucky.

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Colt Knight interviews Ashley Wright, an area assistant livestock agent with the University of Arizona. Ashley joined us in Maine for a week to help deliver a series of in-person seminars on getting started with poultry. As a Livestock Area Agent with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, she provides leadership in extension programs focusing on livestock production and management across both large and small-scale operations in Cochise, Pima, and Santa Cruz Counties. Her programs cover a diverse array of topics crucial to the livestock industry, including herd health and management, nutrition, reproduction, genetics, and marketing. While much of her program focuses on cow-calf operations, she also work extensively with Arizona's growing population of backyard chicken enthusiasts, especially those in areas who have recently relaxed zoning regulations to allow for urban chicken keeping. The educational content she produces covers an array of topics such as raising health chicks, poultry diseases, coop design, heat stress, nutrition, egg production, and egg safety. She lives in Vail, Arizona, just outside of Tucson and maintains a small backyard flock of laying hens.

• Ashley Wright
• Learn more about raising poultry in Maine

Original music by Colt Knight.

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Colt W. Knight, Associate Extension Professor and State Livestock Specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, meets up with Dr. Derek Bailey, Professor Emeritus for New Mexico State University, and Dr. Colin Tobin, Research Animal Scientist at the Carrington Research Station for North Dakota State University, to discuss some of the new technology emerging in livestock behavior and precision grazing including sensors to pick up location and activity, virtual fencing, and cameras that measure and weigh livestock in near real time. I attended the Society for Range Management (SRM) National Meeting in Sparks, Nevada this January where Dr. Bailey received the SRM Sustained Lifetime Achievement Award to take part in the Precision Livestock Management and Virtual Fencing Symposia. I was able to corner Dr. Bailey and Dr. Tobin to discuss their research and visions for the future of livestock production.

To learn more about Dr. Derek Bailey’s research visit:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Derek-Bailey-2

To Learn more about Dr. Colin Tobin please visit –
https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-home/directory/colin-tobin

Original music by Colt Knight.

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Glenda Pereira, Assistant Extension Professor & State Dairy Specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, has an on-farm conversation with Heath Miller. Heath and his family were awarded the 2023 Maine Dairy farm of the year and New England Green Pastures Winner for the state of Maine. The Green Pastures program began in 1947, when New Hampshire’s then-governor Charles Dale bet that his state had greener pastures than anywhere else in New England. For 76 years, the Green Pastures program has recognized one extraordinary dairy farm in each state. The GreenValle Farm began when the Miller’s settled in Newburgh, Maine, in the mid-1850s.

To learn more about the GreenValle farm please visit their social media page–

https://www.facebook.com/p/Green-Valle-Farm-100057627752266/

To learn more about the New England Green Pastures program–

https://agriculture.vermont.gov/new-england-green-pastures-recognizes-outstanding-dairy-farms-year

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Colt W. Knight (Associate Extension Professor and State Livestock Specialist) has a serious conversation with Lucy Wess, Esq. (Program Director) and Dr. Leslie Forstadt (UMaine Cooperative Extension Faculty, Human Development Specialist, and Program Grant Administrator) about Farmer Mental Health and Agricultural Mediation in January 2024.

More information on Ag Mediation:
https://extension.umaine.edu/agriculture/agricultural-mediation/

Maine Resilience Building Network:
https://maineresilience.org

16 Hour Course on Ag Mediation Training:
https://extension.umaine.edu/agriculture/agricultural-mediation/training/

Leslie Forstadt, Ph.D.:
https://extension.umaine.edu/about/staff-directory/leslie-forstadt/

When in Crisis, Call or Text:
The phone number for the
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline:
988
The current Lifeline phone number1.800.273.8255 (para Español, call 1.888.628.9454) will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, even after 988 is launched nationally. For TTY Users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 7-1-1 then 1.800.273.8255.

Original music by Colt Knight.

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).

On the third episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Colt W. Knight, Associate Extension Professor & State Livestock Specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, has a late-night conversation with Scott Jensen, Extension Educator at the University of Idaho. Scott conducts applied research and extension programs in beef cattle, range and pasture management. He co-coordinates the Idaho Beef Quality Assurance program and conducts the longstanding Lost Rivers Grazing Academy. In addition, Mr. Jensen is the President-elect for National Association of County Agricultural Agents(NACAA) and works diligently with Extension Agents across the country and its territories offering professional development opportunities to those of in the field. I got a chance to sit down with Scott at the Winter Board Meeting for the NACAA in Dallas, Texas in December 2023 to talk about some of the differences in Western vs. North Eastern Beef production.

To learn more about Mr. Scott Jensen please visit:

https://www.uidaho.edu/extension/our-people/i-k/scott-jensen

Original music by Colt Knight.

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).

On the second episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Colt W. Knight, Associate Extension Professor & State Livestock Specialist for UMaine Cooperative Extension, sits down with Dr. Brett Kaysen, the Senior Vice President of Producer and State Engagement for the National Pork Board. I met up with Brett at the national Pork Board Swine Educators and Outreach Professionals Conference held in October, 2023 at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Kaysen earned his PhD from Colorado State University, and served as an Animal Science Faculty member there for many years prior to going to work with the National Pork Board. Brett now resides in Iowa, and has a swine farm to keep him busy in his off time.

Learn more about Brett Kaysen, Ph.D.:

https://porkcheckoff.org/author/brett-kaysen-ph-d/

If you would like more information on the Pork Check Off, please visit:
https://porkcheckoff.org

Original music by Colt Knight.

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).