Gourmet Mushroom Cultivation Field Tour and Demonstration
This workshop is for those interested in growing gourmet mushrooms and would like a basic understanding of the process. We will first comb the woods, looking for ideal and not-so-ideal trees to be used for mushroom cultivation. Then, we will walk through each step of mushroom cultivation on small-diameter logs, using dowel, grain, and plug spawn. This is a good opportunity for people who have thought about mushroom cultivation, and would like to learn in a class setting. We will cover cultivation of several domesticated species of mushrooms, like shiitake, oyster, and lion's mane; plus, what to expect when fruiting and how to store and market these products. All participants will take home an inoculated log of their favorite mushroom species.
Date: Saturday, August 12, 2006
Time: 9 AM - 2 PM
Location: Cornell University's Uihlein Forest 157 Bear Cub Lane, Lake Placid, NY 12946
Fee: $25.00 per person, please bring a lunch. Refreshments will be provided
To Participate: Please pre-register by calling Mike Farrell at (518) 523-9337 or e-mail complete contact information to mlf36@cornell.edu
September 25th to 29th Ornamentals workshop sponsored by N.C. State.
An excellent opportunity to interact with entomologists and pathologists from all over the country. http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/plantpath/activities/societies/ornamental/index.html
Sustainable Landscaping: Turning a New Leaf
November 3, 2006 ~ Bethesda, Maryland
This Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council conference on sustainable landscaping will offer sessions on designing and planning communities, emerging profitability of green businesses, and how-to workshops.
Contact: Carol Jelich (410) 634-2847 ext 40 or Sylvan Kaufman, (410) 634-2847 ext 24.
http://www.chesapeakelandscape.org/
2007 International Master Gardener Conference (http://mg2007.uaex.edu/)
Celebrate Gardening in the Natural State!
May 2-5, 2007
Little Rock, Arkansas
Farmers more than nourish us
A column written for the Albany Times Union by Jennifer Wilkins (a Food and Society Policy Fellow at Cornell University).
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/storyprint.asp?StoryID=496454
News items from National Gardening Association: http://www.garden.org/regional/report/national/2181
Poison Ivy Gets Pumped Up
One of the scourges of summer is dermatitis from contact with poison ivy. The leaves, branches, and roots of this perennial vining weed contain an oil (urushiol) that, once it penetrates your skin, can cause itching and scratching for weeks. Worse yet, the oil remains active on clothes, tools, and gloves and can reinfect you even when youre not working in the garden. As if poison ivy isn't bad enough already, researchers from the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, predict that due to increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, poison ivy will be growing even bigger and faster. For the past six years, researchers have monitored poison ivy plants growing with present CO2 levels and those given artificially increased levels to mimic future predictions. They have found that poison ivy with high CO2 levels doubled its growth rate and produced more of the pain-inducing oil than control plants.
Researchers suspect that all woody vines can put the increased CO2 to use in producing more leaves and vines because they don't have trunks or other supports that need a share of the carbon. For more information about this research, go to: Science News.
New IPM Research and Extension Projects Funded in the Northeast The Northeastern Integrated Pest Management Center recently awarded 21 grants through the Northeast Regional IPM Competitive Grants Program and the IPM Partnership Grants Program, totaling more than $1 million. Both programs focus on addressing real-world IPM challenges. Project of interest to community horticulture: * Design and delivery of IPM outreach programs to low-income urban neighborhoods (Edwin Rajotte, The Pennsylvania State Univ.) * Implementation of the IPM and environmental education curriculum (Donna Ellis, Univ. of Connecticut) * IPM of pest ants in the urban/suburban landscape (Eleanor Groden, Univ. of Maine) * Community IPM working group (Lynn Braband, Cornell Univ., and Mary Kay Malinoski, Univ. of Maryland) IPM Working Groups identify and prioritize IPM needs relating to specific crop types or IPM settings. * Development of Northeast regional interactive tree fruit IPM guidelines (W. Harvey Reissig, Cornell Univ.) * Northeast vegetable and strawberry pest identification supplement (Ruth Hazzard, Univ. of Massachusetts) * Online garden and pest frequently asked questions (Mary Kay Malinoski, Univ. of Maryland) More details about these grants programs and specific projects will be available at www.NortheastIPM.org The Northeastern IPM Center expects to release the Request for Applications for 2007 grants programs in late summer/early fall. Grant Opportunities FUND FOR WILD NATURE Deadline: November 3, 2006 The Fund for Wild Nature is for campaigns to save and restore native species and wild ecosystems, and actions to defend wilderness and biological diversity. More
GROUNDWATER HERO AWARD Nomination Deadline: July 14, 2006 The Vern Haverstick Groundwater Hero Award showcases groundwater protection activities by the unsung, yet heroic, efforts of community residents. The goals of this award are to recognize individual service, spread the word, and inspire leadership. Any member of the public is eligible for this award. More
Job opportunity
University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Assistant Extension Educator in Agriculture
Kennebec and Waldo Counties
Job Announcement - Position #148
The University of Maine Cooperative (UMCE) is seeking an Assistant Extension Educator for Agriculture. This is a regular full-time, faculty position with continuing contract (tenure) eligible. This position will be housed at the Kennebec County Extension Office in Augusta, Maine. The faculty member in this position will design and implement a Plan of Work that aligns with the UMCE mission and addresses high priority public issues in Home Horticulture, Agriculture and Natural Resources in Kennebec (70%) and Waldo (30%) Counties. This individual will also develop, deliver and evaluate educational programs, including workshops, short courses, fact sheets, newsletters and press releases, both independently and as part of a team, that flexibly address emerging issues related to growing and marketing agricultural products and enhance client knowledge and a capacity for applied learning. Audiences include vegetable growers, market gardeners, home gardeners, and small and part-time farmers. This position requires: An earned Master's degree in Home Horticulture, Agronomy or a related agricultural field; knowledge and experience in conducting scholarly work or evidence of scholarly achievements as well as, the demonstrated ability to develop and deliver community based educational programs. This position prefers: Training and some expertise in crop production and/or agronomy; training and/or experience working with and organizing, supporting and supervising volunteers as well as experience in Extension education process.
Salary range: $45,394 - $50,000 commensurate with professional education, experience and demonstrated abilities. For a full job description with both required and preferred qualifications please visit www.umaine.edu/eo/jobs. You may also visit www.umext.maine.edu for information about Cooperative. A complete application packet must consist of a letter of intent addressing the specific job requirements; current resume; all official transcripts; names, addresses, phone numbers and E-mail addresses of three (3) current references (and their relationship to the applicant) that may be contacted. Send complete application packet (no E-mails or faxes accepted) to Sandy Vaillancourt (207-581-3191), 5741 Libby Hall, Room 106, Orono, ME 04469-5741. Review of applications begins on September 15, 2006. The finalist for this position must successfully complete appropriate background checks. A pre-employment physical may be required.
The University of Maine is committed to affirmative actions, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workplace.
For more information contact Lori Bushway
Email: ljb7@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-255-5918