2024 Maine Agricultural Trades Show

Conference Sessions

Conference sessions help attendees learn about current agricultural, food system and natural resource management topics. Some offer membership meetings, and training credits.

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Conference Schedule

More content to be announced, and adjustments may be made as needed. Enjoy the show!

Printable Schedules

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Tuesday, January 9, 2024 +

Time Conference Description
8:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Room: Arnold
Maine Christmas Tree Association Winter Meeting

Host: Maine Christmas Tree Association

Come learn how to be a Christmas Tree farmer and get pesticide credits.

The pesticide credit session is from 10 to 11AM. What is Required in the Pesticide Applicator Logbook? - Alex Peacock, Manager of Compliance, BPC


CEU: Pesticide
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: Piscataquis/Sagadahoc
Demystifying Organic Certification & USDA's Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP)

Host: Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Learn the basics of organic certification process and requirements of becoming a certified organic producer. The USDA's Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) will also be covered. TOPP, which is part of USDA's larger Organic Transition Initiative (OTI), aims to offer unprecedented support for farms and producers to transition to organic certification. Learn about becoming a mentor, a transitioning producer (mentee) and other opportunities through USDAs OTI.

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Room: Washington/York
Comprehensive Farmworker Safety Training

Host: Pathstone

Customized training reviewing Worker Protection Standard, Limiting Exposure Around Families, and Tractor Safety

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: Hancock
Farmer Training Session

Host: Maine Women, Infants, Children, and Farmers Market Nutrition Program

This session will give insight on WIC's purpose, eligible foods, requirements, and process. Apply to become a Maine WIC Farmer.

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Room: Waldo
Poultry Nutrition: Scratching Below the Surface

Host: Blue Seal Feeds/Kent Nutrition

Learn how to navigate feed tags to understand ingredients used and energy provided. We will cover the dietary needs of the birds as well as the nutrition behind the label.

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: Kennebec/Penobscot
Drones 101

Host: UMaine Cooperative Extension/Maine Board of Pesticides Control Pesticide

Thomas Massey, Active Intelligence. LLC; John Pietroski, BPC


CEU: Pesticide
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Room: Piscataquis/Sagadahoc
Maine Dairy Meeting

Host: Maine Dairy Industry Assoc. (MDIA)

All Maine dairy farms welcome to join us for an open forum on current topics from policy to market conditions.

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Room: Piscataquis/Sagadahoc
Agriculture in the tourism space and how to engage with the Maine Office of Tourism

Host: Maine Office of Tourism

Come learn about the Maine Office of Tourism's marketing and PR initiatives; how agritourism enhances the Maine 'brand"; and how you can engage with MOT programs to benefit your business.

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Room: Somerset
Partnering with Daybreak Growers Alliance

Host: Daybreak Growers Alliance

Learn about the process of partnering with Daybreak Growers Alliance, how to crop plan ahead for a fruitful and cooperative season.

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Room: Hancock
Maine Cheese Guild Winter Meeting

Host: Maine Cheese Guild

Learn about and discuss Maine cheese making and plans for 2024.

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Room: Lincoln/Oxford
Composting as a Tool for Managing PFAS Contamination in Livestock Mortalities at a Central Maine Farm

Host: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

Mark A. King, Organics Management Specialist, Maine Department of Environmental Protection; & Mark F. Hedrich, Nutrient Management Program Manager, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

Qualifies for 1 Nutrient Management Recertification Credit.


CEU: Nutrient Management
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Room: Auditorium Main Stage
Farmers' Panel - Making USDA Work for You!

Host: USDA Rural Development

Learn from a panel of Maine farmers who have used USDA programs to improve their agricultural businesses. USDA Rural Development State Director Rhiannon Hampson, Farm Service Agency Farm Loan Chief Lucia Brown, and Natural Resources Conservation Service District Conservationist Peter Abello will facilitate the discussion and help field audience questions.

10:15 AM - 11:15 AM

Room: Kennebec/Penobscot
Potential Changes in Pesticide Uses from the Endangered Species Act Implementation

Host: UMaine Cooperative Extension/Maine Board of Pesticides Control Pesticide

-Pam Bryer, Toxicologist, BPC


CEU: Pesticide
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Room: Piscataquis/Sagadahoc
Maine Organic Milk Producers Meeting

Host: Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Updates on organic dairy cost of production, updates from Maine Dairy Industry Association, and updates from MOFGA Certification Services on any changes to rules or processes.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Room: Waldo
Improving Your Flock - Who to cull, how to decide

Host: Maine Sheep Breeders Association

We will share values to help you decide how to improve your flock through purchasing and culling.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Room: Lincoln/Oxford
Making the Most Out of Your Farm-Grown Crop Nitrogen Sources

Host: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

Nick Rowley, Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Professional, University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Qualifies for 1 Nutrient Management Recertification Credit.


CEU: Nutrient Management
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Room: Kennebec/Penobscot
BPC Update - Rules, Regulations, and Enforcement

Host: UMaine Cooperative Extension/Maine Board of Pesticides Control Pesticide

Karla Boyd and Alex Peacock, BPC


CEU: Pesticide
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Room: Piscataquis/Sagadahoc
Hoping for the Best, Planning for the Worst

Host: Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Learn about how we expect pests and diseases to change with our climate, how those changes will affect management tools, and how you can build more flexibility and resilience into your pest management systems.


CEU: Pesticide
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Room: Auditorium Main Stage
How Co-opetition Can Help You (And Your Competitors) Grow Market Share

Host: Maine Tasting Center

Hear from SCORE business mentors, and business owners who share first-hand experiences.

12:45 PM - 1:45 AM

Room: Kennebec/Penobscot
A Comprehensive Approach to IPM, Soil Fumigation, Timing, Fertility, and ROI Strategies for Sustainable Potato Production in Northern Maine

Host: UMaine Cooperative Extension/Maine Board of Pesticides Control Pesticide

Bee Chim, UMaine


CEU: Pesticide
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Room: Piscataquis/Sagadahoc
Managing nitrogen with uncertain weather

Host: Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Nitrogen is the trickiest nutrient to "get right" on organic farms even in an ideal growing year, and it's more difficult when conditions are less than ideal. Learn about organic sources of nitrogen fertility, and considerations for how to best prepare for uncertain growing conditions. Come learn important insight!

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Room: Somerset
Maine Winery Guild Annual Membership Meeting

Host: Maine Winery Guild

Annual membership meeting comprising a business session and a presentation

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Room: Waldo
Maine ESE Trustees

Host: Maine ESE Trustees

Annual winter meeting

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Room: Hancock
AIIP Grantee Meetup

Host: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry

Grantees are welcome to use this time to meet with each other to share updates about their improvement projects.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Room: Piscataquis/Sagadahoc
Resources for a Climate Resilient Farm

Host: Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Learn about increasing the climate resilience of your farm through resources like Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) cost-share programs and the Climate Smart Commodities program that provides farmers with soil health grants, soil health benchmarking reports, and climate-smart marketing support.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Room: Lincoln/Oxford
Selecting Soil Health Practices to Improve Nutrient Management

Host: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

Matt Boucher, PhD, State Soil Scientist, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry

Qualifies for 1 Nutrient Management Recertification Credit.


CEU: Nutrient Management
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Room: Kennebec/Penobscot
Worker Protection Standard

Host: UMaine Cooperative Extension/Maine Board of Pesticides Control Pesticide

Kerry Bernard, UMaine


CEU: Pesticide
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Room: Auditorium Main Stage
Local Agriculture in Our Schools

Host: Maine Ag in the Classroom

Celebrate the local agriculture in our schools! Outstanding, award-winning teachers share their Ag education program.

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Room: Piscataquis/Sagadahoc
Using Cash Flow Projections for Forecasting Risks of Crop Failure

Host: Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Cash flow projections are a common financial tool to help farmers assess risks and anticipate how disruptions, costs, weather, crop failure, and other changes impact the farm business. Step-by-step example of a crop failure on a sample farm will show you how to use spreadsheets and data to understand how to use cash flow projection to help build resiliency into your farm planning.

3:15 PM - 4:15 PM

Room: Kennebec/Penobscot
Ag Container Recycling Council Maine Program Summary

Host: UMaine Cooperative Extension/Maine Board of Pesticides Control Pesticide

Mark Hudson/Leigh O'Neill, ACRC


CEU: Pesticide
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Room: Piscataquis/Sagadahoc
Research update: OMRI listed fungicide trial, and sweet potato variety trial

Host: Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Presenting two research trial results from the 2023 season. First: five fungicide treatments and two combinations on delicata squash. Treatments included a bacterial bio-fungicide, a knotweed extract bio-fungicide, copper, sulfur and thyme oil. Second: marketable yields of six different sweet potato varieties, grown with organic management in Maine, and was part of a larger trial in New Hampshire.

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Room: Auditorium Main Stage
National Farmworker Jobs Program

Host: National Farmworker Jobs Program

Learn about the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) a nationally-directed, locallyadministered program of services for migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents.

Close Tuesday Conferences -

Wednesday, January 10, 2024 +

Time Conference Description
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Room: Washington/York
Maine Maple Producers Association Annual Meeting

Host: Maine Maple Producers Association

Rescheduling to another date.

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Room: Auditorium Main Stage
The Good Crust

Host: The Good Crust

Learn about the Maine grains used for this delicious dough, and the evolution of this start-up business expanding new product lines for customers in Maine and beyond!

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Room: Arnold
Maine Pomological Society Winter Meeting

Host: Maine Pomological Society

Pomological Society Business Meeting, Sam Ricker, president.

Reports from standing committees on Marketing, Labor, Legislative, etc.


CEU: Pesticide
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Room: Washington/York
Protecting Maine's agricultural resources: policy strategies to advance farmland protection at the municipal, state, and federal level

Host: Maine Farmland Trust

Wondering how to protect Maine's farmland from development pressure, why this topic matters for your farm or in your town, and how to get engaged? Join us for a session that will share resources and present strategies to advance farmland protection at various levels of government.

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Room: Piscataquis/Sagadahoc
Maine Beef Producers Association (MBPA) Annual Meeting

Host: Maine Beef Producers Association

MBPA's Annual Meeting includes Board of Directors election and annual Awards.

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Room: Ft. Western
Rural Development's Business and Cooperative Program Grants

Host: USDA Rural Development

Come learn about Rural Development's grants to help agricultural producers and rural businesses, particularly our Rural Energy for America Program and Value-Added Producer Grants.

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Room: Lincoln/Oxford
Nutrient Management in Grasslands

Host: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

Jaime Garzon, PhD, Assistant Extension Professor and Dairy Forage Educator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Qualifies for 1 Nutrient Management Recertification Credit.


CEU: Nutrient Management
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Room: Auditorium Main Stage
Maine Marinara Collaborative

Host: Maine Marinara Collaborative

Learn about the delicious Maine ingredients coming together for this blend of Maine-made sauce helping highlight local processing and scalable menu choices for institutions throughout the state!

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Room: Ft. Western
New Vegetable Varieties, Focus on Disease Resistance

Host: Maine Vegetable and Small Fruit Growers Assoc.

Tom Lewandowski, Harris Seeds and Lauchlin Titus, Seedway

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Room: Arnold
Shared sessions with other produce growers

Host: Maine Pomological Society

Shared sessions with other produce growers

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Room: Arnold
Shared sessions with other produce growers

Host: Maine Pomological Society

Shared sessions with other produce growers

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Room: Ft. Western/Arnold
Managing Deer Problems on Your Farm - Panel

Host: Maine Vegetable and Small Fruit Growers Assoc.

Wells Croft, NCRS, IF&W


CEU: Pesticide
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Room: Lincoln/Oxford
Effects of Nutrient Enrichment on Water Bodies

Host: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

Thomas J. Danielson, Aquatic Toxicology Unit Leader, Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

Qualifies for 1 Nutrient Management Recertification Credit.


CEU: Nutrient Management
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Room: Auditorium Main Stage
The Maine Cheese Guild

Host: The Maine Cheese Guild

Looking to explore more Maine cheese this coming year? Meet the cheesemaker and learn how more than 60 brands and businesses are making award-winning, mouthwatering cheese from Maine!

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Room: Ft. Western
Agricultural Chemical Update

Host: Maine Vegetable and Small Fruit Growers Assoc.

PFAS: Glen Koehler, Megan Patterson, Regulatory: MBPC, New Products: Nutrien

Fee for non-members


CEU: Pesticide
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Room: Somerset
Farm Labor Listening Session

Host: Merrymeeting Food Council and University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Join the Merrymeeting Food Council and UMaine Cooperative Extension to learn about new and old Ag Apprenticeship programs. We will highlight the newly passed LD 901: Resolve, To Establish a Pilot Project to Support Farm Apprenticeships in Maine, which will provide funds to farms to host ag apprentices. Additionally, learn about the MOFGA apprenticeship program, and the Farm Skill Training program, managed by the Merrymeeting Food Council. There will be time to share your thoughts and needs as related to farm labor needs on your farm.

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM

Room: Ft. Western/Arnold
Recognizing and Managing Stress in Difficult Times

Host: Maine Vegetable and Small Fruit Growers Assoc.

Leslie Forstadt


CEU: Pesticide
4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Room: Auditorium Main Stage
Maine 4-H Dairy Team Recipe Demo

Host: Maine 4-H

Learn how to make the award-winning grilled cheese and wild blueberry milkshake recipe from Maine's 4-H dairy team. Enjoy tasty samples featuring Maine ingredients!

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Room: Washington/York
Pie Social

Host: Maine Farmers Coalition

Join our founding members for a discussion on agricultural policy and delicious pie!

Close Wednesday Conferences -

Thursday, January 11, 2024 +

Time Conference Description
8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Registration Required

Room: Arnold/Howard
Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training

Host: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry and University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, farm food safety best practices, and co-management of natural resources and food safety. The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule training requirement.


Register
CEU: Pesticide
9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Room: Piscataquis/Sagadahoc
Building Bridges Between Farmers and Schools

Host: Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition Maine Farm & Sea to School & Maine Farm and Sea to School Network

Join us for this networking and educational session, and hear how you can get involved and work with your local schools. School food service directors and farmers discuss successful working relationships bringing more local foods to Maine students. Updates on Maine's Local Food Fund and new federal Local Food for Schools program for selling to schools.

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Room: Lincoln/Oxford
Cultivating Knowledge through Immersive Food System Experiences

Host: Maine Nutrition Council

Join us on a journey to learn about the Professional Development in Agriculture Literacy (PDAL) grant and the impact on Maine Career & Technical Education Culinary Art Chef Instructors and their students. Four educational experiences will be highlighted: Culinary Arts Summer Institute, Local Food Competition, Mini-grants, and classroom lessons.

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Room: Hancock
Maine Senior FarmShare Information & Farmer Training

Host: Maine Senior FarmShare

Join Maine Senior FarmShare Program Manager to learn about participating in the program and gain training on program requirements.

9:00 AM - 4:00 AM

Room: Ft. Western
High Bush Blueberry Production Workshop

Host: University of Maine Cooperative Extension

An in-depth workshop on growing high bush blueberries, from variety selection to pest management, for people interested in commercial production.

Pesticide Credits:

Attend all three for 1 credit: 10:30-11:00 BB Variety Characteristics 11:00-11:30 Site Selection & Preparation 11:30-12:00 Planting & Early Care

Attend all three for 1 credit: 1:00-1:30 BB Plant Nutrition Done Right 1:30-2:00 Pruning BB Bushes Young and Old 2:00-2:30 Pest Identification and Management


CEU: Pesticide
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Room: Kennebec/Penobscot
Board of Pesticides Control Update

Host: UMaine Cooperative Extension/Maine Board of Pesticides Control

John Pietroski, BPC


CEU: Pesticide
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Room: Washington/York
Maine Agritourism Summit

Host: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

Join us for the inaugural agritourism summit! Come with questions about what types of agritourism might be ideal for your farm, best practices for marketing, risk management, and business ideas. Plus, there will be plenty of time for networking with other farmers.

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Room: Somerset
PFAS Fund Advisory Committee Public Hearing

Host: PFAS Fund

Join the PFAS Fund Advisory Committee and DACF staff to learn about-and help shapethe programs being supported by the PFAS Fund. You will hear how DACF has assisted PFAS-impacted farms to date and learn about the status of new programs being developed by the PFAS Fund, tentative timeframes for availability, and application processes. You will also be asked to share your ideas for research priorities and implementation strategies.

Join on Zoom

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Room: Androscoggin/Aroostook
Maine Dairy Leadership Cohort Training

Host: Maine Cheese Guild

Financial Planning and Leadership

10:15 AM - 12:15 PM

Room: Kennebec/Penobscot
Drones, Wild Blueberry Disease, Bugs in Wild Blueberries and their Management

Host: UMaine Cooperative Extension/Maine Board of Pesticides Control
  • Into the Weeds on Drone Spraying, Lily Calderwood, UMaine
  • Wild BB Disease Update, Seanna Annis, UMaine
  • Good Bugs, Bad Bugs, & New Bugs in Wild BB & Their Management, Phillip Fanning, UMaine

2 pesticide credits for attending all three


CEU: Pesticide
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Room: Howard
Maine's Food Processing: Collaborations for High Impact

Host: Maine Food Convergence Project

Learn about Food Processing interventions sparked by the statewide Food Processing Work Group, including new avenues that gets immigrant and other BIPOC farm produce to schools, hospitals, and Dept. of Corrections facilities. Learn and discuss how we are gaining momentum by forging connections for highest impact. Share your processing-related work and keep an eye out for potential collaborations.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Room: Hancock
Farmer Training Session

Host: Maine Women, Infants, Children, and Farmers Market Nutrition Program

This session will give insight on WIC's purpose, eligible foods, requirements, and process. Apply to become a Maine WIC Farmer.

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Room: Somerset
Meet the PFAS Staff

Host: PFAS Fund

Staff from DACF's PFAS Response and PFAS Fund programs will be available for conversations about the Departments PFAS response activities.

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Room: Hancock
Agroforestry and Permaculture Design for Farmers

Host: Maine Ecological Design School

Learn about the intelligent design of productive tree and shrub systems into the farm landscape. We will discuss the steps in an ecological design process that includes agroforestry forms of production including alley cropping, silvopasture, conservation buffers, windbreaks and more.

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Room: Auditorium Main Stage
Maine Immigrant Greens Collaborative

Host: Maine Immigrant Greens Collaborative

Learn how Maine farms, communities, and processors are inviting new Mainers to the table by helping feature locally grown, hearty greens (collard greens, kale, and up-cycled brassica leaves).

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Room: Auditorium Main Stage
The Good Crust

Host: The Good Crust

Learn about the Maine grains used for this delicious dough, and the evolution of this start-up business expanding new product lines for customers in Maine and beyond!

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

Room: Kennebec/Penobscot
Plant Disease Updates- What a Year!

Host: UMaine Cooperative Extension/Maine Board of Pesticides Control

Alicyn Smart, UMaine


CEU: Pesticide
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Room: Augusta
Connecting Farmers and Buyers

Host: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry

Come hear from wholesale, institutional, and nonprofit panelists who buy from Maine farmers and food producers. Learn what local items they are interested in purchasing, the process of selling to their institution, and the best ways to work together. Panelists will include:

  • Mark McBrine, Farm to Table Food Service Manager, Mountain View Correctional Facility, Charleston
  • Nancy Perry, Senior Sourcing Manager & Mainers Feeding Mainers Manager, Good Shepherd Food Bank, Auburn
  • Shelley Goraj, Food & Nutrition Director, MaineGeneral Medical Center, Augusta
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Room: Piscataquis/Sagadahoc
Building a Local Resilient Food System

Host: Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative

Come learn about two exciting collaboratives utilizing local produce, processed locally, for institutional meal creation. Come learn how Maine farmers can create new revenue streams by finding a channel to market for second quality products and how upcycled brassica greens can be a vialble commodity.

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Room: Somerset
Farmer Drought Relief Program Listening Session

Host: Farmer Drought Relief Program

DACF is seeking farmer input for developing rules for implementation of the Farmer Drought Relief Fund in July 2024.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Room: Piscataquis/Sagadahoc
Maine Farm & Sea Membership Meeting

Host: Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative

Come learn about two exciting collaboratives utilizing local produce, processed locally, for institutional meal creation. Come learn how Maine farmers can create new revenue streams by finding a channel to market for second quality products and how upcycled brassica greens can be a viable commodity greens.

Close Thursday Conferences -

Pesticide Credit Schedule (PDF)

Pesticides Re-Certification or Exam Questions?

Email: pesticides@maine.gov
Phone: (207) 581-3884

Ag Core Training & Exam (Pesticide Applicator Licensing - no credit)

REQUIRED: Pre-Registration Form

When: Wed.1/10/2024 8AM - 1PM

Location: UMaine-Augusta Jewett Hall, 46 University Drive Augusta, ME 04330 (near the Augusta Civic Center)