Heidi Baker
207-236-2739 (office)
207-975-4415 (cell)
Beef Basics July 30 & 31: Event Descriptions
Breakfast and Lunch: The Aldermere Achievers 4-H club is fundraising to go down to Louisville Kentucky for the National Belted Galloway Youth Show. Enjoy a delicious homemade breakfast and/or lunch put together by their very talented mothers for just a small donation. Sign up when you register!
AI Course: (Sat. & Sun.) The AI course is run by, Amy Jasmine, GENEX trainer. It is a 2 day certification that allows you to learn everything you need to know to begin artificial insemination at your farm.
Fitting and Showmanship: (Sat. & Sun.) Matt Thurston from Pine Creek show cattle is known as one of the best fitters and showman in the Northeast. Attend this two day clinic as Matt walks you through the entire process of getting a heifer ready for the show, from the wash rack to the show ring. Sunday will be a workday where we will have heifers for you to practice your new learned skills as Matt goes around and gives you one on one guidance. We will have limited clippers available so please bring your own clippers if you have some.
BQA Certification: (Sat.)This day long session with Cindy Kilgore from the Department of Agriculture will allow your farm to be certified through the Beef Quality Assurance program (BQA). BQA is a national program that provides guidelines for beef cattle production. Cindy will provide hands on training and education of all BQA objectives some of which include; handling and administering medications correctly, record keeping and meat processing.
Marketing and Market Research: (Sat. 8:30-10:30) Sit with Judy Blaisdell, agricultural marketing guru, as she discusses resources and techniques to market your beef or other products. Judy has wealth of information for you to take home and use instantly in your program!
USDA and FSA Programs: (Sat. 1-2pm) Local USDA representatives from the Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service will provide general information of the programs and services available through their respective agencies. The Farm Service Agency is responsible for Price Support Programs, Commodity Programs, Disaster Programs, Farm Loan Programs, and some Conservation Programs. NRCS provides cost-share assistance through a variety of programs including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program, and the Conservation Stewardship Program to name a few.
Setting up Farm Entities and Estate Planning: (Sat. 10:30-12) Paul Dillion a lawyer from Corinth will be here to do a presentation on estate planning and entities as they relate to you as farmers. Learn about the various formats and entities to choose from for doing business. Also, learn the basics of estate planning and how it can help preserve your farm.
Farm Tour: (Sat. 2-4) Take a guided tour around the farm with Heidi Baker, Aldermere Farm employee, as she discusses the set up of the farm and how it got where it is today. She will discuss things that work well here at the farm and of course things that we would change if we could start all over again. This is a great way to walk around and brainstorm with others what you want your farm to look like.
Tractors & Forage Equipment: (Sun. 8:30-12) Walk with Mark Hutchinson, cooperative extension employee, as he describes uses of many different farm equipment and tractors that can be used to support your forage harvest. He will also discuss general grass management skills as well. Tap into Mark’s amazing knowledge as you discuss your farm’s needs. This session coincides with the Business Planning session below so when you register make sure you only pick one.
Creating a Business Plan: (Sun. 8:30-12) Cindy Coffin from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension is going to walk you through the process of creating a business plan. Take those ideas you have in your head and make them real by following Donna through the basic resources and techniques. This session coincides with the Tractors and Forage Equipment session above so when you register make sure you only pick one.
Regulations that Impact Agriculture: (Sun. 1-4pm) Rick Kersbergan will be here to describe some of the many state and national regulations that directly impact you as a farmer. He will also discuss what these regulations mean and how to work with them to positively benefit your business.