Greetings from MESAS, and happy 2020!
We are excited about our trade show program and annual meeting
next week on Tues Jan. 14 from 1-5 in the Somerset Room, and
hope you will join us.
If healthy profit margins are the key to keeping good Farmers in
business and Farmland in production, it is a well known fact that
the two strategies to doing that are to 1. Deliver more product to
market or 2. Create efficiencies. BUILDING SOIL IS THE
SECRET TO BOTH. With increased awareness around climate
change, regenerating soil also holds the promise of sequestering
carbon from the atmosphere and conserving the water cycle, an
invaluable free service delivered by all good farmers willing to
take the risk to invest in their infrastructure and hope for the best.
We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Wayne Honeycutt of the Soils
Health Institute will return to Maine to speak on “Enriching Soil,
Enhancing Life: An Action Plan for Soil Health” and discuss the
key priorities and strategies it identified for helping U.S. farmers
build and protect soil health.
Stewart Smith, President and Founder of the Maine Sustainable
Agriculture Society, will reveal trends in the value of Maine
Agriculture and how it’s been changing with reference to US Ag.
Census data.
Our Annual meeting will follow, with reports and findings from
our Sustainable Year Round Agriculture MTI cluster grant and
More Maine Meat NESARE grant. Please come! And bring your
farmer friends. Lots of good news as we collectively bring Maine
Agriculture closer to profitability, health and wealth for soil and
the planet in the new decade.
MESAS at the 79th Annual Maine Agricultural Trades Show
Tuesday, Jan 15th, 2020 @ Maine Ag Trades Show
Location: Somerset Room at the Augusta Civic Center
1:00 – 3:00 pm MESAS Trade Show Program (details below)
- Dr. Wayne Honeycutt, author “Enriching Soil, Enriching Life: An Action Plan for Soil Health”
- Stewart Smith, Trends and Value in Maine Agriculture
- Facilitated by : Ellen Mallory University of Maine Cooperative Extension
3:00 – 5:00pm MESAS Annual Meeting
- Presentation on findings from statewide Maine Greenhouse Infrastructure Research (SYRA)
- News from the More Maine Meat Certification program
Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society: 2020 Ag Trades Show Program 1- 3pm
Photo courtesy of USDA ARS
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
This session is for farmers, advisors, service providers, and anyone interested in the future of Maine agriculture.
WHAT IS THE ACTIVITY:
The Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society (MESAS) will host the following program at the 2020 Maine Agricultural Trades Show on January 14 from 1 to 3pm, in the Somerset Room followed by the MESAS Annual Meeting.
Where is the Value in Maine Agriculture, and How is it Changing?
As a farmer, economist, policymaker, and founder of the Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society, Stewart Smith has always been focused on promoting types of agriculture that maximize farmers’ share of the consumer food dollar. Using Census of Ag data, Stew will show how Maine agriculture has transformed in this regard over the last decades and where it appears to be heading. Spoiler alert – there’s good news!
Priorities and Strategies for Soil Health
Wayne Honeycutt is the President and CEO of the Soil Health Institute, where he leads the Institute’s programs to safeguard and enhance the vitality and productivity of soils across the U.S. Previously, he served for 5 year as Deputy Chief for Science and Technology with USDA-NRCS in Washington, DC; and for 24 years as a Research Leader and Research Soil Scientist with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in Orono, Maine. Wayne will present the Soil Health Institute’s “Enriching Soil, Enhancing Life: An Action Plan for Soil Health” and discuss the key priorities and strategies it identified for helping U.S. farmers build and protect soil health.
How to Get Started: Connecting with Soil Health Resources in Maine Ellen Mallory is the UMaine Cooperative Extension Sustainable Agriculture Specialist.
CONTACT INFO:
Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society
https://www.facebook.com/mainesustainableag/
ellen.mallory@maine.edu
All MESAS Tuesday morning sessions will be in the Somerset Room of the Augusta Civic Center. See the full event schedule at the Maine DACF website
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