Nationally awarded farm quarterly serving Maine since

2008, always FREE!

1

An independent farm journal

g
gg

The Northeast Livestock Expo

(NELE) offers opportunity for adult and youth
livestock producers to market breeding stock,
meat animals, and participate in educational
seminars starting at 9 am each day. The general
public is invited to gain a better understanding of
livestock commodities and agriculture, May, 15,
16 & 17. The NELE Trade Show supports
agricultural-related businesses exhibiting their
products and services with Maine food vendors
presenting a fun weekend of agriculture.

Many syrup and candy producers

across the state will host open sap
houses Mar 22; see page 14 herein
for a listing.

Council office closed

The national Beef Checkoff Program administered by the Cattlemens Beef Board
(CBB) has closed the Maine Industry Beef Industry
Checkoff office as of December 31 regionalizing the
country into 44 state beef councils. Maine joins five
other states -- Alaska, Connecticut, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire and Rhode Island -- that do not have
state beef councils administering their state checkoff
programs. Maine now is part of the Northeast Region, which also includes Connecticut, Delaware,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode
Story continues page 2

At this years Agricultural Trade Show, a Mount Vernon resident was

awarded the 2015 Commissioners Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to
Maine agriculture. Governor Paul R. LePage joined Commissioner Walt Whitcomb in the
presentation for Olsons exemplary service as executive secretary and administrator of
Maine Farm Bureau Association. This state Ag honor has been given since 2001, in
recognition of notable contributions to Maine agriculture.
Olson was honored at the Commissioners luncheon
during the 74 th Maine Agricultural Trades Show.
Olson, was cited by Gov. LePage for representing
the diversity of food production in New England and is
part of why Maine agriculture is on the rise. Every day,
Maine farmers and producers toil to bring healthy, nutritious food to our tables. Through the contributions of Jon
Olson and others we can look to the future of Maine
agriculture with great optimism. Whitcomb said, Jon Olson has built a legacy of patient,
respectful persuasion. No one individual in that period of time has had a more lasting
influence over the well-being of Maine farm families.
The Maine Farm Bureau Association, with 5,700 members, is a statewide nonprofit
organization that lobbies for issues important to agriculture, landowners and the rural way
of life. Olson also serves on the University of Maine Board of Agriculture, the Maine
Dairy Industry Association board of directors and the Maine Equine Industry Association
board of directors. He is also one of the founders and the treasurer of the Agricultural
Council of Maine. In 1996, Olson was the first recipient of the Maine Farm Bureau
Associations Friend of Agriculture award.
Olson received a B.A. from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and a Masters

China wants
USA apples
SPOKANE, WASH. Press reports indicate all
variety of apples can now
be shipped to China as result of a deal between the
two nations in late January.
This may increase fresh apple exports by more than
10% in the next two years
reports the Agriculture Department and this marks the
first time any apples beyond
red and golden delicious
will be allowed, thereby
opening doors to heritage or
expanded season exports of
specialty apples. This
change has been years in the
making with setbacks such
as crop blight or geopolitics
standing in the way of expanding Agricultural trade.

Maine Farm Bureau photo

Degree in Public Administration with honors from the University of Maine. Currently he
is working on a Master of Divinity Degree at the Bangor
Theological Seminary. In
1967-1969, he was a Peace
Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Olson, and
wife, Alice, reside in Mount
Vernon and have two sons.

farmer of the year

The Maine Potato Board honored
Robert M. Irving of Caribou as the 2014 Young
Farmer of the Year at the Maine Agricultural
Trade Show here in January. Robbie is the son of
Steve and Patti Irving of Washburn. Growing up
on the farm, Robbie is the sixth generation of the
Irving family to raise potatoes starting with his
great-great-great-grandfather John in the late
1800's. Robbie's great-grandfather Ken Irving established the "home farm" in Washburn in 1936,
and today Irving Farms Inc. is based in Caribou,
where Robbie farms with his uncles Scott and Jeff
and with his father until his recent retirement.
Robbie and his wife Meagan have two children,
four-year old Carter and 11-month old Evelyn;
(pictured left) Carter loves tractors and already is
proudly planning to be the seventh generation
Irving to be a potato grower in Maine!
Robbie lived the whole farm experience. "I was
lucky to have grown up on a farm and to have

100-Mile Wilderness
Scenic and ecologically significant lands on and around Baker Mountain within the 100-MileWilderness region between Gulf Hagas and Greenville are now permanently protected by the Appalachian Mtn. Club
(AMC) as announced on March 3. With assistance from The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the purchase of this second
highest peak in Maine between Bigelow and Katahdin, stands above the headwaters of the West Branch of the Pleasant
River, is a vibrant wild brook trout fishery in a road less mature stand of hardwood and softwood and includes a major
habitat of the rare Bicknells thrush. The land purchase bordering so much protected land will be managed for
sustainable forestry, recreation, and habitat protection. Access will be provided by AMC. TNC was key to purchase
and protect the 3,521-foot summit of Baker Mtn. The land acquisition, establishment of a stewardship endowment
fund and related costs totaled about $2.4 million, according to AMC spokesman Walter Graff

Lincoln office 794-2973 ph fx / magriculture@aol.com Publisher 965-2332