Maine

Boots 2 Bushels (B2B) Program 2020 -Boot Camp for Market gardeners and Farmers.
Starting and running a farming program during a global pandemic certainly had its challenges - and rewards! Maine AgrAbility staff were able to pivot from in-person learning to remote learning and were, gratefully, able to have in-person field work. A huge thank you went out to all who made this work - their flexibility, creativity and generosity was appreciated.

Staff are moving ahead with planning for B2B 2021! Maine AgrAbility was able to successfully coordinate a signed memorandum of agreement between University of Maine Cooperative Extension and Kennebec Valley Community College to allow B2B 2021 use of the farm facility at KVCC! Staff have access to the classrooms, farm space, and equipment, and have already started prepping the field that will be filled with veggies next season. The hands-on field workday included tractor safety, tractor implements, and tilling the field - all the time observing health and safety protocols.

Maine staff routinely share news posts and articles.

• Small Bites are short, informational articles with practical ideas. This month they are about problem solving, staying healthy on the farm, and recognizing patterns to increase efficiency. These shared articles are written by coaches from UMaine Extension's farm coaching team.
• 'Gotta Lotta Living to Do' is a blog series that deals with issues surrounding aging, farming, and quality of life. Two recent blog posts talk about arthritis and farmer health.

Submitted by Lani Carlson