Maine Apple Sunday – September 8, 2019
The Maine State Pomological Society will hold the 20th annual Maine Apple Sunday on September 8, 2019 with participating orchards around the state. Maine Apple Sunday starts the peak of the apple harvest when summer apples are still available but the main crop is ready for its first pick. Apple orchards from Wells to Caribou will celebrate by offering special activities and free samples of apple products.
Participating Orchards:Â CLICK HERE TO VIEW MAP
Bailey’s Orchard, Whitefield. Free apple squares, door prize drawings.
Boothby’s Orchard and Winery, Livermore. Music by Lindsey Montana, free wagon rides, orchard and winery tours, sweet cider and cheese samples.
Hansel’s Orchard, North Yarmouth. We will raffle a peck of apples and offer free samples of our favorite apple recipes.
Libby and Sons U-Picks, Limerick. Free Live Music, balloon Characters, Magic Tricks and Face Painting($) as well as free samples of Apple Jam, Apple Salsa and Apple Pie Smoothie (while supplies last).
Maine-ly Apples, Dixmont. Free hayrides, BBQ lunch prepared by the Dixmont Rescue Squad, free samples and apple picking.
McDougal Orchards, Sanford. Raffle tickets will be distributed to each paying customer, with drawings at the end of the day for numerous apple related items.
McElwain’s Strawberry Farm, Caribou. Hayrides through our orchard to the u-pick pumpkin field, apple tasting, a kid’s straw bale climbing pyramid and Cinderella’s Pumpkin Coach.
North Star Orchard, Madison. Sample ice cream with our own special apple pie topping.
Pietree Orchard, Sweden. Apple samples, wagon rides, PYO, hay maze and more.
Ricker Hill Orchards, Turner. Live music and food truck, U Pick apples and farm activities, bounce houses, corn maze and a special on carbonated sweet cider.
Romac/Lakeview Orchard, Acton.
Snell Family Farm, Buxton
Spiller Farm, Wells. Hayrides, games, and animals to view.
Sweetser’s Apple Barrel and Orchards, Cumberland.Free apple crisp samples, heirloom apples on display.
The Apple Farm, Fairfield. Wagon rides, samples of our jams, jellies and other goodies.
Thompson’s Orchard, New Gloucester.
Treworgy Orchard, Levant. Free Hay rides. Our corn maze, petting zoo, pumpkin patch, café and gift shop will be open.
Wallingford’s Fruit House, Auburn. Hard cider/ wine tasting, Upick apples, corn maze, donuts and baked goods available with a special on sparkling sweet cider.
Â
Mainers Invited to Dispose of Unusable Pesticides Free disposal with pre-registration by October 7
This October, Mainers can dispose of unusable and waste pesticides thanks to a project sponsored by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s (DACF) Board of Pesticides Control (BPC) and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The Obsolete Pesticides Collection Program, funded through pesticide product registration fees, has kept more than 106 tons of pesticides out of the waste stream since its start in 1982.
This free annual program is open to homeowners and family-owned farms and greenhouses. Collections will occur at four sites: Presque Isle, Jonesboro, Augusta, and Portland. Pre-registration is required by Monday, October 7, 2019 and unregistered drop-offs are not permitted. All details including drop off locations and program dates will be supplied following registration. To register and access important information about the temporary storage and transportation of obsolete pesticides, visit the BPC website at thinkfirstspraylast.org, or call 207-287-2731.
Pesticides being accepted include: herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides and similar products used in agricultural production or around the home. Past participants in the program have reported finding obsolete pesticides in barns of inherited properties, garages of newly purchased homes, and other unexpected places. While removal of these pesticides can seem daunting, it is important for the protection of public, wildlife and environmental health, that they are dealt with properly and not thrown in the trash or poured down the drain, where they can contaminate land and water resources.
“The Obsolete Pesticide Collection Program is an excellent opportunity for free disposal of unusable and unwanted pesticides,” said DACF Commissioner Amanda Beal. “Register in advance, bring your pesticides to one of the designated collection sites, and let the professionals dispose of these materials in a responsible and safe way.”
DEP Commissioner Jerry Reid is encouraging Mainers to take full advantage of this free opportunity. “When improperly disposed of—in the trash, poured into the environment, down the drain, or kept in storage for long periods of time—pesticides threaten wildlife and the quality of our drinking water sources,” said Jerry Reid, DEP Commissioner.
- More information about Maine Board of Pesticides Control can be found at thinkfirstspraylast.org
- Information about Maine Department of Environmental Protection is at maine.gov/dep
Â
Maine CDC Promotes Awareness of Law to Prevent Vaping in Schools
Maine schools have reported a significant increase in the number of students using electronic smoking devices, commonly referred to as vaping, over the past year.
To support schools in addressing these emerging products, the Maine Legislature passed a bill to prohibit electronic smoking devices at schools, which will take effect on September 19, 2019. LD 152 - "An Act to Prohibit the Possession and Use of Electronic Smoking Devices on School Grounds" was signed into law on April 30, 2019 by Governor Mills as an important step to protect young Mainers from the emerging threat of these devices. The recently enacted biennial budget, signed by Governor Mills on June 17, also allocates $10 million from the Fund for a Healthy Maine for smoking prevention and cessation.
Effective Sept. 19, 2019, Maine law will prohibit use and possession of all tobacco products, including both combustible and electronic products, on school grounds, in school buildings, at school-sponsored events, and on school buses. Tobacco products include cigarettes, cigars, pipes, electronic cigarettes, electronic cigars, electronic pipes, electronic hookahs, other vaping-type products, hookahs, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, snuff, snus, as well as filters, rolling papers, and any tobacco or nicotine liquids.
E-cigarettes entered the U.S. marketplace around 2007, and since 2014, they have been the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. youth. E-cigarettes typically contain nicotine as well as other chemicals known to damage health. The U.S. Surgeon General reports nicotine exposure during adolescence and young adulthood can cause addiction, harm the developing brain, and damage the respiratory system, including the lungs.
Many schools have reached out to Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding increased use of electronic smoking devices among students over the past two years. Maine CDC is compiling updated figures on this increase for release in the fall, but data from the 2017 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey show 15.3% of high school youth reported using e-cigarettes and 33.2% reported they had tried them.
"This update to the law will help schools to foster a healthier and safer community for students, staff, and visitors," said Nirav D. Shah, Director of the Maine CDC. "Vaping and e-cigarettes pose serious health risks, particularly for kids, teens, and young adults."
The law is intended to support school personnel in their work to maintain and ensure tobacco-free school settings. Maine CDC and its partners have resources to support educators, parents, and communities as the new law takes effect. Additionally, the Maine Tobacco HelpLine can support students, parents, and school personnel who are assisting students interested in quitting.
For more information:
Â
New Maine Kids' Page Website from Secretary of State
Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap is unveiling the department's new Maine Kids Page today at https://www.maine.gov/sos/kids/ , which features a Maine woods and waters theme, and a new animation about lawmaking in Maine.
"We are excited to unveil this redesign of the Kids Page, which is one of the most popular sections of our website," said Secretary Dunlap. The resources here are a great point of reference for anyone who wants to know more about the State of Maine.
The Maine Department of the Secretary of State has hosted the Maine Kids Page since the mid-1990s. It is the only State agency to host a full section of its website focused on connecting children with Maine history, facts and information. This redesign is the first major update since 2006. Department staff in the SOS Central Office have been working on the redesign for more than a year, in conjunction with staff at InforME, the State online services host.
This upgrade makes the Kids Page more user-friendly and accessible to teachers, students, and even for adults who may have forgotten facts such as the scientific name for our official state soil, said Secretary Dunlap.
The Kids Page is an important resource for teachers and parents, with a significant collection of information about the State of Maine. The page features:
- Official Maine symbols, such as the state flower and state bird
- A timeline of Maine history
- Famous Mainers
- The State song
- Games and puzzles
- Recipes featuring Maine foods
- Explanatory information about Maine government
- Maine places, products and native wildlife
- Student programs and contests
- The Path to Maine Lawmaking animated video
- And much more, including links to additional educational resources
The Kids Page is accessible from the Department of the Secretary of State homepage at https://www.maine.gov/sos/ , in the left-hand navigation column. Those with questions about student programs, contests or other content can contact the Maine Department of the Secretary of State main office at 207-626-8400.
|
