Media Release
Sept. 4, 2018
Contact: Erin Roche, 207.949.2940, erin.roche@maine.edu
Webinar offered on pasture and forage crop insurance program
Orono, Maine—Some farmers have experienced reduced hay yields or pasture regrowth due to drier-than-normal weather. The Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) Rainfall Index crop insurance program is an option that may help offset the costs associated with lack of precipitation on grassland.
An online webinar, scheduled Sept. 26, from 12 noon–1 p.m., will include an overview of the program, demonstration of a tool that shows historical precipitation by grid, and a farmer’s perspective on the program. Speakers include Cornell Cooperative Extension agricultural educator Keith Severson, and Leon Ripley, farmer and owner of Maple Corner Farm, Granville, Massachusetts.
The webinar is for those who want to learn more about the program before the Nov. 15 enrollment deadline.
The program is free; registration is required. Register online; 1.0 CEU’s will be offered after completion of the webinar. For more information contact Erin Roche, 207.949.2940, erin.roche@maine.edu.
Sponsors include University of Maine Cooperative Extension, University of Massachusetts Extension, University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension, and Cornell University Cooperative Extension with funding from the USDA Risk Management Agency.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension:
As a trusted resource for over 100 years, University of Maine Cooperative Extension has supported UMaine’s land and sea grant public education role by conducting community-driven, research-based programs in every Maine county. UMaine Extension helps support, sustain and grow the food-based economy. It is the only entity in our state that touches every aspect of the Maine Food System, where policy, research, production, processing, commerce, nutrition, and food security and safety are integral and interrelated. UMaine Extension also conducts the most successful out-of-school youth educational program in Maine through 4-H.