Maine Farmcast

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Glenda Pereira, Assistant Extension Professor and State Dairy Specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, has a conversation with Dr. Lily Calderwood, UMaine Extension Wild Blueberry Specialist and Associate Professor of Horticulture. During this conversation we talk about the history of wild blueberries in Maine, Lily’s research and how...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Drs. Glenda Pereira and Colt Knight sit down with Dr. Gary Anderson, Animal and BioSciences Specialist Emeritus, University of Maine. The conversation reviews milk quality guidelines and cleanliness after milking and to review in the milk room. Dr. Anderson was a professor at the University of Maine, and served in the role of dairy specialist working on progr...

In this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Colt Knight dives into the fascinating world of zebrafish research with Mark Nilan, who manages the University of Maine’s animal care facility, and student lab assistant Megan Joynt. They chat about why zebrafish are such great research models, from their genetic similarities to humans and transparent embryos to their rapid development, and introduce the...

In this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Colt Knight welcomes back Dr. Dean Fish, a seasoned livestock expert from Arizona, for a deep dive into the art and value of livestock judging. Recorded during Dr. Fish’s visit to Maine to help lead a youth livestock judging clinic, this engaging conversation explores the foundational skills of evaluating market and breeding animals, the practical and phi...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Glenda Pereira records the podcast episode from the Azores. Glenda talked with Helder Ponte who is a dairy farmer in Sao Miguel, Azores about precision technologies, specifically, wearable technologies and how farmers are using these to improve management. In addition to being a dairy farmer, Ponte provides technical service to Azorean dairy farmers for t...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Colt W. Knight is once again joined by friend of the podcast, Dr. Gregg Rentfrow of the University of Kentucky, to discuss a program he helped launch in Kentucky, Cook Wild Kentucky. I really like this program, and I think that its principles could be tailored to market locally raised and sold livestock and farmstands here in Maine.  Cook Wild Kentucky re...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Glenda Pereira and Dr. Juan Romero team up with the Tri-State Dairy Team for a special crossover episode. Together, they explore how to optimize haymaking in Maine and northern New England. Dr. Romero, an Associate Professor of Animal Nutrition, conducts research on forage quality and conservation, ruminant nutrition, and PFAS. He also teaches courses in...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Glenda Pereira, Assistant Extension Professor and State Dairy Specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, has a conversation with Sarah Littlefield. Sarah is the executive director for the Maine Dairy Promotion Board and the Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council, and a dairy farmer. This episode was recorded on Sarah's family farm and includ...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, we're joined by Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler, Extension Professor and Beef Specialist for the University of Kentucky. Jeff discusses his diverse background in agriculture and some pertinent research results from his recent research in accessing the efficacy of different types and routes of administration of common cattle dewormers on the market. Stay tuned for next we...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Drs. Glenda Pereira and Colt Knight sit down with Dr. Hannah Carter, Associate Provost for Online and Continuing Education and Dean of University of Maine Cooperative Extension. During our conversation we discussed “what is Extension,” the Morrill Act of 1862, the role of Extension and key programs that UMaine Extension offers and how it supports local commun...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Knight sits down with Dr. Gregg Rentfrow, Professor of Meat Science and State Meat Specialist for the University of Kentucky, to discuss one of my favorite topics, barbecue. My BBQ journey began when I was a teenager showing horses in the South with my parents and going on road trips across the country with my dad. We got to experience the old school “mom...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Drs. Glenda Pereira and Colt Knight sit down with Donna Coffin, Professor Emerita, University of Maine Cooperative Extension. She was a professor at the University of Maine, and served in the role of extension educator in Piscataquis and Penobscot Counties. In this conversation we talk about all things including her program "So You Want to Farm in Maine," bei...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Drs. Glenda Pereira and Colt Knight discuss the basics of raising pigs. Dr. Knight owns a 14-acre registered Berkshire Farm in Garland, Maine with the distinct honor of being the top Berkshire breeder since 2023. Dr. Knight also serves on the National Pork Board Swine Education and Outreach Advisory Board where he helps plan the annual Swine Educators confere...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Drs. Glenda Pereira and Colt Knight sit down with Dr. Gary Anderson, Animal and Bioscience Specialist Emeritus, University of Maine. The conversation reviews milk quality guidelines and cleanliness during milking. Dr. Anderson was a professor at the University of Maine, and served in the role of dairy specialist working on programs such as milk quality and sa...

In this special 50th episode of Maine Farmcast, host Dr. Colt Knight is joined by Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler from the University of Kentucky to discuss bale grazing as a winter feeding strategy for beef cattle. They explore how this method improves manure distribution, reduces soil compaction, and enhances forage utilization. Dr. Lehmkuhler shares insights from a multi-state research project studying bal...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Glenda Pereira, Assistant Extension Professor and State Dairy Specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, has a conversation with Dr. Jaime Garzon about how to start a grazing plan. Dr. Jaime Garzon is an Assistant Extension Professor and Forage Educator at the UMaine Extension. His extension program seeks to develop and conduct educatio...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Glenda Pereira, Assistant Extension Professor and State Dairy Specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, has a conversation with Dr. Ankit Singh who is an Assistant Extension Professor of Sustainable Agriculture and Ornamental Horticulture at UMaine. Dr. Singh is based in York County, and has statewide responsibilities for ornamental ho...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Glenda Pereira, and Dr. Colt Knight, sit down with Dr. Dana Hill who is part of the UMaine Livestock team. Dr. Hill is an Assistant Extension Professor, Veterinarian Specialist, and the Director of the UMaine Extension Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. She has a special interest in infectious disease research and obtained a combined residency and Ph. D. i...

On this episode of Maine Farmcast, Glenda and Colt explore the rising cost of eggs. The discussion highlights the impact of the concurrent bird flu epidemic, which has led to the loss of 166 million poultry, causing a disruption in egg supply. They clarify the differences between broilers and layers, explaining why chicken meat prices have remained stable while egg prices have soared. The hosts br...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Glenda Pereira, Assistant Extension Professor and State Dairy Specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, has a conversation with Dr. Ashley Marshall. Marshall is currently working as the Dairy Industry Workforce Specialist with Eastern Maine Development Corporation. She returned to Maine after her time as a Professor of Dairy Science at...

On this of the Maine Farmcast, Colt is joined by Lucia Brown, Deputy State Executive Director and Acting Farm Loan Chief for FSA and Amanda May, Agricultural Program Chief to discuss some of the programs and loans that FSA offers farmers.  Farm Service Agency is equitably serving all farmers, ranchers, and agricultural partners through the delivery of effective, efficient agricultural programs for...

Colt grew up in a coal mining family in West Virginia where they also operated a small family farm and show horse stable. During academic breaks and between schools, he worked in strip mines across the country. Colt earned his B.S. in Animal Science at the University of Kentucky, M.S. in Animal Science at Angelo State University, and his Ph. D. in Animal Science at the University of Arizona in 200...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Glenda Pereira, Assistant Extension Professor and State Dairy Specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, has a conversation with Dr. Sarah Allen about dairy nutrition considerations for small scale dairy farmers. Allen holds a doctorate from North Carolina State University, in which she focused on research in mycotoxin mitigation, milk...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Knight visits with Dr. Pereira about her background in dairy, education, and research. As the Extension Dairy Specialist, Dr. Pereira conducts applied research and develop educational programs for dairy and livestock producers across the state of Maine and New England. While the Holstein breed is near and dear to her heart, Dr. Pereira admires the Normand...

On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Colt travels to the Commonwealth State of Kentucky to talk about alternative and direct marketing strategies we use here in Maine with beef producers in Kentucky. While there, he catches up with good friend and repeat podcast guest, Dr. Jeff Lehmkuhler and attends the Heart of America Grazing Conference and Pasture Ecology Workshop. Dr. Lehmkuhler shared a so...