University of Maine Cooperative Extension Aroostook County

09/10/2026

September is Food Safety Education Month! 🧼

Whether you’re packing lunch, preparing dinner or cooking for a crowd, food safety starts with a few simple habits.

Remember the basics:
🧼 Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often.
🥩 Separate: Keep raw meat, poultry and seafood away from ready-to-eat foods.
🌡️ Cook: Use a food thermometer to make sure foods reach a safe internal temperature.
❄️ Chill: Refrigerate perishable foods promptly.

Small steps in the kitchen can make a big difference in preventing foodborne illness.

UMaine Extension offers food safety information and training for home cooks, volunteers, food service professionals, producers and more.

🔗 Explore our food safety resources and training opportunities: https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/food-safety/training/

09/09/2026

Soil test kits are available at all three Aroostook County Extension Offices - Fort Kent, Presque Isle, and Houlton!

A Better Garden or Field Next Year Starts With Your Soil This Fall 🌱

Early fall is a great time to test your soil. Testing now gives you a clearer picture of what your soil needs and time to make recommended adjustments before the next growing season.

A soil test can help you determine:
✓ Soil pH and whether lime is needed
✓ Nutrient levels and fertilizer needs
✓ Steps you can take to improve soil fertility and productivity

🧪 Soil test kits and forms are available through UMaine Extension county offices, or samples can be submitted directly to the University of Maine Analytical Lab and Maine Soil Testing Service.

Whether you’re growing vegetables, managing a lawn or garden, or working with agricultural fields, test—don’t guess!

🔗 Learn more and get started: https://umaine.edu/soiltestinglab/

09/03/2026

The September Maine Home Garden News is here! 🌻

As summer begins to wind down, there’s still plenty happening in Maine gardens. The September edition of Maine Home Garden News is here with timely information, practical advice and resources to help you make the most of the changing season.

Whether you’re harvesting, preparing your garden for fall or already thinking ahead to next year, our horticulture experts have you covered.

🍂 Check out the September issue: https://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/2026/08/31/maine-home-garden-news-september-2/

08/27/2026

Canning Class - Tonight in Presque Isle!
It is not too late to sign up!
Register and pay online using the link below.

Canning Class
Thursday, August 27
6-9 PM
Cooperative Extension Office
57 Houlton Rd
Presque Isle Maine
Cost: $20
This class will cover both water bath canning and pressure canning. Participants will go home with jars of canned food. Class size limited to 14.

Click on this link to register and pay:
https://umaine-extension.formtitan.com/ftproject/events?eventid=a1cUy000007OiWv

If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact Tammy Wortman, 207-834-3905, [email protected] by August 26.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity institution and provider committed to nondiscrimination. For more information, visit extension.umaine.edu/nondiscrimination

08/25/2026

Back-to-School Lunches Are Almost Back! 🎒

For some Maine families, school starts again this coming week and for others, it’s right around the corner. That means it’s also time to start thinking about packing lunches again!

UMaine Extension has five simple ways to help reduce your lunch “foodprint,” including using reusable containers, packing leftovers, using fresh foods before they spoil, incorporating more plant-based options and choosing locally grown or homegrown foods when possible.

A little planning can help reduce food waste while adding some variety to the lunchbox.

🥪 Get the tips and back-to-school lunch ideas: https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/2021/09/23/reducing-your-foodprint-back-to-school-lunches/

08/17/2026

Canning Class
Thursday, August 27
6-9 PM
Cooperative Extension Office
57 Houlton Rd
Presque Isle Maine
Cost: $20
This class will cover both water bath canning and pressure canning. Participants will go home with jars of canned food. Class size limited to 14.

Click on this link to register and pay:
https://umaine-extension.formtitan.com/ftproject/events?eventid=a1cUy000007OiWv

If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact Tammy Wortman, 207-834-3905, [email protected] by August 26.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity institution and provider committed to nondiscrimination. For more information, visit extension.umaine.edu/nondiscrimination

08/17/2026

Turn Maine Blueberries into Homemade Jam! 🫐

Make the most of blueberry season with a hands-on food preservation workshop from UMaine Extension.

Participants will learn how to safely prepare and preserve blueberry jam, including options for using less sugar. The workshop will cover both boiling water bath canning and freezing methods, and everyone will head home with recipes and a jar of homemade jam.

📅 August 27 | 5:30–8 p.m.
📍 Cumberland County Extension Office, Falmouth

Registration is required. Don’t forget to bring a potholder!

👉 Learn more and register: https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/food-preservation/hands-on-workshops/

07/29/2026

See you next week at the Fair! Bring your crafts and cooking in. Check out the contest rules and prize information on the poster below.

Skip the lines- Send us your entry form by email and we’ll have your tags ready for you when you arrive!!! Exhibition Hall Entries accepted Saturday August 1 and Monday August 3.

https://www.northernmainefair.com/index.php/competitions/exhibition-hall-premium-book

07/23/2026

Food Safety Tips for Cyclospora 🥗

Although no cases have been reported in Maine, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Food Safety Specialist Gulsun Akdemir Evrendilek is reminding consumers that simple food safety practices can go a long way in reducing the risk of Cyclospora and other foodborne illnesses.

"Many of the fundamental food safety practices used to prevent contamination by Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, including good hygiene, sanitation and prevention of cross-contamination, also help reduce the risk of other foodborne pathogens and parasites, including Cyclospora," said Evrendilek.

From washing fresh produce and preventing cross-contamination to proper cooking and handwashing, these everyday practices help keep your food safe.

👉 Read more: https://umaine.edu/news/2026/07/how-to-minimize-spread-of-cyclospora-according-to-umaine-food-safety-expert/