On this episode of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Glenda Pereira, assistant Extension professor and state dairy specialist for University of Maine Cooperative Extension, talks with Dr. Alicyn Smart, a doctor of plant medicine and plant pathologist and director of the Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Maine. Dr. Smart also is the executive director of the National Plant Diagnostic Network. One goal of the network is to strengthen U.S. agricultural biodefense and enable rapid communication and response to new pathogens.

The UMaine Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory has seen an increase in an emerging garlic pathogen, fusarium. Her team has sought funding to address major unknowns about fusarium and hopes to develop resistant garlic, improve diagnostic detection tools and identify cultural practices to reduce the disease in garlic plants.

• Submit a plant sample to the UMaine Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab:
  https://extension.umaine.edu/ipm/plant-disease/
• Listen to the previous episode with Dr. Alicyn Smart
  https://extension.umaine.edu/podcasts/maine-farmcast/episode-91/

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

After 100 episodes of the Maine Farmcast, Dr. Colt W. Knight and Dr. Glenda Pereira take a moment to reflect on the journey. What started as a leap into the unknown has grown into a weekly podcast connecting farmers, researchers, and agricultural professionals across the country. Guided by the simple mindset of “just do it,” this milestone episode looks back at the early days, the evolution of the show, and how conversations with guests have influenced both the podcast and their Extension work.

Along the way, Colt and Glenda revisit some of their favorite moments, from meaningful discussions on sustainability and calf care to unforgettable stories and lighthearted debates, including the ongoing chocolate milk conversation. Blending humor, insight, and gratitude, this episode captures the heart of the Maine Farmcast: real conversations, practical knowledge, and the people who shape agriculture every day. Whether you’ve been listening since Episode 1 or are just tuning in, this episode celebrates 100 episodes and looks ahead to what’s next.

Featured Maine Farmcast Episodes

• Episode 1 – Ventilation with Dr. Morgan Hayes
  https://extension.umaine.edu/podcasts/maine-farmcast/episode-01/
• Episode 13 - Heat Stress Considerations for Dairy Farms with Dr. Bethany Dado-Senn
  https://extension.umaine.edu/podcasts/maine-farmcast/episode-13/
• Episode 15 – Shades of Green: Cows, Agrivoltaics, and Climate Resilience with Dr. Brad Heins
  https://extension.umaine.edu/podcasts/maine-farmcast/episode-15/
• Episode 22 – Beef Sustainability with Dr. Sebastian Mejia Turcios
  https://extension.umaine.edu/podcasts/maine-farmcast/episode-22/
• Episode 25 – Swine Genetics with Randy Shipley (Shipley Swine Genetics)
  https://extension.umaine.edu/podcasts/maine-farmcast/episode-25/
• Episode 32 – Calf Chronicles: The 5 Cs of Dairy Calf Care with Bethany Dado-Senn
  https://extension.umaine.edu/podcasts/maine-farmcast/episode-32/
• Episode 41 – Getting to Know your Hosts Part 1 with Dr. Glenda Pereira
  https://extension.umaine.edu/podcasts/maine-farmcast/episode-41/
• Episode 43- Getting to Know your Hosts Part II with Dr. Colt W. Knight
  https://extension.umaine.edu/podcasts/maine-farmcast/episode-43/
• Episode 52 – Oink if you are Ready to Get Started Raising Pigs!
  https://extension.umaine.edu/podcasts/maine-farmcast/episode-52/
• Episode 68 – Brains, Bears and Butchery: Tall Tales from Extension Life with Dr. Gregg Rentfrow
  https://extension.umaine.edu/podcasts/maine-farmcast/episode-68/

The University of Maine System (the System) is an equal opportunity institution committed to fostering a nondiscriminatory environment and complying with all applicable nondiscrimination laws. Consistent with State and Federal law, the System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability (physical or mental), genetic information, pregnancy, or veteran or military status in any aspect of its education, programs and activities, and employment. The System provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. If you believe you have experienced discrimination or harassment, you are encouraged to contact the System Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Services at 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, Orono, ME 04469-5713, by calling 207.581.1226, or via TTY at 711 (Maine Relay System). For more information about Title IX or to file a complaint, please contact the UMS Title IX Coordinator at www.maine.edu/title-ix/.

In this episode of the Maine Farmcast, hosts Colt Knight and Glenda Pereira are joined by Dr. Erin Percival Carter, associate professor of marketing at the University of Maine, to examine one of the biggest challenges facing Maine farmers today: making farm businesses profitable while competing outside the commodity system. Drawing on her background in agriculture, consumer behavior research and farming experience, Carter explains why simply being a good farmer is not enough and why marketing, pricing and understanding target customers are critical to long-term success. From the realities of Maine’s higher production costs to the limits of “if you build it, they will come” thinking, the conversation reframes marketing as a necessary business tool rather than an afterthought.

• Learn more about Dr. Carter's research program
  https://umaine.edu/business/people/erin-percival-carter/
• Looking to write your own positioning statement? Here is a resource
  https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/brand-positioning-statement

The University of Maine System (the System) is an equal opportunity institution committed to fostering a nondiscriminatory environment and complying with all applicable nondiscrimination laws. Consistent with State and Federal law, the System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability (physical or mental), genetic information, pregnancy, or veteran or military status in any aspect of its education, programs and activities, and employment. The System provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. If you believe you have experienced discrimination or harassment, you are encouraged to contact the System Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Services at 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, Orono, ME 04469-5713, by calling 207.581.1226, or via TTY at 711 (Maine Relay System). For more information about Title IX or to file a complaint, please contact the UMS Title IX Coordinator at www.maine.edu/title-ix/.