| The Extension & Research Support Staff Association |
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Maine has 16 counties: The largest county is Aroostook covering 6,453 square miles. Due to the large size we have 3 Cooperative Extension offices in this one county. They are located in Fort Kent, Houlton, and Presque Isle. The smallest county is Sagadahoc covering 250 square miles. There is one county office that covers Androscoggin/Sagadahoc counties. In total we have 14 offices statewide and the administration office located in Orono, Maine at the University of Maine campus. We are the only entity in our state that touches every aspect of the Maine Food System: University of Maine Cooperative Extension helps support, sustain, and grow the $3.9 billion food-based economy in Maine. We are 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.  Commercial agriculture and horticultureExpanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Food processing and food safety Food preservation Maine Harvest for Hunger Master Gardener training Recipe to Market program Resources for beginning farmers Testing and diagnostic services Photo illustration by Michael Mardosa The University of Maine Cooperative Extension does not have an association of support staff. We are a small group of less than 35 state-wide. There is a small committee of four that tries to bring a support staff conference to our co-workers state-wide. Our last conference was scheduled in 2020 but we all know what happen that year! Two of us on the support staff committee will be attending the TERSSA conference with the hopes to bring back fresh ideas, information to share on how different Cooperative Extension is from state to state, and hopefully spark interest in others to join TERSSA. We are looking forward to meeting all of you. Did you know....Maine fun facts: Maine state animal is the Moose. Maine state berry is the Wild Blueberry. Maine state bird is the Chickadee. Maine state cat is the Maine Coon Cat. Maine state crustacean is the Lobster. Maine state dessert is Blueberry Pie. Maine state fish is Landlocked Salmon. Maine state flower is White Pine and White Pine Cone & Tassel. Maine state herb is Wintergreen. Maine state insect is the Honeybee. Maine state mineral is Tourmaline. Maine state soft drink is Moxie. Maine state treat is the Whoopie Pie. Maine state tree is White Pine. Maine is known for it's products. Blueberries Blueberry plants are plentiful in Maine because their hardy nature allows them to withstand the harsh weather and rough soil that are common in the rural parts of this state. With over 98% of the nation's low bush blueberries harvested in Maine this fruit has become one of Maine's larger exports. Blueberries are commonly used in jams, jellies, pies and fruit salads. For more information about Maine blueberries, check out http://www.wildblueberries.com
Potatoes Maine ranks as one of the top three potato producing states in the country. These hardy vegetables are predominantly grown in the Northern Maine county of Aroostook. For more information about Maine potatoes, check out http://www.mainepotatoes.com
Maple Syrup Maine maple syrup is usually harvested during the cold winter months from the thousands of maple trees which dot the Maine countryside. Over 11% of the nation's maple syrup comes from the state of Maine. For more information about Maine maple syrup, check out http://www.mainemapleproducers.com/
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Pulp, Paper and Wood Products Almost 89% of Maine is forested, making it a prime location for the production of wood and paper products. Maine is currently the home of many of the largest paper producing mills in the country. Many forms of Maine paper products are used in schools and offices throughout the country. For more information on the paper making process in Maine, check out 
Apples Every fall, orchards all over the state are bustling with activity as apples become ripe for picking. Many different varieties of apples are grown in the state of Maine, including Macintosh and Yellow delicious. In 1997, approximately 1,524,000 bushels of apples were harvested in Maine. For more information about apple production in Maine, check out 
Tourmaline This gemstone has the distinction of being the official mineral of Maine. Tourmaline stones can be found in a variety of colors ranging from black to light pink and are often fashioned into beautiful jewelry. In the late 1800's, Maine became established as one of the best places in North America for tourmaline mining. For more information about tourmaline, check out 