Calendar

July 2009

Weekly Farm Training Projects around Maine. Apprentices and other beginning or aspiring farmers visit farms, learn from farmers and network. www.mofga.org
To July 5 – Earth Activist Training, Unity College, Unity, Maine. A permaculture and ecological design certification program combined with earth-based spirituality and practical political know-how. Taught by activist and author Starhawk. Learn how to heal soil, cleanse water and design human systems that mimic natural systems using minimal energy and resources. FMI: www.unity.edu (“summer programs”); www.earthactivisttraining.org or EAT, P.O. Box 170177, San Francisco, CA 94117-0177; or Anu Dudley, Northeast Coordinator, 207-382-6717, anu@umit.maine.edu.
July and August – Filling the Pantry series, Cheryl Wixson, MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center, Unity. www.mofga.org
Through August 8: Contemporary Fiber Arts Exhibit, Lord Hall Gallery, University of Maine, in cooperation with University of Maine Art Department and Maine Fiberarts. Free, open to the public. Visit: http://extension.umaine.edu/fibermaine-ia/calendar.htm for more information.
7 - Scale Appropriate Equipment Demo and Farm Tour. Tuesday, 5 to 8 p.m. Wild Root Organic CSA, 889 Alewive Rd., Kennebunk. Potluck supper followed by demo of The Weed Master – a Finnish, human-powered, two-wheeled cultivator with tool bar and lightweight cultivator attachments – and Wild Root Farm’s horse-drawn equivalent, followed by a brief tour of the farm. FMI: Frank Wertheim, UMaine Coop. Extn., Springvale; 207-324-2814 or 1-800-287-1535 (in state); frankw@umext.maine.edu
8 - Selling what you Grow: Marketing Basics. Wednesday, 5 pm, Six River & Fishbowl Farms, Bowdoinham. Small farmers need to be creative and innovative marketers to be successful. The best are those that cultivate community involvement in their farms and nurture face-to-face relationships with their customers. Learn from several of Maine’s farmers, both new and veteran, about their diverse strategies for marketing their products, including Community Supported Agriculture, Farm Stands, Farmers Markets, and cooperatives. We’ll also hear about innovative partnerships with non-profits that incorporate education and community service. This is part of a MOFGA series call the Farm Training Project, designed for and targeted to participants in MOFGA's Apprenticeship Program, though free and open to anyone interested. Participants are invited to stay for a potluck supper and discussion. Bring a dish or something fresh from the farm to share. For more information about or directions to any of the workshops, or to get yourself on our FTP reminder mailing list, email April at education@mofga.org or call 568-4142.
9 - Meeting of the Executive Committee of MOFGA's Board of Directors. 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
9 - Fair Steering Committee Meeting. 6:00 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
10 - Organic Grain Production Workshop: Innovative Weed Management for Organic Small Grains. Friday, 11 am to 1 pm. W.R. Sherburne & Sons Dairy, Dexter, Me. Come see a demonstration of two innovative weed management systems for small grains and learn how Fred and Shawn Sherburne are integrating oats, barley, bread wheat and sunflowers into their rotation to feed their organic dairy herd, produce oil and tap into higher-value human-grade grain markets. Box lunch provided for $5 for those who pre-register. Call 1-800-287-1426 to register or visit www.umext.maine.edu/Waldo/Ag to register online.
11 - Grain & Grass Seminar. Saturday, 7:30 am to 4:30 pm. One-day seminar to discuss the basics of growing grains and grasses in Washington County. Speakers: Alan Perry, discussing healthy hay fields; Matt Williams, growing wheat and other grains; Nina Young, Maine Farmland Trust programs; Carol Bryan & Richard Scott demonstrating the use of scythes; other displays and educational materials. Hosted by Down East Resource Conservation and Development Council (DERC&D) with the Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and local agricultural producers. Information and registration materials available from DERC&D (Gary Edwards, PO Box 210, Cherryfield, ME 04622-0310; gary.edwards@me.usda.gov) by calling 546-2368, or online at www.downeastrcd.com. Registration fee $15 includes all conference materials and lunch, prepared using local foods. Event will be held at the Jacksonville Grange on Douglas Street in East Machias.
11 - Koviashuvik Local Living School Open House. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Visitors may take part in seasonal folk skills and have a tour of Koviashuvik's buildings and plantings. Founded in 2008 by Chris and Ashirah Knapp, Koviashuvik is a small school that teaches practical and inexpensive ways for people to live with and use their local land. Activities on Open House Day will include pounding brown ash for baskets, processing fiber from the basswood tree, tanning hides and demonstrating low tech cooking technologies. The tour will include a stone root cellar, earth-bermed greenhouse, rainwater collection system with homemade solar hot water, bike powered washing machine, log cabin, vegetable gardens, berry patches, fruit and nut orchard, and perennial/wild plantings. Koviashuvik will offer another demonstration day on August 27, 10:00 - 4:00, including demonstrations and hands on involvement with a seasonal skill or craft as well as a tour of the buildings and plantings. For more information about summer classes, internships, or Koviashuvik Days call 207-778-0318 or write to PO Box 383, Temple, ME 04984.
12 - Fiddle Day at Morris Farm, 156 Gardiner Rd. (Rt. 27), Wiscasset. 1 pm to ? Fiddle Expo for juniors and adults and concert/dance. Information about The Morris Farm and event details at www.morrisfarm.org or call 882-4080.
16 - Livestock in the Farm System. Thursday, 5 pm, Darthia Farm, Gouldsboro. An important principle of sustainable small-scale farming is diversity, and livestock play many key functional roles in a diverse farm system. Veteran farmers Bill and Cynthia Thayer run a diversified, pasture-based livestock operation and sell their animal products directly to consumers. Come learn how they manage their critters and the benefits of their system. This is part of a MOFGA series call the Farm Training Project, designed for and targeted to participants in MOFGA's Apprenticeship Program, though free and open to anyone interested. Participants are invited to stay for a potluck supper and discussion. Bring a dish or something fresh from the farm to share. For more information about or directions to any of the workshops, or to get yourself on our FTP reminder mailing list, email April at education@mofga.org or call 568-4142.
17 - Organic Grain Production Workshop: Organic Grains and Oilseed Crops. Friday, 10 am to 2 pm. Rainbow Valley Farm, Sidney, Me., and Bull Ridge Farm, Albion, Me. Jeff Bragg and Henry Perkins have grown winter grains and spring grains for 3 years. At Rainbow Valley Farm we will look at spring oats and discuss rotation strategies for organic producers who want to start growing grains in fields that are currently in sod crops. At Bull Ridge farm, we will look at sunflower and soybean production. Henry Perkins has set up an oil seed pressing operation for oil and protein meal for his livestock. The field day will start in Sidney and travel to Albion for lunch and the afternoon program. Box lunch provided for $5 for those who pre-register. Call 1-800-287-1426 to register or visit www.umext.maine.edu/Waldo/Ag to register online.
18 - 5th Annual Vegetarian and Vegan Food Festival. East End Community School, 195 North Street, Portland, Maine. 11 am to 3 pm. Free admission. Raffle. Food samples. Exhibitors. Workshops. Presented by The Maine Animal Coalition. On Facebook at: Maine Vegetarian Food Festival. Information here: www.maineanimalcoalition.org.
21 - Farming for the Common Good. Tuesday, 5 pm, JED Collective & Giant’s Belly Farm, Greene. Come explore an innovative farming initiative in central Maine. The JED Collective is a group of organizers, parents, cultural workers, farmers and health workers who share a commitment to living in mutually-supportive community, working together towards increased self-sufficiency and sustainability, and dedicating energy in diverse ways towards the work of building social and economic justice, ecological health, and a culture of solidarity and care. This is part of a MOFGA series call the Farm Training Project, designed for and targeted to participants in MOFGA's Apprenticeship Program, though free and open to anyone interested. Participants are invited to stay for a potluck supper and discussion. Bring a dish or something fresh from the farm to share. For more information about or directions to any of the workshops, or to get yourself on our FTP reminder mailing list, email April at education@mofga.org or call 568-4142.
27 - Organic Grain Production Workshop: Organic Grain and Foreage Research. Monday, 1 pm to 4 pm. UMaine Rogers Forage and Crops Research Farm, Rt. 16, Stillwater, Me. Research on organic grain and forage production will be highlighted at the 2009 University of Maine Sustainable Agriculture Field Day. Rick Kersbergen and Lauren Kolb will discuss results from the Organic Dairy Project, now in its 4th year (includes crop rotations involving various small grains, forages, soybeans and high moisture corn; dairy feeding trials; and evaluations of innovative weed management systems for organic small grains). Research on double crop forage systems, spring wheat varieties, and organic fertilizers will also be discussed on the tour. Refreshments provided. No registration required. For more information call 1-800-287-1426 or visit www.umext.maine.edu/Waldo/Ag
27 - Maine School Garden Day. For K-12 teachers, leaders, advisors and educators using agriculture. In-depth focus on Maine School Gardens. Spend the day at Roger's Farm, a working part of the UMO campus. $35 registration fee includes lunch and dinner. Evening program will showcase a slide show of Maine youth garden programs. 6 contact hours. Scholarships available. For more information, call 287-5522 or email maitca@maine.gov or visit www.maineagintheclassroom.org.
27 - 31 - Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Summer Teachers' Institute. For K-12 teachers, leaders, advisors and educators using agriculture.The week offers curriculum resources and materials available to all. Visits and presentations covering aquaculture, entomology, dairy, beef, blueberries, horses, crops and more. Tours include the Center for Cooperative Aquaculture Reserach, JF Witter Teaching and Research Center, Allen's Blueberries, and Eliot Coleman's Farm. Presentations will focus on sustainable agriculture and integrating agriculture across the elementary curriculum. $200 registration fee includes meals and overnights. 42 contact hours. Scholarships available. For more information, call 287-5522 or email maitca@maine.gov or visit www.maineagintheclassroom.org.
29 - Hoophouse Tomato Production. Wednesday, 5 pm, New Leaf Farm, Durham. Tomatoes are an enormously important cash crop for mixed vegetable growers in Maine. Join Dave Colson, one of Maine’s best tomato growers, for an introduction to this delicious and potentially profitable enterprise. This is part of a MOFGA series call the Farm Training Project, designed for and targeted to participants in MOFGA's Apprenticeship Program, though free and open to anyone interested. Participants are invited to stay for a potluck supper and discussion. Bring a dish or something fresh from the farm to share. For more information about or directions to any of the workshops, or to get yourself on our FTP reminder mailing list, email April at education@mofga.org or call 568-4142.
30 to August 1 - Kneading Conference. In Skowhegan. Organizers invite professional and home bakers, farmers, and millers, oven builders, and innovative community members to participate in hands-on demonstrations and lectures on progressive ideas in the art of wood-fired bread baking and food production, local grain growing and milling, and oven building. Details.

August 2009

Weekly – Farm Training Projects around Maine. Apprentices and other beginning or aspiring farmers visit farms, learn from farmers and network. www.mofga.org
Through August 8: Contemporary Fiber Arts Exhibit, Lord Hall Gallery, University of Maine, in cooperation with University of Maine Art Department and Maine Fiberarts. Free, open to the public. Visit: http://extension.umaine.edu/fibermaine-ia/calendar.htm for more information.
1 - Organic Orcharding Workshop. Bud Grafting. Delton Curtis shows how to graft individual buds from new growth onto rootstock. Useful for fruit trees and many ornamentals. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. $30. Thorndike. Preregistration required. www.mofga.org.
3 - From the Soil Up, a course for beginning vegetable gardeners – Part 3: Harvest and Storage of the Season’s Bounty. 1-3 pm at the Unity Community Center, 32 School St., Unity ME 04988. For more information call 1-800-287-1426 (in Maine) or 207-342-5971. Total cost of the course $10. Pre-registration required. Enrollment limited to 30 participants. Details. (See April 13 for Part 1)
5 - Preserving the Harvest: Pickling, Canning, Freezing, etc. Wednesday, 5 pm, MOFGA Headquarters, Unity. “Putting food by” is a fundamental skill to master if you want to be able to enjoy your garden’s bounty all winter long. Join MOFGA staff for a session on the basics of food preservation and all its various strategies – from pickling, to canning, to freezing, to root cellaring. Be prepared for a hands-on workshop. This is part of a MOFGA series call the Farm Training Project, designed for and targeted to participants in MOFGA's Apprenticeship Program, though free and open to anyone interested. Participants are invited to stay for a potluck supper and discussion. Bring a dish or something fresh from the farm to share. For more information about or directions to any of the workshops, or to get yourself on our FTP reminder mailing list, email April at education@mofga.org or call 568-4142.
7 - Connecting Classrooms to Cafeterias: From Arugula To Zucchini. Hosted by the Maine School Garden Network. This one day course will provide educators and school food service personnel with lots of great food for thought. Workshop topics will include: Integrating School Garden Activities into Classroom Curriculum; Maine Foods for Maine Kids Curriculum Program Training; The Making of a Maine Harvest Lunch Cooking Class; Classroom Composting; Integrating School Garden activities into your Curriculum; Maine Foods for Maine Kids Curriculum Program Training; Taste Testing Activities for Students; and Preserving the Harvest. The event will take place at the Gorham Middle School, 106 Weeks Rd, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $15.00 per person - includes a delicious local lunch! Download the agenda. Download the registration form.
7 - 5th Annual NOFA Organic Lawn & Turf Course at UMass Amherst. (During the 35th Annual NOFA Summer Conference, Amherst, Mass. – see listing for Aug. 7, 8 and 9 below) 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. One-day, intensive course will provide state-of-the-art information for managing lawns and turf organically and is geared toward land care professionals, groundskeepers and municipalities who are responsible for the establishment and care of grass, as well as anyone interested in learning organic methods. Taught by NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professional Donald Bishop of Gardens Are Inc. in Marlborough, MA, CT NOFA Executive Director Bill Duesing of Solar Farm Education in Oxford, CT, nationally renowned organic turfgrass educator Chip Osborne of Osborne Organics in Marblehead, MA, and entomological scientist Dr. Kimberly Stoner of the CT Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, CT. New this year: A special section on Water Management and Conservation, led by noted engineer and water conservation expert Amy Vickers, president of Amy Vickers & Associates Inc. of Amherst, MA. Lunch provided. Course participants will receive a copy of the NOFA Organic Lawn & Turf Handbook: Beautiful Grass Naturally, which serves as the course manual. Course costs $150 for the first person from a firm/town and $125 each additional person. Sat/Sun NOFA Summer Conference registrants receive a $30 discount on the combined registration fees. For more information or to register, visit www.organiclandcare.net or www.nofasummerconference.org. With questions, please contact Kathy Litchfield, NOFA/Mass OLC Program Coordinator, at (413) 773-3830 or kathy@nofamass.org.
7, 8 and 9 - Maine Fiberarts Tour Weekend. Visit fiber-oriented studios and farms throughout Maine. View the Virtual Tour Map here. During Fiber Arts Tour Weekend (August 7, 8, 9) all sites will be open and demonstrating. Maine Fiberarts, P.O. Box 404, Brunswick, Maine 04011-0404. Visitors Center at 13 Main Street, Topsham, ME 04086. 207-721-0678; info@mainefiberarts.org; www.mainefiberarts.org.
7, 8 and 9 - 35th Annual Summer Conference of the Northeast Organic Farming Association. University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass. 150 workshops on organic farming, gardening, land care, sustainability and homesteading. Teen and children’s program. Organic Lawn & Turf Course (see Aug 7 listing above) - Community Farm Workshop Track – Mass Grass Grazing School (see Aug 8 listing below). Keynote speakers: Paul Stamets, mushroom expert and author of Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save The World, and Will Allen, founder and CEO of Growing Power, an organization that brings knowledge about sustainable food systems to urban areas. Entertainment including dancing, country fair, barter event, and farmers’ market. Dorm rooms, camping and wholesome organic meals To register visit www.nofasummerconference.org. For more information contact the NOFA Summer Conference office at (978) 355-2853 or nofa@nofamass.org.
8 - 2nd Annual Grazing School, organized by Mass Grass (Part of the NOFA Summer Conference on Saturday – see listing for Aug. 7, 8 and 9 above). Grazing School workshops provide information to farmers about starting a grass-based livestock operation or improving their existing operation. Workshops are open to all Summer Conference participants. Classes include: Grazing 101; Pasturing in Extreme Conditions; Alternative Health Practices for Livestock; Plant Species Diversity and Pasture Management; Cheese From Sunlight and Rain: Profitable 100% Grass-fed Dairying Using Bronze Age Genetics in New Jersey!; Comparing Grass-fed Steers to Grain-fed Steers; Producing Natural, Local Meat for Consumers (Summary of Livestock Producers Survey). Pasture walk at the UMass Pasture Research Center. Mass Grass is a statewide grazing group of Massachusetts livestock farmers and educators from agricultural organizations, including NOFA/Mass, UMass Extension and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. For more information visit www.massgrass.org or contact Kate Rossiter, NOFA/Mass Extension Staff, (413) 498-2721, or krossiter@nofamass.org.
11 - From Apprentice to Farmer: taking the next steps. Tuesday, 5 pm, Deri Farm, N. Yarmouth. MOFGA estimates that Maine needs about 150 new farmers a year just to maintain the infrastructure we need to support our local food system – so every new farm operation in Maine is a reason to celebrate. But it’s becoming increasingly difficult to get started in farming. Join several of MOFGA’s current Journeypeople as they share their insights and enthusiasm about how they are managing their first few years farming independently. If you are considering farming for a living, please come and contribute to this important discussion. This is part of a MOFGA series call the Farm Training Project, designed for and targeted to participants in MOFGA's Apprenticeship Program, though free and open to anyone interested. Participants are invited to stay for a potluck supper and discussion. Bring a dish or something fresh from the farm to share. For more information about or directions to any of the workshops, or to get yourself on our FTP reminder mailing list, email April at education@mofga.org or call 568-4142.
13 - MOFGA Board of Directors Meeting. 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
13 - Fair Steering Committee Meeting. 6:00 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
13 - Permaculture. Thursday, 5 pm, Schoodic Hollow Farm, Franklin. This is part of a MOFGA series call the Farm Training Project, designed for and targeted to participants in MOFGA's Apprenticeship Program, though free and open to anyone interested. Participants are invited to stay for a potluck supper and discussion. Bring a dish or something fresh from the farm to share. For more information about or directions to any of the workshops, or to get yourself on our FTP reminder mailing list, email April at education@mofga.org or call 568-4142.
19 - MOFGA Certification Services, LLC Board Meeting. 5 - 8 p.m. in MOFGA's library.
19 - Biodynamic Farming. Wednesday, 5 pm, Hope’s Edge Farm, Hope. Biodynamics is a mystical, holistic approach to agriculture that has something to offer every farmer and gardener. Join Tom Griffin of Hope’s Edge Farm for an introduction to the Biodynamic approach, and see how he incorporates it into his operation. This is part of a MOFGA series call the Farm Training Project, designed for and targeted to participants in MOFGA's Apprenticeship Program, though free and open to anyone interested. Participants are invited to stay for a potluck supper and discussion. Bring a dish or something fresh from the farm to share. For more information about or directions to any of the workshops, or to get yourself on our FTP reminder mailing list, email April at education@mofga.org or call 568-4142.
23 - 11th Annual Tour de Farms & BBQ, Morris Farm, 156 Gardiner Rd. (Rt. 27), Wiscasset. All day event. Choose 8, 20, 50 or 100 mile bicycle routes followed by a big BBQ lunch. Information about The Morris Farm and event details at www.morrisfarm.org or call 882-4080.
24 - Organic Wheat Seminar: Learning from the European Experience to Increase Wheat Production and Quality in Maine. With Dr. Anders Borgen. Monday, 1:00 to 5:00 pm at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center, Unity, Maine. Anders is a Danish organic farmer and organic wheat breeder with a collection of over 400 rare wheat landraces, seed quality researcher at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, and former board member of The Danish Association for Organic Farming. Dr. Borgen will discuss how to improve small-scale cereal production under organic, low input conditions, in terms of economy, seed quality, markets and farmers' skills. He will present an overview of organic seed production in Europe and issues of seed certification. Participants will briefly present their work so everyone can discuss our interests on that basis. The seminar will focus on developing wheat varieties best suited to organic systems by drawing on the rich genetic resources of heritage wheat populations, and developing genetically diverse 'composite-cross' genepools for on-farm selection to improve the yield and quality of wheat. $15 pre-registration. $20 on-site registration. More information at growseed.org or email Eli Rugosa at growseed@yahoo.com.
25 - Farm Woodlot Management. Tuesday, 5 pm, Hidden Valley Farm, Alna. Woodlots are an important part of a diverse farm system, providing fuel, building materials, and other value-added products such as maple syrup to supplement income. Join Bambi Jones and Tracy Moskowitz, woodlot owners and managers, and Consulting Forester Barrie Brusila for a teaching tour of their woodlot. They will talk about why and how they manage the woodlot, with particular emphasis on long-term, low-impact forestry techniques using small-scale, multipurpose equipment. This is part of a MOFGA series call the Farm Training Project, designed for and targeted to participants in MOFGA's Apprenticeship Program, though free and open to anyone interested. Participants are invited to stay for a potluck supper and discussion. Bring a dish or something fresh from the farm to share. For more information about or directions to any of the workshops, or to get yourself on our FTP reminder mailing list, email April at education@mofga.org or call 568-4142.
25 - 28 – 1st IFOAM Conference on Organic Animal and Plant Breeding – Breeding Diversity, Santa Fe, N.M. Farmers, scientists, traders, certifiers, gardeners, animal breeders may submit papers until Feb. 1. Details.
27 - Koviashuvik Local Living School Open House. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Visitors may take part in seasonal folk skills and have a tour of Koviashuvik's buildings and plantings. Founded in 2008 by Chris and Ashirah Knapp, Koviashuvik is a small school that teaches practical and inexpensive ways for people to live with and use their local land. Activities on Open House Day will include pounding brown ash for baskets, processing fiber from the basswood tree, tanning hides and demonstrating low tech cooking technologies. The tour will include a stone root cellar, earth-bermed greenhouse, rainwater collection system with homemade solar hot water, bike powered washing machine, log cabin, vegetable gardens, berry patches, fruit and nut orchard, and perennial/wild plantings. For more information about summer classes, internships, or Koviashuvik Days call 207-778-0318 or write to PO Box 383, Temple, ME 04984.

September 2009

10 - Meeting of the Executive Committee of MOFGA's Board of Directors. 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
10 - Fair Steering Committee Meeting. 6:00 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
10 - Harvest Dinner at The Morris Farm, 156 Gardiner Rd. (Rt. 27), Wiscasset. 6 p.m. Enjoy the fruits of the season at this traditional harvest dinner. Adults $10, students and seniors $7; children 5 and under free! Information about The Morris Farm and event details at www.morrisfarm.org or call 882-4080.
18-20 - Annual GROW (Grassroots Organizing Workshops) weekend. Tanglewood 4-H Camp
(Ducktrap Road off US Route One) in Lincolnville, Maine. Focusing this year on Organizational Development of Grassroots Groups. For new and experienced grassroots organizers in Maine and beyond to learn more about creating grassroots social change. FMI: GROW c/o Resources for Organizing and Social Change, 161 Stovepipe Alley, Monroe, ME 04951; Iggy, 207-415-4458, iggy@riseup.net; Larry, 207-525-7776, rosc@psouth.net; or Jacqui, 207-934-1911, jacquio50@yahoo.com
25, 26 & 27 - Common Ground Country Fair. Mark your calendars! The Fair will take place, as always, on the third weekend after Labor Day. Details.

October 2009

(TBA) – Cooking and Preparing Fresh Fish, Cheryl Wixson of MOFGA, and Port Clyde Fresh Catch. Common Ground Education Center, Unity. www.mofga.org
3 - Old Fashioned Cider Pressing and Music at The Morris Farm, 156 Gardiner Rd. (Rt. 27), Wiscasset. 3 pm to 5 pm. Bring your apples and cider container. Free event! Information about The Morris Farm and event details at www.morrisfarm.org or call 882-4080.
3 - Mid-Coast Maine Slow Foods Convivium Picnic. Local chefs will use locally grown heirloom fruits, vegetables, and meats. Slow Foods USA has cataloged regional foods that are at risk of being lost. See Foods At Risk In New England. The Mid-Coast group is looking for farmers who grow heirloom fruits, vegetables, or meats and can supply their event. Contact lolalea@lslea.com.
8 - Fair Planning Team Dinner and Wrap-up Meeting. 6:00 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
9 & 10 - Wood-Fired Oven Intensive. Stone Turtle Baking & Cooking School in Lyman, ME. 19 hours of comprehensive instruction on wood-fired oven management (Friday, Noon – 8 PM & Saturday, 7 AM – 6 PM). Hands-on and strictly limited to 8 students. Please see our web site (www.stoneturtlebaking.com) for a more complete description. Cost - $300. We offer a 10% discount to MOFGA members.
10-11 - Fiber Maine-ia Conference and Make It With Wool Show. (Registration fee.) University of Maine. Visit: www.umext.maine.edu/fibermaine-ia/conference.htm for more information.
10-12 - Nose-to-Tail Pork Processing. Raising, humanely slaughtering, and processing pigs. Common Ground Education Center, Unity. Details pending: www.mofga.org.
15 - Fair Steering Committee Meeting. 6:00 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
18 - MOFGA Board of Directors Meeting. 9 a.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
18 - Joint Meeting of MOFGA's Board of Directors and the Fair Steering Committee. Pot-luck lunch at noon. Meeting from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
24 - Great Maine Apple Day. History, tradition and flavor of Maine apples. Rare and heirloom apple displays, educational talks, apples and apple products for sale. Details pending: www.mofga.org.

November 2009

6 to 8 - Farmer-to-Farmer Conference. Location TBA. MOFGA’s annual conference where farmers learn what works and what doesn’t and get new ideas from university faculty, fellow farmers and others. Details TBA: www.mofga.org.
12 - Meeting of the Executive Committee of MOFGA's Board of Directors. 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
12 - Fair Steering Committee Meeting. 6:00 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
18 - MOFGA Certification Services, LLC Board Meeting. 2 - 5 p.m. in the MOFGA library.
19 - Thanksgiving Potluck at The Morris Farm, 156 Gardiner Rd. (Rt. 27), Wiscasset. 6 pm. Join us for this wonderful community supper – bring a dish to share. Free! Information about The Morris Farm and event details at www.morrisfarm.org or call 882-4080.
20-21 - Low Impact Forestry and Chainsaw Safety Workshops. For beginning and experienced. Sustainable woodlot management, chainsaw safety, logging with animals and low-impact machinery. Details TBA: www.mofga.org.

December 2009

(TBA) – Kitchen Licensing Workshop. Cheryl Wixson, Common Ground Education Center, Unity. www.mofga.org
6 - MOFGA Board of Directors Meeting. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
10 - Fair Steering Committee Meeting. 6:00 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
12 - Christmas Fair at The Morris Farm, 156 Gardiner Rd. (Rt. 27), Wiscasset. 9 am to 1 pm. Hand-made gifts, wreaths and bake sale. Information about The Morris Farm and event details at www.morrisfarm.org or call 882-4080.