"Worms are the unsung heroes of our food chain. Their burrows allow oxygen and water to penetrate the soil, they add fertility and prevent flooding."
- Farming Today, BBC Radio
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PO Box 170
Unity, ME 04988
Phone: 207-568-4142
Fax: 207-568-4141
Email: mofga@mofga.org
Physical Address:
294 Crosby Brook Road, Unity, ME
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| Bob Sewall and helper Kristy Kinney at the Common Ground Country Fair. |
Know Your Organic Producers!
Meet Bob Sewall of Sewall Orchard. Maine’s oldest certified organic orchard still in operation sits on the side of Levensellar Mountain in Lincolnville with sweeping views of the lakes, the Camden hills and the ocean beyond. Bob prepared his soils for two years and then planted organically using the Rodale method. He was a MOFGA board member for 14 years and is a former MOFGA president. Sewall and his wife, Mia Mantello, sell apples, apple cider and apple cider vinegar at the farm, at the Common Ground Country Fair and at Maine cooperatives and restaurants. Their vinegar won “Best of Maine” in Down East magazine (2008) and is widely used by local herbalists and chefs.
Please support MOFGA certified organic farmers and producers!
Search for MOFGA certified organic food |
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Organic and Sustainable Agriculture News
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Food fight: the Food Safety Modernization Act
Grist - 11/9/2010.Although the Senate failed to pass the Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510) before the election, word is that it will take it back up during the lame-duck session in November. We've invited 10 people from the various sides of this complicated yet crucial debate to discuss whether there is indeed a food-safety crisis, whether S. 510 will make it better, and whether it will throw small producers under the bus in doing so. |
Food safety, FSMA: do we really have a food crisis
Grist - 11/9/2010.Tom Philpott, Grist senior food writer: I'll kick things off. Absolutely. The crisis has three facets – each of which must be addressed if we want to quell the endless stream of spectacular outbreaks. |
Chocolate: worth its weight in gold?
The Independent - 11/9/2010. By Anthea Gerrie – Fancy a bit of chocolate? An afternoon Kit Kat with your cup of tea? A chunk of fruit and nut? Go on, you've earned it. Except that in the future, chocoholics might have to work quite a bit harder to pay for their fix. |
Rooting for Celery Root
Zester Daily - 11/9/2010. By Terra Brockman – As the winter holidays approach, big vegetables (and big meats) tend to take center stage. While the weighty winter squashes and bright sweet potatoes garner raves, the true culinary star, celery root, waits quietly in the wings for those sensitive to her considerable talents. |
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Check out MOFGA's
online community!
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Yeomans Plow for sale by Plowshares Community Farm: "The Yeomans Plow is the king of reduced tillage. We have switched from tillage systems to permanent orchards, so we do not ne..." |
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Peach trees available this spring by Plowshares Community Farm: "Contender Peach (yellow freestone), more cold hardy than most. Just $24 each, 3/8" caliper, the best size for establishing l..." |
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March 6 - MOFGA’s Common Ground radio show |
10 to 11 a.m. on WERU, 89.9 and 99.9 FM and weru.org |
March 7 - MOFGA’s Spring Growth Conference: Farming in the Face of Climate Change |
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center, Unity. Keynote speaker John Aber and a panel of farmers focus on weather- and climate-related changes farmers are experiencing. Includes open discussion on strategies for farmers to deal with changing climate. Information and registration. |
March 8 - Film presented by MOFGA’s Green Cemetery Committee |
MOFGA's Green Cemetery Committee invites the public to a free film series on End of Life issues. 1:30 p.m. at MOFGA's Education Center in Unity. Several short films will be shown to inform about choices and inspire planning and preparing ahead. Save the date for the last film in our series to be shown on April 12. FMI contact Nancy at 568-7597. |
March 12 - Growing Tomatoes in a High Tunnel |
Thursday, 10 a.m. to noon, Houlton Higher Education Center, Rm 110, 18 Military St, Houlton. Presented by Eric Sideman, Crop Specialist, MOFGA. Hosted by the Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District. The class is the second in a three-part high tunnel series funded by the Broad Reach Fund of the Maine Community Foundation. 1 pesticide credit is available through the class. A complementary lunch will be served. Pre-registration is requested. Contact the SASWCD at 532-2087 x 101 or angela.wotton@me.nacdnet.net |
March 14 - MOFGA’s Organic Orcharding Workshop: Pruning
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10 a.m.to 3 p.m. Two locations: 1. New Leaf Farm, Durham (instructor: Angus Deighan); 2. between Ellsworth and Cherryfield (instructor: Brannin Buehner of Bear & Owl Tree Care). Learn to prune fruit trees to encourage vigorous growth, heavy fruit set and quality fruit yield. For beginning and experienced growers. $50 non-members; $35 members. More information. The workshop is also offered at Apple Acres Farm in Hiram. $25 per person. FMI visit the Resilience Hub. |
March 14 - Growing Issues: Urban Agriculture |
11 a.m., Bernard Osher Foundation Auditorium, Portland Museum of Art. Join this panel of experts on local sustainability in their discussion of the importance of public food forests, public orcharding, edible street trees, permablitzing and community gardens. A Community Collaboration between Portland Museum of Art and MOFGA. Free for PMA and MOFGA members ($10 for the general public). Schedule and details. |
March 18 - Hancock County Grower Meeting |
Wednesday, Hancock County Extension Office, 63 Boggy Brook Rd., Ellsworth. Sessions on certification, soil health and crop planning presented by local farmers. Opportunity to take the Pesticide Applicator License exam; RSVP at least 8 days prior. Details. |
March 18 and 25 - Organic Farming: Principles and Practices |
Two-part course designed to provide farmers with a strong background in soils, weeds and pest management, enabling them to make good management decisions. Lectures by Eric Sideman, MOFGA's organic crop specialist, and local farmers. Information and registration. |
March 21 - 21st Annual Rural Living Day |
Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Mt. View High School, 577 Mt. View Rd. (Rt. 220), Thorndike. Classes on gardening, forestry and rural life. Co-sponsored by MOFGA and UMaine Cooperative Extension. FMI: UMaine Extension, 1-800-287-1426. Deadline to register is Friday, March 13. |
March 21 - MOFGA’s Organic Orcharding Workshop: Renovating Old Trees |
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Locations: Palermo with Angus Deighan; Beech Hill Farm, Mount Desert with C.J. Walke; or Kermit Nickerson School, Swanville with Sean Murphy. Do you have old trees on your land that you would like to bring back into production? Learn how to renovate and tend your heritage trees. $50 non-members; $35 members. Information and registration. |
22 – Maine Maple Sunday |
Some sugarhouses are offering events on both Saturday and Sunday. List of participating sugarhouses. This list includes three MOFGA certified organic maple syrup producers: Kinney's Sugarhouse in Knox, Sparky's Moody Mountain Maple in Hope and Strawberry Hill Farms in Skowhegan. MOFGA certifies more than four dozen organic maple syrup producers. |
March 26 - Growing Issues: The Hidden World of Bees and Pollination |
6:30 p.m., Bernard Osher Foundation Auditorium, Portland Museum of Art. Hear Christy Hemenway from Gold Star Honeybees, Heather Spalding, MOFGA deputy director, and Fedco Seeds founder CR Lawn talk about our pollinators and the national and local issues that concern them and our food supply. Maine honey and mead tasting to follow. A Community Collaboration between Portland Museum of Art and MOFGA. Free for PMA and MOFGA members ($10 for the general public). Schedule and details. |
March 27 - Lincoln/Knox County Grower Meeting |
Friday, Knox-Lincoln County Extension Office, 377 Manktown Rd., Waldoboro. Sessions on certification, soil health and crop planning presented by local farmers. Opportunity to take the Pesticide Applicator License exam; RSVP at least 8 days prior. Details. |
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See the full calendar ... |
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