"All my life, I have been driven by one dream, one goal, one vision: To overthrow a farm labor system in this nation which treats farm workers as if they were not important human beings."
- César Estrada Chávez
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Support MOFGA's Maine Heritage Orchard
Sales of our beautiful 2014 Heritage Orchard Calendar will help support MOFGA and the orchard. Full-color photos of apples originating in Maine were taken by widely acclaimed Portland photographer Russell French and include Black Oxford, Gray Pearmain and others. $15. Available at MOFGA's Country Store.
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Governor LePage Signs Maine's GMO Labeling Bill!
Thanks so much to everyone who worked so hard to help Maine become the second state in the country to require labeling of GMO foods!
Read the full press release.
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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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MOFGA's Chainsaw Safety Workshop Level I
Sunday, May 4
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
362 Flat Rd., West Bethel.
$50/members, $60/non-members
Whether you are an aspiring logger, woodlot manager or occasional chainsaw user, this course is invaluable. The chainsaw is an amazingly powerful tool, but without proper training and knowledge it can be a very dangerous tool. Work with our highly skilled instructors for the day and learn to use your chainsaw safely. Participants should bring their protective equipment and a lunch. Water is available. Registration.
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Organic and Sustainable Agriculture News
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Organic dairy farms being crushed by factory operations
The Capital Times (Madison, WI) - 1/29/2010.By Mark Kastel – Family farmers who produce organic milk are petitioning for the swift adoption of new strict rule-making that would rein in the abuses of a handful of factory farms, which are violating both the spirit and letter of the federal organic law. |
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Six Meaningless Claims on Food Labels
The New York Times - 1/28/2010.By Tara Parker-Pope – Although food labels are supposed to tell us exactly what’s in the food we’re buying, marketers have created a language all their own to make foods sound more healthful than they really are. Today’s “Consumer Ally” column on AOL’s WalletPop site explores misleading food-label lingo, noting that some commonly used phrases have “almost no meaning.” |
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And the winner of the USDA food safety sweepstakes is …
Grist - 1/26/2010.By Tom Laskawy – Dr. Elizabeth Hagen! No, you’re not expected to know who she is. Suffice it to say that, as anticipated, USDA Chief Tom Vilsack turned to an under-the-radar choice for Under Secretary of Food Safety. Hagen, currently the USDA’s Chief Medical Officer, will, if confirmed, take charge of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which is responsible for the safety of meat and poultry products. The interesting aspect of this pick is that she is an infectious disease doc and public health specialist who has been working at USDA for several years – and thus should have a good grounding in food safety methods. |
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Organic or conventional, farmers are working in unison
Kennebec Journal - 1/26/2010.Op-Ed by Jon Olson, Maine Farm Bureau – Maine agriculture is on a roll. While the number of farms in the United States is declining, the number of Maine farms is growing. The last U.S. Department of Agriculture census counted 8,136 Maine farms in 2007. That's a gain of over 2,000 farms in the last 10 years. Farmers markets are increasingly popular and more and more people are signing up to buy directly from farmers through CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture). |
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Check out MOFGA's
online community!
Create your own profile website
List products and services that you offer
Post classified ads
Join forum discussions |
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Help Wanted by Island Farm: "Private Island Farm located in Downeast Maine. Practicing organic gardening methods, dairy processing and pasture raised meat..." |
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Peach trees available by Plowshares Community Farm: "We have a large order of peach trees (six yellow freestone varieties) coming, 3/8-1/2" caliper (better than larger caliper fo..." |
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Portland CSA Fair, Sunday April 27!!! by Black Kettle Farm: "Meet MOFGA farmers that deliver to the Portland area and learn more about different CSA options this season! Sunday, April 2..." |
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Portland CSA Fair, Sunday April 27!!! by Black Kettle Farm: "It is prime time to secure your veggies for the season! Check out the Portland CSA Fair, this Sunday, April 27th, at Local S..." |
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Medicine Plants & The Healing Process by avenabotanicals: "Medicine Plants & The Healing Process | Deepening our Knowledge and Connection to the Plant World With Deb Soule and Jilli..." |
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April 26 - Empty Bowl Supper Fundraiser
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6 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, Miller St., Belfast. Join MOFGA's El Salvador Sistering Committee for its annual Empty Bowl Supper fundraiser. For just $15 ($35 maximum for families; tickets at the door), attendees enjoy delicious soups, breads and desserts, get to see friends, and take home a beautiful bowl, handcrafted and donated by a Maine potter.
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April 30 - Waldo Organic Growers Program: Bats
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Speaker Annie Kassler of Bat Conservation will show slides and video. Potluck: Please bring a plate, silverware and a dish to share. MOFGA library, Unity. 6:00 p.m.
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May 2 - MOFGA’s Common Ground radio show |
10 to 11 a.m., WERU, 89.9 and 99.9 FM and weru.org |
May 2 - Ripe For Discussion – From Seed to Fruition: A Farm-To-Table Series from MOFGA and the Portland Museum of Art |
Friday, 5:30 p.m., 7 Congress St., Portland. Meet & Greet with Ted Quaday, MOFGA’s new Executive Director. MOFGA and its mission – brief talk and slide show, followed by a light reception. PMA and MOFGA members free! Museum information: 775-6148; www.portlandmuseum.org/ |
May 4 - MOFGA's Chainsaw Safety Workshop |
Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., $50/members, $60/non-members. Details and registration. |
May 4 - Maine Highlands MOFGA Chapter Celebration and Kick-Off |
Sunday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come by the East Sangerville Grange to help celebrate the official start of the Maine Highlands MOFGA chapter. This is a free event and open to all – you do not have to be a MOFGA member to attend! We'll share potluck nibbles and snacks, ideas about possible chapter activities, and maybe some seeds if you've got some you'd like to swap. Bring your family, bring a friend! The ESG is located on East Sangerville Rd. For directions go to www.grange.org/eastsangervilleme177/. Don't try to use your GPS or you'll end up in the woods! |
May 10 - Memorial for Joe Dupere at MOFGA
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1 p.m., 294 Crosby Brook Rd., Unity. Details on Facebook and the website of Sunnywood Farm. Profile page on MOFGA.org. |
May 10 - Ripe For Discussion – From Seed to Fruition: Maine's Heritage Orchard: A Farm-To-Table Series from MOFGA and the Portland Museum of Art |
Saturday, 2 p.m., 7 Congress St., Portland. A program on preserving Maine’s heritage apples with apple expert John Bunker, including information on the new Maine Heritage Orchard, MOFGA’s 10-acre terraced orchard in the making, protecting over 500 apple and pear varieties traditionally grown on small Maine farms. PMA and MOFGA members free! Museum information: 775-6148; www.portlandmuseum.org/ |
May 17-18 - Introduction to Chainsaw Safety for Women
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Hidden Valley Nature Center, Jefferson. Cosponsored by MOFGA. This day-and-a-half-long hands-on training will give women of all experience levels the confidence and knowledge to safely operate a chainsaw. Students will learn about safety gear, practice basic techniques, learn about maintenance and practice tree felling. This course is well suited to homeowners, resource professionals, trail volunteers, farmers and anyone who might use a chainsaw. Information: hvnc.org, info@hvnc.org |
May 18 - Ripe For Discussion – Healthy Soil, Healthy Foods: A Farm-To-Table Series from MOFGA and the Portland Museum of Art |
Sunday, 2 p.m., 7 Congress St., Portland. Screening of Symphony of the Soil, a film by Deborah Koons Garcia, followed by a panel discussion with the filmmaker, Eliot Coleman, Barbara Damrosch and local restaurateur Leslie Oster of Aurora Provisions. PMA and MOFGA members free! Museum information: 775-6148; www.portlandmuseum.org/ |
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See the full calendar ... |
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