****WEATHER UPDATE****
Small Farm Field Day is a Rain or Shine Event. Many talks and demos are outdoors, but there are many that are sheltered as well. Those that are under cover are indicated below.
Lunch, Vendors, and the Swap are all sheltered.
See you Saturday!
scroll down for details
download the final program with talk times, locations, and a map of the grounds (PDF)
Workshop and Demonstration Details
Lacto-fermenting foods from the garden: Roy and Ana Antaki, Weeping Duck Farm UNDER COVER
Learn how to preserve the harvest sustainably while creating healthy living foods using proven traditions.
Building and Baking in a Wood-fired Oven -- Kendra Michaud, Fire Flour Bakery PARTIALLY UNDER COVER
Kendra will walk us through how she built and how she uses her hand-built clay outdoor wood-fired oven.
Baking Bread Using Whole Grains -- Cheryl Wixson, MOFGA Resident Chef UNDER COVER
Cheesemaking -- Cathe Morrill, State of Maine Cheese Co. UNDER COVER
Cathe will walk through the steps for making simple cheeses in your own kitchen from fresh, local dairy products.
Tool Sharpening -- Chris Coulling, homesteader extraordinaire UNDER COVER
Sharp tools make for safe and efficient work. Chris will cover a wide range of tools. You are welcome to bring your own tools to practice.
Chainsaw Maintenance and Sharpening -- John Cullen, Certified Logging Professional UNDER COVER
Low-Impact Forestry Woodlot Teaching Tour -- Sam Brown, Licensed Profesional Forester
Forest Pests and Diseases -- Bill Ostrofsky, Maine Forest Service
Garden Walk: Weed & Pest ID and Management -- Eric Sideman, MOFGA Crops Specialist and Molly & Christa, MOFGA Farmers-in-Residence
Wander around the MOFGA gardens with Eric, Molly, and Christa, finding, identifying, and learning controls for various weeds and pests.
Mushrooming in Maine -- Greg Marley, Mushrooms for Health UNDER COVER
From Plants to Medicine -- Linda Tisdale, Alchemilla Herbal Apothecary UNDER COVER
Pollinators: What every Grower Should Know -- Mary Yurlina, Pollinator Ecologist UNDER COVER
Native, wild pollinators such as bumble bees and smaller solitary bees will be the focus of a garden walk where we'll discuss pollinator habits and habitats. A primer on floral biology and pollination will also be included.
Soil Mixes, Seedling Production, and Transplanting -- Eric Sideman, MOFGA Crops Specialist UNDER COVER
Crop Focus: Pumpkins and Winter Squash -- Caragh Fitzgerald, UMCE UNDER COVER
Wild Foods -- Shana Hansen
Pasture & Hayfield ID & Management -- Rick Kersbergen, UMCE and Diane Schivera, MOFGA Livestock Specialist
Learn to identify and manage the plant species growing in your fields – both the desirable and the undesirable.
Poultry Processing on a Small Scale -- Carly Delsignore, Tide Mill Farm; and Abby Sadauckas, Sounds Like Farm UNDER COVER
Learn how to humanely and cleanly turn your broilers or spent layers into a delicious home-made meal. Close the loop!
Raising Goats on a Small Scale -- John & Mary Belding, Little Falls Farm UNDER COVER
Raising Happy, Healthy Poultry -- Diane Schivera, MOFGA UNDER COVER
Wind Power and Siting Considerations -- Vernon LeCount, MOFGA renewables coordinator
On the right site, small-scale home wind power can be economically viable as well as clean, renewable and independent.
Solar Collectors for Space Heating -- Vernon LeCount, MOFGA renewables coordinator UNDER COVER
"Solar Walls" are a great, low-tech and inexpensive way to heat or preheat air for indoor living or storage spaces. MOFGA installed a solar wall on our sprinkler building a few years ago and havent burned 1 BTU of propane heating it since.
Also on tap:
The Annual Early Morning Meeting of the Mowers: come early to join a team of scythers! No experience or equipment necessary
Horse-Drawn Farm Equipment Demos
Blacksmithing Demos UNDER COVER
Visit MOFGA's post & beam blacksmith shop to learn the ancient art of the forge, and go home with a handmade work of art.
Tool, Garden Supply and Seedling Vendors
UNDER COVER
including:
Johnnys Selected Seeds
Half Moon Gardens
Scythe Supply
Brae Maple Farm, Union
Fedco/Organic Growers Supply
Homesteaders' and Gardeners' Swap Meet: bring your unwanted, gently used equipment, tools, and supplies to sell or swap or browse for gear for your own place
UNDER COVER
Lunch will be available
Plan to spend the last Saturday in May with MOFGA at Small Farm Field Day!