A Letter from the Executive Director, December 2002
Dear MOFGA Member,
Thank you for all your generosity over the past year, and your support in the future. As another year draws to an end, I realized the organic movement in Maine, and across the country, has changed dramatically. MOFGA now has 4,000 members and subscribers, making us the largest state organic organization in the country. With the help of hundreds of volunteers, and the financial support of over a thousand people, we've built a permanent home for the Common Ground Country Fair and a year-round education center.
On the farming side, 50 of Maine's 420 dairy farmers are now shipping organic milk. Some conventional dairy farmers are interested in joining the growing community of Maine organic dairy farms in the coming year. Two hundred other organic farmers and processors supply food to families across Maine and beyond.
Nationally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has stepped in with uniform national organic regulations. This has stimulated interest from more markets and more farmers across the country, making organic the fastest growing part of the food system. At the same time, the pressure to be large and uniform’ is encouraging some farmers to come up with new terms for their methods of farming and food production. I suspect we'll see a burgeoning of labels like "organic and grass-fed," "authentic," "organic and local," "organic food from family farms," and more. That is all good, and it all relates to telling our stories in their many diverse forms.
On the more challenging side, the push towards genetic engineering continues largely unchecked and somewhat unnoticed. I have been encouraged lately to see in papers across Maine letters to editors and guest editorials which have challenged the status quo. Every time you write a letter or talk to a neighbor you begin to change the terms of the discussion, something we'll all have to do. Chuck Benbrook commented at the recent forum on genetic engineering that Maine is one of the few states that has a choice on these issues. Let's make sure it's a real one, and that we're all involved in the discussions!
As members, you all received several "Last Row to Hoe" appeals this year. We really are at the end of the Capital Campaign. Your support now will help us to finish the Campaign and continue our work day to day.
Meanwhile, we all hope you had a joyous holiday season with your family and friends. Best wishes to all for the New Year!
Russell Libby, Executive Director
Organizational Development News
With the support of the Maine Community Foundation, MOFGA has been working this past year to improve the way we operate, especially with our growth over the past five years. We've been looking at everything from staffing to how meetings function to ways to change the way people talk about issues. At a recent Board and staff retreat, we realized that the solution is in front of us -- "It's the food!" It's also all the pieces that help to make the food available to all of us. We have some fairly significant changes coming from the process, including:
Heather Spalding is now Operations Director. As we've grown from six positions to eleven over the past five years, we never changed our organizational structure. With Board approval, we now have a structure designed around functional groups. Heather has stepped forward to fill the new position of Operations Director, where she will coordinate administrative systems for MOFGA and work closely with MOFGA's new Education cluster, which will include the Common Ground Country Fair. Heather has done a great job as Fair Director for the past four years, and she's looking forward to new challenges with MOFGA.
Agricultural Services Program: We've joined Eric Sideman and Diane Schivera's work in the Technical Services division with Susie O'Keeffe's work in Agricultural Support (marketing, FarmLink), and created a new Agricultural Services Program. The long-range plan is to have a team leader in that group. For now, Russell Libby, the Executive Director, is participating and helping to organize this program. The Board's Certification Committee is changing its focus to this broader approach to working with our farmers and gardeners.
Other opportunities: Positions Available. While we are still completing the internal process, we know we have three positions currently available, and a fourth (Education Director) with a target date of August 1, 2003. If you are interested in being considered for: Common Ground Country Fair Coordinator (deadline, January 13); an administrative support position (either with Education programs or MOFGA's general programs; deadline January 22); or our newly created Development and Membership Director position (deadline, February 3), please contact Heather Spalding for job descriptions and further information. We're excited about the changes underway at MOFGA, and look forward to working with all our members in the coming year.
Other News
Journeypersons for farmhouse (and elsewhere): We're currently recruiting to fill a vacancy at the MOFGA Farmhouse. Deadline for applications: January 15. We're also interested in helping to place other prospective farmers. Talk with Diane Schivera* at the MOFGA office, 568-4142, or email mofga@mofga.org
Certification Update: MOFGA's LLC subsidiary has certified 250 farms and processors this year. Rewrites of application forms are underway. People interested in inspecting farms next year, particularly for livestock farms, should contact Mary Yurlina*. Training is scheduled in Vermont in February.
MOFGA Day at the Agricultural Trades Show, and MOFGA's Annual Meeting
January 14, 2003 is MOFGA Day at the Agricultural Trades Show at the Augusta Civic Center. Our Annual Meeting will take place at 3:30. It is open to all MOFGA members. Stop by and join us. The schedule for the day follows:
Room A
9:15 - Update on Organic Controls of Some Common Vegetable Pests, Eric Sideman
10:15 - "So You Want/Need To Be Certified Organic...," MOFGA Certification Services
11:15 - Materials: What can you use on your Organic farm? Eric Sideman and Diane Schivera
12:15 Commissioner's Luncheon (in different location)
1:30 - Fertility of Organic Vegetable Fields in Northeastern US, Tom Morris from the Agriculture Experiment Station in Connecticut
2:30 - Alternative Sources of Nitrogen: An Ongoing Study in Maine, Mark Hutchinson, Extension Educator with University of Maine
The Board's Nominating Committee is finalizing a slate of board members for next year. Officer nominations are as follows:
Lisa Turner, Freeport, President
John Bunker, Palermo, Vice-President
Amanda Beal, Freeport, Recorder
CR Lawn, Waterville, Treasurer
Executive Committee at large: Eric Rector, Monroe; Tom Opper, Liberty; Mark Guzzi, Dixmont.
Room B
9:15 - Learning As You Grow: Building New Markets, Russell Libby
10:15 - Caring for Calves Using Organic Methods. Henrietta Beaufait DVM and Diane Schivera
11:15 - Apprenticeship; Farmers are Going On-Line! Rosey Guest, Apprenticeship Coordinator
12:15 - Commissioner's Luncheon (in different location)
1:30 - Organic Dairy What is it? Will it Work on My Farm? A panel discussion with two recently certified organic dairy farmers, Erik Johnson, Sandy River Farms and John Donald, Triple "D" Acres.
2:30 - Farm Link Susie O'Keeffe will introduce the FarmLink Program.
Upcoming Events
.Our Spring Calendar is filling rapidly. * means contact MOFGA for details.
*January 8: Organic Dairy & Livestock: Animal Health with Doc Halliday, DVM, holistic veterinarian. Contact: Diane Schivera. Fee.
*January 10, 11, 12: Sustainable Seed School, Unity. Contact FEDCO at 873-7333 for registration, or visit: www.growseed.org.
January 14, 15, 16: Agricultural Trades Show, Augusta Civic Center. Tuesday, the 14th, is MOFGA day with our annual meeting at 3:30 p.m.
*January 28 - March 18, "De-mystifying the Small Engine," Unity, taught by John McIntyre, 8 Tuesdays, 7-8:30 p.m. Preregistration required, $50 fee paid in full before class begins, limit 10. Call 568-04142.
February 18 and 19: Gary Zimmer, Midwestern Bio-Ag, workshop sponsored by Heart of Maine RC&D. Soils introduction and transitioning to organic with an evening program for dairy farmers. Fee
*February 26, Compost Process: Compost product., Will Brinton, Woods End Laboratory, Mount Vernon, Maine. Unity. Making and using quality compost. Call 568-4142. Fee
*March 5 & 11: Introduction to Organic Agriculture. Two day workshop led by Eric Sideman. Focus on vegetable production. $30 per day, preregistration required.
March 13 - 16, Portland Flower Show, Scarborough Downs. MOFGA participates in a booth with Old Stage Farm. *Volunteers needed*
March 18. Maine Farm-Link meeting, Benton Grange. Details in March issue of MOFGA newspaper.
*March 22: Spring Growth Conference, Unity. "Successful Farmers’ Markets: What we've learned from our work with Maine's farmers’ markets, and lessons from other places."
March 29. Maine Grazing Conference. Contact Waldo County Cooperative Extension, 1-800-287-1426
Farm management/small farm marketing class. Russell Libby will probably offer a one-day introduction to management and marketing course. If there is a group of you (at least 8) who would like the course to come to you, that is an option as well. Contact Russell for more information7.