“If you’re going to farm a piece of land, you ought to farm it for all it’s worth.” – Tim Hassinger, vice-president, Dow AgriSciences For how many bluebirds it’s worth? For how many monarchs? What price the elusive fireflies? I pulled the early peas today, tossing the vines in the compost bin, then carried
Toki Oshima drawing By Mort Mather If you know that I’m a past president of MOFGA, you might think you know how I will answer this question. It is not that simple, though. To begin with, taste is, to a large extent, subjective. Add to that different varieties, different weather conditions, different soil types and
by Cheryl Wixson Long before I ventured into the catering and restaurant business, I learned to cook for large crowds by volunteering at community meals. The grey-haired ladies who cheerfully organize and prepare our baked bean suppers, chowder fests, spaghetti feeds, chili cook-offs and fundraising dinners have much to teach us. Today, when planning to
by Saima Sidik Finding a sense of community at McGill University in Montreal, where classes (at least in the first year) are half the size that my entire high school population was, is tough. However, students occasionally have torn their eyes away from their laptops long enough to create niches within the school that contribute
Vivianne Holmes, Ph.D. a University of Maine extension educator, has a small farm in Buckfield where she raises Christmas trees, livestock and various crops. She also helped start the Women’s Agricultural Network. Joyce White photo. By Joyce White As a result of her innovative thinking and can-do spirit, Vivianne Holmes, Ph.D., has helped birth the
Reclaiming Onions By Mary Anne Libby What comes first is carting the oldest to one of her jobs necessary for a trip to France, and for college; And the youngest one to the village for a swim to renew her spirit and laugh with friends; The fiddler to her latest dance gig, a payment down
Corinne Martin points out celandine, a medicinal plant with several anti-tumor properties. The flower has four yellow petals that are not as shiny as those of buttercup, and its leaves differ from those of buttercup. Photo by Joyce White. By Joyce White Corinne Martin began learning about the use of herbs in healing in response
Detail of a Beehive mosaic. Even good color photos give only a rough idea of the actual appearance of Beehive Collective mosaics, especially larger ones. Black and white photos of the mosaics are even more misleading. “No photo does justice to their work,” says MOFGA board member Sharon Tisher. If possible, interested readers should try
by Jim Gerritsen Jim Gerritsen, a MOFGA-certified organic grower at Wood Prairie Farm in Bridgewater, gave the following address at Slow Food – Terra Madre in Turino, Italy, on October 28, 2006. Good morning. I’m Jim Gerritsen. We have a family farm and raise organic certified seed potatoes in the state of Maine in the
Prince, formerly used in pulling contests, was rescued by Bruce (right) and now lives the good life with a family of horses on the farm of Jay (left) and Suzanne Philoon. Photo by Suzanne Philoon. by Suzanne Philoon This is the story of a Prince, perhaps more than one; and like many good stories this
