Mary-Howell Martens (center) and Klaas Martens (right) talk with Spring Growth participants, including Eli Rogosa (left), during lunch at MOFGA’s Spring Growth Conference. English photo. Spring Growth Conference 2009 Klaas and Mary-Howell Martens of The Martens Farm and Lakeview Organic Grain (www.lakevieworganicgrain.com) in Penn Yan, N.Y., were the keynote speakers at MOFGA’s 2009 Spring Growth
Aaron Bell, shown here with his wife, Carly del Signore, and their son Henry, is the eighth generation of the Bell family to live on the land at Tide Mill Farm. Lee Ann Ward photo. Nine Generations on the Same Land by Larry Lack Tide Mill Farm is remarkable in a myriad of ways. It
Bill and Cynthia Thayer and two new friends pose in front of the Darthia Farm Store. Erin James photo. By Rhonda Houston “Well, it’s pretty exhausting work,” say Bill and Cynthia Thayer after a moment of thought. A few days after I sat down with the Thayers of Darthia Farm in Gouldsboro, I can’t quite
By John Bliss Last spring, Stacy, Emma and I moved from Pennsylvania to Maine; two whole shades of difference on the zone hardiness map! So for us, spring seemed to last twice as long last year. Before the move, our first set of seedlings broke through their moist soil and stretched toward the window overlooking
Organic dairy farmers Steve and Mia Morrison in their barn. Photo by Kate Morrison. Second Generation Morrison Farmers Profit from Organic Dairy By Rhonda Houston On a clear, crisp day in January, hundreds of dairy farmers convened in Augusta to convince legislators that they cannot keep up their current way of life. They are drowning
Beth Schiller’s childhood dreams of becoming a farmer are becoming a reality, thanks in part to her business partnership with experienced grower Ted Sparrow. Photo by Alice Torbert. By Alice Torbert Something is seriously rotten in the state of Maine agriculture. We may fly a flag with a farmer on it, but farmland acreage is
Seeing the Hand of God Every Day by Larry Lack Bonnie and Arnold Pearlman have been farming organically in Jonesport for 34 years. They can’t recall what year they were first certified by MOFGA, but Arnold says they were “among the very first.” The Pearlmans found their 20 acres of woods and blueberry barrens in
by Joyce White Many people first visit Hedgehog Hill Farm for the widely advertised, free “Sundays in the Garden at 2.” Every Sunday afternoon from mid-June through August, the public is invited to stroll through the lush gardens and hear a lecture about some aspect of gardening at the 200-acre farm in the small, western
Michael (and Grace) Phillips (center, on bench) discuss apples after lunch at Francis Fenton’s farm. This was the last of five orcharding classes offered by MOFGA last summer. Photo by Russell Libby. John Bunker talks apples. Photo by Russell Libby. By Russell Libby MOFGA’s 2004 Organic Orcharding series concluded with a visit to Francis Fenton’s
Verda Barnes, at age 100, heads a four-generation dairy farm in Albion that is now organic and that provides all of the milk for the Common Kitchen at the Common Ground Country Fair. Verda may be the oldest dairy farmer in Maine. Photo by Marvel Hutchins. By Nan Brucker The Common Kitchen staff needs a
