Farmer to Farmer Conference

2023 Farmer to Farmer Conference

Saturday, November 4 - Monday, November 6, 2023
Sugarloaf Resort, Carrabassett Valley, Maine

Thank you for joining us at the 2023 conference!

2023 Registration Options
$160 for all sessions & keynote
$60 per session block
$340 for all sessions, keynote & meals
$29 breakfast; $33 lunch; $56 dinner (taxes and gratuity included)

General Information About the Conference

MOFGA’s Farmer to Farmer Conference is known for its intimacy, in-depth treatment of topics and profound discussions. The conference offerings are based on the idea that farmers learn best from their peers and other practitioners. Conference speakers include prominent and accessible university faculty, extension educators and other agricultural professionals. Our unique workshop session format presents talks by both agricultural service professionals and farmers, and then opens up to a farmer discussion that explores both the unique and common experiences of everyone in the room.

Learn from and engage with speakers who are farmers and service providers, including peers and mentors from across Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and more! 

Please contact Anna Mueller with any questions you may have at (207) 568-6017 or [email protected].

Do you need any interpretive or translation services? Please contact Anna Mueller directly and let us know what language you will need translation for. Also contact Anna if there are any other barriers you face. 

F2F Logo Update

Exhibitors and Sponsors

We want to thank our sponsors and exhibitors from previous years and welcome new partners as we broaden the reach of our Farmer to Farmer Conference.

MOFGA’s sponsorship options include benefits such as a banner at the conference, acknowledgment of support before the keynote speaker, acknowledgement of support on social media, free conference registration, recognition on the conference website and verbal acknowledgement during the conference. Sponsorships support all aspects of the conference — from scholarships and sliding scale pricing to speaker compensation.

Interested in joining us as an exhibitor or sponsor? Please reach out directly to Anna Mueller for sponsorship levels and more information.

Thank You to Our 2023 Sponsors and Major Funders

USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

2023 Keynote Speaker

Monday, November 6 at 8:45 a.m.
Sugarloaf Resort, Carrabasset Valley, Maine

Jennifer Glenister
New Morning Farm

Hustontown, Pennsylvania

Headshot of Jennifer Glenister

Jennifer Glenister will share the story of New Morning Farm’s continuing journey towards organic soil health.  From cover crops to amendments, soil testing to marketable yields, and benchmarking soil health in the PASA Sustainable Soil Health Study, Glenister will outline the observations and decision processes that underlie soil health management for New Morning Farm.  She will touch on New Morning Farm’s production scale and practices, as well as soil types and structure, biological activity, and nutrient levels. 

Glenister grew up on a small beef and grain farm in a family eager to participate in making and sharing food. She ventured into vegetable growing and farmers’ markets in 2009 as an apprentice at New Morning Farm. Over the next 10 years, she filled most roles on the farm at one time or another, including crop manager, crew leader, market manager, cultivation, pest control, irrigation, training apprentices and farm manager. Along the way she learned tangible farm and market skills, and was guided by Jim Crawford to make careful management decisions, evaluate outcomes, manage risk, and develop business skills. In late 2018, she began her quest for financing to purchase New Morning Farm, at first leasing, and then purchasing the farm in 2021.

New Morning Farm is a 50-year-old organic vegetable farm in the mountains of South Central Pennsylvania. They grow over 40 vegetable crops for sale at their farmers’ markets in Washington D.C. They harvest and market year round. Their produce compliments resale sales as the key foundations of the business. With great local produce, they connect neighbor growers and food producers in the countryside to enthusiastic neighbors in the city. 

Farm Tours

Saturday, November 4
image 67234817

Phil’s Farm

Starting at 12 p.m.
803 Ridge Rd.,
Bowdoinham, Maine

Phil’s Farm is an organic vegetable farm that produces a variety of vegetables for a CSA and wholesale accounts on about 5 acres. 2023 was our sixth season in operation but only our third season on a new piece of land, so we are still very much growing and figuring out which systems work best. We rely on tractors to do the field work and cultivation and on cover crops, compost and amendments to improve our soil health. Because we do not use black plastic, stalebedding, cultivation and spacing crops to accommodate tractors is very important to us. We are working towards using no-till systems with roller crimped rye as our ground cover. 

Harvest Tide Organics

Harvest Tide Organics

Starting at 2 p.m.
304 Pork Point Rd.,
Bowdoinham, Maine

Harvest Tide Organics is a MOFGA certified organic farm operating on owned and leased land in Bowdoinham, ME along Merrymeeting Bay.  We are entering our 10th season of operation in 2024.  Harvest Tide grows exclusively organic mixed vegetables, primarily for a large delivery-based CSA that delivers to customers year-round from Bowdoinham through South Portland and Scarborough.  We operate on approximately 25 acres of field production and in 9 unheated tunnels, producing food for year-round delivery to our members. We operate with a team of 14-18 staff in the height of the season, with a mixed team of h2A workers from Jamaica and local year-round employees.  Our primary goals in operating our farm are to feed Maine families as affordably, to create sustainable and enjoyable long term employment for our team, to provide a sustainable life for our family, and to do this while working symbiotically with our local environment as much as possible.  

Conference Sessions

Sunday, November 5 - Monday, November 6
Sugarloaf Resort, Carrabasset Valley, Maine
Sunday Morning Sessions
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Heidi Duncombe, Milkhouse Farm; Blair Andrews, Bumbleroot Organic Farm; Max Lanham, Calyx Farm; Anna Markow, Whatley Farm; Lily Carlisle-Resk, Dooryard Farm

Farm labor has been hard to find in recent years and even more difficult to keep from year to year. Come hear a panel of farmworkers about their experience working on farms and what has made them stay or leave a farm. We will then discuss the common barriers to long-term farmworker retention like workplace culture, pay scales and rural housing. Bring your questions and curiosities to learn from farmworkers and each other. 

Lincoln Fishman, Sawyer Farm; Andrew Woodruff, Island Grown Initiative of Martha’s Vineyard

Lincoln Fishman, owner/operator of Sawyer Farm and director of Collaborative Agriculture, and Andrew Woodruff, regenerative agriculture consultant at Island Grown Initiative, will talk about mechanized “Know-Till” systems for medium- to large-scale producers, with a focus on practicality, economics and scalability. In particular, they will discuss using clover as a living mulch to build soil organic matter, reduce nutrient inputs and increase biodiversity. Fishman and Woodruff are part of a network of over 20 growers experimenting with clover living mulches and other innovative soil organic matter/biodiversity friendly practices.

Chris Callahan, UVM Extension; Andy Chamberlin, UVM Extension

Join Chris Callahan and Andy Chamberlin of The University of Vermont (UVM) Extension to learn techniques and equipment to streamline your process after you’ve picked the crop and minimize doing something “extra” in order to meet your produce safety requirements. Implemented a new practice on your farm that “just works”? Bring it to share with your peers and the team!

Angela Baglione, Seek-No-Further Farmstead; Ruby Nelson, Pine Root Farm; Heather and Phil Retberg, Quill’s End Farm

Across the state, many farmers have established their own farm-based or community systems to support access to their farm products to those who are food insecure and/or they have participated in programs like Maine Harvest Bucks, SNAP/EBT, Mainers Feeding Mainers, Maine Senior FarmShare, gleaning programs, etc. This session will feature three farms, Pine Root Farm in Steep Falls, Seek-No-Further Farmstead in Monroe and Quill’s End Farm in Penobscot, who will share their unique experiences and perspectives on offering sliding scale CSA shares, payment or prescription plans, discounted shares, community-raised support funds, Senior FarmShare participation, SNAP/EBT benefits, gleaning groups and more, all to support their farm customers.

Jennifer Glenister, New Morning Farm;
Paul Schultz, King Hill Farm

Come hear about two successful farm ownership transitions. Jennifer Glenister will share the story of New Morning Farm’s successful ownership transition, from founding farmers Jim and Moie Crawford to Glenister, who started on the farm as an apprentice. She will talk about New Morning Farm’s business scope, communication of goals and values through the transition negotiations, and key partnerships, including advisors, private banks, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and, most importantly, the founding farmers. Glenister will outline each stage of the transition, from training to leasing to the purchase itself. The guiding question for the transition: How can we assemble something that is fair and works for everyone — the founders, the farmers and the farm itself?

Sarah Pethybridge, Cornell University; Kerry Bernard, UMaine Cooperative Extension;
Rob Johanson, Goranson Farm

Join Dr. Sarah Pethybridge, plant pathologist from Cornell University, Rob Johanson of Goranson Farm and Kerry Bernard from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Pesticide Safety Education Program to talk about which approaches work best in difficult high-disease-pressure growing seasons. They will give an introduction to effectively using OMRI-listed pesticide materials for folks who are new to spraying, and how to implement them safely and in accordance with all the rules and regulations. Did you find yourself wondering this year what to spray? When to spray? When to re-apply a spray? This is the session to bring those questions to, and build out your management toolbox for future seasons.

* (1) Pesticide Applicator Credit

Sue Scheufele, UMass Extension
Nathaniel Gorlin-Crenshaw, Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Andrew Mefferd, Growing for Market

Interested in trying out cucumbers in a high tunnel or greenhouse instead of the field? Struggling to get your tunnel cukes to bear as well and as consistently as you’re hoping? Join us for a comprehensive discussion of tunnel cucumbers, including topics like trellising and pruning systems, pest and disease management strategies, fertility needs, variety selection, and even considerations of whether grafting plants would be right for you! Speakers include Sue Scheufele from UMass Extension, Andrew Mefferd from Growing For Market, author of The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower’s Handbook, and Nate Gorlin-Crenshaw, cucumber production lead for Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

Dr. Sarah Slaby, DVM, Dr. Sarah’s Essentials

Sarah Slaby, DVM, is a practicing large animal veterinarian and owns and manages a sole proprietorship, Dr. Sarah Slaby Veterinary Service. She specializes in organic and sustainable agriculture and has her own line of natural products for treating dairy cows and other animals: Dr. Sarah’s Essentials. She shares a holistic approach to her practice not only for her organic and biological clients but for her conventional herds as well. Join Dr. Sarah Slaby for a discussion of common health concerns with livestock. 

Sunday Lunch Discussions
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.

This lunchtime meetup is for farmers currently hosting or interested in hosting farm apprentices through the MOFGA apprenticeship program. We will discuss hosting challenges that came up this past season and discuss any changes needed to make the program more supportive for both farm managers and apprentices. Farmers that host other educational offerings for beginning farmers on their farm are also welcome to attend.

Doug and Heather Donahue of Balfour Farm will focus on their experience of putting a Baumalight MP572 mulcher into service to implement silvopasture on their farm to mitigate heat stress on their dairy herd in the summer. They will cover financial planning, materials, supplies, production, time costs and equipment details. Photos and videos will be part of this in-person presentation.

Facilitated by Chris Grigsby, MOFGA Certification Services

Join MOFGA’s certification director, Chris Grigsby, to learn more about TOPP, which is part of USDA’s larger Organic Transition Initiative (OTI). USDA’s goal is to offer unprecedented support for farms and producers to transition to organic certification. MOFGA is a core partner in the TOPP northeast group for Maine, through 2027, which includes a mentorship program, technical assistance and support from project partners UMaine Cooperative Extension and Maine Grain Alliance. Learn about becoming a mentor, a transitioning producer (mentee) and other opportunities through USDA’s OTI. 

Sunday Afternoon Sessions
2:30 - 5:30 p.m.

John Sundling, Plant Office; Sara Cannon, Bumbleroot Farm

Join John Sundling, floral designer of Portland-based Plant Office, and flower growers for an in-depth discussion of how to handle flowers after they leave your fields. Sara Cannon from Bumbleroot Organic Farm will bring a farmer perspective of considerations for flower longevity. With a particular focus on delivering flowers to wholesale clients, we will get detailed about this crucial element of delivering a high-quality product to market. The presentation and conversation will also include an update on the first year of operations of the Maine Flower Collective. 

Polly Shyka, Villageside Farm; Leslie Forstadt, UMaine Cooperative Extension; Karen Groat, FRSAN Northeast/UMA Libra Scholar/KG Mediations

How do you communicate the important details of various tasks on your farm? A handbook, signs, training videos, standard operating procedure (SOP) documents? The first half of this session will be a farmer panel where you will learn from others about communication as a critical aspect of efficiency, consistency and profitability. What are the fail-safe methods that other farmers use successfully? The second half of this workshop will discuss farm team meeting best practices and offer templates and checklists that you can work with both during thesession and back on your farm. There will be ample time for farmer-to-farmer exchange with facilitation by Leslie Forstadt of University of Maine Extension and Polly Shyka of Villageside Farm.

Chris Callahan, UVM Extension; Andy Chamberlin, UVM Extension

Farm businesses aren’t turnkey and are built while in motion! See examples of wash/pack expansions, ranging from a few thousand in investments to half-million dollar projects, to pick up ways that you could invest in your business one step at a time to grow in the direction of your dreams.

Lincoln Fishman, Sawyer Farm; Sean Murphy, Murphy Family Farm

Are you interested in reducing the use of plastic on your farm? Hear from Lincoln Fishman of Sawyer Farm and Sean Murphy of Murphy Family Farm on how they each have been eliminating and reducing plastic use from seed to sales.

Taylor Mendell, Footprint Farm

This will be a hands-on workshop, led by Taylor Mendell from Footprint Farm in Starksboro, Vermont, to explore tools and concepts that she utilizes to manage financial and other farm record-keeping through the busy season. There will be ample time to be introduced to and have interactive activities around how to build a personally successful record-keeping practice for your farm, one that meets both business and emotional needs. This workshop is for those who either have been looking for or have found ways to create space for yourself to complete tasks you don’t want to do and/or ways to be effective even when there’s so much else to do.

Cynthia Flores, Labor-Movement, LLC

This workshop will focus on body mechanics and movement patterns to help avoid potential work-related musculoskeletal injuries while farming. We will discuss and practice ideal versus real and ways to modify to get the work done safely and efficiently. This will be a hands-on workshop, hopefully outside, so please dress accordingly! 

Candace Gilpatric, FPAC-NRCS, ME;
Pheonix O’Brien, Hall Brook Farm

Candace Gilpatric of the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Farm Production and Conservation division will discuss irrigation for plants grown directly in the ground (not for tables or container plants). She will discuss how an engineer designs irrigation systems starting with the water source and building the system options from there. This session will also address what are and are not options for water application methods based on water source, and go over the benefits of having an IWM plan, and how to maximize production and reduce waste of water. Better site data will lead to better success. Pheonix O’Brien of Hall Brook Farm will be discussing irrigation systems and how he approaches water management on his farm.

Dr. Sarah Slaby, DVM, Dr. Sarah’s Essentials

Sarah Slaby, DVM, is a practicing large animal veterinarian and owns and manages a sole proprietorship, Dr. Sarah Slaby Veterinary Service; find more information about Dr. Slaby in Advanced Livestock I session.

This session is an opportunity to ask a holistic veterinarian your nagging livestock questions, and hear concerns of other producers in the area.  

Monday Morning Sessions
10 - 11:30 a.m.

Alida Farrell, Healthy Communities of the Capital Area; Mike Flynn, RSU 12; Trent Emery, Emery Farm; Stephanie Stambach, Department of Education Child Nutrition; Robin Kerber, Full Plates Full Potential

Learn from several farms and the school nutrition directors who buy from them on the ins and outs of selling produce to local school districts. Geared towards Maine producers who are interested in selling to Maine public schools, this networking and educational session will explore marketing opportunities and relationship-building with school food buyers. Facilitated by staff from the Maine Farm to School Network (MFSN) this session is intended to explore the current economic impact and opportunities of selling to schools. Aspects of a national curriculum entitled “Bringing the Farm to School” will be utilized to examine specific needs, aspects and financial realities of the farm-to-school market.

Taylor Mendell, Footprint Farm

Habit Farming is a collection of tools and techniques that help farmers focus on what matters most for their businesses. Taylor Mendell from Footprint Farm in Starksboro, Vermont, will introduce the step-by-step method to analyze what went well (and what didn’t) over a farming season, and how to turn both “wins” and “losses” into concrete action plans, budgets and guiding principles for the season ahead.

Facilitated by Heather Spalding, MOFGA

Participants will have an opportunity to hear about the status of the country’s omnibus spending package on food and agriculture, as well as bill titles under consideration for the upcoming session in the Maine Legislature. There will be a letter/postcard writing exercise to urge our elected officials in Washington, D.C., and Augusta to support programs that help organic farmers and consumers.

Attorney Amy Manzelli of BCM Environmental & Land Law, PLLC

Join attorney Amy Manzelli in this session hosted by Legal Food Hub to review tools that help build a legally resilient farm. In running a farm business, there are lots of important legal issues to consider, from what type of business entity you are to how to protect yourself from liability and plan for the future. This interactive session will equip both beginning and established farmers with the legal know-how to tackle these key decisions as their businesses grow and change. Please bring your legal questions and during this interactive session the attorney can provide general information applicable to your farm.

Paul Feenan, High Mowing Organic Seeds

Paul Feenan of High Mowing Organic Seeds will facilitate a group discussion with help from a panel of seed company representatives, growers and farm service providers. Join the discussion and share with others about variety selections that work well and why, as well as areas where improvements still can be made. A small group will start and frame the conversation before it is opened to the larger group in farmer-to-farmer style. Come ready to write furiously and participate in this collaborative sharing and brainstorming session. 

Sherry Hamel, USDA Farm Service Agency; Leigh Hallett, USDA Rural Development; Thomas Kielbasa, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Come hear information about programming and support offered by USDA agencies (Farm Service Agency, Rural Development, Natural Resources Conservation Service) here in Maine. Speakers will be available to offer an overview of program availability, answer questions that prospective applicants may have, and host a discussion about the opportunities for new and established producers.

 

Laura McDermott, Cornell Cooperative Extension

Anaerobic soil disinfestation is an approach to improving soil health when soilborne diseases or insect pests are present. While this approach has seen success in warmer climates, results are often mixed in northern New England. Join us in discussing best practices to find success and learning results from a recent trial in our climate.

Dan Smith, Nofence; Jacki Perkins, MOFGA

This short session is an opportunity to hear about new fencing technology and how it is being implemented in rotational grazing operations. Dan Smith secured grant funding to trial invisible fencing collars on cattle dairies in the Northeast using Nofence technology out of Europe. Jacki Perkins will share how Rob Albers, sheep farmer in Aroostook County has invested in the RAPPA system from Britain. Both systems will be discussed in this session.

Monday Lunch Discussions
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Are you a farmworker, apprentice or beginning farmer starting out? Join for a casual lunchtime mingle with other beginning farmers and Bo Dennis, MOFGA’s beginning farmer program specialist. We will discuss support resources available to you as a newer grower and/or whatever else the group wants to chat about. 

You’re invited to have a small group or one-on-one conversation with our ag conflict mediation and stress assistance team to learn about tools and techniques to help retain good employees, lower stress and increase morale!   

We’re eager to share information about creating and communicating expectations with workers, how to script and schedule one-on-one check-ins with workers throughout the growing season, best practices around constructive and/or compassionate feedback, and much more! 

Check out the “Difficult Conversations” handout in your conference materials. 

Join Ryan Dennett and Caleb Goossen to discuss any questions or concerns you have about PFAS.

Monday Afternoon Sessions
1:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Jean-Paul Courtens, Philia Farm; Evan Perkins, Small Axe Farm; Matthew Boucher, Maine State Soil Scientist

This session will feature a few farmer speakers who will cover the soil health practices they use on their farms. A general discussion of everyone in the room on soil health practices that they have found successful, or not, on their own farms will follow.

Dawn Littlefield-Gordon, Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention; Renee Page, Healthy Communities of the Capital Area; Colleen Hanlon-Smith, Daybreak Growers Alliance

In 2022 and 2023, a pilot program connecting Maine farms with Early Childhood Education (ECE) centers was funded through Cultivemos (formerly Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network). In the program, farm products from diverse Maine farms were purchased, aggregated to a food hub, then packed into CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes and distributed to participating ECE centers. A central goal of this project was to evaluate the potential of this market and collect data and feedback from all stakeholders. We will hear from the principal investigators on their experience to shed light on the viability for growing this connection throughout the state.

Abby Sadauckas, Apple Creek Farm; Allyn Lamb, SCORE

Come and dive into this very important topic on planning for long-term success for your farm and for yourself beyond the farm. Topics will range from assessing your current long-term planning on the farm to discussing investments both on-farm and off-farm.

Taryn and Ben Marcus, Sheepscot General Store and Farm
Jason Entsminger, Maine Business School/UMaine Extension
Michael Splane, American National/Farm Family Insurance

In this session, we’ll look at different sorts of benefits that farm owners can offer their employees beyond wages, and often instead of health insurance. It’s important to know your employees and what they care about, especially in these times of farm labor challenges, and that can often mean considering various types of stipends (including health and wellness, dependent care, housing) or bonuses (end-of-season, production-based), or earned benefits (paid time off, retirement account), or even a good workers comp policy. Hear from one farm business (Sheepscot General Store), as well as a farm insurance expert and a farm financial advisor.

Claire Reboussin, MOFGA Certification Services; Lauren Bruns, Lost & Found Farm

Join Lauren Bruns of Lost & Found Farm and Claire Reboussin of MOFGA’s Certification Services to discuss the ins and outs of being a certified organic flower farm. Bruns will present on her direct experience as a certified flower producer, navigating things like bulbs, seeds, and plug production, while Reboussin will provide technical details about the certification process. A flower farmer-to-flower farmer conversation will follow on topics of interest to the group.

Crystal Stewart Courtens, Philia Farm/Cornell Cooperative Extension; Alicyn Smart, University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Join Crystal Stewart Courtens and Alicyn Smart for two presentation and discussion segments. The first half of this session will be a presentation on allium growing followed by a discussion, and the second half will be a presentation on storage considerations followed by discussion.

Jeff Benton, Orange Circle Farm

This season was a soggy difficult year. Heavy rains and wet fields complicated farm operations from field prep and planting, nutrient management, weed control, disease management and harvest. In this talk we’ll discuss approaches and resources that farms are implementing to adapt to these extreme rainfall events. Topics will include the role of soil health practices in soil moisture management, nutrient management strategies in wet years, resources and best practices for diversion ditches and tile drainage, and more.

Richard Kersbergen, Extension Professor Emeritus at UMaine; Dr. Sid Bosworth, Extension Professor Emeritus at UVM.

Rick Kersbergen and Sidney Bosworth are both passionate about pasture plant and soil health. Bring your pasture questions to an interactive deep dive on pastures with these two professionals. Richard Kersbergen, extension professor emeritus at University of Maine, has culminated a career of knowledge of dairy nutrition, organic dairy, agronomy and forage crops, no-till forage production, PFAS issues in dairy systems, and soil health. Dr. Sid Bosworth, extension professor emeritus at University of Vermont, retired in spring 2020 and served as a state extension specialist in agronomy with his primary areas of focus including field and forage crop management and utilization, forage quality, pasture and grazing management, and pest/weed management.

Accommodations

5092 Sugarloaf Access Rd.
Carrabassett Valley, Maine 04947
1-800-THE-LOAF

Please call 1-800-THE-LOAF to speak with a reservation agent and let them know that you are staying for the Farmer to Farmer Conference to receive our conference rate.

Nightly Rates: Rooms are $129 (standard) – $139 (single queen) – $149 (double queen)

Relax in comfort at the Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel, conveniently located in the heart of the Sugarloaf Village. With a design inspired by classic New England farmhouses, the Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel evokes the warmth of rustic mountain lodge with the convenience of a modern world-class resort.

  • Enjoy a warm hearty breakfast or dinner in 45 North, conveniently located just off the lobby. 
  • Indulge your muscles after a day on the slopes in the 30-person outdoor hot tub.
  • Home of the Sugarloaf Conference Center, voted “Best in the East” by Meetings East Magazine.
  • Hotel Health Club with sauna, steam room, and fitness area.
  • Nicely appointed rooms featuring luxurious Boyne Beds.

45 NORTH
Meet up for dinner on Saturday night before the conference and relax in style at 45 North, located just off the lobby at the Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel and serving breakfast and dinner daily. Enjoy custom crafted cocktails and local beers in the welcoming pub, or sample a Chef-driven menu featuring fresh, locally sourced ingredients creatively prepared to highlight the best of Maine’s harvest.

Things To Do in the Area!

Area Restaurants
    • 45 North –  Breakfast: 7am – 10pm; Dinner: 4pm – 8pm
    • The Rack –   Sunday: 4pm to 9pm; Closed Monday- Wed
    • Mas Amigos – 4pm – 9pm; Closed Monday – Wednesday
    • Dellies –  Open daily from 8-3pm

Activities for the Whole Family

Scholarship Opportunities

We have various scholarships available especially for women farmers, veteran farmers and BIPOC farmers. To apply for a scholarship please fill out this scholarship application by October 20.

Exhibitors and Sponsors

We want to welcome back our sponsors and exhibitors from previous years and welcome new partners as we broaden the reach of our Farmer to Farmer Conference.

MOFGA’s sponsorship options include benefits such as a banner at the conference, acknowledgment of support before the keynote speaker, acknowledgement of support on social media, free conference registration, recognition on the conference website and verbal acknowledgement during the conference. Sponsorships support all aspects of the conference — from scholarships and sliding scale pricing to speaker compensation.

Interested in joining us as an exhibitor or sponsor? Please reach out directly to Anna Mueller for sponsorship levels and more information.

It is impossible to predict what, if any, COVID-19 restrictions or protocols will be needed in the future weeks.
With that said, we will be working with and following the guidance of state public health agencies and departments to ensure that the event is considered safe.

Although currently not required, all registered participants should be prepared for the possibility of:
Social Distancing
Masking indoors
Masking in crowded places
Providing proof of a negative COVID-19 test

We are very hopeful that this conference can be held restriction-free and will reimburse conference fees if requested due to any changes in our policy.

Our sliding-scale registration fee allows us to offer more access to our events. Please pay the amount that fits your budget. Paying more than the suggested rates will help support the conference registration fees for someone who is unable to pay that cost. The suggested general registration fee is $60.

 Thank you!

If you’d like to be considered for a scholarship fill out this application by Friday, October 29, 2021.

Meet-up for kids ages 8-12 (Part 1) – Monday Nov. 2, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Connect with other farm kids from all over Maine! At this meet up, we’ll be learning from MOFGA’s Orchard coordinator Laura Sieger about the amazing fruit-producing trees that are all around us. If you have an apple or pear tree at your farm or nearby, bring a piece of fruit to show us! We’ll also set you up with a scavenger hunt – come back on Friday to share what you found.
Meet-up for kids ages 6-8 on Wednesday Nov. 4, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Today’s meet-up will be all about apples! We’ll share a story and then do a craft together. Sign up & receive a short list of supplies needed for the craft.
Meet-up for kids ages 8-12 (Part 2) – Friday, Nov. 6, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
A few days later we’ll meet up again. If you joined on Monday, we would LOVE to see your scavenger hunt findings! (You’re welcome to just join for Friday’s meet up, too.) We’ll also be talking about animals (domesticated and wild) and other neat stuff.
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