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Ask MOFGA

Q. I like to feed the birds but am concerned about offering genetically engineered seeds. Are any birdseeds engineered? A. Genetically engineered varieties of most birdseed ingredients have not been commercialized. An exception would be any mix containing corn; genetically engineered corn is widely planted. The Union of Concerned Scientists (www.ucsusa.org/) lists the following crops

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Tomato Production in Hoophouses

Hoop houses, such as these shown at the Colsons’ New Leaf Farm, have become increasingly important for producing tomatoes in Maine. Photo by Eric Sideman. by Eric Sideman, Ph.D. MOFGA’s Organic Crops Specialist The fate of my last tomato of the season is always the same – a BLT.  And minutes after finishing that classic

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Record Keeping for Livestock Farmers

by Diane SchiveraMOFGA’s Livestock Specialist Record keeping serves many functions for livestock farmers (and for all farmers), and it’s a requirement for organic farmers.  We all say, “I’ll remember that …,” but then we often forget. The MOFGA Certification Services Practice Manual says the following regarding animal-related record keeping:  Individual animals, and in the case

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Side Dishes for Baked Beans

Common Ground’s Bean Hole Beans – Continuing a Tradition Click here to read our story about cooking “Bean Hole Beans” at the Common Ground Country Fair by Roberta Bailey When I first farmed in Maine, I would set up a little table in the garage by the road and sell produce.  Each week on Fridays,

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Reviving Bantry Bay Farm

New Brunswick’s historic Bantry Bay Farm is being brought back into production by this intrepid foursome: Mike Hadfield, Luke McLean, Katherine McCord and Brad Aune. Photo by Larry Lack. by Larry Lack A historic saltwater farm in New Brunswick on the St. Croix River  near Calais has a new lease on life thanks to the

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Service Journey to Kenya

Jesse Rusak (left), Raphael Nd’ung’u Kimani and Saima Sidik share a humorous moment looking at a book while sitting on a compost bin. Photo courtesy of Expanding Opportunities. by Saima Sidik Saima Sidik of Lincolnville, Maine, and Jesse Rusak of Halifax, Nova Scotia, spent January to July 2006 in Kenya with an organization called Expanding

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Keynote Address Ken Geiser

Maine farmer Ken Geiser directs the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell. He spoke about progress in green chemistry during his keynote at the Common Ground Country Fair. English photo. Exciting Alternatives to Hazardous Technologies Ken Geiser, director of the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at the University of

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Keynote Address Cynthia Thayer

In her keynote speech at the 2006 Common Ground Country Fair, Cynthia Thayer talked about the delicious foods produced locally – mostly on her farm – that make up family meals at Darthia Farm in Gouldsboro. English photo. Another Way to Eat For 28 years, the highly diversified Darthia Farm in Gouldsboro has been MOFGA-certified,

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Keynote Address First Lady Karen Baldacci

Our Future Is In Sustainable Agriculture First Lady Karen Baldacci has worked hard to promote Maine foods and healthful eating. She gardens and saves seeds at the Blaine House. English photo. Maine’s First Lady, Karen Baldacci, was Common Ground’s keynote speaker on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006.  Russell Libby, executive director of MOFGA, introduced her, explaining

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Horticulture at Islesboro Central School

  At Islesboro Central School, a hoop house protects warm weather crops in the summer and is slid over the plot of greens for an extended fall harvest. The plastic net fencing keeps out deer. Story and photos by Jean English Bob Berg, a cheerful, older man, drives up to the Islesboro Central School (ICS)

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