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)
The Gagne family – Becka, Oceanna, Rowan and Jeff, strive to balance work and play. Photo courtesy of the Gagnes. by Rhonda Tate “Ahh, country living,” laughs Becka Smith Gagne as she prepares lunch for her four-year-old daughter, Oceanna, tells her apprentice Katie where to store onion braids, answers questions on life and the pursuit
A Duckweed-Tilapia-Vegetable Cycle Grows in Washington, Maine From the outside, the garden and greenhouse at Home Grown look just like those at any other small farm enterprise. The ordinary exterior hides a unique self-sufficient system of raising large quantities of fish and vegetables in a small space. Alice Percy photo. by Alice Percy On a
By Roberta Bailey Copyright 2006 As the first frost came, I must admit that I breathed a sigh of relief. This has been the most trying gardening season of my life, and now I can begin to put it behind me, but not without an eye toward the sky. You may recall that the garden
By Eric Sideman, Ph.D. Copyright 2006 In 1648, Jean-Baptiste van Helmont did a great experiment and had clear results, but he drew the wrong conclusion. Still, he was among the first on the path to understanding the role of soil in plant nutrition. He placed 200 pounds of soil in a pot and planted a
By Diane Schivera Copyright 2006 Following are highlights from the New England Sustainable Livestock Conference in Vermont and MOFGA’s Livestock Health workshop featuring Hue Karreman, a holistic veterinarian from Pennsylvania, and Jim and Nancy Gardiner, dairy farmers from Otselic, New York. For complete notes and handouts, contact me. Comments about bovine usually apply to all
Low-Impact Forestry and MOFGA: A Program in the Making By Mitch Lansky Copyright 2006 To some, forests are an extension of the farm, but they grow wood and fiber rather than food. Desirable trees are “crops,” other plants are “weeds,” and organisms that might feed on crop trees are “pests.” This viewpoint is formalized within
By Craig Idlebrook Copyright 2006 Judging from the laws on the books, the government must view raw milk as a greater threat to public health than tobacco or alcohol. Federal law technically outlaws all interstate sale of raw milk, and many states ban its sale completely. Maine laws are more lenient but not altogether welcoming.
Growing “Housetrees” (and Other Houseplants) from Seed Copyright 2006 by Larry Lack and Lee Ann Ward We really enjoy having plants in our house. They clean and freshen the air, they’re beautiful, they remind us of our bond with nature many times each day, they cheer us up. Where long winters and dark days are
By Jean English Copyright 2006 Consumers don’t have to wait for a farmer to start a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm; instead, they can organize themselves into a group and then find a farmer or farmers to grow food for them. In the June-August 2006 issue of The MOF&G, we featured efforts of MOFGA and
Media Inquiries:
Contact Jennifer Wilhelm [email protected]
