2009 Farmer-to-Farmer Conference Christy Hemenway of Gold Star Honeybees in Bath, Maine, with her top bar hive made of Maine pine, and a bar on which bees have built their own foundation of natural beeswax. Hemenway was one of three beekeepers who talked about different methods of keeping bees naturally at the Farmer to Farmer
2009 Farmer-to-Farmer Conference Linda Mercer described ageratum as a “workhorse plant” in bouquets. This bouquet displayed in the Exhibition Hall at the Common Ground Country Fair, combines zinnias and ageratum. English photo. Adding Value Through Bouquets, Arrangements and More By Dr. Lois Berg Stack and Jean English Linda and Jim Mercer of Sheepscot Flower Farm
2009 Farmer to Farmer Conference Keynote Speech Prof. E. Ann Clark challenged Farmer to Farmer participants to design systems that will make their farms more perennial and sustainable. By E. Ann Clark, Professor, University of Guelph, Ontario The premise of Ann Clark’s keynote speech at the 2009 Farmer to Farmer Conference was that agriculture, including
‘Fortex’ (left, on a single trellis), ‘Big Mama’ (center) and ‘Liana’ (yard-long, right) pole beans and an 8-foot ladder. Pole beans are more productive than bush beans, have a longer harvest, and many are excellent both fresh and frozen. Photo by Adam Tomash. By Adam Tomash Tired of getting inundated with loads of green beans that come
Toki Oshima drawing Part I: Types of Wheat, Weed Control, Planting By Will Bonsall If you’ve been following world news in the past year or two, you’ve probably heard a lot of predictions of worldwide grain shortages in the near future. Fuel costs, bizarre weather events and financial crises are all seen as pointing to
The University of New Hampshire recently established the first organic research dairy at a land grant university, hoping to sustain the grass-fed dairy operations that are a vital part of the region’s culture and heritage. Photo courtesy of UNH Organic Research Dairy. Higher Education Gets Smarter: UNH Commits to Sustainable Food By Marina Schauffler Many
Sue Szwed illustration By Deb Soule The genus Schisandra (also known as Schizandra) includes 25 species of beautiful, deciduous vines belonging to the Schisandraceae family (Magnolia vine family). All but one are native to the forests of Northern China, the Russian Far East, Korea and Japan. Schisandra coccinea, also known as southern magnolia vine, is
Toki Oshima drawing By Ellie MacDougall Roses may not seem an obvious candidate for the dinner table, but their presence can turn the relatively mundane into something quite extraordinary. Buying and Planting Roses Hundreds of named rose varieties exist, and large categories of roses do well in various environments. Studying rose catalogs in print or
Sue Szwed drawing By Roberta Bailey Behind every packet of seed is an individual story and an entire history. The story of the seed ranges from an heirloom passed from generation to generation to the hybrid bred for perfect uniformity and ripening. The history of the seed industry is an interwoven tale of small, local
By Eric Sideman, Ph.D. Director of Technical Services, MOFGA I can understand farmers who tell me they’re tired of hearing about the new USDA Rule and the regulation of organic vegetable production. I have said many times that the new rule is really 99% similar to MOFGA’s old standards, and I still claim that. Then
