Archives: Resources

Goats

Stuart Grande (left), a University of Maine Sustainable Agriculture Program graduate, and George van Vlaanderen in the cheese room at Doe’s Leap Farm in Vermont. Kristan Doolan photo. By Tim King Kristan Doolan and George van Vlaanderen, owners of Doe’s Leap organic goat dairy in East Fairfield, Vermont, are trying an experiment. Actually, their whole

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Seikyou

Mr. Seishou Oshiro (left), Mrs. Tomiko Oshiro, Allison Wallace (right) in the Oshiros’ okra field in Tamagusku Village, Okinawa, Japan. Photo courtesy of Allison Wallace. By Allison Wallace When I traveled to Japan last spring to begin a five-month Fulbright stint, I knew my grant was for lecturing rather than research, and that the time

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Don McLean, DVM, Environmentalist

Don McLean beside his bread oven. Photo by Joyce White. By Joyce White Don McLean has been an environmentalist much longer than he has been a veterinarian. In third grade, he did his science project on pollution. “Since then I have been trying to at least reduce the negative impact of modern life on our

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Ashwood Cookbook

By Roberta Bailey “These recipes are our gift to you. They are the ones we love, the ones that work, the ones that carry us through trouble and heartache, celebration and joy.” So begins the Ashwood Cookbook, Food for Family and Friends, a simple yet elegant collection of wholesome recipes gathered by friends of the

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Grow Your Own Mulberries

Mulberries are a fruitful crop to grow in Maine, but plan their placement carefully so that the berries don’t stain walkways, entryways, decks, etc. Illustration from Handbook of Plant and Floral Ornament from Early Herbals, by Richard G. Hatton, Dover Publications, N.Y., 1960. By Roberta Bailey As a child I knew where every ripening fruit

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Organic Transitioning

Resources for Organic Dairy Farmers Maine dairy farmers Erik Johnson and John Donald talked about their recent experiences transitioning from conventional to organic production at the Maine Agricultural Trades Show in Augusta in January. Johnson has about 60 to 70 milkers and 700 acres of crop ground; he is transitioning about one-third of his farm

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Bento Lunch

A bento box lunch containing dead dinos, primordial sludge, and fossils, by Laurel McFarland. Laurel McFarland photo. By Cheryl Wixson My elder daughter, Laurel, who works as a nanny and home schools two delightful children, is always sharing with me photographs of the colorful and fun lunches she prepares for her charges. Using bright purple,

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Food Stamps

By Melissa White Pillsbury Being largely self-employed and self-sufficient, diversified farmers as a whole may be faring better than average in this harsh economic climate. But numbers don’t lie – it’s tough out there for many Americans, and Maine is no exception. According to the most recent data available from the USDA Food and Nutrition

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Raising Rabbits on Pasture

Rabbits on pasture. Photo courtesy of www.cuniculture.info/Docs/Phototheque/Materiel07.htm By Diane Schivera, M.A.T. Raising rabbits on pasture allows the animals to exercise, engage more easily in natural behavior, and improve their overall quality of life, while giving the farmer a way to move or manage rabbit housing easily. Rabbits raised on pasture produce more meat and meat

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Farm Blogs

By Polly Shyka When people think of a farmer’s tools, most conjure images of hoes, spades, seed packages and maybe tractors. They don’t readily associate computers with the farming profession, yet many farmers spend hours “at the desk” each week, speaking and e-mailing with customers, taking orders, researching, communicating with CSA members, bookkeeping. Some are

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