By Jane Lamb Debbie Deal had just completed the monumental task of converting a collapsing lobster-trap shed into a trim little shop. She’d had a contractor jack up the derelict outbuilding, resill it and skid it up to the roadside. Then she’d tackled the restoration herself – reframing, reboarding, setting in windows, shingling. “I’d never
By Jean English Jamie Graeger leads an amphibious life. For three-week stints, he is at sea with the Merchant Marine; during alternate three-week periods, he is firmly grounded, raising certified-organic garlic, gathering and boiling maple sap, and raising nursery stock for Fedco Trees. You might expect his life to be a see-saw affair, and to
Paula Roberts Paula Roberts enjoys helping animals, people and organizations. As a farmer, teacher, MOFGA Board member, and even politician, she helps them grow as healthily as possible. At Meadowsweet Farm in Swanville, she and her husband Sumner purchase young cattle and give them as much freedom and open pasture as they can until they
Sean, Toki and Jamie. Toki is a mother, artist and musician with a great love for life in the country. Her cheerful illustrations enliven The MOF&G. Pranio Photographics photo. By Lynn Allen For regular readers of The MOF&G, the scratchboard art of Toki Oshima has come to embody the very look of MOFGA. Her
Carla Emery, author of The Encyclopedia of Country Living, has been on the road spreading her message about self-sufficiency and community sufficiency for four years. Jane Lamb photo. By Jane Lamb As MOFGA members know, dedication to the environment and a sustainable lifestyle can sometimes take one in bizarre directions, but seldom on a journey
Shaun Keenan and Benji Knisley have been managing Sand Hill Farm in Somerville for seven years. Jane Lamb photo. By Jane Lamb “If you don’t have to buy fertilizer and pesticides, why are organic strawberries more expensive?” ask many first-time customers coming to pick their own at Sand Hill Farm in Somerville. “Just go into
Tom Opper. English photo. Tom Opper came to Maine in 1970 intending to be self-sufficient, but he was so drawn to the small town of Liberty in Waldo County that he changed his plans. “Instead of living off on a dirt road as so many other people did,” he says, “I found myself immersed in the
Gloria and her husband, Gregg, raise many animals – including almost 50 organic milk cows. “Our goal is a totally organic herd,” says Gregg. Jane Lamb photo. By Jane Lamb It’s one thing for back-to-the-landers to come to Maine to start a new life, as many of MOFGA’s founders did more than 25 years ago.
Permanent Site Planning Committee 1998 Fair Plan. Kent Associates, Planning & Design, Gardiner, Maine. By Brian Kent Planning the layout of MOFGA’s new site in Unity began in late 1996, when members brainstormed some rough plans, and began to define what the flat, featureless, 35-acre field and its surrounds would have to accommodate. The Permanent Site
Fred Robie. English photo. By Hannah Kreitzer If you happen to be among the hundreds who arrive at the Common Ground Country Fair on a bicycle, you’re sure to be greeted with much fanfare, reduced price of admission, and valet parking for your vehicle. You also stand a good chance of encountering Fred Robie. Robie,
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