“What an amazing 50 years it has been. Who would have thought that the many small gatherings of folks around the state seeking information on organic production would have evolved into the powerhouse that is today’s MOFGA. The organization has grown and prospered and increased in influence, not through the efforts of any one person,
Andrew Newell, owner of Farmhouse Coffee Roasters, with his father Michael Newell and employee Garrett Greystone. Photo courtesy of Andrew Newell Logo of Farm House Coffee Roasters Melissa Raftery and Megan Wood co-own 44 North Coffee in Deer Isle. Photo courtesy of 44 North Coffee As a microroaster, 44 North processes beans in small batches.
The Fair For our very first installment of MOFGA Stories, the theme is the Common Ground Country Fair. What follows is a collection of stories from MOFGA members, staff, volunteers and fairgoers. My favorite memory of the Fair is not so much a specific incident but rather a feeling. It’s a rhythmic sense of contentment
Tim Nason with Chaitanya York, MOFGA’s first executive director, at a celebration for MOFGA’s 40th anniversary in 2011. Jean English photo Tim with U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree at a MOFGA dinner at Harraseeket Inn in Freeport. Jean English photo Tim is shown here at the 1975 Trades Show surrounded by The MOF&G. Eliot Coleman is
Anneli Carter-Sundqvist gets ready to plant the first apple tree in 2015. Photo by Dennis Carter Raised beds were built for each tree using logs and brush left from clearing the land. Photo by Anneli Carter-Sundqvist Boneset and goldenrod line the woodchip-mulched paths. Photo by Anneli Carter-Sundqvist The wild and unfettered orchard at Deer
Noami Brautigam and James Gagne with their ‘Super Sugar Snap’ peas at Dickey Hill Farm in mid-June The Belfast Farmers’ Market was Dickey Hill’s main sales outlet this year. A small herd of rotationally grazed beef cattle diversifies income streams for Dickey Hill and helps cycle nutrients on the farm. Peas and carrots in a
AgrAbility outreach: working with volunteers to build a raised garden bed at Farm & Homestead Day at MOFGA Cheesemakers move hundreds of pounds of milk in the course of their work, which makes the ergonomics of the cheese room an important consideration. AgrAbility coordinated assistance to help a farm family purchase a modified van, easing
Barbara and Jason Kafka described their conservative methods of earning and saving money for retirement at MOFGA’s 2018 Farmer to Farmer Conference. English photo By Jean English Barbara and Jason Kafka of Checkerberry Farm in Parkman, Maine, and Paul and Sandy Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm in Argyle, New York, spoke at MOFGA’s 2018 Farmer to Farmer
Paul and Sandy Arnold delivering the keynote speech at MOFGA’s 2018 Farmer to Farmer Conference. English photo By Jean English Paul and Sandy Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm in Argyle, New York, call farming “the best job on earth,” and that was the theme of their keynote speech at MOFGA’s 2018 Farmer to Farmer Conference. Pleasant Valley
Tim and Anne Devin of Chase Stream Farm wanted to do something completely different after their careers in the military. The Devins bought their 72-acre property in Monroe in 2016 and continue to refine their plans for the farm. The farm pond provides irrigation water. Sarah Alexander, MOFGA’s executive director, toured Chase Stream Farm in
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