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Volunteer Profile Patti Hamilton

Patti Hamilton By Betsy Garrold In 2012, after Patti Hamilton and her husband, Chris, had been living at their current Whitefield farm for a while, they began discussing names for the property and for Patti’s dairy business. That summer as she worked in the garden, a barred owl sat in the trees during daylight hours

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Maine Heritage Orchard Volunteer

Rudy Kelly, an ardent heirloom apple tree sleuth and volunteer for MOFGA’s Maine Heritage Orchard, standing by an ancient tree he discovered that he calls “Jake 1829.” Photo by Abbey Verrier By Abbey Verrier and Angus Deighan A few years ago, Rudy Kelly and his girlfriend, Phoebe Barnes, were driving to the Common Ground Country

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Why We Homestead

Dennis Carter and Anneli Carter-Sundqvist at their Deer Isle Hostel. Photo by Noah Kalina Spiritual, political and philosophical reasons to homestead in the 21st century By Anneli Carter-Sundqvist Living in self-reliance and simplicity is something many dream about and some fulfill by living as homesteaders. My husband, Dennis, and I do that on Deer Isle,

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Saving Trees Saving Ourselves

Frank Robey is working to prevent the timber harvest planned for the Maine section of the White Mountain National Forest in Stoneham, Albany and Mason Townships. Photo by Dave Gagne By Joyce White President Franklin Delano Roosevelt commented, “Forests are the lungs of our land.” Seventy-five years ago FDR recognized the importance of forests in

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Popes Encyclical

By Grace Oedel Earlier this year the Pope published a piece of writing that has come to be known as the “climate change encyclical,” although it rings out more broadly as calling for a radical shift in culture. The treatise, entitled “Laudato Si,” translates to “Praise be to you,” a line from the Canticle of

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MOFGAs Farmer in Residence Program

Pheonix Obrien and Megan Gardner are the current farmers-in-residence at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center in Unity. This photo shows them preparing for MOFGA’s Common Ground Country Fair, which takes place right outside the farmhouse where they live during their residency. English photo Farmers-in-residence grow crops on MOFGA’s grounds, enabling them to begin a farming

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Marsh River Food Coop

The Marsh River Food Coop, near the intersection of Routes 7 and 139 in Brooks, offers local products whenever possible. English photos Local produce on display in late October New Member and Producer Coop is a Model for Other Coops By Jon Walsh Set amid a series of low, forested hills, Brooks, Maine, has long

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Huey Coleman

Huey Coleman filming John Bunker collecting wild apples, for Coleman’s next documentary, “Henry David Thoreau: Surveyor of the Soul.” Photo by Judy Wentzell By Abbey Verrier In April 2014, Huey Coleman arrived at MOFGA’s Maine Heritage Orchard, camera in hand and ready to film. It was our first planting day, and a big group of

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Choosing Community

Toki Oshima drawing By Jean English Editor, “The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener” As MOFGA develops a long-term, forward-looking strategic plan, I looked backward for inspiration – to our late director Russell Libby’s visionary writing. “What would Russell plan?” I wondered. A long list quickly emerged, with four intertwined themes: actions we can take at

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Farmers Markets Get a Leg Up

The MFFM board. Front L-R: Mike Gold (Maine Farmland Trust), Tom Roberts (Snakeroot Organic Farm), Mark Guzzi (Peacemeal Farm); Back L-R: Heather Donahue (Balfour Farm), Sherie Blumenthal (St. Mary’s Nutrition Center), Clayton Carter (Fail Better Farm), Jack McAdam (McDougal Orchards), Hanne Tierney (Cornerstone Farm) and Rob Lawless (Took a Leap Farm). Photo courtesy of MFFM

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