Organic Agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic Agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promote fair relationships and a good
David Ritchie sorts wool at the worker-owned Green Mountain Spinnery in Putney, Vermont. Photo courtesy of Green Mountain Spinnery. by Tim King At the Green Mountain Spinnery in Putney, Vermont, shepherds can have their animals’ fleeces spun into certified organic yarn, GREENSPUN yarn, or yarn spun using conventional, petroleum-based spinning oil. Encapsulated within those three
Ana and Roy Antaki sell their fermented foods, as well as crafts and soaps, at the Belfast and Camden Farmers’ Markets. English photo. Fermented Foods & Contented Fowl by Jean English Nine years ago, Ana and Roy Antaki of Weeping Duck Farm in Montville moved from conventional, corporate jobs in Kansas City to a 150-acre
McDougal Orchard in Sanford is one of three farms that Maine Farmland Trust has helped protect. Bridget Besaw photo. by John Piotti When I give presentations on farming in Maine, I usually begin with this true-or-false quiz: • In the last two federal agricultural censuses, the number of farmers in Maine increased. • In the
by Marada Cook Thinking about starting a farm? Looking for good land, good markets that are reasonably close, a little (or a lot) of start-up capital, a place to live, a way to pay bills in the off-season, a community of organic farmers, equipment that isn’t outrageously expensive or in disrepair? Maybe you’ve found the
Lloyd Ferriss, a longtime gardener from Richmond, takes a break from picking in the organic garden he and his wife, Jane Frost, grew for their local food pantry. Jim Ferriss photo. by Lloyd Ferriss We’ve all heard the old saw, “Grow a row for the hungry.” Last spring my wife, Jane Frost, and I turned
Kennedy values Daisy, a Christian donkey, for her friendliness and her ability to warn when sheep predators approach the farm. English photo. by Jean English On 80 acres of woods, wetlands and pasture just seconds from Route 17 in Washington, Maine, Nanney Kennedy has spent 20 years creating her peaceful, sustainable and productive Meadowcroft Farm.
John Bunker (left) of Fedco Trees and CR Lawn of Fedco Seeds at the Seed Swap and Scion Exchange. The two entertained gardeners with stories of the origins of Fedco at a talk at Merryspring in Camden this spring. English photo. Inclusiveness and a New Back-to-the-Land Movement Credited On March 11, 2008, to honor Fedco
CSA Farms Grow Beyond Summer Veggies by Jean English Pete Johnson of Craftsbury, Vermont, and Jeff and Amy Burchstead of Wiscasset, Maine, described their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms at MOFGA and Cooperative Extension’s Farmer-to-Farmer Conference in November. Working with horses at Buckwheat Blossom Farm. Photo courtesy Jeff and Amy Burchstead. The Burchsteads of Buckwheat
Jim Cook started Crown O’Maine Organic Cooperative to distribute local and organic produce from Maine farms to natural food stores, restaurants, buying clubs and institutional kitchens. Making it Happen in Maine: Crown O’Maine Takes Distribution to New Levels by Marada Cook Author’s note: While objectivity and honesty are traditionally the foremost goals of journalists, The
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