By Sam(antha) Burns During lambing season, I wake every two hours to check the lamb-cams for “activity,” anxiously watching for signs of labor or newborn lambs. Video cameras and Wi-Fi extenders are two of the best investments I’ve made in shepherding, but really the most valuable asset has been the accruing knowledge that only comes
By Tim King Nearly a quarter century ago, Jim Hanna, who is now the executive director of the Cumberland County Food Security Council, met with a group of newly arrived Americans to discuss their food security needs. These new community members from Somalia were Muslim and had dietary needs that Hanna was unfamiliar with at
By Kevin Haggerty and Eric von Wettberg Have you ever heard of perennial wheat? As the ecological impacts of some annual farming systems become better understood alongside the growing need to adapt to climate change, new approaches to producing grains are gaining significance. One such approach to building resilience is through adopting new crops well
By Sherri Talbot In February of 2023, I had my first bout with COVID-19. I tested positive for weeks, and developed long COVID with neurological symptoms. I became sluggish, had difficulty focusing, and my short-term memory became unreliable. Even several months later there are gaps from that period. In addition, I had surgery, my husband
By Tim King It’s hard to keep up with the rapid expansion of commercial solar installations being developed in the Maine countryside. In January of last year, the Portland Press Herald reported that BNRG/Dirigo Solar, a venture of companies based in Portland, Maine, and Ireland, has 36 active projects in Maine, with 10 under construction.
By Sonja Heyck-Merlin “We can’t get close enough to see the calves,” says Keith Radonis. “We use binoculars to investigate, and we think it’s two females and a male, but we’re not sure.” Scientifically speaking, these calves — the first to be born at Flying Boat Farm in Whitefield, Maine — are bison, not buffalo.
“Farmers are outstanding in their field.” – Unknown Facilities: Barn design Considering barn design in relation to livestock and poultry manure output can be critical. Designing low-cost facilities while balancing their efficiency can depend on species and production considerations. For example, dairy cows create considerable amounts of wet manure and urine, making bedded pack barn
Basic biology: Average Body Temperature: 100.5 F Age of sexual maturity: 6 months Heat cycle: 21 days Gestation: 283 days (9 months) Productive life: 10-12 years Digestive system: Ruminant Types of cattle: Dairy – Cattle selectively bred to produce larger volumes of milk than their calves would consume. Beef – Cattle selectively bred to be
By Holli Cederholm On Thalassa Raasch’s outstretched palm is a rainbow of pollen – yellow, orange, gray, green and even bright blue – reflecting the colors of the early spring blooms that honeybees have collected the grains from. It is a sunny, 60-degree day in April and Raasch, clad in coveralls and a floral-print neckerchief
By Tim King Sheep shearing is largely men’s work in some parts of the country. That’s not so in Maine. Arla Casselman, who farms MOFGA-certified organic blueberries near Warren, believes that’s due in part to MOFGA. “With the MOFGA apprenticeship program I feel like it’s easy as a female to get on a farm,” she
