By Diane Schivera Holistic Health Care necessitates a frame of mind that differs from that of allopathic medicine. I have been reminded of the importance of that requirement often lately. One case was a question on ODairy about hairy heal warts. (Odairy is a electronic mailing group that allows organic dairy producers to interact by
by Diane Schivera, M.A.T. The 2008 Farmer-to-Farmer Conference, sponsored by MOFGA and Maine Cooperative Extension, had lots to offer livestock farmers. The livestock sessions were some of the best attended, and enthusiasm for livestock is high. Here are some highlights from those sessions. Integrating Livestock Into Vegetable Operations University of Maine Extension Educator Rick Kersbergen
Drawing by Toki Oshima By Diane Schivera Editor’s note: Our understanding of the benefits of raising animals on pasture continues to accumulate, so Diane Schivera has updated this article that she originally wrote for the Dec. 2001-Feb. 2002 issue of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener. Grass feeding benefits the health of the grazing animals;
Illustration by Toki Oshima. Improving the Health of the Farm By Diane Schivera Note that some 2004 contact information may be obsolete. The most important point to remember when transitioning a dairy herd or any livestock or farm to organic production is that learning new things takes time. You need to have patience with yourself,
By Diane Schivera Beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, are called probiotics. Probiotics, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, are live microorganisms administered in adequate amounts which confer a beneficial health effect on the host. The concept of maintaining or restoring the balance of bowel bacteria
By Diane Schivera I wanted Maine grass farmers to know that MOGFA, Cooperative Extension, Unity Barnraisers and a group of farmers received a SARE grant to establish the Maine Grassfarmers Network. We began to work on the following objectives in May: 1. Four regional workshops will be held in Maine for Cooperative Extension educators, Maine
by Diane Schivera Allan Savory of the Savory Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, spoke about Holistic Management® during the keynote address at the 9th annual Vermont Grazing Conference. The book he wrote with his wife, Jody Butterfield, Holistic Management: A New Framework of Decision-Making (Island Press, 1999), explains the method he discovered while working in
These foxes are residents at Becky Weed’s Thirteen Mile Ranch in Belgrade, Montana. Photo courtesy of Becky Weed. By Tim King Coyotes, fox, raccoons, hawks, owls and, in some places, wolves, cougars and bear can make strong farmers weep. Coons in the chicken coop or coyotes in the new lamb crop can bring tears to
by Jean English “I’m a visual thinker and somebody who really notices details,” said Dr. Temple Grandin at the annual meeting of the Maine Grass Farmers Network in August. “I think totally in pictures,” she added. The packed room at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center in Unity had come to hear how this autistic person’s
COOPP: Get Your Poultry Processed Here COOPP, the poultry processing cooperative operating in Monmouth, is open for business. It gives you a state-inspected poultry product that you can sell anywhere, including farmers’ markets, retail stores and restaurants. This is the only plant in Maine where you can get a state-inspected product to be able to
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