By Jean Noon I operate a 50- to 60-ewe, organic sheep farm in southern Maine. During the fall of 2002 I learned through Coastal Enterprises about the Northeast SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) Grant Program. I was interested because I was worried that I would be unable to continue managing my flock organically under
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
Allen Smith and daughter Isabel selling apple products at the 2007 Common Ground Fair. Photo courtesy Allen Smith. by Craig Idlebrook When I first met Allen Smith at the end of the 2007 Common Ground Country Fair, he had the tired look of someone who had dished out hundreds of apple cider-sweetened snow-cones for three
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.
by Diane Schivera I attended two sessions presented by Frederick Provenza at the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) conference this January. Both concerned ruminant eating and foraging behavior and biological reasons for this behavior. In the introduction to his book, Provenza says, “Our work has shown how simple strategies that use knowledge of behavior
Perry Ells and Keith Morgan-Davie talked about the potential for micro-dairies in Maine, focusing on sheep and goat milk, at the Farmer to Farmer Conference. English photo. Scroll down for: Dairy Goat Budgets & Dairying Resources Sheep farmers Keith Morgan-Davie of North Whitefield and Perry Ells of Union described their operations at the Farmer to
by Diane Schivera, M.S., and Eric Sideman, Ph.D. Selenium (Se) serves important functions in all animals. Called the “protection mineral,” it is a key component in glutathione peroxidase, an antioxidant enzyme. The enzyme, found in red and white blood cells, heart muscle, brain, fat, lungs, liver, kidney and skeletal muscle, stops oxidation and thus protects
Left to right: Colin, Julie and David at their booth near the sheepdog demos at the Common Ground Country Fair. John Williams photo Sheep and goats keep the land open at Wellscroft Farm in Harrisville, N.H., affording a view of Mount Monadnock, thanks to modern fencing systems and sheepdogs. English photo Sheepdogs help the Wellscroft
Karen and Paul Volckhausen. Photo courtesy of Happy Town Farm Sheep are an integral part of nutrient cycling at Happy Town Farm. English photo Karen’s cut flower business has grown since she retired from nursing. Photo courtesy of Happy Town Farm Paul and Karen Volckhausen were the “farmers in the spotlight” at MOFGA’s 2017 Farmer
Eric and Becky Sideman in a rare moment of sitting – on a granite boulder in the middle of one pasture. The 80- by 100-foot garden in spring. Vegetables are rotated between this garden and the smaller one near the house. Text and photos by Jean English Many of us know Eric and Becky Sideman
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