The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener 

The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener (The MOF&G), the quarterly publication of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, invites readers to learn more about organic agriculture and sustainable living practices in Maine and beyond. Since 1974, The MOF&G has offered practical information on organic growing practices and livestock husbandry, low-impact forestry, modern-day homesteading and more for a range of readers, including deliberate eaters, beginning to advanced gardeners, homesteaders and commercial farmers and food producers. 

Write for The MOF&G

Features

Feature stories range from 1,200 to 2,200 words in length. Accompanying images and/or illustrations are welcome. Topics and formats include, but are not limited to, profiles of farmers or gardeners (preferably organic); innovative food or agricultural businesses (especially those using local resources); and individual plants (edible or ornamental), pests or diseases; and articles or essays about:

• Social justice related to food and farming.
• Rural skills and rural development.
• Livestock care and management.
• Farming, gardening and forestry practices and techniques (including first-person farming, homesteading and gardening experiences).
• Agricultural and biological research (e.g., soil-plant relationships, biochemical interactions).
• Agricultural economics, politics and issues — international, national, regional, community.
• Agricultural agencies, organizations and groups.
• Influential individuals within agriculture and food systems.
• Agricultural resources, their efficient use and ecological management.
• Tools, equipment and machinery for small, diversified or organic farming and gardening.
• Energy use, production and conservation.
• Businesses related to agriculture, food or natural resources.
• Agricultural marketing.
• Environmental issues.

How-To Articles

How-to articles run 500 to 1,200 words in length and teach readers how to do something related to sustainable living — from constructing deer fence to making a salve to planting an orchard. We look to share seasonal garden tips, farm hacks and DIY projects accompanied by first-hand experience. Images and/or illustrations are encouraged.

Interviews

Interviews allow narrators to share their stories in their own words. While we’re interested in interviews with influential individuals involved in agriculture and food systems, we’re also looking for interviews that lift up voices that are often neglected, or erased from the conversation entirely. Interviews typically include an introduction followed by a Q&A and can be up to 2,500 words in length. Please pitch us your interview idea; transcripts without prior approval will not be accepted.  

Reviews

Reviews run between 300-500 words. While we welcome queries, we also assign books, film and podcast reviews. Topics of interest include: food and land justice, cooking and food preservation, growing and using medicinal herbs, plant propagation, small-scale farming, organic gardening, garden and landscape design, raising livestock, fiber, forestry, home and energy, environmental issues, climate change, community building, and nature and ecology. Related children’s books are welcome.

Galleys for potential review can be mailed to: Holli Cederholm, P.O. Box 170, Unity, ME 04988 or [email protected].

Readers’ Stories

In our “MOFGA Stories” segment we publish brief nonfiction essays submitted by our readers in response to a theme (see the list of upcoming themes here). Readers are encouraged to share their experiences as gardeners, farmers, homesteaders, soil stewards, seed savers, food preservers, flower arrangers, herbalists, beekeepers, shepherds, green builders, low-impact foresters, crafters, and makers and doers of all sorts.

Submit your short (500 words or less), true story to [email protected]. You can also submit your story via mail sent to: Holli Cederholm, P.O. Box 170, Unity, ME 04988. Please include your full name, the name of your town and state, and your contact information with your submission. If it is selected for publication, you will receive a complimentary one-year gift subscription to The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener for yourself or to share with someone. We reserve the right to edit stories. Future theme ideas are also welcome.

Letters to the Editor

The MOF&G welcomes letters from readers. Those intended for publication should be 500 words or shorter. Include your full name, address and telephone number. All letters may be edited. We do not publish op-eds. Address letters to: The MOF&G Editor, P.O. Box 170, Unity, ME 04988. Send emails to: [email protected]. 

The Fine Print

The MOF&G is published four times a year (March-May, June-August, September-November, December-February). Deadlines for final versions of articles are January 10, April 10, July 10 and October 10 for the respective issues.

Please send queries to the editor of The MOF&G, Holli Cederholm, at [email protected]. Writers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with The MOF&G before pitching. Sample copies are available from the MOFGA office: phone 207-568-4142; email: [email protected].

We pay 25 cents per word, on publication, for the edited version of assigned articles. Payment covers first, electronic and archival rights for articles, and accompanying images. In addition to appearing in print in The MOF&G, articles are archived at mofga.org, and images and excerpts may be used for MOFGA’s social media posts and email newsletters. Freelancers reserve the right to publish their articles elsewhere after they appear in The MOF&G. We do not pay a kill fee. Submissions to MOFGA Stories and Letters to the Editor are not compensated. We do not accept AI-generated content. Questions? Email [email protected]