mofga charcuterie workshop

Join Andy Smith of Smith’s Smokehouse and delve into the basics of charcuterie through a series of four workshops. Learn how to create your own charcuterie goods, and potential business, and then dig deep into a variety of curing processes including bacon, bresaola, beef jerky and more!

Don’t forget to register for this course, there are only 10 spots available. The complete series is $350 for MOFGA members and $400 for non-members. Each course will take place at Smith’s Smokehouse; bring your own lunch.

Click HERE to register and please contact Anna Mueller at events@mofga.org if you have any questions.

apply to work with mofga!

Credit: MOFGA

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) are hiring! They have just announced two  new exciting full time positions, Director of Development and Community Engagement Coordinator.

Both roles will remain open until MOFGA find the best candidate possible for the position, however the first review of candidates for the position will begin on September 6th for the Director of Development, and August 14th for community engagement coordinator position. So if interested in either post, be sure to get your application in before the relevant date!

To find out more information about these roles or to how to apply, click HERE 

thank you uncle sam!

USDA Awards Millions to Support New Farmers

http://www.littlepub.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/little_pub_06877_food.jpg

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on October 8th, 2015 awards totaling $17 million through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). BFRDP is the only USDA program exclusively dedicated to training new farmers and ranchers, particularly in sustainable production practices.

This year, 34 organizations received BFRDP grants for projects supporting beginning farmers in 25 states. In total, about $10.7 million in grant funding will support 22 projects spearheaded by community-based and non-profit organizations, while $6 million will go towards 12 beginning farmer programs housed within public universities or cooperative extension. Here are the winners!

Dakota Rural Action

Farmer Veteran Coalition

Hmong National Development

Land for Good

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service

World Farmers

To read more, click HERE!

apply for the mofga journeyperson program today! deadline sept 21st

Rich Lee (JP ’15) of Tender Soles Farm hitching his team for a henhouse move

Are you a new farmer serious about pursuing a farming career in Maine?  Could your farm business benefit from 2 years of free hands-on training, technical support and mentorship from some of Maine’s best organic farmers and experts?

If so, submit an application to the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association’s Journeyperson Program!

Over the past 15 years, MOFGA’s Journeyperson Program has supported over 250 new farmers to successfully bridge the transition from apprentice/farm worker to independent farmer.  While most new farms fail in the first 5 years of operation, 93% of MOFGA JPs are still farming today.  Boost your odds and apply today!

The next deadline is right around the corner: Monday, September 21!

MOFGA offers each Journeyperson a 2-year package of support, including:

• $500 annual educational stipend
• Pairing with a paid farmer-mentor of your choice
• Free access to more than 50 educational workshops, trainings, and conferences
• Access to the MOFGA Farm Beginnings^® intensive whole-farm & business planning course
• Personal technical assistance from MOFGA staff
• Priority assistance with land access and tenure issues through partnerships with Land For Good and Maine Farmland Trust
• Discounts on seeds and supplies
• Access to a shared-use farm equipment pool
• A supportive and active network of new and established farmers

For more details and an application, please visit MOFGA’s JP webpage.

Don’t hesitate to email any questions you have about the JP program or other new farmer support or educational opportunities at MOFGA.

value your dandelions

Organic Gardening Tip from MOFGA:
Value Your Dandelions

Did you know that dandelions “are one of the first pollen/nectar sources during the whole growing season,” according to New York state farmer Steve Gilman, who spoke at one of MOFGA’s Farmer to Farmer Conferences years ago? One researcher “found 93 different species of insects that feed on that pollen/nectar,” he added. “The preponderance of those was beneficial insects.” Dandelions also serve as overwintering habitat for mycorrhizal fungi – beneficial fungi that associate with plant roots and help take up, conserve and use water and nutrients. So enjoy these bright signs of spring if they pop up in your yard! If you don’t want them to get out of hand, mow your lawn high (above 2-1/2 inches) and mow before dandelions go to seed.

farm & homestead day at mofga!

Saturday, June 13th, 2015
Get ready to get dirty!

Part appropriate-technology movement redux, part re-skilling à la Transition Towns, and 100 percent experiential adventure: Farm & Homestead Day at MOFGA is a free, volunteer-driven event in which ordinary people teach other ordinary people what they know how to do.

Farm & Homestead Day takes place on Saturday, June 13, at the Common Ground Education Center of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), at 294 Crosby Brook Road in Unity.

The focus is on simple technologies that use readily available items and can be learned with no previous experience. Do you want to throw off the shackles of the consumer economy and get ready for the salvage economy? In order to use what you have, you need to know what to do with it!

For more details…

low impact forestry 101 field day, maine

Want to learn or polish up the basic skills for managing your Maine woodlot?

On Friday, May 1, spend the day in the woods with at least six forest and soil experts learning about tree species identification, the influence of soils on forest plants and on harvesting operations, and how to choose which trees to cut.

Participants will meet from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Charlie Hitchings’ beautiful woodlot in Cherryfield. After introductions they will break into three groups for the morning to cycle through three learning stations. After a noon lunch break (bring your own lunch), participants will spend the final couple of hours in groups again, then will come together to mark three small sections of forest as if for harvesting, based on information they learned in their groups.

This workshop is offered free to everyone, but a recommended donation of $10 per person will help offset the costs for travel, refreshments and administration.

Please register with MOFGA at mofga.org so that we have an idea of the number of participants. Go to the events tab, scroll to May and click Low Impact Forestry 101 Field Day in Cherryfield.

an act to amend maine’s gmo food products labeling law

MOFGA Press Release Regarding LD 991: An Act To Amend Maine’s Genetically Modified Food Products Labeling Law.

Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are a hot topic in Maine and across the nation. A new bill could speed implementation of Maine’s historic GMO food labeling law. For decades the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) has been leading the fight in Maine for good food, good farming and demanding transparency in labeling food made from GMO crops. Of course, several hundred Maine family farmers are growing MOFGA-certified organic crops that are free of GMOs because genetic engineering is a prohibited practice in organic farming.

In 2013, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) organized Maine’s Right to Know – GMO coalition, which gained legislative and gubernatorial approval of mandatory labeling of foods derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The law is the result of decades of organizing, research, citizen lobbying and all-around collaboration among citizens from all walks of Maine life. This year Maine legislators will have an opportunity to learn even more about GMOs in food and agriculture, and consider options for a speedier implementation of Maine’s landmark GMO labeling law.

LD 991 – An Act To Amend Maine’s Genetically Modified Food Products Labeling Law – seeks to eliminate a requirement in established law that five contiguous states, including Maine, adopt legislation similar to Maine’s. Connecticut and Vermont already have adopted GMO labeling laws. A bill in the Massachusetts Legislature has broad bi-partisan support. A legislative committee in New Hampshire has been studying the issue.

apply now for mofga organic certification

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) offers local and affordable organic certification services through MOFGA Certification Services, LLC. The “MOFGA Certified Organic” logo is a widely recognized and time-honored symbol for Maine’s organic bounty. MOFGA Certification Services is a USDA-accredited organic certifier.

Those interested in seeking organic certification for crops, livestock or wild-crafted products should contact a staff person at MOFGA Certification Services today by phone (207-568-4142) or by email (certification@mofga.org) to request a certification application by mail. Application forms and information about organic certification are also available at www.mofgacertification.org.

The deadline for MOFGA to accept applications from crop and crop-related farm systems is Tuesday, June 30, 2015.

community supported agriculture and fisheries fair

MOFGA presents “Meet Your Farmers and Fishermen: A Celebration of Community Supported Agriculture and Fisheries” on February 27 to March 1 at a locations throughout Maine.

These events are part celebration and part education, as local farmers, fishermen and other food producers tell community members how to enjoy local foods and support local businesses in a meaningful way.

MOFGA’s farmer to farmer conference

Every year farmers and other agricultural experts from Maine and beyond gather at MOFGA’s Farmer to Farmer Conference to share their expertise about organic cultivation and marketing.

This year the conference takes place fromNovember 1 to 3 at Point Lookout in Northport. It includes tours of the draft-powered North Branch Farm in Monroe and Bahner Farm’s mixed vegetable operation in Belmont.
Dan Brisebois will deliver the keynote address, “Integrating Seed Production into a Market Garden.” Brisebois farms at Tourne-Sol Co-operative Farm in Quebec and co-authored “Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers.”

The core of the conference – two full days of educational workshops – maximizes peer-to-peer information sharing. More than 30 workshops are scheduled on topics ranging from farming with draft animals to learning the pros and cons of value-added food processing.

upcoming mofga events

Avena Botanicals
Tuesday, July 29 5pm 219 Mill St Rockport
Join herbalist and biodynamic herb gardener Deb Soule for an informative walk through Avena Botanicals’ medicinal herb gardens. Deb and a crew of three gardeners collect over 1800 pounds of medicinal herbs by hand each year from 2 1/2 acres. These herbs are then immediately processed on-site into a variety of tinctures, teas, oils and salves. Avena is the first Demeter-certified biodynamic farm in Maine and Deb will include an introduction to biodynamics as part of this tour. 

maine’s mofga receives $1 million for farmer training

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, A farming organization with a strong grassroots history, announced Wednesday that it received a gift of $1 million to help support and train new farmers, the largest financial donation in its history.

Officials from the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association said that they were thrilled with the gift from the New York City-based Partridge Foundation, which also pledged an additional $1 million to MOFGA if the Maine group can raise a matching amount over the next 18 months. All the monies are to be used for MOFGA’s new farmer programming.

To read more about this amazing news, click HERE!

square dance party!