Toki Oshima drawing By Joann S. Grohman Maine has the highest rate of new farmers in the 48 states; we’ve gained 1,000 just in the past 10 years. Many of these new farmers will, I hope, consider keeping one or several cows, as nearly everyone did until less than 100 years ago. Even in towns,
By Joann S. Grohman I listen to many talks by highly qualified scientists and others deeply concerned about our future, as well they might be. Some are concerned about climate change, others about starvation. In their summary remarks – I wait for it: Their suggestions for how we can mitigate disaster always include a well-meant
Maine Organic Milling has taken over the old Blue Seal Feeds mill in Auburn and is beginning to make dairy rations from corn, barley, okara, peas, lentils and flax. Calf starter rations, as well as pig and chicken rations, will also be mixed here. Photo by Diane Schivera. Why Buy Moo Milk? By Diane Schivera,
Resources for Organic Dairy Farmers Maine dairy farmers Erik Johnson and John Donald talked about their recent experiences transitioning from conventional to organic production at the Maine Agricultural Trades Show in Augusta in January. Johnson has about 60 to 70 milkers and 700 acres of crop ground; he is transitioning about one-third of his farm
Switching from conventional to organic dairying, partly by reducing herd size, helped save the Bragg Homestead farm in Sidney. Wayne Bragg talks about the transition to organic as his cows eat silage in this outdoor lot. English photo. By Jean English “Organic is not business as usual,” says Wayne Bragg, an organic dairy farmer in
Illustration by Toki Oshima. By Roberta Bailey In the last few years, I have noticed a significant increase in the number of small dairy operations, many of them organic, in Maine. Transitioning to organic has helped small dairy farms survive. Selling milk wholesale is one option, but I have noted an increasing number of farms
Eric Rector with his three-year-old Dexter cow and her newborn calf. So you’re thinking of getting a family cow. You’ve probably thought of many good reasons: fresh milk 10 months of the year, copious amounts of cream, peaceful moments in the barn with your head resting against the cow while milking and letting the rest
Canadian agrologist Wendy Holm takes farmers, chefs and students on working tours of Cuba, where they help establish research plots in sustainable dairy production, learn about local foods and food preparation, enjoy Cuban culture, and more. Photo courtesy of Wendy Holm. Wendy Holm of Vancouver, B.C., has, for 34 years, been an agrologist (a professional
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 Rick Kersbergen, Tim Dalton and Lisa Bragg Copyright ©2006 by the authors The authors are extension professor, associate professor and research assistant, University of Maine, Orono. They wish to acknowledge the work of Robert Parsons, Glenn Rogers, Dennis Kauppila, and Qingbin Wang at the University of Vermont and Nat Bacon and Lisa McCrory of
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