By Tim King Federal, state and local governments, and many large corporations, along with international organizations such as the United Nations all agree, via laws, regulations and lofty statements, that workers have basic inalienable rights with respect to conditions such as minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health. But many workers around
By Jennifer Wilhelm New England is not currently known for its grain production. Due to topography and climate, growing grains — particularly small grains like oat, wheat and rye — has more recently been left to the Midwest, where land is flat and open. The forested and mountainous landscape in New England, including an abundance
By Sonja Heyck-Merlin Like the owners of many small businesses, Simon Frost and Daniel Price of Thirty Acre Farm have found that division of labor works best. Price grows the vegetables and Frost adds value by transforming the produce into lacto-ferments in their processing facility in Bremen, Maine. The product line includes an assortment of
By Dani Walczak I bought my first pair of steel-toed boots for MOFGA’s femme, nonbinary, trans and women (FNTW) chainsaw safety course. “You know these are steel-toed,” the cashier said to me. “Yes I know,” I replied. “Well, what do you do for work?” she asked, surprised. Tasks involving machinery, heavy-lifting and sharp objects often
By Ivonne Vazquez A recent conversation at the farmers’ market made me think about my own journey as a gardener, grower and now a small-acreage diversified farmer. Someone was interested in the native plants I sell but was concerned about not having space as a renter to grow a garden. As a proponent of gardening
The Wild Blueberry Heritage Center is housed in an iconic bright blue dome on Route 1 in Columbia Falls, Maine. On its website, the center calls on its users to take a pledge. The pledge reads: “I pledge to always Use the word WILD whenever I reference the ‘WILD’ Maine low bush blueberry.” It’s the
By Holli Cederholm Rebekah Lowell considers herself a “multi-passionate” artist. Her portfolio includes fine art paintings of landscapes, whimsical fabric patterns, Maine Migratory Waterfowl Stamps, and illustrations for children’s books — which she also authors. The common thread is the world around her. “I’m never bored with nature,” says Lowell. If anything, nature provides an
Where students and community build relationships through food By Sonja Heyck-Merlin Mount Desert Island, Maine: What comes to mind? Maybe it’s catching the sunrise from atop Cadillac Mountain or sea kayaking in a lobster-buoyed bay? Or maybe whale watching, or biking Acadia’s famous carriage trails? Or maybe you roll your eyes, thinking about a $10
By Tim King Every seed in every packet that a seed company ships to a gardener or farmer is throbbing with biological vitality and a barely fathomable web of stories and culture. Take, for instance, the beautiful open-pollinated Swiss chard, called Heart of Gold, that Johnny’s Selected Seeds released in late 2022. The catalog describes
By Sam Schipani Zoe Shwidock and Nicole Heker had been working and apprenticing on farms for years when they decided they wanted to strike out on their own. They had a vision of growing local herbs for teas, medicine, and more to fill a niche for their community in Arundel. They had a problem though.
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