Calendar

The MOFGA Calendar

November 2011

2 - Dirt! The Movie. Screening at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity, in the library. This will be the kick-off event in our First Wednesday Monthly Movie Series. Light refreshments and discussion at 6:30 p.m., film begins at 7:00. Suggested donation $5. Co-sponsors of the series include MOFGA, the Sebasticook Regional Land Trust (SRLT) and Maine Farmland Trust. For more information, contact Anna at SRLT - 948-3766.
4 - 6 - Farmer to Farmer Conference. Hosted by MOFGA at Point Lookout in Northport, ME. This is MOFGA's annual conference for farmers. It is a great opportunity to talk about what worked and what didn't during the growing season while learning from university faculty, fellow farmers, and others. Details.
5 - Artisan Breads - Italian. Hands-on baking class hosted by the Stone Turtle Baking and Cooking School in Lyman. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 10% discount to MOFGA members. Details.
5 - SYRCL's Wild & Scenic Film Festival. Saturday, 4 pm doors open, cash bar to 5pm, films 5 pm to 7 pm. USM’s Abromson Center, 88 Bedford Street, Portland, ME. Join us for wild and scenic films and a reception to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Casco BAYKEEPER® Joe Payne. For tickets: www.cascobay.org. For more information: (207) 799-8574.
5 & 6 – HOMEGROWNMaine, Augusta Civic Center. Medical marijuana trade show and cultural bazaar, Medical Marijuana Caregivers of Maine; www.mmcmonline.org
8 - Organic Herd Health Meeting. Dr. Paul Detloff, DVM. Sponsored by CROPP/Organic Valley. 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Primary focus will be on dairy cows but all livestock producers are invited. Morning classroom session at MOFGA, afternoon barn session at nearby Philbrick Farm. Lunch is provided and the event is free. RSVP - Steve Getz by email at steve.getz@organicvalley.coop or by phone at 608-632-3790.
8 & 9 - ‘Agricultural Marketing for Success’ & ‘Value Added Produce: Kitchen Licensing Workshop.’ 5:30 to 8 p.m., St. John Valley Soil & Water Conservation District. Presented by MOFGA's Cheryl Wixson. Register by Friday, November 4. Contact Sigrid at the SJV-SWCD Office (139 Market Street, #106, Fort Kent), 834-3311, ext. 3 or sigrid.houlette@me.nacdnet.net.
10 - MOFGA Fundraising Committee Meeting. 10:00 a.m. to noon at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
10 - MOFGA Finance Committee Meeting. Noon to 2:00 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
10 - Meeting of the Executive Committee of MOFGA's Board of Directors. 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
10 - Common Ground Country Fair Steering Committee Meeting. 6:00 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
12 - MOFGA Low Impact Forestry Committee Workday. 9:00 a.m. to noon at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity. Lunch following. Focus will be on preparations for MOFGA's upcoming Low Impact Forestry Workshop.
12 - Reaching Your Customer in the Electronic Age: Online Farmers Markets and Buying Clubs. Saturday, 10:00am to 1:00pm, Bangor Auditorium and Civic Center. $5 per person to get into the Maine Harvest Festival (see calendar entry below). No additional cost for seminar. Speakers: experts in social media and marketing as well as farmers who use the Internet to market and sell their products. Several Maine-based online markets will be demonstrated. RSVP by Nov 7. Seating limited. Contact: Tricia Cook, Western Mountains Alliance, 207-778-3885; tcook@westernmountainsalliance.org. FMI: maineharvestfestival.com (click on Events).
12 & 13 - Maine Harvest Festival. Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Bangor Auditorium & Civic Center, 100 Dutton St., Bangor, ME 04401. Celebrate the bounty and variety of food products available fresh from the fields, orchards and ocean. Join fellow growers, bakers, cheese artisans, vintners, and brewers from Maine in the first ever Maine Harvest Festival. $5 general admission. More information: www.maineharvestfestival.com or call Judi Perkins at (207) 947-5555.
12 & 13 - Breakfast Breads And Pastry With Ciril Hitz. Hands-on baking class hosted by the Stone Turtle Baking and Cooking School in Lyman. 10% discount to MOFGA members. Details.
16 - Field Crop Meeting. Wed, 10 am to 2 pm, Makris Lobster and Steak House, 354 Sheep Davis Road, Concord, NH. On Farm Research Summary, Nutrient management and crop management update, Risk management Programs, Using Weed Ecology on the Farm. $15 per person (includes morning refreshments, lunch, and program expenses). For more info, call Mary West, Merrimack County Extension at 796-2151 (mary.west@unh.edu).
17 to 20 – Low Impact Forestry Weekend, MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Ctr., Unity. Details.
18 - 20 - Chainsaw and Forestry Safety Workshop. At MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity. Registration by paper form only. Please download a form and mail it to us with payment. First received, first registered.
19 - Dinner Rolls & Pies For Thanksgiving. Hands-on baking class hosted by the Stone Turtle Baking and Cooking School in Lyman. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 10% discount to MOFGA members. Details.

December 2011

2 - (and the first Friday of every month) MOFGA’s show “Common Ground” on WERU, 89.9 FM and weru.org. 10 to 11 a.m.
3 - Holiday Breads. Hands-on baking class hosted by the Stone Turtle Baking and Cooking School in Lyman. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 10% discount to MOFGA members. Details.
4 - MOFGA Board of Directors Meeting. 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
7 - Kitchen Licensing Workshop. 10:00 to 3:00 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity. Designed for farmers and others interested in home-food processing for resale. Licensing requirements, food safety, and liability insurance will be covered by panel members. Details.
7 - Movie Night at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center, Unity. 6:30 p.m. light refreshments and discussion with local farmers and naturalists; 7 p.m. film. Suggested donation $5. Co-sponsored by MOFGA, Sebasticook Regional Land Trust and Maine Farmland Trust.
8 - Common Ground Country Fair Steering Committee Meeting. 6:00 p.m. at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity.
8 to 10 - Acres U.S.A. conference and trade show. Columbus, Ohio. www.acresusa.com
9 - New England Farmers Union annual meeting, Concord, N.H. http://newenglandfarmersunion.org/
9 - Sugar Maple Restoration Project. 3:30 p.m., Maine Audubon Society, Gilsland Farm Center, 20 Gilsland Farm Road off of Route 1), Falmouth, Maine 04105. Maple sugar tree planting ceremony to promote locally harvested foods, sustainable living and Maine heritage, followed by discussion of climate change. Hosted by Maine Interfaith Power & Light. Information: Contact Elizabeth England, 207-721-0444, elizabeth@meipl.org
10 - MOFGA Low Impact Forestry Committee Workday. 9:00 a.m. to noon at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity. Lunch following. Focus will be on barn preparation.
10 - Pizza Plus. Hands-on baking class hosted by the Stone Turtle Baking and Cooking School in Lyman. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 10% discount to MOFGA members. Details.
13 to 15 - New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference, Manchester, N.H., www.newenglandvfc.org/

January 2012

4 - Movie Night at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center, Unity. 6:30 p.m. light refreshments and discussion with local farmers and naturalists; 7 p.m. film. Suggested donation $5. Co-sponsored by MOFGA, Sebasticook Regional Land Trust and Maine Farmland Trust.
6 - (and the first Friday of every month) MOFGA’s show “Common Ground” on WERU, 89.9 FM and weru.org. 10 to 11 a.m.
9 to 13 (snow date Jan. 15) - Annual NOFA 5-Day Accreditation Course in Organic Land Care. Worcester State Univ., Worcester, Mass. FMI: www.organiclandcare.net or Kathy Litchfield, (413) 773-3830, Kathy@nofamass.org.
10 - MOFGA annual membership meeting at the Maine Agricultural Trades Show. 1:30 p.m., Augusta Civic Center. Hear reports from MOFGA board members, staff and committees; vote on a slate of board members. Q&A period. This is also MOFGA Day at the Trades Show – a full day of presentations and workshops on organic production in Maine. Free. Schedule at www.mofga.org
10 to 12 - Maine Agricultural Trades Show. Augusta Civic Center. Free admission. www.getrealmaine.com
14 - MOFGA Low Impact Forestry Committee Workday and Quarterly Meeting. 9:00 a.m. to noon at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity. Lunch following. Focus will be on plans for 2012.
14 - NOFA Mass. Winter Conference. Worcester State Univ., Worcester, Mass. Keynote: John Jeavons, "Food and Our Future: Exciting Solutions Through Biologically Intensive Gardening." www.nofamass.org/conferences/winter/index.php
15 - Deadline to apply for MOFGA Journeyperson Program. Details.
19 - Co-operative Conference for Farmers, Fishermen & Other Types of Food Producers. Snow date January 20. Bangor area. Details.
19 to 21 - Organic Seed Growers Conference. Thurs. (pre-conference event), Sat., Sun., Fort Worden State Park and Conference Center, Port Townsend, Washington. Thursday: Pre-conference field tour ($100, inc. lunch) of Skagit Valley seed region co-sponsored by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Friday & Saturday: 24 in-depth sessions to choose from, delicious food, inspiring stories, and live music. $155 registration. Partial scholarships available to farmers. www.seedalliance.org
23 & 24 - Maine Ag Educators Professional Development Retreat. Skowhegan. 2-day professional development program for Maine agricultural educators and service providers focused on New Farmers. Lodging and meals provided. Contact Ellen Mallory (ellen.mallory@maine.edu) or Tori Jackson (tori.jackson@maine.edu) to register or for more details. Registration deadline November 15.
27 - Deadline for Maine farmers and food businesses to apply for low-interest micro-loan (up to $5,000) for equipment or working capital from the No Small Potatoes Investment Club, which seeks to strengthen Maine’s sustainable food system. FMI: Chris Hallweaver, 329-5048, chrishallweaver@gmail.com.
27 to 28 - Maine Farmers’ Market Convention, Harraseeket Inn, Freeport. www.whcacap.org/farm-to-market/farmers-market-convention/

February 2012

1 - Movie Night at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center, Unity. 6:30 p.m. light refreshments and discussion with local farmers and naturalists; 7 p.m. film. Suggested donation $5. Co-sponsored by MOFGA, Sebasticook Regional Land Trust and Maine Farmland Trust.
3 - (and the first Friday of every month) MOFGA’s show “Common Ground” on WERU, 89.9 FM and weru.org. 10 to 11 a.m.
11 - MOFGA Low Impact Forestry Committee Workday. 9:00 a.m. to noon at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity. Lunch following. Focus will be on the winter harvest.

March 2012

7 - Bionutrient Rich Crop Production. Course led by Dan Kitteredge, Director of the Real Food Campaign. At MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity. This is the second of two one-day sessions (the first scheduled on October 12, 2011). Download the brochure for the course. For more information, contact Douglas Williams at doug@realfoodcampaign.org or 603-924-7008.
7 - Movie Night at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center, Unity. 6:30 p.m. light refreshments and discussion with local farmers and naturalists; 7 p.m. film. Suggested donation $5. Co-sponsored by MOFGA, Sebasticook Regional Land Trust and Maine Farmland Trust.
10 - Tentative date, MOFGA’s Spring Growth Conference.
17 - Maine Grass Farmers Network Conference.
17 - MOFGA’s Organic Orcharding Workshop: Pruning; locations TBD.
17 to 19 - 28th Annual New England Products Trade Show. Portland Sports Complex (The Dome), Portland, Maine. The only wholesale buyers show in the country dedicated to presenting hand-crafted giftware, home & garden furnishings, and specialty foods exclusively created within New England. Information: www.nepts.com/
24 - MOFGA’s Organic Orcharding Workshop: Renovating Old Trees. Locations TBD.
31 - UMaine Cooperative Extension, Waldo County Rural Living Day. Classes on gardening, forestry and rural life. Cosponsored by MOFGA and Waldo County Cooperative Extension. FMI: Cooperative Extension, 1-800-287-1426.

April 2012

4 - Grow Your Own Organic Garden. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Evening workshops throughout Maine give gardeners skills and knowledge to transition from conventional to organic gardening. FMI, including locations: www.mofga.org. Interested in being an instructor? Contact Abby, abbys@mofga.org
13 & 14 - Wood-fired Oven Intensive. Hands-on baking class hosted by the Stone Turtle Baking and Cooking School in Lyman. 10% discount to MOFGA members. Details.
21 - Earth Day Work Day at MOFGA; and beginning of the 2012 Permaculture Design Certification Weekend Course, cosponsored by MOFGA and Portland Maine Permaculture; www.meetup.com/portlandpermaculture/events/34491902/

May 2012

2 - Movie Night at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center, Unity. 6:30 p.m. light refreshments and discussion with local farmers and naturalists; 7 p.m. film. Suggested donation $5. Co-sponsored by MOFGA, Sebasticook Regional Land Trust and Maine Farmland Trust.

September 2012

21 to 23 - MOFGA’s Common Ground Country Fair.