Common Ground Radio 5/11/23: A Conversation About Herbalism with Emily Springer of Meeting House Farm

Producers/Hosts: Caitlyn Barker
Editor: Clare Boland

Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond.

This month:

Topics this episode include:
– Herbalism, including herb growing techniques, harvesting and processing methods and uses.

Guest/s:
Emily Springer, Meeting House Farm, Scarborough, Maine.

FMI Links:
Meeting House Farm Instagram
Meeting House Farm Facebook
Deb Soule of Avena Botanicals
Book- Making Plant Medicine

About the hosts:
Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a long-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

Caitlyn Barker has worked in education and organic agriculture on and off for the last 17 years. She has worked on an organic vegetable farm, served on the Maine Farm to School network, worked in early childhood education and taught elementary school. She currently serves as the community engagement coordinator for MOFGA.

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Common Ground Radio 3/13/23: Black Earth Wisdom

Producers/Hosts: Holli Cederholm and Clare Boland
Editor: Clare Boland

Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond.

This month:

In the April 2023 episode of MOFGA’s Common Ground Radio, host Holli Cederholm discusses “Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists” with Leah Penniman, farm director/co-executive director of Soul Fire Farm and author of “Farming While Black,” and Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro and author of “Nature Swagger: Stories and Visions of Black Joy in the Outdoors.” “Black Earth Wisdom” is a newly released book of essays and interviews that explores Black people’s spiritual and scientific connection to the land, waters, and climate. 

Topics this episode include:
– “Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists” by Leah Penniman.
– “Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land” by Leah Penniman.
– “Nature Swagger: Stories and Visions of Black Joy in the Outdoors” by Rue Mapp.
– Contributions of Black people to environmental thought and agroecological practices.
– The importance of representation to access and inclusion.
– Why centering BIPOC voices is critical to environmentalism.

Guest/s:
Leah Penniman is a Black Kreyol farmer, mother, soil nerd, author, and food justice activist who co-founded Soul Fire Farm in Grafton, New York, in 2010, with the mission to end racism in the food system and reclaim our ancestral connection to land. Penniman is part of a team that facilitates powerful food sovereignty programs — including farmer training for Black and Brown people, a subsidized farm food distribution program for communities living under food apartheid, and domestic and international organizing toward equity in the food system. In addition to “Black Earth Wisdom,” she is the author of “Farming While Black.”

Rue Mapp documents her personal experiences while pioneering and shifting a new visual representation of Black people in the outdoors. An outdoorswoman, she transformed her kitchen table blog into a national nature-inspired enterprise and movement, called Outdoor Afro: where Black people and nature meet. Mapp is the founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro, and she is also the author of “Nature Swagger: Stories and Visions of Black Joy in the Outdoors,” which was published in 2022. Her words about nature and Black joy can also be found in conversation with other Black environmentalists in the newly released “Black Earth Wisdom.”

FMI Links:
“Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists” by Leah Penniman
“Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land” by Leah Penniman
“Nature Swagger: Stories and Visions of Black Joy in the Outdoors” by Rue Mapp
Outdoor Afro
Soul Fire Farm

About the hosts:
Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a long-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

Caitlyn Barker has worked in education and organic agriculture on and off for the last 17 years. She has worked on an organic vegetable farm, served on the Maine Farm to School network, worked in early childhood education and taught elementary school. She currently serves as the community engagement coordinator for MOFGA.

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Common Ground Radio 3/9/23: Food Access and Equity in Maine

Producers/Hosts: Holli Cederholm
Editor: Clare Boland

Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond.

This month:
A panel discussion about food access and equity in the state of Maine. In this discussion we work to define food access and equity, explore the various resources available and discuss policies being decided now that shape how Mainers access food.
-Food access
-Food equity
-Farmers’ Markets
-Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
-Farm Bill

Guest/s:
BrennaMae Thomas-Googins
Jimmy DeBiasi, executive director, Maine Federation of Farmers Markets
Hillary Barter, education programs coordinator at the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

FMI Links:
Maine Harvest Bucks
Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets
Waldo County Bounty
MOFGA Market/CSA Search Tool
Maine Senior FarmShare Program
Mainers Feeding Mainers
Bumper Crop
Real Maine
Farm Bill overview

About the hosts:
Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a long-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

Caitlyn Barker has worked in education and organic agriculture on and off for the last 17 years. She has worked on an organic vegetable farm, served on the Maine Farm to School network, worked in early childhood education and taught elementary school. She currently serves as the community engagement coordinator for MOFGA.

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Common Ground Radio 2/9/23: Collaborative Marketing Models

Producers/Hosts: Holli Cederholm
Editor: Clare Boland

Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond.

This month:
On the February 2023 episode of Common Ground Radio, host Holli Cederholm discusses collaborative marketing models used by farmers and food producers in Maine. She is joined by Colleen Hanlon-Smith and Adrienne Lee, co-founders and owners of Daybreak Growers Alliance, a food distribution hub, and Melissa Law and Courtney Mongell, flower farmers and board members of the Maine Flower Collective. They talk about how these collaborative networks benefit both producers and customers by aggregating products and consolidating delivery.
-Collaborative marketing models for farmers
-Centralized marketing and distribution
-Food access
-Farm to food pantry
-Flower collective
-Sustainable floriculture

Guest/s:
Colleen Hanlon-Smith is a co-founder and owner of Daybreak Growers Alliance. Hanlon-Smith has worked in various capacities to serve the Northeast food system and farming communities, and is a founding member of Waldo County Bounty, a hunger relief nonprofit.

Adrienne Lee is a co-founder and owner of Daybreak Growers Alliance, and co-farmer and owner of New Beat Farm, a MOFGA-certified organic vegetable and cut flower farm located in Knox, Maine.

Melissa Law is vice president of Maine Flower Collective and also runs the flower program at Bumbleroot Organic Farm in Windham. The farm grows certified organic blooms for their flower CSA, farmstand and wholesale partners, with a focus on annuals, including dahlias.

Courtney Mongell operates Mare Brook Farm in Brunswick with her husband Ryan. They grow specialty cut flowers, evergreens, and certified organic edible flowers and herbs

FMI Links:
Daybreak Growers Alliance
Waldo County Bounty
Maine Flower Collective

About the hosts:
Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a long-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

Caitlyn Barker has worked in education and organic agriculture on and off for the last 17 years. She has worked on an organic vegetable farm, served on the Maine Farm to School network, worked in early childhood education and taught elementary school. She currently serves as the community engagement coordinator for MOFGA.

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Common Ground Radio 1/12/23: Maple Syrup Production

Producers/Hosts: Caitlyn Barker
Editor: Clare Boland

Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond.

This month:
The January 2023 episode of Common Ground Radio is all about maple syrup production. Host Caitlyn Barker interviewed Jason Lilley, Assistant Extension Professor, Maine Sustainable Agriculture and Maple Industry Educator. The two discussed the basics of getting a maple operation up and running, including tree identification, supplies needed, boiling and canning. Challenges facing the maple industry, including climate change and pests were also discussed.

Guest/s:
Jason Lilley, Assistant Extension Professor, Maine Sustainable Agriculture and Maple Industry Educator

FMI Links:
Forest Trees of Maine
Cooperative Extension Maple Syrup Production
Proctor Maple Research Center
Backyard Maple Production webinar: www.youtube.com/watch?v=89-tnQ7AlA8
Maine Maple Sunday

About the hosts:
Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a long-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

Caitlyn Barker has worked in education and organic agriculture on and off for the last 17 years. She has worked on an organic vegetable farm, served on the Maine Farm to School network, worked in early childhood education and taught elementary school. She currently serves as the community engagement coordinator for MOFGA.

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Common Ground Radio 12/8/22: Maine Organic Dairy Farms Are In Trouble – How You Can Help

Producer/Host: Holli Cederholm
Editing: Clare Boland

Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond.

This month:
On the December 2022 episode of Common Ground Radio, host Holli Cederholm discusses the organic dairy crisis in the Northeast and how it is impacting farms in Maine with the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association’s Organic Dairy and Livestock Specialist Jacki Martinez Perkins, who grew up on an organic dairy farm, and Annie Watson, who co-owns Sheepscot Valley Farm, an organic dairy in Whitefield, Maine. Watson also currently serves on the boards of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) and the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership, and she is board president of the Maine Dairy Industry Association. Additionally, she is CEO and a founding partner of the Maine Organic Milk Company, a start-up working to bring organic dairy processing to the state. Tune in to hear why organic dairy farms are an important part of Maine’s landscape, why they’re in trouble and the ways that listeners can help support these farms to the benefit of Maine’s communities, local economies and the environment.

Key Discussion Points:
-Organic dairy industry
-Origin of Livestock USDA organic rule
-Cost of organic production
-Organic dairy pay price
-Where to buy local, organic milk
-Farm Bill 2023
-Pasture health
-Grass-fed dairy
-Grain price inflation

Guest/s:
Jacki Martinez Perkins, who grew up on a small, award-winning, organic dairy in central Maine. She has worked in various aspects of the dairy industry including as an artificial insemination technician and a herd manager before becoming the organic dairy and livestock specialist for the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). Her work includes supporting organic dairy and livestock operations through management and organic certification considerations as well as helping to develop policies regarding organic production.

Annie Watson, who is a co-owner of Sheepscot Valley Farm, an organic dairy farm in Whitefield, where she lives with her husband, Mike Moody, and their three young sons. She currently serves on the boards of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association and the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership, and she is board president of the Maine Dairy Industry Association. Additionally, she is CEO and a founding partner of the Maine Organic Milk Company, a start-up working to bring organic dairy processing to the state.

FMI Links:
Find Local, Organic Farmers and Producers
Articles on Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards Proposed Rule, and Origin of Livestock final rule in MOFGA’s The Organic Sprout newsletter — indd.adobe.com/view/04e87eab-9318-4e85-95fc-1dd7ddd5d605
Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership
Maine Dairy Industry Association
Ways to Support Organic Dairy
About the hosts:

Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a long-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

Caitlyn Barker has worked in education and organic agriculture on and off for the last 17 years. She has worked on an organic vegetable farm, served on the Maine Farm to School network, worked in early childhood education and taught elementary school. She currently serves as the community engagement coordinator for MOFGA.

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Common Ground Radio 11/10/22: Creating School Gardens

Producers/Hosts: Holli Cederholm, Caitlyn Barker
Editing: Clare Boland

Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond.

This month: A panel discussion with three speakers on the topic of school garden creation, implementation and impact.

Guest/s:
David Wessels, garden coordinator at Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast, Maine
Ryan Parker, Maine’s FoodCorps Impact and Partnerships Lead
Brittany Layman, Director of Health, Wellness and Safety for RSU 22 and the Vice Chair of the Maine School Garden Network

FMI Links:
Maine School Garden network
Maine Ag in the Classroom
Maine Farm to School

About the hosts:

Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a long-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

Caitlyn Barker has worked in education and organic agriculture on and off for the last 17 years. She has worked on an organic vegetable farm, served on the Maine Farm to School network, worked in early childhood education and taught elementary school. She currently serves as the community engagement coordinator for MOFGA.

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2022 Common Ground Fair Keynote Speaker (Sunday 9/26/22): Muhidin Libah

Producer: Pepin Mittelhauser

Muhidin Libah
Executive Director of Somali Bantu Community Association

“Liberation Farms: Food Justice in Action”

Muhidin Libah is the executive director of Somali Bantu Community and has been working for Somali Bantu communities since graduating from high school in 2002. Libah graduated from the University of Southern Maine in the spring of 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in natural applied science with a biology concentration and a minor in holistic health. Before he came to the United States in 2005, he taught elementary school for four years, teaching English, math, science and agriculture to grades three, five, six, seven and eight. Since he came to the United States he has been working with nonprofit organizations in his own community.

Somali Bantu Community Association of Lewiston, Maine, is the third nongovernmental organization that he has co-founded, and Libah has consulted with seven other nonprofit organizations across New England and New York. His focus has always been food production, security and sustainability, and he wrote his thesis on that topic. Currently, he is the executive director of the organization, overseeing 11 programs in the community including the farming program, Liberation Farms, which has seen incredible success in the last two years.

The mission of Liberation Farms, the Community Farming Program, is to provide new American farmers access to, and culturally-appropriate resources for, the means of sustainable food production for themselves, their families and their communities.

In his keynote, he will speak to Liberation Farms as food justice in action. The farm is a demonstration of the success that is possible when marginalized communities have the opportunity to organize and lead themselves. It provides new American families struggling with food insecurity with the tools and resources to grow healthy, culturally appropriate foods for themselves and their community. This investment in growing nourishes body and soul as farmers ground into familiar traditions and meaningfully utilize their agricultural roots as they build new homes here in Maine.

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