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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2022 Common Ground Fair Keynote Speaker (Saturday 9/25/22): Frances Moore Lappé

Producer: Pepin Mittelhauser

Frances Moore Lappé
Author, Activist and Co-Founder of Small Planet Institute and Food First

“Connecting our Food Choices to Humanity’s Biggest Challenges”

Frances Moore Lappé is the author or coauthor of 20 books, many focusing on themes of “living democracy” — suggesting a government accountable to citizens and a way of living aligned with the deep human need for connection, meaning and power.

Her first book, “Diet for a Small Planet” published in 1971, has now sold three million copies. Lappé’s latest work is the 50th anniversary edition of “Diet for a Small Planet,” released in 2021. In this book Lappé integrates her life’s work of connecting food to freedom, including timely material from her 2017 book co-authored with Adam Eichen, “Daring Democracy: Igniting Power, Meaning, and Connection for the America We Want.” Lappé is co-founder of Oakland-based Food First and the Cambridge-based Small Planet Institute, which she leads with her daughter, Anna Lappé. The recipient of 20 honorary degrees, she has been a visiting scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and University of California, Berkeley, and in 1987 received the Right Livelihood Award, often called the “Alternative Nobel.”

She says, “In my keynote address to the Common Ground Country Fair I will talk about how the food choices we make each day connect us to humanity’s biggest challenges, from needless hunger to diet-related disease to the climate crisis and the undermining of democracy. Making these connections, we can fight despair and discover our power. I’ll share my journey of discovery — from my first ‘ah-ha’ that scarcity is not the cause of hunger to stories of self-empowered communities that have overcome hunger as they align with the Earth via regenerative practices. I will bring these lessons home, exploring solutions via what I call ‘living democracy.’”

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2022 Common Ground Fair Keynote Speaker (Friday 9/24/22): Maulian Dana

Producer: Pepin Mittelhauser

Maulian Dana
Tribal Ambassador for the Penobscot Nation

“Tribal Sovereignty in Wabanaki Homeland: History, Policy, Connectedness, and the Next Generations”

Maulian Dana serves as the first appointed Tribal Ambassador for the Penobscot Nation. She represents the tribe in local, state and federal government as an advocate and diplomat. Her background is in political science, activism, Penobscot culture, teaching and policy. She serves as the president of the board of directors for the Wabanaki Alliance, the co-chair of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations, and is a member of the Maine Climate Council where she also co-chairs a subcommittee on equity. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Maine and she received an honorary law doctorate from Colby College. She is the proud mother of three daughters Carmella, age 15, Layla, age 13, and Iris who was born this year on May 31. Addressing and bringing action to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, two-spirits and relatives is also one of her passions. Her policy achievements include helping to pass laws in Maine that eliminated racist Indian mascots, changed Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day, and extended Violence Against Women Act federal provisions to tribes in Maine.

Dana’s home, the Penobscot Nation, is one of five tribes that make up the Wabanaki Confederacy. The others are the Abenaki, Passamaquoddy, Mikmaq and Maliseet. There are five tribal communities in the land now called Maine and their ancestors have been stewards of this homeland for over 10,000 years. Their creation stories and cultural knowledge tell us that this land has sustained us since time immemorial. With this rich and deep relationship the Wabanaki have here with these lands there also is an undercurrent of injustice and trauma from the colonization era to the present day.

Dana will address some of the reasons tribal sovereignty in Maine has such a complicated history and future. She will discuss the recent legislative session that found tribal issues making progress in some areas and facing barriers in others. This topic also brings to light how self-determination for the tribes is connected to every facet of life for Wabanaki governance, health, stewardship of Mother Earth, traditional wellbeing and spiritual resilience. She looks forward to exchanging in dialogue and is honored to join the Common Ground Country Fair speakers.

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Common Ground Radio 9/8/22: Rebroadcast 2021 Common Ground Fair keynotes

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.

The September episode of Common Ground Radio is a rebroadcast of the 10/14/21 Common Ground episode. Featured are two of the keynote speakers from the 2021 Common Ground Country Fair. Karen Washington, of Rise & Root Farm and Black Urban Growers and Stacy Brenner, state senator and organic farmer at Broadturn Farm.

Some of the topics discussed:
Changing the food system
Valuing our communities
Land stewardship

Guest/s:

Karen Washington, co-owner and farmer at Rise & Root Farm
and cofounder of Black Urban Growers

Stacy Brenner, organic farmer at Broadturn Farm and Maine state senator

FMI Links:

2022 Common Ground Country Fair
Keynote speakers at the 2022 Common Ground Country Fair

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 8/11/22: Apples!

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.

The August 2022 episode of Common Ground Radio is all about apples! Host Holli Cederholm is joined by Laura Sieger, orchard manager with the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), and Lydia Pendergast, an orchard intern with MOFGA and self-described “fruit explorer.” They talked about the Maine Heritage Orchard, the importance of cultivar preservation, and how fruit exploration and genetic testing both play important roles in identifying apples at risk of extinction and protecting these fruits in perpetuity.

-Historic apples
-Fruit explorers
-The Maine Heritage Orchard in Unity, Maine
-Apple identification
-DNA testing of apples
-Apple propagation
-Organic orcharding
-Apples and climate change
-Summer apples

Guest/s:

Laura Sieger, orchard manager, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) in Unity, Maine (mofga.org/maineheritageorchard)
Lydia Pendergast, orchard intern with MOFGA and fruit explorer

FMI Links:

Maine Heritage Orchard
Stewardship Apples, Fedco: fedcoseeds.com/trees/stewardship-apple-248
“What’s in a name? The importance of identity in heirloom apple tree preservation,” published in Plants People Plant and co-authored by Sieger, Pendergast, et al.
North American Fruit Explorers
Washington State University’s Apple Genome Project
MyFruitTree, appleID: myfruittree.org
Out On A Limb Apples (John Bunker)

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 7/14/22: Farmers and Stress

Producers/Hosts: Caitlyn Barker, 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.

The July episode of Common Ground Radio explores the issue of farmers and stress. Host Caitlyn Barker speaks with Abby Sadauckas, a farmer in southern Maine and member of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Farm Coaching Team and MOFGA Farmer Programs Director Ryan Dennett. Topics include land access, financial stability, mental health and many others. A variety of relevant resources are also provided.

-Farmers and stress
-Resources available to farmers
-Mental health and farming

Guests:
Abby Sadauckas, co-owner of Apple Creek Farm and member of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Farm Coaching Team.
Ryan Dennett, Farmer Programs Director, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association

FMI:
MOFGA Farmer Resources Labor Movement: labor-movement.com
Labor Movement
Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network
Maine Farmer Resource Network
211 Maine
Farm Aid Farmer Resource Network
Maine Farmland Trust
Land For Good

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 6/9/22: PFAS Contamination of Farmland in Maine

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

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

This episode of Common Ground Radio digs into PFAS contamination of farmland in Maine. Host Holli Cederholm talked with Sarah Alexander, executive director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA); Ryan Dennett, MOFGA’s farmer programs director; and Caleb Goossen, crop specialist with MOFGA. The discussion covered the impact of PFAS contamination on Maine’s farmers as well as PFAS legislation enacted in Maine and how it can serve as a roadmap for other states also dealing with contamination from so-called “forever” and “everywhere” chemicals.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
2. PFAS contamination of farmland
3. PFAS contamination pathways
4. PFAS legislation in Maine
5. Farms impacted by PFAS
6. PFAS mitigation
7. PFAS testing for farms

Guests:

Sarah Alexander, executive director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA);
Ryan Dennett, MOFGA’s farmer programs director; and
Caleb Goossen, crop specialist with MOFGA.

FMI Links:

MOFGA’s PFAS resource page
PFAS Q&A with Caleb Goossen: mofga.org/resources/toxics/pfas-contamination-in-maine

PFAS policy recap
“Webinar: Lessons from Maine: Food, Farms and Forever Chemicals” from Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy: iatp.org/watch-lessons-maine-food-farms-and-forever-chemicals

EGAD Septage and Sludge Sites Map

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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download