SEMINAR SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2012
10:30 a.m. — 3:00 p.m.
Civic Center Seminar Room
Heart of Maine Symposium
We Can Feed Maine: Why We Should and How We Go About It
There is a tremendous amount of farming expertise in Maine, the kind of knowledge that allows us to grow superior food at the same time we protect our environment for future generations. Producing great food, conserving a priceless natural resource, our farmland, and feeding our citizens the best we can grow…this is how Heart of Maine defines farming.
The people who will be speaking at the Bangor Harvest Festival all practice that philosophy every day in their work:
• 10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. John Jemison, Professor, UMO on Maine’s very real potential to feed itself;
• 2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Bob Neal, Farmer on healthy and humanely raised poultry for 1,000,000 + consumers;
• 1:45 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Meg Scott, Farmer on how large-scale organic production can put healthier vegetables on all our plates;
• 1:00 p.m. – 1:45mp.m. Bob Burr, Farmer on fresh greens for Maine customers, all year round.
• 11:15 p.m. – 12:00 p.m. John O’Donnell, Farmer on why heart healthy beef is the only sensible thing to raise in Maine.
We know that how we farm has a direct effect on the physical health of our citizens and environment just as how we eat has a direct effect on our physical health, the health of our environment and the economic and social health of our rural communities. That’s why we should eat local.
Stop in and meet some of your farmers: they’ll help us figure out how we go about it.
Speaker Bios:
John Jemison
As an Extension Professor of Soil and Water Quality, John develops and delivers educational programs designed to encourage growers and homeowners to implement practices to protect surface and ground water supplies. With projects like the Orono Community Garden, he teaches people what it takes to grow food, better understand civic agriculture and the benefits of a local food systems. His research program focuses on nutrient and weed management strategies to improve productivity, reduce risk to water quality, and boost local food production. He teaches courses on food systems and the fate of pesticides in the environment, chairs the Maine Board of Pesticides Control, and he is a cooperating professor with the Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences and a member of the graduate faculty. Ph.D., Penn State University (1991) and MS, Southern Illinois University – Carbondale (1986).
John O’Donnell – O’Donnell’s Farm
John bought an inactive dairy farm in Monmouth in 1999. With no prior knowledge of farming, he read books by Joel Salatin, Greg Judy, Alan Nation, and subscribed to the Stockman Grass Farmer. Starting with a few black angus cow pairs in 2000, he began rotational grazing and installed high tensile electric fencing and pasture water lines. He has grown his beef herd to around 35 animals, and provides grass fed freezer beef to customers in Maine. John is a member of the Maine Grass Farmers’ Network and the Maine Beef Producers Association.
Bob Burr – Blue Ribbon Farm
Bob Burr is a Maine native who has deep roots in forestry and agriculture. After a career in the wood products industry, he joined his wife Mary as a full time farmer on Blue Ribbon Farm. Together they raise livestock feed, vegetables, and make fresh pasta on their 300 acre farm in Mercer. They have two hoop houses and sell their produce at the Skowhegan Farmers’ Market, local retail outlets and from their farm store.
Meg Scott – Nature’s Circle Farm
With a BA in Psychology and 8 years as a licensed social worker, Meg Scott came into the organic farming scene in 2004, doing payroll and some sales for Nature’s Circle Farm in Aroostook County. Nature’s Circle, started by Meg’s father Dick York in 1995, and now co-owned by Meg and Dick, currently farms about 300 tillable acres, growing a variety of root crops including potatoes, carrots, beets, rutabaga, turnip as well as onions, winter squash and grain, all USDA and MOFGA certified organic. Meg does all the sales, marketing and advertising for the farm, as well as management and bookkeeping. She also home schools her three children, Sabra (9), Justus (6), and Joseph (4).
Bob Neal – The Turkey Farm
Bob Neal and his wife Marilyn have been raising turkeys in New Sharon for 27 years. During much of that time the Turkey Farm has been the largest turkey operation in the State. Bob says his degrees in political science and 20 years in journalism were the ideal preparation for raising turkeys. “I realized either I had to work for turkeys or turkeys had to work for me.” At its peak, The Turkey Farm raised and sold over 4000 birds annually. Today, Bob and Marilyn are doing about half that number, selling at their store on the farm and at farmers’ markets. Bob is active in the Franklin County Agricultural Task Force and served four years as director of the Maine Farm Bureau.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12. 2012
1:00 p.m. — 2:00 p.m.
Civic Center Seminar Room
Alpaca 101 – Exploring Everything Alpaca
Maine Alpaca Association — Northern Solstice Alpaca Farm, Robin Fowler
Robin Fowler has been a teacher, mentor, life coach and facilitator for most of her adult life. During a 21 year career with a large company leading organizational change, career management and leadership training, Robin has worked with thousands of individuals across New England. By combining her love of Alpacas with her mentoring and leadership skills, she has successfully developed the Alpaca Center of New England located in Unity Maine. This Maine organization is offering training and education for visitors, future and current alpaca farmers and local schools and colleges. In her words, “I have finally found the perfect place and time to do what I love most- sharing life’s journey with others who find wonder and appreciation in the many joys that our planet has to offer- including alpacas!”
This seminar provides an overview of the history of the Alpaca, the luxury fiber this wonderfully gentle animal provides at annual harvest, the qualities that make it so amazing to work with and wear, as well what is involved with raising alpacas for fun or for profit. An inclusive list of topics also covered include barn requirements, fencing, feeding, supplies, fiber quality versus breeding stock and more.
2:30 p.m. — 3:00 p.m.
Civic Center Seminar Room
Foodies on Foot
Bangor Daily News — Aislinn Sarnacki & Linda Trenholm
Aislinn Sarnacki, BDN Outdoors Reporter. Author of the blog: Act out with Aislinn, which features the popular “One Minute Hikes” video series, and Linda Trenholm, BDN Food blog: Stop Thinking and Cook, which features the popular Foodies on Foot” series. Hiking is a popular year-round activity in the state of Maine. Whether you’re planning a week-long journey or just a short afternoon hike with the family, proper food preparation and packing is essential for a good trip. Linda and Aislinn will share tips on how to plan your trip and to have a great experience out on the Maine trail.
