So, if #GoatMilk isn't your thing, let's talk about #SoyMilk... A friend who is a #MOFGA-certified organic farmer and is #Vegan atttempted to grow soybeans in one of his fields. He said it was nearly impossible to grow them without pesticides, especially with #JapaneseBeetles here in #Maine. Sure, he used beetle traps, but a sex lure can only do so much -- beetles gotta eat! And as far as making one's own soy milk and tofu -- well, it takes almost a thousand soy beans to produce a small block of tofu (and if you do it right, you'll end up with some soy milk to drink). So, if you want to give it a go, I'd say try growing a dozen or so soybean plants, harvest the soybeans, then make your own tofu and soy milk (you'll probably just end up with one batch). And I'll tell you -- the stuff made from freshly grown, organic soybeans has a delightfully nutty taste that you don't get with most of the commercial stuff (I haven't found any that compares to the homemade stuff).

That being said, I will be posting about #GrowingSoybeans, #HarvestingSoybeans, and making #Tofu and #SoyMilk at home for a bit, before finishing up with articles about #HempCrete. Stay tuned...

#SolarPunkSunday #GrowYourOwn #GrowYourOwnFood #Gardening #GrowingSoybeans

#MOFGA - #PlantCorridors

By Heather McCargo, Photos by Jean English, Winter 2014-2015

"#NativePlant corridors attract #pollinators and #wildlife to your farm by stretching across your property to connect your piece of #NativeHabitat to nearby #meadows, #wetlands or #woodlands. This creates a much larger area for #NativePollinators to #forage, raise young and migrate. Corridors may run along a road, between fields, in a #swale or on the edge of a #forest, connecting habitats off the property and returning native plants to the parts of the farm not suitable for traditional crops.

This article describes two approaches to creating native habitat corridors: changing #mowing habits to favor native species, and planting woody and herbaceous combinations to increase native plant diversity on the farm.

Populations of all native species are in decline across the state. Our human footprint is taking its toll on wild creatures, including pollinators such as #bees and #butterflies that are so important on the farm for crop pollination. Native plant species each share an evolutionary history with indigenous insects, birds, reptiles, mammals, bacteria and fungi. When native plants are gone, many of these creatures go too, leading to a collapse of ecosystem function. Farmers benefit from the services provided by a healthy ecosystem, such as groundwater recharge; clean surface streams and ponds; pollination; a diversity of birds, spiders and amphibians to eat many insects including crop pests; and beneficial soil fungi and bacteria. Fortunately, when native plants are reintroduced into a landscape, many of these other creatures return.

As farmers and landowners, we can bring native plants, and the attendant diversity, back into the Maine landscape in a way that works with a farmer’s busy schedule. Many native plants thrive in dry, wet and shady areas that are poor sites for traditional farm crops."

Learn more:
https://www.mofga.org/resources/pollinators/plant-corridors/

#SolarPunkSunday #GardeningForPollinators #NativePlantCorridors #Gardening #Farming #Homesteading #Nature #NatureConservation #NatureRestoration #Maine

#UnityME - #MOFGA #SeedSwap & #ScionExchange 2026

March 29, 2026 @ 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

MOFGA’s Education Center
294 Crosby Brook Rd
Unity, ME 04988 United States

Let us know you're coming!

* In the event of severe weather, the Seed Swap & Scion Exchange will be postponed to the following Sunday, April 5 from 12-4 pm.

"Gardeners and orchardists are invited to bring their #seeds, #scionwood and #cuttings to share. If you don’t have any, come anyway! There is always plenty of seeds and scion to go around.

If you’ve been to the event before, you know that space can get tight at the start of the event. We encourage folks to join the event later in the day — we promise, there are still plenty of seeds and scions available over the duration of the event!

Community members and local seed #growers regularly bring an incredible variety of #vegetable, #fruit, #flower, and #herb seeds. We also regularly have over 150+ types of scionwood to share, including scionwood sourced from MOFGA’s orchards. We will also have limited quantities of #rootstock for sale. Custom #grafting is available by donation to the #MaineHeritageOrchard.

Other items for sharing are welcome such as plants, cuttings, #seedlings, hatching eggs, #kombucha and #YogurtStarters, #salves and other homemade items.

The day’s offerings also include #gardening and #orcharding workshops and demonstrations. Our full list of educational offerings for the day is coming soon!"

FMI:
https://www.mofga.org/event-calendar/seed-swap-scion-exchange-2026/

#SolarPunkSunday #SeedExchange #MaineEvents #GrowYourOwn #GrowYourOwnFood #GardeningForPollinators #GardeningWorkshops

#MOFGA - #Maine #Seed Planting Calendar

Updated December 9, 2022

"If you’re new to growing vegetables or just need a refresher, here’s a basic vegetable planting calendar to get you started. We’ve also included a few herbs that are often grown similarly to vegetables. The dates are approximate — and based on USDA Plant Hardiness zone 5 — and will vary depending on your location, the weather, and the time you have available. Keeping your own planting records, with notes on how these seeding dates worked (or didn’t work) for you, will help you develop a planting calendar that is specific to your site and growing habits."

Learn more:
https://www.mofga.org/resources/gardening/seed-planting-calendar/

#SolarPunkSunday #GrowYourOwn #Gardening #SeedStarting

So, out of curiosity, I've been calculating how many soybeans it takes to make a small block of tofu. I estimated a total of 920 soybeans for 1 dry cup (as called for in this recipe). The average seed production of a single, well-maintained soy plant is 50-100 pods (yielding 3 soybeans per pod). So that means 3 plants for a single, small block of tofu? Wow! And yeah. I have a friend who is a #MOFGA-certified grower who grew his own soybeans (and taught me how to make tofu), and he was like, "God damn! It ain't easy! Especially without pesticides!"

Tofu recipe:
https://sarahsvegankitchen.com/recipes/homemade-tofu/

Soybean plant production:
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/north-carolina-soybean-production-guide/the-soybean-plant

#VeganRecipes #Vegan #GrowYourOwn? #Soybeans #Tofu #FactoryFarming #Monocrops #SustainableFarming

#PortlandME - #MOFGA #Fundraiser at #Flatbread

Community Bake at Flatbread Company Portland

January 27 @ 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

"Join MOFGA for a community bake at Flatbread Company Portland!

Help us support farmers and gardeners across the state and while celebrating and eating good food. A portion of proceeds from all flatbreads sold from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. will be donated to MOFGA, to support our educational programming in 2026.

Stop by and chat with us as you enjoy your flatbread! When you stop by our table, you’ll be entered in a raffle to win a free ticket to our inaugural Gardener to Gardener Conference, on February 8 in Portland. Plus, MOFGA will have educational activities to take part in, and resources to take home. We hope to see you there!

Questions? Email events@mofga.org."

https://www.mofga.org/event-calendar/community-bake-at-flatbread-company-portland/

#MaineEvents #OrganicFarming #OrganicGardening #Community #FarmingEducation

#Online course - #Beekeeping for Beginners

January 24, 25 & 31 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

$45 – $105

"This is a 3 part webinar series with sessions taking place on: January 24, January 25, & January 31 from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. All sessions will be recorded & the recordings shared with registrants. We will reserve February 1 as a snow date in case of power or internet outages.

There are so many reasons to keep honeybees – to support pollinators, for the joy of observing them at work, and for the #honey, #propolis & #beeswax that beekeepers can collect.

Join Master Beekeeper Karen Thurlow for three sessions to help you get ready for your first season keeping bees. She will prepare you for the earliest decisions you’ll have to make when starting out: what equipment to get (and where), how to put together a new hive and where to situate it, and what bees to order and in what 'form' (package or nuc). Karen will also introduce you to the lives of bees themselves – what their roles and basic needs are – as well as what you need to look for when inspecting your hive(s), and what each of the four seasons as a beekeeper will require of you."

About the instructor: Karen Thurlow is a Master Beekeeper and Master Gardener. Karen started beekeeping on her farm in 1978 after a class with the Essex County Cooperative Extension Service in Massachusetts. In 1995 Karen moved to Maine and her apiary grew to over 100 production colonies. Her experience includes raising queens, nucleus colony production, package bee sales, and wholesale and retail honey sales. She teaches beekeeping management classes, disease and microscopy classes, and serves as a consultant to organizations and beekeepers throughout North America. She is dedicated to raising healthy bees and sharing her know-how with other beekeepers. Currently, Karen works as the Chief Apiary Inspector for the province of New Brunswick. She has a small apiary of her own along the beautiful Chaleur Bay in northwestern New Brunswick.

Registration info: Tickets for this event are priced on a sliding scale, to keep our classes as accessible as possible. The recommended price for MOFGA members is $60; the recommended price for non-members is $75. Please pay what feels appropriate for you and your situation.

*Scholarship funds are available to community members in order to increase program accessibility. You’re welcome to use the fund by checking “Scholarship/JP” at checkout. Participants in MOFGA’s Journeyperson program are welcome to register at no-cost."

Questions? Email events@mofga.org.

To register:
https://www.mofga.org/event-calendar/beekeeping-for-beginners-2026/

#SolarPunkSunday #MOFGA #OnlineCourse #Homesteading

#Online - #Organic #Certification of #MapleSyrup Webinar
January 13 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Free – $15

"Join #MOFGA Certification Service (MCS)’s Lead Maple Certification Specialist, Kristen Walker, to learn everything you need to know about organic certification of maple syrup. We’ll discuss the annual certification cycle, applicant deadlines, organic system plans, MCS maple guidelines, recordkeeping, materials inputs, and MCS fees. Kristen will focus on production-scale systems. Designed for maple syrup producers and offered at a sliding scale of $0-$15.

*This sliding scale registration is designed to make our workshops as accessible as possible by providing a range of pricing options, with a goal of ticket sales averaging in the middle. The recommended price for this event is $5 for MOFGA members and $10 for non-members. Please pay what feels reasonable for you."

Register at the link below.
https://www.mofga.org/event-calendar/organic-certification-of-maple-syrup-webinar/

#SolarPunkSunday #OrganicFarming #MapleSyrupProducers #Webinar

#MOFGA #UnityME - #Kvass #Fermentation Workshop & Community #Potluck

January 11 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Free

"Come discover the simple, satisfying art of making kvass! Kvass is a tangy, traditional fermented drink with roots in Eastern European foodways. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn accessible techniques for fermenting with ingredients common to Maine winters like bread, storage fruit, or root vegetables. Best of all, you’ll leave with your own jar of bubbling kvass to ferment at home!

REGISTER for free.

We’ll start by sharing a potluck meal, then gather around the table to learn, make, and connect. It’s a perfect way to deepen your food skills, meet others passionate about local food, and warm up a January afternoon with good company.

What to Bring:

A dish to share for the potluck.
A clean quart-sized jar with a tight-fitting lid (for taking your kvass home).
Your curiosity! All experience levels are warmly welcome.

Spots are limited — RSVP is required to help us plan. Registered participants will be notified directly in case of any weather-related changes."

Click link to RSVP & Secure Your:
https://www.mofga.org/event-calendar/kvass-fermentation-workshop-community-potluck/

#SolarPunkSunday #MaineEvents #FermentationWorkshop #BuildingCommunity #CommunityPotluck