#UMaineCooperativeExtension - Bulletin #2077, #Potato Facts: Growing Potatoes in the #HomeGarden

"Potatoes and #Maine have a long tradition together. Potatoes have always been a popular crop in home gardens, especially since they can be stored for use during the long Maine winter.

Potatoes can be grown in all parts of Maine in home gardens, but they need more attention and care than most vegetables. If you do a good job controlling insects and diseases, you’ll improve potato yields, and also protect Maine’s commercial potato industry."

Learn more:
https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/2077e/

#SolarPunkSunday #GrowYourOwn
#GYO #GrowYourOwnFood #MaineGardens #Gardening

Alrighty then. I found some nearby #CommunityGardens, and also some good materials from #UMaineCooperativeExtension , including guidelines!

I'm also going to suggest that the town money be used for these expenses...

- Electric Fence? (If needed)
- Soil Testing?
- Materials to build compost bins?
- Water tank?
- Water source for refilling tank (compensation)?
- Markers to mark out plots?

Guidelines for Community Gardens:
https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/4300e/

#SolarPunkSunday #BuildingCommunity #GrowYourOwn #FoodSecurity

#Online - Produce #SharingTables: An Approach to #GardenGrown #FoodAccess

April 7 @ 6:00 pm - 7:15 pm
Free – $15

"This event is hosted by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

This webinar will explore #WaldoCounty Bounty’s Give and Take program, a stigma-free model for sharing surplus #GardenProduce through community drop-off sites. Participants will learn how the program operates, how new sites are selected, and how to start a #GiveAndTake site in their own community. Developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to address farm losses and food insecurity in rural Waldo County, #Maine, where nearly 6,000 residents face #FoodInsecurity, the program connects local #gardeners, #farmers, and #neighbors to expand access to healthy, local food.

Speakers: Viña Lindley, UMaine Extension Horticulture Professional and Mattie John Bamman, Waldo County Bounty Communications Coordinator"

FMI and to register:
https://www.mofga.org/event-calendar/produce-sharing-tables-an-approach-to-garden-grown-food-access/

#SolarPunkSunday #SharingFood #MainersHelpingMainers #UMaineCooperativeExtension #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors #BuildingComunity #GrowYourOwnFood #FeedingNeighbors #GYO #FarmToTable #LocalFarms #LocalFood #OnlineWorkshops

#Online - #CommunityGardens and #FoodSecurity in Maine

April 14 @ 6:00 pm - 7:15 pm
Cost: $0 - $15

"This webinar is hosted by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Across Maine, community gardens are increasing food security by bringing people together to grow food for their communities. This panel will explore how collective garden spaces allow neighbors to work side by side to grow fresh, local food that is donated to food security organizations. Panelists will share real examples from across Maine and offer practical insights into how community gardens get started, build partnerships, and grow into lasting resources that strengthen local communities.

Speakers: Rachel Stamieszkin, Master Gardener Volunteer in Cumberland County, Johnny Sanchez, Collective Gardens Program Coordinator and Volunteer Coordinator at #FoodAndMedicine (FAM), and Julia St. Clair, Agricultural Programs Manager at #BrunswickTopshamLandTrust."

To register:
https://www.mofga.org/event-calendar/community-gardens-and-food-security-in-maine/

#SolarPunkSunday #GrowYourOwnFood #GYO #UMaineCooperativeExtension #MOFGA #CollectiveGardening #BuildingCommunity #SelfReliance #FeedingCommunity

#RockportME - 2nd Annual SEED FEST

April 11 @ 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM

"The #RockportPublicLibrary will host its second annual SEED FEST on Saturday, April 11. This free, family-friendly event will take place on the upper and lower levels of the library. From 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., visitors can browse educational exhibits and activities covering #SeedStarting, #pollinators, #SoilHealth, #Composting, #NativePlants, #HeirloomVegetables, growing #rice and #grains in #Maine, #Wabanaki #FoodSovereignty, and much more!

"At 12:30 p.m., Petra Page-Mann of #FruitionSeeds will deliver an interactive keynote presentation. Page-Mann and her nonprofit seed company are strong advocates of 'gift culture,' which involves giving away seeds to promote food cultivation and community building. This ethos aligns perfectly with the theme of SEED FEST.

"The event is generously sponsored by the Rockport Library Foundation and is organized in partnership with several organizations, listed alphabetically: Herbal Hummingbird Hub, Knox Lincoln County Beekeepers, Knox-Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District, Maine Grains and Maine Grain Alliance, Maine Heirloom Seed Network, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association [#MOFGA], #MaineRiceProject at Ararat Farms, #MerryspringNatureCenter, #Niweskok: From the Stars to Seeds, Roots n Shoots, #UMaineCooperativeExtension, and #WildSeedProject.

"The exhibiting partners will provide valuable information, hands-on activities, items for sale, and an abundance of free seeds and seedlings. Additionally, #midcoast artist Katharine Cartwright’s beautiful #BotanicalPaintings will be showcased in the library’s lower level for a month-long exhibition titled 'In My Garden.' "

FMI:
https://www.rockportlibrary.net/event/2nd-annual-seed-fest/

#SolarPunkSunday #BuildingCommunity #GrowYourOwnFood #GYO #IndigenousFoodSovereignty #FoodSovereignty #LibrariesRule #SeedFest #WabanakiFoodSovereignty #SoilIsLife

#UMaineCooperativeExtension - Bulletin #4311, Planning and Managing a Community “Giving” Garden in Maine

By John Jemison, Extension Professor, Soil and Water Quality, University of Maine Cooperative Extension

"Fifteen years ago, I taught an Environmental Sustainability course for University of Maine Cooperative Extension. It was a seven-evening session involving approximately 20 hours of education/training. I asked participants to return 20 hours of service to the community. I also suggested (having never really gardened in a group or community setting) that we might consider taking some unused town land and starting a garden where we could supply food to the Birch Street Senior Citizen Center in #OronoME. A low-cost lunch is offered at the center four days a week, which helps ensure that Orono seniors do not go hungry. I thought some fresh food would be nice. The original plan fell through, but we altered the plan to grow diverse fresh vegetables and bring a bag of vegetables with a recipe to people living in low-income senior housing near the garden. We have delivered many tons of food over the past 15 years and made great connections with seniors in the area. All of us have learned a great deal about the challenges and rewards of growing food and working together. This publication is an effort to capture what we have learned and give others a guide to do this type of a program in another area. The information provided here should be reasonably applicable across all New England.

Guide Organization

This guide is intended to help anyone who has an interest in community gardening to do that task with skill and capacity. Gardening isn’t difficult, but gardening well is not easy. This guide can be useful for anyone who gardens, but I have designed it intentionally to help people start community gardens and community giving gardens. This guide provides information on gardening methods; pest management; what, when, and how to plant specific vegetables with a focus on #NewEngland growing conditions; delivery program basics; and putting the garden to bed for the winter. I have also included some links to recipes that can be given to the food recipients so that they know what to do with the foods we provide."

Learn more:
https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/4311e/

#SolarPunkSunday #CommunityGardens #FoodSecurity #Gardening #GivingGardens #BuildingCommunity #FreshFood

#Maine - #CommunityGarden Map

via #UMaineCooperativeExtension

"Community gardens are 'collaborative projects on shared open spaces where participants share in the maintenance and products of the garden, including healthful and affordable fresh fruits and vegetables'. Community gardens are important resources for towns and neighborhoods as they have the reciprocal effect of benefiting the community, environment, and individuals who participate.

Numerous health and wellbeing outcomes have been reported as a result of participating in a community garden:

- Promote a sense of belonging: The social aspects of community gardens can attract residents who may not normally engage in gardening activities, but see it as an opportunity to be seen or remain active in their community.
- Expand social networks: Many families with children have found community gardens to serve as a social network, and in some cases, a safe space for kids to play while adults tend to their plots.
- Improve physical health: Community gardeners often experience improved physical health through the natural ways in which gardening serves as exercise and increases their daily consumption of vegetables.
- Enhance mental health: Engaging in gardening activities provides residents with the opportunity to relax, decompress and enjoy their time outdoors.

The purpose of developing this community garden map is to help connect Mainers with community gardens in their area and how they can become involved. There are three major categories of community gardens on the map we’ve developed, and they include:

- Individual: Gardens to grow your own food on your own plot
- Collective: Gardens where a group grows food for community need
- Both: Gardens that have both individual plots and collective growing for community need"

Read more:
https://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/community-garden-map/

#SolarPunkSunday #GrowYourOwnFood #GrowYourOwn #BuildingCommunity #CommunityGardens #MaineGardens #FoodSecurity

#UMaineCooperativeExtension - Harvest for Hunger

#Recipes

"What comes in all shapes, colors and sizes, and can help prevent cancer, heart disease, and obesity? The answer is not some magic diet pill, but fruits and vegetables!

We’ve compiled a collection of our own recipes to help you make nutritious meals and snacks from fresh produce that you can either grow yourself or buy locally. Each recipe includes step-by-step, easy-to-follow instructions and nutrition information."

Includes recipes and tips for:
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Green beans
- Spinach
- Greens
- Lettuce
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Winter Squashes

Learn more:
https://extension.umaine.edu/harvest-for-hunger/resources/recipes/

#SolarPunkSunday #MaineFood #LocalHarvest #FreshProduce #EatYourVeggies #EatSeasonally #EatLocally #FoodSecurity #Maine

Ooooh! I just found out about these!

2025 #PastureWalk Series

"Dr. Jaime Garzon, University of Maine Cooperative Extension forage specialist, will lead five pasture walks in five counties in Maine each year. Come to meet and learn about the production system and forage management of forage producers, identify forage species in the field, learn about climate-smart practices, regenerative grazing, and more.

We welcome local farmers to come out and offer your advice and experience, as well as to hear in real time what it’s like to work with local ag services. Whether a beginner or experienced farmer, or simply interested in the topic, we welcome you!"

https://extension.umaine.edu/livestock/pasture-walk-series/

#SolarPunkSunday #PastureWalks #GrowYourOwn #LandManagement #RegenerativeAgriculture #UMaineCooperativeExtension #UMaineCooperative #Farming #MaineEvents

#LisbonFallsME - #UMaineExtension offers #pickling and #salsa workshops at #LittleRidgeFarm

July 2, 2025

"University of Maine Cooperative Extension is offering two food preservation workshops at Little Ridge Farm, 103 Gould Rd. in Lisbon Falls. Pickling and canning #DillyBeans (pickled green beans) will be held Tuesday, July 29, 2025, from 5:30 – 8 p.m. and preserving #TomatoSalsa will take place Tuesday, August 26, 2025, from 2 – 5:30 p.m.

"Participants will learn recommended methods for preserving foods, the latest and safest recipes, what equipment to use to ensure safety, and how to check for properly sealed jars. A local snack is included with the course. Attendees are encouraged to bring a potholder.

"Registration is required for the courses. The fee is $25 per workshop. Register on the program webpage. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Kate McCarty, 207.781.6099; [email protected]."

https://extension.umaine.edu/2025/07/02/pickling-and-salsa-workshops-at-little-ridge-farm/

#SolarPunkSunday #FoodPreservation #HowTo #HandsOn #FoodSafety #PreservingTheHarvest #FoodSecurity #UMaine #UMaineCooperativeExtension #Maine #Pickling #Salsa #Canning