Maine Permaculture and Agroforestry Convergence

A milkweed plant, a sunchoke and an evening primrose supported each other through one of the driest summers on record in Maine. While farmer’s fields, gardens and crops withered with higher than usual temperatures and little rain, three plants stood out in a permaculture garden.

How did these plants not only survive with no water for the entire summer, but also thrived? During this session we will learn, discuss and take away some of the interesting ways in which native plants form symbiotic communities and help surrounding vegetation in this era of climate change and adaptation.

Ivonne Vasquez is a Registered Maine Guide, hobby naturalist, writer, photographer and Blacksmith. She and her husband own and operate Bas Rouge Farm, which features a native plant nursery, Permaculture Design services, and blacksmith forge.

A walking tour of the more prominent woody plant species on the MOFGA grounds. We will have a look at a few of the successes and several failures trying to grow various food and feed crops.

Jack Kertesz is MOFGA’s Landscape and Grounds Coordinator and is a founding member of the Maine Tree Crop Alliance.

For the past 30 years, Celebration Tree Farm & Wellness Center and the previous farm owners have practiced ecological methods of organic Christmas tree farming through coppicing of balsam fir trees and encouraging diversity of plant and tree species. While these methods used to be practiced more commonly in forestry, with the advent of mechanization, monocultures and chemical herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers these practices have become rare. This workshop is for forestry and agriculture service providers who work with Christmas tree farmers, other farmers, woodlot owners and foresters to learn more about these ecological, organic, and climate-smart practices. This workshop is funded by NE SARE (Sustainable Ag Research and Education) and is part of a broader research project that will result in a guide to organic, ecological Christmas tree farming.

Jonah Fertig-Burd is a farmer and worker-owner of Celebration Tree Farm & Wellness Center, a multi-stakeholder cooperative in Durham, Maine with an organic tree farm, agritourism, and wellness classes and retreats.

This presentation will depict 35 years of permaculture practices on Tom’s Freedom Maine homestead, followed by a question and answer forum.

Tom Levesque is a chesnut breeder and enthusiast, former Coordinator at Fedco Seeds, and longtime homesteader.

Ever wondered how to effectively and efficiently install all those neato permaculture garden methods you’ve heard about and maybe already tried? Well wonder no more, as the Dirtgoat guides you through, step by step, systematic approaches to building human scale hugelkultur beds, swales, hugel-swale hybrids, mandala gardens, terraces and more to capture water, build soil, neaten up your property, grow food, and consciously integrate your human-ness with your natural surroundings!

Teddy Mattson owns and operates Dirtgoat Permaculture and hosts a podcast of the same name. He has a homestead in Belfast.

This workshop will present an overview of a new USDA-funded project, “ADAPT”, focused on developing climate-smart strategies for expanding agricultural production while enhancing ecosystem services and economic opportunities in New England. ADAPT has three interconnected objectives: (1) Co-develop, implement, and evaluate agroforestry systems adapted to the region; (2) Promote training, technical support, and increased adoption among diverse populations; and (3) Enhance knowledge and skills through experiential education. Research and demonstration sites for three agroforestry systems (silvopasture, multistrata polyculture, forest farming) will be established on 3 university- and 12 cooperator farms will evaluate environmental, economic, and social outcomes. Together with ~50 case study sites, long-term implications for climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience and ecosystem service tradeoffs will be assessed. Research results will be linked to extension through the New England Agroforestry Training Program (NEAT), housed at the University of New Hampshire. Opportunities for student engagement in agroforestry experiential learning will be created through 4-H and food-forest programs, and internships, courses, and seminars for university students. ADAPT’s outcomes will contribute to promoting Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry through (i) mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, (ii) fostering market opportunities, and (ii) enhancing climate adaptation and resilience.

Dr. Heidi Asbjornsen is a Professor and Program Coordinator for Forestry at the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. Dr. Asbjornsen’s research interests include forest ecosystem ecology, restoration ecology, ecosystem management, and focusing on the role of anthropogenic and natural disturbance (especially fire) in both temperate and tropical ecosystems. They also include working to develop and apply participatory approaches to integrating ecological research with community-based initiatives for promoting sustainable natural resource management and enhancing quality of life.

Spend some time with Owen to learn the identification and various uses of common plants in our region.

Owen Doll is a residential instructor at the Maine Primitive Skills School. His passion for leatherworking, basket making, friction fire and plant studies compelled him to become both a student and instructor of each craft. His journey of sharing these skills began at fourteen years old.

For the first part of this workshop, Shana will review her research and experience of tree fodder use from “air meadows,” pollards and her home herd, to trials on other farms, laboratory explorations, and equipment prototypes and adaptations. Next she will facilitate a discussion of applicability to participants’ permaculture and agroforestry settings. Finally, Shana will lead an outdoor pollard tour (black and pin cherry, rock and red maple, quaking aspen, gray birch, and more). Lots of time for Q & A as we walk and work.

Shana Hanson operates 3 Streams Farm in Belfast, where the goats give milk from fresh greenery, the “air meadow” of the tree tops, the forest floor and browse layer, and the pasture, through her ongoing study of ancient pollarding practices.

Perennial vegetables offer an array of benefits and flavors not found in annual veggies. This class covers the pros & cons of growing perennials, and introduces many species well suited to our local climate.

Aaron Parker owns and operates Edgewood Nursery, a nursery specializing in unusual edible and medicinal plants, as well as local ecotypes.

The Wolunkeyutomuk Kihtahkomikumon Guidebook meaning, “to take care of the land” is a culturally responsive approach to adaptation includes planning mechanisms of social-ecological and socio-cultural relevance using indigenous perspectives that will empower cultural resilience and guide future generations.  The Wabanaki Inter-Tribal Climate Change Adaptation Guidebook (WICCAK) has been developed by the collective effort of tribal environmental professionals, elders, academics, and language carriers from the broader communities spanning the boundaries of the international border systems imposed by Canada and the United States.

The Wabanaki guidebook provides a useful framework that can integrate indigenous knowledge, culture, language and history of Northeaster Tribes and First Nations into its climate adaptation planning process.  The workbook will enable placing Wabanaki traditional values into stewardship for tribal environmental professionals that is inclusive of the traditional knowledge carriers with a cultural paradigm of environmental relationship, respect, and reciprocity for ‘tolnapemkuwakk’ All Our Relations (human and non-human) for the next 7 generations. I will provoke greater understanding for non-tribal environmental professions and organizations interested in indigenous approaches to climate change adaptation and fosters the paradigm as co-creator and co-participant, thereby creating a space for a balanced approach to stewardship with the greater ecology to ensure true sustainability.

Natalie Michelle is a member of Penobscot Nation and is of Penobscot and Passamaquoddy ancestry. She is a research assistant and interdisciplinary PhD candidate at the University of Maine. Michelle is at the forefront of recent efforts to bring tribes in Maine together against the obstacles posed by climate change.

Building a hugel-swale is a construction project that requires some serious attention to detail to do well. Teddy Mattson has designed and built many of these over the years and has refined his method through observation and experience. Come learn from his mistakes. This is a hands-on workshop in the North Orchard on the MOFGA grounds.

Teddy Mattson owns and operates Dirtgoat Permaculture and hosts a podcast of the same name. He has a homestead in Belfast.

For the first part of this workshop, Shana will review her research and experience of tree fodder use from “air meadows,” pollards and her home herd, to trials on other farms, laboratory explorations, and equipment prototypes and adaptations. Next she will facilitate a discussion of applicability to participants’ permaculture and agroforestry settings. Finally, Shana will lead an outdoor pollard tour (black and pin cherry, rock and red maple, quaking aspen, gray birch, and more). Lots of time for Q & A as we walk and work.

Shana Hanson operates 3 Streams Farm in Belfast, where the goats give milk from fresh greenery, the “air meadow” of the tree tops, the forest floor and browse layer, and the pasture, through her ongoing study of ancient pollarding practices.

What is the state of the permaculture community here in Maine? Where is it headed? What are our allies and opportunities? Join us for a facilitated community discussion. We may break out into smaller groups depending on how many are in the room.