A new world is waiting to be born.
What is your role in it?
The insistent premonition of major change to global and local ecosystems and cultures drives us to action— the programming of Greenhorns is intended to welcome more humans into organic agriculture and adjacent fields. Our aim is to help more people transition their lives and livelihoods to participate more directly in local economies that produce food and resilience.
UP NEXT: SCUBA, MUSHROOMS, STEEPLES, COMMONS
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We are based here on this farm in Downeast Maine because we want to participate in our own survival, on a daily basis, living in community, fishing in the river, growing fruit and vegetables for ourselves and the local community, pursuing activism, publishing, arts and education towards these ends.
As we enter the final countdown towards frost, these are your last chances to register and attend the final workshop sessions of the season at Smithereen farm.
Don't wait to the last minute to sign up, if we don’t meet our minimum class size for registration, we will postpone the program to next year. Register now! And if you can’t make it, don’t stress, we have a great set of programming already taking shape for next season.
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Or, please feel free to join for apple + cranberry U-Pick and harvest, casual volunteering, on-farm camping, a library visit, as a prospective artist in residency, helping with kelp and buoys deployment -- many hands make light work.
This is a time of year with a lot of color and the final agricultural push! If you’ve been meaning to come, come!
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Meet the Fungi Trifecta with Sue Van Hook
September 17 + 18
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Join mycologist Sue Van Hook for three episodes over the weekend. Come for one, two or all three to experience the magic happening at Smithereen Farm!
Saturday, September 17- Wild Mushroom Identification Workshop
Saturday September 17th at 10 am for a morning in the woods to meet the fungi. Learn a basic framework to identify them and then practice your skills. We'll talk about edible, medicinal and species for new materials. After lunch we'll spend the afternoon sorting and keying specimens we've gathered or that you bring with you from home.
Saturday evening, September 17 - Mushrooms Whispering
We'll gather around a campfire to go on several shamanic journeys with the drum to meet the fungi below ground and hear what they have to say about repairing, remediating and revitalizing our landscapes/seascapes. Sharing these experiences with one another ushers in new ways of knowing within the collective.
Sunday, September 18th - Backyard Mushroom Cultivation
The next day, Sunday September 18th we'll spend the day inoculating various substrates with Shiitake, Oyster, Maitake and Wine Cap species to start cultivating fungi in your backyard.
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We are still hiring for a media coordinator position, to help us bring the next episodes to life of www.Earthlife.tv. Did you see the Berries episode??
To apply, please send your resume, cover letter, and a few samples of your work to office@greenhorns.org.
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POSTPONED TO SPRING 2023: Intro to Biodynamics
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This workshop has unfortunately been postponed due to low registration.
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Cold Water SCUBA Certification Course with OceansWide
September 26-October 1
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Looking to get your cold water SCUBA certification? Reach out to office@greenhorns.org today for more information on this one-week certification course on Cobscook Bay. Classes will be held daily with one rain date built into the schedule.
Registration link coming soon!
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‘Habitat Everywhere’ -- Meadows with Paula Kovecese
October 1, 10am-2pm
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Meadows - What are meadows? Our local meadows are filled with wonder which include beneficial plants and active ecosystems. Instead of conventional grass lawns, how about a meadow? We should be preserving our meadows and creating more! Learn about their role in attracting pollinators and wildlife. We will talk about which plants interact together in native meadows and how you can duplicate one, care for one, and how to design your own new meadow! It is important to match the plants with the site, so what type of plants should we use? Are nativars acceptable? What about non natives and their role in a meadow? This will be an informal get together, so come have fun learning about the importance of meadows in our beautiful landscapes in Down East Maine!
Paula Kovecse, Organic Land Care Professional, Horticulturist, Permaculturist, Landscape Designer, Owner of The Way It Grows LLC. Eastport Maine 207-904-7604
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Downeast Steeple Tour with:
Maine Preservation, Preservation Timberframing,
and Haystack Joinery
October 1 + 2
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Join preservation experts and master timberframers for an exploration of ongoing restoration projects downeast and a timberframing demonstration! We will be visiting the East Machias First Congregational Church, discussing preservation of historic buildings, learning how to timerframe, and more!
Email office@greenhorns.org for more information, registration link and itinerary coming soon!
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Seaweed Commons at Seagriculture 2022
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Severine will be giving a talk at the Seagriculture 2022 conference this week in Portland, Maine! The conference is sold out, but you can view the talk description below and catch the recording when it is released. If you haven't already read it, you can access the Seaweed Commons' position paper on kelp here.
What is a right-sized seaweed economy and how do we get there?
Severine will present some international case studies to provoke questions that inform decision-points we face here domestically.
The regulatory and market-structures that will define the “Blue Economy” in our state will impact us all. As the seaweed sector grows, how will we ensure the co-authorship of smaller scale operators, entrepreneurs, youth, indigenous and traditional wild harvesters in participating actively in shaping the rules, and running businesses in this space? How can we take action now, to arrive at a locally owned, conservation-minded, suitably scaled seaweed sector? How do we achieve economic and ecological resilience in these critical coastal habitats, avoiding the boom and bust cycles of other fisheries and of fin-fish aquaculture?
How can we learn from past experiences and shape the sector together. In particular;
1. Avoiding privatization of leased public trust waters.
2. Biodiversity and biomass inventories' role in informing harvest permits.
3. Precautionary regulation to avoid unintended consequences of GMO seaweeds and genetic contamination of/disease pressures on native macroalgae.
4. Caution with allowing speculation for ‘carbon sequestration’ using algae.
5. Prioritizing native/ resident access to public trust waters.
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100% Organic Cotton T-Shirts in all Sizes!
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Winter Housing Availability
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Looking for a getaway for the winter? Calling all artists, chefs, writers, farmers, and hardy humans for a snowy Downeast residency! Email office@greenhorns.org to inquire about housing opportunities this winter.
We also still have a few weeks of availability at Elver this month, an affordable, rustic rental house on the scenic Pennamaquan River. You can book your stay on Airbnb!
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We look forward to seeing you soon!
With warmth and a dash of seaweed sprinkle,
Severine
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