Host: Holli Cederholm Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond. This month: On this episode of Common Ground Radio, we’re celebrating Black History Month and revisiting a conversation from 2023 discussing “Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists,” a book of essays and interviews by Leah Penniman that explores Black people’s spiritual and scientific connection to the land, waters, and climate. Guest/s: – Leah Penniman, farmer and author of Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists and Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land. – Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro and author of Nature Swagger: Stories and Visions of Black Joy in the Outdoors. FMI- • “Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists” by Leah Penniman — blackearthwisdom.org • “Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land” by Leah Penniman — www.farmingwhileblack.org • “Nature Swagger: Stories and Visions of Black Joy in the Outdoors” by Rue Mapp — www.chroniclebooks.com/products/nature-swagger • Outdoor Afro — outdoorafro.org • Soul Fire Farm — www.soulfirefarm.org About the hosts: Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a lo0ng-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

The post Common Ground Radio 2/12/26: Honoring Black History Month first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Holli Cederholm Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond. This month: This episode of Common Ground Radio goes behind the scenes of Gardener to Gardener, a new conference for gardeners to learn from one another. Hosted by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, the inaugural event will take place on February 8 in Portland, Maine. It is an exciting opportunity for gardeners of all experience levels to connect with other growers, as well as university faculty, agricultural scientists, and service providers around a range of gardening topics. We also dive a bit deeper into two topics that will be covered at the conference, Planning & Mapping Your Garden, and Soil Health 101. List of subjects: – MOFGA’s Gardener to Gardener Conference – Gardening – Resources for organic gardening – Planning and mapping your garden – Soil health 101 Guest/s: Madi Whaley, MOFGA’s educational programs coordinator. Rebecca Long, coordinator of Horticulture Training Programs for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Ivonne Vazquez, the owner/grower at Bas Rouge Farm & Forge, a native plant nursery. FMI- – Gardener to Gardener — mofga.org/event-calendar/gardener-to-gardener-2026 – Climate Change & the Garden: Resources — mofga.org/trainings/gardening/climate-change-gardening-resources – Beginning Gardener Resources — mofga.org/trainings/gardening/beginning-gardener-resources – Bas Rouge Farm & Forge Gardening Classes — basrougefarm.com/gardening-classes – Understanding Astronomy — physics.weber.edu/schroeder/ua/sunandseasons.html – Maine Home Garden News — extension.umaine.edu/gardening/maine-home-garden-news – Cooperative Extension Garden & Yard — extension.umaine.edu/gardening About the hosts: Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a lo0ng-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

The post Common Ground Radio 12/11/25: Gardener to Gardener first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Holli Cederholm Editor: Clare Boland Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond. This month: This episode of Common Ground Radio is all about garlic! Garlic grows from cloves, which are planted in the fall. Mature heads of garlic are then harvested the following summer. From seed selection to fertility to mulching practices, Brittany Hopkins of Wise Acres Farm shares how she cultivates a healthy, certified organic garlic crop in Kenduskeag, Maine. List of subjects: – Gardening – Growing garlic – When to plant garlic – Mulching – Garlic disease – Garlic harvest and curing Guest/s: Brittany Hopkins of Wise Acres Farm. FMI- – Garlic disease — mofga.org/resources/garlic/garlic – Garlic disease — fedcoseeds.com/resources/pests-and-diseases/nematodes-and-white-rot – When to plant garlic in Maine — mofga.org/resources/garlic/when-to-plant-garlic – Growing garlic in Maine — extension.umaine.edu/publications/2063e – Maine Seed Garlic Directory — extension.umaine.edu/agriculture/garlic/maine-seed-garlic-directory – UMaine Garlic bulletins — extension.umaine.edu/agriculture/garlic – Plant disease diagnostic testing — extension.umaine.edu/ipm/plant-disease/plant-disease-diagnostic-testing About the hosts: Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a lo0ng-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

The post Common Ground Radio 9/11/25: Growing Great Garlic in Maine first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Holli Cederholm Editor: Clare Boland Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond. This month: On this episode of Common Ground Radio, we’re talking about the EarthLoom. Originated by weaver Susan Barrett Merrill, the EarthLoom is a way for many hands to weave together to build community. One EarthLoom is located in Unity, Maine, at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center, which is the home of the annual Common Ground Country Fair. Here a large granite loom is sited in a garden of dye plants used for naturally coloring fiber. Thanks to Susan’s efforts, EarthLooms can be found elsewhere around the world. We talk about the inspiration for the project, and how others can get involved in weaving community. List of subjects: – Weaving – EarthLoom – Spinning – Fiber Arts – Wednesday Spinners – Common Ground Country Fair Guest/s: Susan Barrett Merrill, originator of the EarthLoom FMI- – Weaving a Life — weavingalife.com/weaving-a-life – EarthLoom — weavingalife.com/earthloom – EarthLoom Class — weavingalife.com/earthloom-class – Book: “The Art of Weaving a Life” — weavingalife.com/product-pages/book – Common Ground Country Fair — mofga.org/the-fair About the hosts: Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a lo0ng-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

The post Common Ground Radio 8/14/25: Weaving Community with the EarthLoom first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Timothy Boston Editor: Clare Boland Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond. This month: According to lifelong gardener Barbara Damrosch, growing food is an undeniably radical act. In her latest book, “A Life in the Garden: Tales and Tips for Growing Food in Every Season,” Damrosch, now in her 80s, invites others to join her in tending the earth and celebrating the harvest — and she shares practical and personal advice for novice and experienced gardeners alike. This month’s episode of Common Ground Radio is a special conversation with Damrosch about her new book and her life in the garden. We talked in her Brooksville, Maine, home, which she shares with Eliot Coleman. After they married in 1991, the two began collaborating in the field, as Four Season Farm, as well as on the page — similar to another iconic gardener-author duo, Helen and Scott Nearing of “Living the Good Life” fame. Damrosch counts the Nearings as a major influence on her relationship to the land, and Four Season Farm is sited on acreage previously owned by the Nearings, purchased by Coleman in 1968. List of subjects: – Homesteading – Gardening – Self-Sufficiency – History of Maine – Back to the Land Movement Guest/s: Barbara Damrosch, author of “A Life in the Garden: Tales and Tips for Growing Food in Every Season.” FMI- “A Life in the Garden: Tales and Tips for Growing Food in Every Season” by Barbara Damrosch — eliotbarbara.com/read-our-books/a-life-in-the-garden “Barbara Damrosch’s Life in the Garden” — barnraisingmedia.com/barbara-damrosch-a-life-in-the-garden About the hosts: Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a lo0ng-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

The post Common Ground Radio 7/10/25: Barbara Damrosch’s Life in the Garden first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Timothy Boston Editor: Clare Boland Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond. This month: In this episode of Common Ground Radio, host Timothy Boston explores the enduring and evolving practice of homesteading in Maine — a lifestyle grounded in self-reliance, land stewardship, and intentional living. Joining the conversation are Kourtney Collum and Davis Taylor, faculty at the College of the Atlantic, who have co-taught a course on homesteading and share insights from their research and visits to local homesteads. List of subjects: – Homesteading – Gardening – Self-Sufficiency – History of Maine – Back to the Land Movement Guest/s: Kourtney Collum, professor at the College of the Atlantic Davis Taylor, professor at the College of the Atlantic FMI- MOFGA Farm & Homestead Day — www.mofga.org/trainings/annual-events/farmandhomesteadday/ About the hosts: Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a lo0ng-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

The post Common Ground Radio 6/12/25: Homesteading in Maine first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Holli Cederholm Editor: Clare Boland Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond. This month: Maine has been experiencing a shift in the growing season, including a trend towards a longer season. Variability in weather — from unpredictable precipitation to an uptick in extreme weather events — makes it hard for gardeners to know what to plan for. On the April episode of Common Ground Radio, we discuss cultivating resilience in the face of increased weather variability with Rebecca Long, the coordinator of Horticulture Training Programs for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. List of subjects: – Gardening – Soil organic matter – Irrigation – Variety selection – Succession planting – Hedgerows – Shade cloth – Floating row cover – Garden pests and disease Guest/s: Rebecca Long, coordinator of Horticulture Training Programs for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension FMI- What’s happening with Maine’s weather: – Maine Climate Office — mco.umaine.edu/climate/me_monthly – Maine Climate and Ag Network — umaine.edu/climate-ag Gardening resources from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension: – UMaine Cooperative Extension pollinator-friendly gardening — extension.umaine.edu/gardening/pollinator-garden-certification – In-depth training programs: Master Gardener Volunteer, Maine Horticulture Apprentice, and Maine Gardener Trainings — extension.umaine.edu/gardening/learn – Webinars On Demand — extension.umaine.edu/gardening/learn/on-demand-webinars – Maine Home Garden News newsletter — extension.umaine.edu/gardening/maine-home-garden-news – Reach out to your local extension office with questions — extension.umaine.edu/county-offices Gardening resources from MOFGA: – Organic gardening resources — mofga.org/trainings/gardening – Organic gardening workshops — mofga.org/trainings/event-calendar – Gardener Newsletter — mofga.org/newletter-sign-up-gardener – Pest Report Newsletter — mofga.org/newletter-sign-up-pest-report – “Succession Planting for Continued Yields and Season Extension” by Will Bonsall — mofga.org/resources/gardening/succession-planting-for-continued-yields-and-season-extension – “Making Your Garden Less Hospitable to Disease” by Caleb Goossen, Ph.D. — mofga.org/resources/gardening/making-your-garden-less-hospitable-to-disease – “Drip, Drip, Drip” by Eric Sideman, Ph.D. — mofga.org/resources/water-management/drip-drip-drip – “Garden Tip: Watering During Drought” — mofga.org/resources/gardening/garden-tip-watering-during-drought – “Water in the Garden: Too Much or Too Little” by Will Bonsall — mofga.org/resources/water-management/water-in-the-garden About the hosts: Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a lo0ng-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

The post Common Ground Radio 4/10/25: Resilient Gardening first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Holli Cederholm Editor: Clare Boland Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond. This month: Apples are a common feature in Maine’s landscape: from lone trees growing on field edges to cultivated orchards. The fruit was introduced to the region in the late 16th century and became a major part of Maine’s farm economy by the early 20th century. Over time, these early apple varieties — each with their own unique culinary use and flavor profile — have been largely replaced by a handful of commercial varieties bred for packability and shipping across the globe. As a result, Maine’s heritage apples were largely relegated to obscurity — with many facing extinction. In this month’s episode of Common Ground Radio, we talk with historian and fruit explorer Todd Little-Siebold about the Maine Heritage Orchard’s efforts to preserve rare apples for future generations. The Maine Heritage Orchard is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025. List of subjects: – Apple history – Rare apples – Apple exploration – Apple DNA and ancestry – Maine Heritage Orchard Guest/s: Todd Little-Siebold, professor of history at the College of the Atlantic FMI: – Maine Heritage Orchard — mofga.org/our-community/the-maine-heritage-orchard – Seed Swap & Scion Exchange — mofga.org/trainings/annual-events/seed-swap-and-scion-exchange – “Forgotten Fruit, forgotten farmers: North America’s earliest apple history” presented by Todd Little-Siebold at the Heritage Orchard Conference — uidaho.edu/cals/sandpoint-organic-agriculture-center/conference – Great Maine Apple Day — mofga.org/trainings/annual-events/great-maine-apple-day – Organic orcharding — mofga.org/trainings/orcharding About the hosts: Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a lo0ng-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

The post Common Ground Radio 3/13/25: Preserving Maine’s Heirloom Apples first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Holli Cederholm Editor: Clare Boland Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond. This month: Many gardeners and farmers purchase their seeds each year from seed companies. Yet, it hasn’t always been that way. Seed saving is a practice as old as agriculture itself. In this episode of Common Ground Radio, we talk with Dan Brisebois, author of “The Seed Farmer” and host of “The Seed Farmer Podcast,” about growing your own seed. We dive into seed saving basics, as well as seed selection and stewardship. List of subjects: – Getting started with seed saving – Open-pollinated vs. hybrid seeds – Annual vs. biennial seed crops – Self-pollinated vs. cross-pollinated crops – Wet-seeded and dry-seeded crops – Seed crops for beginners – Seed selection – Seed stewardship Guest/s: Dan Brisebois, author of “The Seed Farmer” FMI: – “The Seed Farmer” — danbrisebois.com/seedfarmerbook – “The Seed Farmer Podcast” — danbrisebois.com/the-seed-growers-podcast – Tourne-Sol Seeds — fermetournesol.qc.ca/en/pages/semences-tourne-sol – MOFGA’s annual Seed Swap & Scion Exchange — mofga.org/trainings/annual-events/seed-swap-and-scion-exchange About the hosts: Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a lo0ng-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

The post Common Ground Radio 2/13/25: Becoming a Seed Steward first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Host: Holli Cederholm Editor: Clare Boland Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond. This month: In this episode of Common Ground Radio, we talk with Maddie Eberly, the low-impact forestry specialist with the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) about the complexity of Maine’s forests and approaching forest stewardship to reduce environmental impacts, while promoting social and ecological benefits. We also discuss the impact of climate change and the role that forests can play in both mitigation and adaptation. List of subjects: – Low-impact forestry and forest stewardship – Maine’s woods – Climate change – Carbon sequestration – Assisted migration/range shifting Guest/s: Maddie Eberly, MOFGA’s low-impact forestry specialist, [email protected] FMI: – Low-impact forestry guiding principles — mofga.org/learn/low-impact-forestry – District Foresters — maine.gov/dacf/mfs/policy_management/district_foresters.html – “Climate Mitigation and Adaptation in Your Forest” — mofga.org/resources/forestry/climate-mitigation-in-your-forest – Assisted migration/adaptive tree planting — mofga.org/resources/forestry/adaptive-tree-planting-for-climate-change – MOFGA’s Low-Impact Forestry Newsletter — mofga.org/newletter-sign-up-low-impact-forestry About the hosts: Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a lo0ng-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

The post Common Ground Radio 12/12/24: Climate Change and Maine’s Forests first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.