This Earth Day on April 22, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) is partnering with Waterville Creates to host an event celebrating organic agriculture and the people who care for our soil. Ahead of the event, Mary Weitzman, MOFGA’s Director of Membership and Development, shared insight into the organization’s mission and the importance of their work.
MOFGA, she explained, advocates for all people to have “access to good food that’s grown in a way that doesn’t hurt the planet or the people that tend the land.” A part of that mission entails education and inspiration. Weitzmen said, “Anything that we can do to inspire people to grow their own food, to see how easy it is …in a way that is healthy for you as well as healthy for the planet—we try to do that.”
MOFGA’s Earth Day event in Waterville, Maine reflects that goal. Beginning at 6 p.m., Weitzman said attendees will be invited to participate in hands-on activities and demonstrations, including an apple scion grafting demonstration led by someone from MOFGA. The demonstration connects to MOFGA’s ongoing preservation effects at the Maine Heritage Orchard in Unity, Maine, where Weitzman said they are now preserving over 400 varieties of Maine heirloom apples.
The demonstration offered attendees a look at this agricultural technique, and Weitzman explained the complexity of preserving apple varieties: “What a lot of people don’t realize is that you can’t preserve apples from seeds. Apples tend to cross pollinate,…so the only way to really, truly get a variety is to take a scion, a twig, from one tree and to graft it onto another tree.”
At 7 p.m., the event shared a series of short films highlighting Maine’s organic farmers and try to educate people about what it means to be organic. These films showcase local agriculture and educate viewers about what it means to farm organically. Some films are directed specifically at people interested in becoming farmers, reflecting MOFGA’s broader efforts to support new farmers.
One such initiative is the Journeyperson program, which Weitzman said matches “new farmers with seasoned farmers, and they work together hand in hand for an entire growing season.” Weitzman said. “the tradition of passing knowledge is a very Maine-centered theme,” emphasizing the program’s connection to community.
Earth Day aligns closely with MOFGA’s broader vision. Weitzman said, “We believe in climate change, we believe that humans are responsible for a lot of the damage that we’ve done to the planet, and we believe in teaching people that you can grow great food in a way that doesn’t involve pesticides, in a way that doesn’t endanger our pollinators, in a way that just makes food healthier and soil healthier.”
Weitzman discussed how MOFGA helps farmers with effects of climate change like extreme drought and extreme rainfall: “We teach them ways that they can remediate the way they’re growing or their techniques to help kind of lessen the harm of those extreme conditions.”
She also shared that MOFGA hopes to “inspire people to grow their own food, or to be inspired by our farmers or to meet farmers.” She further said, “Getting people to understand where their food comes from is the beginning of an education, of an inspiration, of getting people to understand ‘Wow, what I do, what I eat, how I buy it, how I grow it, all affects the climate.’”
Even small decisions, like buying locally grown food, can make a difference. Weitzman said, “We try to get people to eat organic food, but if they can’t always have access to organic food, we try to educate them on how to buy local. Because just in that, think about the footprint that a tomato shipped from Mexico to Maine is making when you can buy really great tomatoes from Maine, and they’re really good, too.”
MOFGA is best known for organizing the Common Ground Country Fair, which will celebrate its 50th year this September. The fair coordinates over two thousand volunteers, including many local college students, offering a fun way to get involved.
However, MOFGA’s work extends beyond this fair. Weitzman said they produce over 300 events each year and “have all different kinds of programs and workshops you can get involved in.” Those interested can also support MOFGA by volunteering, signing petitions, and joining their email list.
MOFGA’s wide range of events reflects its commitment to making organic agriculture more accessible. By bringing farmers and community members together at events like their Earth Day one in Waterville, MOFGA continues to strengthen Maine’s connection to local food and sustainable agriculture.
~ Haley Hegarty `28
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