Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association

THE MAINE ORGANIC FARMERS AND GARDENERS ASSOCIATION IS A BROAD-BASED COMMUNITY THAT EDUCATES ABOUT AND ADVOCATES FOR ORGANIC AGRICULTURE, ILLUMINATING ITS INTERDEPENDENCE WITH A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTION, AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES.

AGRICULTURAL FAIR - TO PROMOTE TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES THROUGH EDUCATIONAL TALKS, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, AND DEMONSTRATIONS AS WELL AS A MULTITUDE OF FOOD, CRAFT AND SERVICE VENDORS. SERVES APPROXIMATELY 60,000 CLIENTS OVER THREE DAYS. DUE TO THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, THE 2021 FAIR WAS NOT HELD IN PERSON.

FARMER PROGRAMS - TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SPECIFIC TO ORGANIC FARMING AND GARDENING. PROVIDE MARKETING ASSISTANCE TO GROWERS AND PROCESSORS. ASSIST EXPERIENCED GROWERS AND PROCESSORS, HELP NEW ORGANIC FARMERS START, EDUCATE CONVENTIONAL FARMERS CONCERNING THE BENEFITS OF ORGANIC METHODS. SERVES APPROXIMATELY 4,500 CLIENTS.

CERTIFICATION PROGRAM - ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S OLDEST CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS. ACCREDITED BY THE USDA IN 2002, MOFGA CERTIFICATION SERVICES, LLC (MCS LLC) CERTIFIES CROPS, WILDCROPS, LIVESTOCK, LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS, AS WELL AS PROCESSED AND HANDLED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS TO THE USDA NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS. IN 2021, MCS LLC CERTIFIED 518 ORGANIC OPERATIONS. CERTIFIED CLEAN CANNABIS BY MOFGA CERTIFICATION SERVICES, LLC(MC3)(FORMALIZED IN 2017) OFFERS A VERIFIED MARKETING CLAIM OF GROWING PRACTICES THAT MIRRORS THE NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM. THIS IS MOFGA'S PROGRAM, ADMINISTERED BY MCS, AND DOES NOT FALL UNDER FEDERAL ORGANIC ACCREDITATION. AS OF 2021 YEAR-END, CERTIFIED 24 OPERATIONS.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION - TO EDUCATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON ORGANIC FARMING, GARDENING AND ORCHARDING METHODS, AS WELL AS LOW IMPACT FORESTRY. COMMUNICATIONS & OUTREACH - PERIODICALS & PUBLICATIONS ARE PRODUCED FOR MEMBERS & THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO ADDRESS THE ENVIRONMENTAL, NUTRITIONAL, AND RURAL VALUES; APPROXIMATELY 6,300 MEMBERS SERVED WITH PUBLICATION BY MOFGA. MAINE HERITAGE ORCHARD - THE MAINE HERITAGE ORCHARD IS A TEN-ACRE PRESERVATION ORCHARD ON THE MOFGA GROUNDS IN UNITY. IT IS CURRENTLY HOME TO MORE THAN 400 APPLE AND PEAR VARIETIES TRADITIONALLY GROWN IN MAINE. MORE ARE BEING PLANTED EACH YEAR. MANY OF THESE VARIETIES ARE NOW ON THE VERGE OF EXTINCTION. THE ORCHARD IS PLANTED ON A TERRACED, RECLAIMED GRAVEL PIT AND IS MANAGED USING INNOVATIVE, ORGANIC ORCHARD PRACTICES. PUBLIC POLICY - REVIEWS EXISTING AND PROPOSED LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THE PURPOSE OF MOFGA. IT MAY PROPOSE AND SUPPORT LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY PROPOSALS AS APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. EL SALVADOR SISTERING - PROMOTES SOLIDARITY AMONG SMALL FARMERS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IN MAINE AND EL SALVADOR, FOCUSING ON ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION THROUGH SUSTAINABLE, ORGANIC AGRICULTURE AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES.