"We have honed our animal-power skills over the years and hope to transition from tractor cultivation to a combination of horse and oxen power as we establish ourselves in Maine." |
The photo on the left shows Ann and Andrew with their wedding gift, an Allis Chalmers tractor, a vintage machine still in good running order, and perfect for organic farming on a small scale.
Conventional farming has only existed since the mid 1940s. After WWII, government administrators needed a way to use chemicals left over from biological warfare weapons, and a way to use the manufacturing plants built to make such chemicals. Pesticides and herbicides were developed for agricultural use.
In actuality, Andrew Mefferd's great-great grandfather was an "organic" farmer. Refined methods of modern organic farming stem from new research that includes such techniques as natural compost teas and biological controls. The Mefferds use a combination of old-fashioned farming methods recycled for the present-day environment, improved versions of old techniques, and new methods and equipment that Grandfather wouldn't recognize. |
The parasitized caterpillar in the photo on the above demonstrates a biological way to reduce pests.Practices: Cover crops and green manure crops are important to One Drop farm. To feed the soil is to feed the people. We practice minimal till techniques to give the soil biota all the support they need to support the crops. We also have a unique system of farmscaping our acreage to encourage populations of natural predators (like parasitic wasps, lady beetles, and leatherwings) which in turn reduce populations of insects bent on eating the veggies before you do. Tens and tens of different kinds of flowering plants are allowed to bloom and give their shelter, nectar and pollen to the winged workers of our farm. |
In the photo above, Andrew Mefferd is mowing down a stand of sorghum sudan grass which was used as a cover/weed-smother crop in the summer of 2005. This process added much-needed organic matter to the soil. The Mefferd's now run the John Deere tractor on biodiesel. Biodiesel is an alternative, vegetable oil-based fuel that reduces the farm's energy footprint, part of a plan to build a petroleum-free and locally-based way of living. |
Sheep mowing around the Yome. Once the main headquarters of One Drop Farm, the part yurt, part geodesic dome, funky little shack has been resurrected as apprentice housing.
Pigweed and Sasafrass come home to One Drop Farm to spend the summer turning compost and digging up brambles, (and getting their bellies scratched). We'll let them do all the work.
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Sustainable agriculture depends upon personal commitment, that of the farmer and eater. There is an interconnectedness that is palpable; the city with the country, the eater with the farmer, the food with the health, and joy with living. – Kim Miller, PASA Board President 2000-2007
Tad, the Jersey Linebacker cross,
gets ready to take a nap.
In the photo below, left, Ann and Andrew are solarizing weeds, and patching clothing with duct tape. Both the weed reduction method and the clothing repair method are in occasional, but not frequent use on the farm.
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Andrew tapping our beautiful old sugar maples.
We have syrup for a year just from 10 trees! |
In the photo below, fog blankets the lowlands on One Drop Farm.
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In the photo on the left, Fall Color flares into beauty at One Drop Farm.
Photo below is the farm at sunrise.
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 One Drop Farm is a proud member of this organization, http://www.mofga.org
Perhaps the most radical thing you can do in our time is to start turning over the soil, loosening it up for the crops to settle in, and then stay home and tend them.
- Rebecca Solnit
Since its inception in 1971, MOFGA has educated both government leaders and the general public concerning the benefits of organic methods, and the numerous health and environmental risks of chemically dependent, conventional agriculture. In addition to hosting a variety of educational events in Unity and throughout the state, staff and board members also participate in coalitions and advisory committees, advocating aggressive reductions of toxics and pesticides. Through its renowned newspaper, The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, MOFGA is the only organization to regularly report on the proceedings of the Maine Board of Pesticides Control. The quarterly newspaper also informs both consumers and growers about a variety of important legislative and regulatory issues.
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This website is unbelievably loaded with information about health and nutrition based on real and whole foods. It also contains a lot of information on studies conducted to learn more about the effects of industrial and processed foods on our society. We love the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon which is a wealth of knowledge about nutrition, ancient ways of eating and preserving food so that they retain the most nutrients possible. There are links to a ton of books regarding whole foods and a whole diet on this site as well. It’s worth a look. www.westonaprice.org
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Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are one of agriculture’s most controversial issues. The earth’s food system, seed bank, and global health is devastatingly affected by the introduction of genetically modified organisms which behave in new, unpredictable, and sometimes uncontrollable ways. You can find out more information on this site as well as information about what communities world-wide are doing to stop the perpetuation of GMOs. Say NO! www.saynotogmos.org
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Deborah Koons Garcia has put together an artful education about the dangers of genetically modified foods with her documentary "The Future of Food." Check it out! www.thefutureoffood.com
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Small Farmer's Journal Incorporated : A small family-held company doing business in agricultural periodical and book publishing, natural farming and stock raising, alternative farm research/inquiry,
horsedrawn implement research & development horsedrawn equipment sales, and related education.
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