Runamuk Acres Conservation Farm
Soil-first farming, building health from the ground up!
Until recently, native and feral bee populations met all of a farmers’ pollination needs. Farms were smaller, and closer to natural areas where native bee populations could easily recolonize a farm should an insecticide application kill resident bees. But with the advent of the industrial farm, habitat for pollinators has been drastically reduced─today, many of…
“Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before you.” –Denis Waitley. Farmers are a ruggedly determined lot. The farmers whom I know personally, are full of vim and vigor, and while obstacles may sometimes get them down on occasion, typically these challenges do not hold them back…
These days nothing is more enticing than the concept of living a life sustained by the land and nature. Folks from all walks are turning away from the mainstream and it’s commercialized lifestyle. For some it is a mission to provide a healthy atmosphere for raising their family; for others a desire to live more…
This is part 2 in our Establishing a New Farm blog-series. Click here to see part 1: Where to Start & How to Prioritize. When I first started keeping bees I didn’t have many of the tools that I have now. Hell–I didn’t even have a veil! Looking back on it now–I really have no…
This is part 3 in our “Establishing a New Farm” series, you can view part 1 here, and part 2 by clicking here. Have you ever met a wealthy farmer? Ever seen a farmer driving a flashy new sports car? or any brand new vehicle for that matter? Not likely. People do not become farmers…
I managed to set up 2 mini hoop-houses and planted a number of lettuce seedlings, yet April was a cold and windy start to the gardening season that left me longing for more. So far May has made up for it in spades! I’ve been out in the garden practically every day for the last…
With acreage to reclaim as farm-land and the goals for Runamuk’s future in mind, I’ve signed up for the June Goat School with Ken and Janice Spaulding at Stony Knolls Farm in St.Albans this June. The Spauldings have been raising goats for 25 years and were even featured in this article in the Bangor Daily…
Last week I met with Jim Cornforth of Madison Electric to determine where exactly the lines for the electricity would run. It would be great to be able to start up our farm off the grid, but with a very limited budget we’re forced to stick with electricity for the time being. The electric company…
Keith and I are taking the boys off to the local sugarhouse today in honor of the 30th annual Maine Maple Sunday. We’re excited to see one of Maine’s most traditional agricultural industries at work, to support local farmers, and to introduce the kids to the heritage they were born to.
Farming in Maine has a unique connection to the state’s history. Many of Maine’s first settlers were farmers whose fields, farmhouses and barns shaped Maine’s historic landscape. Today Maine is still considered a “family farm” state, with approximately 94% of it’s 8100 farms ranging between 1 to 500 acres in size. The state’s agricultural producers…