Donation Supports Extension Volunteer Project at Morris Farm Trust
Contact: Liz Stanley, 1-800-244-2104 x 123 (in Maine), lstanley@umext.maine.edu
WISCASSET, Me. — University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener project at the Morris Farm Trust in Wiscasset has received a generous anonymous donation of $5,000. The trust is a working organic farm that serves as an educational resource for surrounding communities. The Master Gardener project at Morris Farm, which has been active for four years, creates demonstration gardens for adult and youth education and provides produce for local food pantries.
Located on Route 27, Morris Farm comprises 60 acres, 50 of which are certified organic, supporting a commercial vegetable garden, an apple orchard, pastured poultry, pigs and laying hens. The other ten acres are wooded with an interpretive trail system.
One of the likely uses for the donation money is a farm-wide soil improvement project.
“It’s all clay, and we can’t even begin planting until early July every year,” explains Judy Hughes, a Master Gardener volunteer at the farm. The Master Gardeners will meet in January to discuss possible solutions, such as using compost or installing a drainage system.
Founded in 1994 to preserve one of the area’s last farms, Morris Farm’s mission is to preserve local traditions and history and cultivate a healthy relationship between community members and the land on which they labor. The farm’s website describes how all of its programs “rely on participation from trained community volunteers and utilize the farm’s land and animals to foster respect for the earth and to instill a sense of shared responsibility for the wise stewardship of natural resources.”
UMaine Extension’s Master Gardener program trains participants in the art and science of horticulture. In return, Master Gardeners volunteer their time and expertise to community activities. Hughes recalls that Master Gardener influence on Morris Farm began with only three members, “but the Master Gardener project has grown enough to feed the children that come to the farm, as well as contribute to the national Plant a Row for the Hungry program through its contributions to St. Philip’s food pantry in Wiscasset.”
The farm and its volunteers provide regular services to the community, including Maine Learning Results-based field trips for public- and home-schooled children, with hands-on activities for children of all ages and abilities. Other activities include an organic farm apprentice program, sales of plants and organic produce, and community dinners such as the annual potluck Thanksgiving Dinner.
Volunteer opportunities include chores in the gardens, orchards, and around the house, as well as office tasks such as working on the newsletter, sending mailings, and planning events, particularly the Contra Dance in April, the Peerless Perennial Plant Sale in June, and regular student field trips. To get involved with Morris Farm’s volunteer program, call 207-882-4080 or e-mail morrisfarm@morrisfarm.org.
This year’s Thanksgiving Dinner is open to the public and will be held a week before Thanksgiving; attendees should bring a dish of their choice as well as their own plates and silverware. Please contact the farm regarding potluck contributions.