Master Gardener Volunteers mentioned in VillageSoup article on Union farm

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension and its Master Gardener Volunteers (MGV) program were mentioned in a VillageSoup article about Andrea and Allan Smith’s Brae Maple Farm in Union. The farm, which grows vegetables, fruits and herbs, has been opened to the MGV program since 1998, according to the article. Every Tuesday, the owners and a group of about 20 volunteers meet at the farm and tend gardens of organic produce. Having earned their certification through a 60-hour program run by UMaine Extension, the volunteers use their time at the farm to explore organic growing methods and local food security, the article states. “I felt like this is how food should be grown, and it was nice to be a part of a group that had standards and guidelines. I could always approach them with any questions and they were very helpful,” said Andrea Smith, adding that her experience with UMaine Extension has been similarly beneficial. “The Brae Maple group is the largest volunteer group we have at a particular farm in any of the three counties; we have 22 volunteers here. What makes this spot so special are Andrea and Allan, and [Brae Maple] has been a great thing for the Cooperative Extension,” said Liz Stanley, who coordinates the MGV training for Knox, Lincoln and Waldo counties.