As you may remember, Trevor had an epic tomato harvest this year. He’s already dreaming of ways to double his harvest next year- so seed saving is on his mind. He followed his grandfather’s instructions (scoop out tomato seeds, let dry on a paper towel, mark with pen) but was interested in learning how other farms saved their seeds- especially when the quantities were much bigger. MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association) offers FREE farm training project workshops throughout Maine, and we were lucky enough to join their seed saving workshop last night. 

Trevor took copious notes on everything from tomato to hot pepper to rice growing, and we got to tour Seven Tree Farm’s gorgeous 18 acres. Most of it is left wild though, and they do a LOT with just a few acres dedicated to crops. We were really impressed.

One of the strangest moments for Trevor was learning how much rice is able to be sold for here in Maine. He spent a semester in Vietnam harvesting an enormous crop of rice with a Vietnamese family. At the end of his 4 months of grueling work there, they sold the entire harvest for about 60 American dollars. In Maine, rice is able to be sold for about $40 per ounce. We still experience culture shock, even months/years after our last visit there! 

The workshop group was a mix of farm apprentices, local farmers who were interested in saving seeds…and us. They were some of the warmest people we’ve met yet here in Maine. There were also a few furry friends who followed us around the farm.

At the end of the evening, there was a beautiful potluck. Trevor and I used the last of our summer tomatoes to make a caprese salad to share. It was some of the best food we’ve had in weeks- straight from the garden salads, fresh abundant salsas, and perfectly simple desserts. Our favorite was a slice of yellow watermelon- we’d never tried one before!   

Our sincerest thanks to Seven Tree Farm and MOFGA for hosting us for such an educational and heartening event. We’ll be back for more workshops- and we’ve got our MOFGA membership card ready for the Common Ground Fair coming up in less than two weeks!