Category: Uncategorized

Attracting A New Breed Of Young Farmers, Their Families To Maine.

In cities where land used to build houses, skyscrapers, roadways and parking lots trumps dirt to farm.

You don’t see food producers. Zip for farmers. But in rural areas, where there is plenty of space and less competition for creating large house lot subdivisions, shopping malls, there is migration happening.

I hear from more and more younger wannabe micro farmers that are savvy. Looking for simple, crime free living for their families. Not just chasing lofty salary career objectives. Not out to set the World on fire. Or make a big name for themselves.
Maine Farming, Life Is Hard Work, Spent In The Rolling Field, Big Barns, On The Tractor.

But simply after a healthy peaceful living. Honest rewarding back to the land work. Creating wealth from the farm dirt.

Become Jack of all trades empowered to learn to do it themselves because big bankrolls to peel off bills to hire it done is not in the cards they hold.

But in rural areas, cheaper land is not the wolf at the door to tame, charm. Transportation to market ease, food hubs are just a few of the daily challenges.

The creative urban producers rent don’t buy land or form partnerships with older farmers. Land trusts to fend off developers for now makes it unsettling. But still easier to peddle what is grown, raised being so close to the consumer. In the tail end of the production food chain, the consumers surrounding their operations to create a way to monetize the back to the land lifestyle they seek.
The Cattle Are Munching. Hay, Just Hay. (Sneeze) Thanksgiving.

Younger farmers are at a disadvantage over established ones with deeper pockets. And in our country a high percentage of farmers have graying temples, receding hairlines or no hair at all.

Averaging an age of 59 plus years and climbing. You have seen the many pick up commercials starring especially Dodge or Chrysler products.

Using a farm theme to showcase the guy or gal. In jeans, cowboy boots and sporting a farmer’s tan. Sliding behind the wheel putting in long hours for little pay. To homestead, advance the back to the land movement. Hopefully to pass what the hard working farm family creates on to the next generation of producers. Because we all know, no farmer, no food young grasshopper. Organic farming in Maine is growing in popularity too.

In my job as a real estate broker of 35 years, more buyers are asking do you have a food co op, a farmer’s market?

Not just asking the tell me about your hospital, schools and the quality of your local library now. Good food grown close to home, locally sourced and healthy, safe, in consistent abundance. It is so important. In small rural communties, where you know the producer on a personal level in a small Maine town.
Growing Up In Maine, The Fun Home Made, Outdoors. Back To The Land Never Stopped. There Is No A Resurgence. With Younger Maine Farmers.

Cheap dirt, quality of life, simple living but hard work round the clock. Hard to squeeze in vacations.

Especially if you have animals needing to see your smiling puss a number of times each day.

For winter flakes of hay, watering, the coffee can of grain. For conversation in the dead of winter to break up the boredom of barn yard life. Waiting for spring, fresh clover to eat and roll in, the warmer temperatures.

Unlike crops, orchards, tree plantation types of small farming require. Farming in Maine, growing, raising crops or critters. Where you are head honcho.CEO with a farmer’s tan, no cufflinks. But doing whatever it takes on the small Maine farm to perform the many tasks. Logging the long hours of labor. With no guaranteed hourly wage for the effort. At the end of a farm day starting in the dark, ending the same way.

But like anything worthwhile in life, hunger improves the taste. What hits you the hardest is what rewards you the most. Like being challenged by your toughest teacher that reminds you this is not your best work. Let’s try again. More effort this second time around though. Because we both know you can do better. And she was right.

As a small Maine farmer struggling to scratch the dirt. Eek out a living. To feed your family. Get them raised tall, strong, happy and best. With values, the right beliefs and morals. It os always pile on the hard work with farming. But your choice, was self inflicted. To buy and develop for farming as much Maine land as you can afford.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

February 28, 2015
Putting On The Small Maine Town Event.

In small Maine towns, there is always lots to do.

If you are involved in the events that happen in the village. Fund raisers for someone burned out, burdened with sickness let the members of the community feel needed. And those on the receiving end of the help know they are loved collectively and individually.

The connection is strong in the smaller populated areas of Maine where you can have entire townships, plantations that number under 100 for the total small town head count.

So using the few folks you have to assemble an event takes logistics, being able to delegate to avoid burn out. So it is not Johnny One Time. They never pitch in again.
Maine Is A Big State, Small Towns, Folks Close And All Interconnected.

Even though as you get down to the wire, just doing it yourself. Can seem easiest because time is short. And so much to do before this event arrives. The next one, another right after that has to be tackled. Chop chop. All year round for the rest of your life.

The focus of the event in a small Maine town like the living there is always keep it simple.

Within budget of time and resources. To assure it was fun to attend, for the workers too. And knowing you want the largest audience served means put yourself in the audience. It is many small extra touches that put an event over the top easily, successfully. But not if open ideas are not allowed to happen on the committee planning, executing the small Maine town activity.

Too many cooks in the kitchen can be strong personalities that see it one way, mine. So don’t open your pie hole.

Pipe down. Just do what you are told. A here, read the latest memo. “The beatings will continue until the morale improves” pirate logic shared. Only their way or walk the plank and the distracting from the all important event or task at hand tug of war ensues. Like the shoot out at high noon out front the saloon on Main Street, the only road in and out.

Instead of guns blazing, the smell of burnt powder, caving in can happen. To keep the peace. But the fun gets sucked out of the event before it even gets started. The event suffers if all those good ideas are handcuffed, stifled. That let each of the members behind the curtain putting it into gear are not allowed ownership of the original, home grown great ideas.

If they are shelved.
New To Maine, Get Involved In Local Community Events. Pace Yourself.

In the case of a meal, in small Maine towns the hoity toity expensive, exotic, fancy foreign dishes are not what heads the top of the list for best dining fare.

To please the crowd. Instead thinking like what your grandmother served up on the holidays is what satisfies most. If in generous supply so no one leaves hungry. Or has to second mortgage their house, sell a duplicate organ to pay for it.

And like any family gathering, it is not one lone cook doing all the work wearing the apron in the pantry. It is “what can I bring” asked. Knowing your killer cinnamon rolls, green bean casserole or baked beans, garlic red potatoes with cheese are something like ambrosia, nectar, food for the Gods. If it works in your household, the public supper audience will love it too.

One by one the covered dish approach of potluck that always turns out balanced and wonderful happens.

Partly because of the ease of what each cook does to please their role in the event. In everyone, many are in this event together fashion. Never is the desire to draw attention to one that hogs all the credit, has an agenda to be in the limelight center stage.

And if fund raising is part of the annual or individual event reason to happen, the profit is in the expenses. Not to be frittered. Even if the most verbal planner spends money like a drunken sailor. Goes through their fingers like a sieve.

If the focus on simple dining and everyone pitches in to provide it together theme stays strong. Not changes to store bought and not the normal ingredients the small Maine town is used to dining on in their own homes.
Maine, Our Kids Are The Treasure, Jewels.

Reaching out to get more involved is one more building block of successful small Maine town event planning.

Many hands make light work in the small Maine town community action. And experiences to be their strongest, most memorable. Mean tap all the senses. It is not just good, hot, plentiful food prepared by the hands of many. But the other senses brought to the party besides just the taste buds.

Like dining out, music, the right kind, level and knowing the target audience of the event. What most of them would enjoy in the background if you were out there sitting at the table. Not slaving, slinging the hash, washing dishes behind the scenes. To attend to the details that keep the event humming. Purring right along like clockwork. As folks file in, dine, socialize and then free up the space for others right behind them.

Lighting, efficiency of the layout of seating, the temperature being just right, friendly servers involving the youth especially make it all like the hair of gold’s porridge. Just right.

When you ask other local Maine businesses and local community members would they like to be part of the event. And give suggestions on what we need to round it out, make sure to give heapings of recognition.

Small hand scribed cards angled just so as the delicious food is sampled. To know who had a hand in where it came from and to add to the feeling everyone pitched in. To spur others to who missed this event but that won’t happen again. Getting on board. To want to be part of something that grows from a spark ember. To become wild fire.
Waving, Communication Without Texting, Video, Anything Electronic.

Bring in some local displays of what artisans create… that can tie in with the event and give some audio visuals.

The folks in those circles would be glad to do the leg work of delivery, pick up for what is put on display to add to the event. Cross promotion happens and not a dime or finger was lifted after the request goes out. Delegating bits and pieces of the event creates the magic of the take away. Felt during clean up and review of why it went so smoothly.

Flowers that are in over supply and destined for a dumpster in a few days have plenty of life for center pieces. Again with the little sign to know who donated them, to give credit where due in the big thank you.

The local businesses want to pitch in with products for door prizes to raise money. Not by writing another check. Realizing there are so many worthwhile causes needing funding and that small Maine town businesses get hit hard. But if you can make it a pan of this or tray of that from something in the food, farming industry. It is easier for them to say yes, step up. I can help and contribute in ways other than money in the small Maine town worthwhile event.

Making it a trade out with the positive public relations pay back picking up the tab. Because you thank them using social media, piggybacking on other no or low cost means to give credit where due. So they step up for other events too because not over taxed. In finding ways that they can join forces and help out in a small Maine town.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

February 26, 2015
Making A Movie In Maine.

Maine is a pretty neat space, place for all kinds of recreation.

Pick a season, you don’t need a reason to vacation in Maine. And to set up the tripod, lay down a rail, fire up a jib crane. To use Maine as a backdrop for making a movie in Maine. Like most places, Maine is trying to attract movie producers, directors to bring those scripts and actors across state lines.
Port Clyde Maine’s Marshall Point Lighthouse. Pretty Any Seasons. No Tourists In Winter Under Cobalt Blue Skies. Sample Fresh Air, Snow And Sunshine.

Why the attractiveness of Maine to shoot a film?

Well for a movie set in a small sea coast town surroundings. Hard to duplicate that in a sky scrapper riddled urban area. Parking is no problem, neither is crime.

And the costs for production, putting up actors with lodging, working out the logistics is helped by the spirit of small Maine towns. Where everyone is used to pitching in, being helpful naturally.

Stephen King who lives with Tabitha, his wife, family in Bangor Maine knows the ropes first hand. Up close and personal. Growing up here and using the Pine Tree State as a movie setting. Or for developing film characters that were reborn, created in Maine. First in books, then transformed into a screen play. Adapted for a movie, for shooting a film here in Maine.

Here are some of the incentives for making a Maine movie up here in the upper right hand corner.

Sample a few of the films made, shot in Maine. Maine is a popular place for movies. For many looking for a Maine lighthouse, deep woods with a private cabin. Or a quiet lake setting or small Maine town to create the backdrop for a film creation. To develop the character written into the script that live there. Along with the locals that are some kind of proud. Of their small Maine town being chosen, to share it with others far away. Because some hollered “Lights, scene 105, quiet on the set, we have speed, sound, and action!”

Camden Maine was used as the setting for the 1957 Peyton Place movie.

Forrest Gump visited the Marshall Point Light in Port Clyde, Maine in 1994. If you watched Golden Pond, you’ve been to, seen Belgrade Lakes, Maine. Mel Gibson hung out for a movie production on the Maine coast too.

Maine, think of her for lots of things. Pssst, spread the word about what a classic spot Maine is for shooting a film, making a movie.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

February 24, 2015
Being The Best Asset To A Small Maine Town Possible.

In small Maine towns, everyone is a public servant of sorts.

Because everything is not hired done. Doesn’t work that way when money is tight. And without a ground swell of local support not much would get done. That makes every small Maine town the special jewel that it is. But. What hurts the efforts is attitude.

Sometimes a person’s attitude sours because somehow they get resentful.

Thinking look how hard he or she is struggling and well, just not coming away from the toil feeling appreciated. But if they looked around, there are lots of unsung heroes working just as hard. But not complaining. Lack of kindness when folks are all just trying to help can make a tongue sharper, wag louder.
The Connection With The Audience. Seeing Each Member One By One. Working Together.

Tear up the list of complaints, put away the toxic negativity that plays in endless mental loops.

Like a hangover, shared with anyone that will listen. It one by one infects the sheep that can start to mimic the dialogue and chide in which derails the tasks at hand.

Puts everything pressing on hold for bring in the juicy gossip. At someone’s expense in the character defamation. The pick up a jagged stone, lob it into the fray destructive exercise.

Also, if the same person starts wondering why this, this and that citizen over there is not pitching in, give them some history lessons. Those folks did. For years knowing there is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer. And performed an admirable job too at the same task collection year after year. And have lightened their load in old age.

Or are still pretty selfless, dedicated in the many other ways a small Maine town with so much to do, so few to do it syndrome.
Kind, Hardworking People. Small Maine Town Volunteers Are Like The Fresh Tasty Fruit.

Give each other compliments.

Understand if personal issues, family pressures, health or financial hurdles cause a volunteer to pull back. And remember how much they have done over the years. Give them credit rather than criticism. Or worse, uncalled for snipes and gripes in public settings.

Or the behind the scenes round robin personal attacks. Get hand cranked up. Like old fashioned air raid warnings sounding eerily. When bomber planes, V-2 rockets were heard approaching over head. Wasting time with emails, phone calls, behind the scenes personal visits that are libel, slanderous. Sap, suck the energy out of a small Maine town.

Efforts not germane to the problems at hand begging for attention. But some people enjoy the manufactured dirt, slinging manure. That does excites them but does nothing to help the small Maine town with plenty of neglected work to do.
Low Or No Cost Outdoor Fun. That’s The Magic Of Maine.

When problems begging for well thought out solutions are needed. The time and attention wasted dedicated to personal attacks is crazy. Because eventually you hear the whispers. From others that get tired of the venom. Searching for the antidote from the bitch and complain diet.

And mutter “is there anyone he or she actually likes, approves of in this small Maine town?”

Blaming eenie meenie miney moe who are just trying to help out. But like a cat with the nervous tail showing building irritation. Or the horse with yellow teeth bared, ears pointed back toward the tail end. Watch out, scratching, biting, kicking is about to unleash.

Your workers in a small Maine town have all kinds of needed talents.

The best player on a sport’s team is not always an asset. If he or she points out how good they are for attention. How crappy the rest of the squad is for anyone that will listen. When you add up the storm of negativity that comes with the primadonna being on the bench. The team would be better off in the long run if they were not taking up team space in and out of the game.
Weaving, Needling Your Car, Bike Through The Highway Thread. Exploring Maine.

Why they do it? The person may be spoiled, burned out, bitter or a snob, self centered. Or just plain unhappy, lonely. Needing control. Whatever the reason. The score ends up a negative number when the smoke settles at sunset. Because of the cuts, bruises, sucker punch poor treatment if you get too close to the put down judgement radiation cutting torch flame.

Where it can feel like on a battlefield was where most of the suddenly uphill day was spent.

Taking its toll in the body count casualty pile up of victims of the tiring hit and run verbal attacks. That sap the energy of goodwill and creativity. Where some volunteers wave the white flag and quit. Where everyone left on board in smaller numbers feels the tense atmosphere in the tip toeing.

Labeling, calling the day a success if at least there was no bloodshed. If folks work hard enough to limit the damage and isolate, contain the elephant in the room.

The bull trying to head for the china closet. That always sees red and nothing you can seem to do about it. To stop the snorting, put a smile not a sneer on the face of the crossed arm not so approachable. Who vacillates somewhere between annoyed and irritated about something, anything on a given day.

Stand back. Hand me a couple cartridges. Pass that tranquilizer gun will you please? Sadly, you notice, end up enjoying the cease fire. When a few meetings happen and the hurricane “take no prisoners” personality is missing from a group work session. And so much gets done because all the energies are channeled in a positive cohesive way. Don’t have to fire up the force field deflector shields wasting resources just to protect the group cohesion, it’s integrity.

Give of yourself and expect nothing in return works best.

It makes it an unconditional love situation with the small Maine town the beneficiary. No fault approach to making it better than it was because of all the individuals that populate it.
Maine. We Stick Together, Like Momma Duck, The Kids In Tow.

Pitching in, helping out and contributing to life in the small Maine town. Peace is more important than being right. Going along to get along. Most battles are not worth fighting over unless your ego won’t allow the wasted opportunity for a witch hunt. Off with someone’s head. Find a tree and toss up the rope.

Training your brain to see the good in others.

A healthy habit to adopt and show your family, that snowballs.

Can be like wildfire in a good way that sparks the small Maine town. And if you have to be critical, fight the battles within to seek the peace outside. For you and others.

To diffuse the tension, the egg shells others have to walk on. Trying to contain the hostility. That can not be bottled up and corked without an intervention of many for the good of the small Maine town.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

February 21, 2015
Like Holidays For Adults, School Vacations Not Always Fun For The Kids.

This is school vacation week in Maine, so parents are dragged by their kids.

Through plenty of snow. To make driving to basketball tournaments in Bangor, Augusta, Portland Maine a little more challenging. Chasing dreams of gold balls. Good luck to all area teams in Maine!

Swim meets, hockey playoffs and down hill ski competitions also happen the same February vacation. So many small Maine towns are pretty sparsely populated right about now. You drop everything to take your vacations around your kids being off from trolling the hallways of higher education.
Simple Child Like Curiosity, Respect For The Fragile In All Relationships.

A case of last guy or gal out shut off the lights.

Or those left home to work, or without kids. To cause the travel to larger population areas that host the tournaments. Don’t forget to hold down the fort. Until the rest of the small community members chasing the gold ball return.

But what about the kids in not so great homes?

With nothing to look forward to when the school schedule says next week is vacation. The structured routine of school, the good steady food stream and one on one attention in a clean, warm environment. Suddenly vacation means all that is interrupted.

Like someone yanked, cut or tripped over the life support cord of the survival essentials cocktail mix.

In a space capsule floundering, spinning, drifting away. From the Mother ship that gets smaller and smaller in the port side window polarized glass.

Ask anyone in alternative education in Maine about school vacations. And the Friday going in, the Monday coming out are hard days.

As the adjustment to crank everyone, ratchet it back into the routine is put into motion for resuming the three “R’s”. For kids that carry the added weight of personal, family issues in their knapsacks. And did not have a good steady flow of quality nutrition and self esteem building exercises. When the cupboards are bare. At the home, not so sweet home from school during vacation break just killing time. Or listening to the fighting, being caught in the cross fire.

Like holidays where the person who recently lost a loved one enjoyed them together. But is now solo. All the family is hurting, bleeding. Reminded painfully someone is recently gone. Never to return.

There is a hurry up and get this ho ho holiday over attitude just like Maine school vacation.

Because it is not all roses for everyone in the Maine community who regrets the MIA hangover gloom. Or space of time where home sweet home is not what it should be. Assumed to be by those where it is family fun not hitting the books.
Maine. The Crack Of A Bat. Little Leaguer Sliding In Home Plate Sounds.

How do you fix the ills, fall out of broken homes?

If a kid is bouncing off the walls but the parent refuses to have tests, agree to counseling to try to help the student cope. To learn appropriate social behaviors that match his or her age if regressed. Or about abuse, dysfunction fueling them like rocket juice.

To get the issues of the home the kid runs away from out in the open. To begin tinkering, adjusting and taking ownership of why Jane or Jimmy is very unhappy, highly disruptive and pretty hard to teach.

And on the statewide level, should public education money be weighted more to schools in affluent areas that get better test scores? Or poured in greater proportion to small rural areas where it is suppose to be no child left behind? Maybe where the need is greater or watch out.
Life Drifts, Snow Storms, Don’t Get Bogged Down, Miss The Take Away.

Neglected kids become societal bigger burdens leading to greater unemployment.
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

February 19, 2015
February Winter Winds In Maine Turns Thoughts To Greenhouses.

Turbulence like a plane where the captain reminds with a toggled overhead light and a friendly voice.

From upfront to baton down the hatches out back. To buckle up people. Maine winter winds that can produce gusts like not so friendly sky air turbulence. We are experiencing that flavor around us today in Maine.

Great kite weather though. No black flies or need for sun screen protection. As metal roofing, shingles, vinyl siding gets peeled away here and there. Rocking, creaking structures fighting back, feeling bullied.

Winds gusts causing white out driving conditions too. Drivers to grip, grab tighter on the 10 and 2. Holding tough to the steering wheel suddenly with a mind of its own. High air speeds acting nothing like a gentle summer breeze. Quickly with no warning pushing vehicles where their pilots don’t want them to go.

Making driving visibility poor to blinding. The snow we do have to pile higher in some driveway drift deposits. And then again to become ground bare, broom smooth clean in other spots. All due to Maine winter wind gusts just doing some outdoor huffing and puffing. High powered exterior house keeping.
Getting Around In Maine, Lots Of Options In Vacationland.

But as the four seasons of Maine page turn by quickly, greenhouse thoughts are on the minds of some. Seed catalogs in the hands of many.

You don’t need to own a lot of land in Maine to produce an abundant variety of quality food.

It just involves rich, healthy tilled soil. Worked smooth and fine. To play host to the carefully planted seed beds and transplant of vegetables and fruits. That lead to summer, early fall harvests if tended correctly. Nurtured to put wholesome food on your family’s table. The excess you don’t use sold, given away, donated to a local food pantry.

In my travels in Maine I see lots of greenhouses of all types, styles, sizes. Filled with a medley of items incubated. The greenhouses all differ depending on the builder’s imagination and thickness of the wallet he sits on.

Using what you have in a new way.

That is the survival spirit on a Maine farmstead. Many old wooden storm windows replaced with permanent storm insulated glass get eyeballed. That no longer are put on and taken off after a Maine winter like evergreen fir bough house banking and craft paper or canvas. Those old windows become excellent greenhouse building materials if taken out of dusty, dark retirement from up in the machine shed loft.

To recycle, lay into place, fasten and given a new tasty use twist. Here is a link to DIY greenhouse options.
Since 1971, MOFGA Has Helped Organic Farmers, Gardeners In Maine.

Organic farming in Maine especially benefits from transplanted stock. That went to prep school. To get the jump on weeds and grasses.

That feed, crowd and grow wild from the same fertilizer cocktail spike. In the rows side dressed, intended just for the seedlings. But that other wild and crazy weed plant life tap. Can help themselves to like it was welfare and do from day one.

We had a greenhouse on the Maine farm I grew up on.

But had not thought about how big a hot house, greenhouse would work best at this stage of life. Until a visit, Unity Maine road trip with my partner. To MOFGA for an educational meeting recently. Plus the reading material picked up on the way out after the organic Asian salad, the same raised pure turkey pot pie did not hurt either. For motivational brain storming about sustainable, eco-friendly agriculture.
A Place For A Demonstration Farm, For Offices, MOFGA Headquarters In Unity Maine.

Do you have a garden, and trying not to sound sing song like the nursery rhyme but just how does it grow?

Do you have your glass porch window sills lined with peat pots in anticipation? In preparation for getting down in the dirt. Newspapers spread around kitchen counter tops with the same rows of starter plugs.

That will show up in many rural Maine homes as temperatures go up, winter winds die down.

To get germinated seeds jump started correctly for Maine spring planting.

Raised under a watchful eye, a grow light array or just Mr. Sunshine. With the right mix of nutrient essentials sprinkled into the perlite. Then each tall green chute, stem, clump slipped into their designated neighborhoods. The ones out behind the house in the family garden or larger Maine land acreage.

Maine land, we have plenty to break you off a big or little piece. We can help with that dream, goal in your life to know what you eat. Because you prepared, raised it from scratch. Were involved in the entire food chain process from greenhouse to field. To root cellar to the much anticipated serving it all up. Piping hot and ready for the come and get it at the family table.

I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com

February 16, 2015