On Thursday, April 16, MOFGA’s Executive Director, Sarah Alexander and Seth Kroeck, MOFGA Board member and owner of Crystal Springs Farm, delivered more than 2,500 signatures and comments to Hannaford executives asking Hannaford to adopt a “Maine-First” sourcing policy for vegetables! They talked about how farmers in Maine want to feed their communities, and how a meaningful partnership with Hannaford could be a win-win for Maine farmers and Hannaford shoppers.

Hannaford will look into a few areas that were discussed, and will meet again with MOFGA in early June. In the meantime, MOFGA will continue to collect signatures.

Find and sign the petition here. Read our letter to Hannaford below outlining the “Maine-First” sourcing policy.

Letter to Hannaford Supermarket

Hannaford Supermarket
145 Pleasant Hill Rd
Scarborough, ME 04074

Dear Kim Kuusela and Tim Tremblay, 

I am writing on behalf of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) in response to your recent public statement regarding how unfavorable weather conditions have caused reduced carrot inventory at your stores. 

These disruptions reveal the vulnerabilities of a global food market that prioritizes the lowest possible price over long-term reliability. While most of Maine’s food is shipped in from out of state, crops such as those currently in short supply, including carrots and potatoes, not only grow well here, but are grown in large quantities. 

The lack of carrots on store shelves could be seen as an opportunity for Hannaford, and other grocery stores, to establish new relationships with local farmers, or revisit prior contracts that Hannaford ended when it was cheaper to source carrots from outside of Maine.

Maine grocers should look to Maine growers first and fill the gaps with products produced outside the region, not the other way around. We hope you will invest in our farmers by offering fair prices and sustainable contracts. 

We encourage Hannaford to adopt a “Maine-First” sourcing policy. To ensure a resilient food system for your customers, we ask that you:

• Prioritize Local Contracts: Commit to sourcing Maine-grown carrots as your primary inventory, utilizing out-of-state suppliers only to fill seasonal gaps.
• Establish Fair Pricing Models: Offer sustainable contracts that reflect the true cost of local production, ensuring Maine farmers can remain a reliable backbone for your supply chain.
• Meet with Local Stakeholders: Open a direct dialogue with MOFGA and our network of growers to discuss volume requirements and procurement logistics for the upcoming season.

Maine grocers should lead the way in investing in Maine growers. We would be happy to discuss how we can work together to keep Maine’s shelves stocked with Maine’s own harvest, and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Sarah Alexander
Executive Director
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association 

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The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) is hosting its annual Seed Swap & Scion Exchange. This free community event is a perfect way to start the growing season. The event takes place on Sunday, March 29 at MOFGA’s Common Ground Education Center, 294 Crosby Brook Road, Unity, Maine.

At the Seed Swap & Scion Exchange, participants will find a wide variety of vegetable, flower, fruit, and native plant seeds, as well as scionwood (fruit tree clippings that are used to propagate new plants), to take home — all donated by gardeners, seed companies, farms, and organizations from across Maine and the Northeast. 

“After a cold winter, the Seed Swap & Scion Exchange is a sign of joy and hope here in our communities and in the days to come,” says Anna Libby, community education director at MOFGA. “We celebrate the season with the free sharing of what we have with our neighbors, the thought of the gardens and orchards that will nourish our families and friends, and the opportunity to gather together.”  

Other offerings such as house-plant cuttings, kombucha starters, and hatchling eggs may also be available. Community members are welcome to join and take seeds and scionwood home from the swap tables, even if they don’t have their own seeds and scions to contribute. There is always plenty to go around! 

“MOFGA offers a diversity of educational opportunities for home gardeners and farmers to prepare for, and be successful in, their growing efforts,” says Madi Whaley, MOFGA’s educational programs coordinator. “We have many organic ‘how-to’ resources on our website from how to manage pests organically to how to cook and enjoy the fruits of your labor.” 

Beyond the seed and scion swap tables, attendees will find a variety of other ways to participate. Multiple garden-related organizations and vendors will be present, as will The Moody Dog — with hot food for sale. Custom grafting (producing a new fruit tree with scionwood) is available by donation to the Maine Heritage Orchard. Throughout the day, participants can take part in workshops on topics such as seed saving, native plants, and fruit trees. This family-friendly event also includes two ongoing offerings perfect for kids: a maple sugaring demonstration, and a seed painting workshop led by Waterville Creates.

Learn more about the Seed Swap & Scion Exchange on MOFGA’s website, and check out volunteer opportunities to support this event’s programming.

The snow date for the event is April 5.

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The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) will hold its annual Grow Your Own Organic Garden class in person at nine locations across Maine on Wednesday, April 1, as well as one class on Saturday, April 18. Members of the public who are planning to start a garden this year will find plenty to take away from this introductory gardening class.

This class covers all the basics of organic gardening — from soil health to garden design, and planting your garden to harvesting your bounty. The class also addresses nuanced topics such as climate change and organic pest and disease management. Additionally, class participants will receive seeds to start in their own gardens! 

“Whether you’re looking to save money at the grocery store or start a new outdoor hobby: Grow Your Own Organic Garden is a great class for new gardeners,” says Madi Whaley, MOFGA’s educational programs coordinator. “Experienced gardeners are welcome too. We update our material every year, and the class can be great for anyone who wants a refresher before the growing season starts.”

Class pricing and age requirements vary by location. The class is offered free-of-charge at South Portland Public Library and York Land Trust. 

The class will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1 at the following locations:

• Augusta Adult and Community Education — Augusta.
• Bonny Eagle Adult Education — Buxton.
• Mid-Maine Regional Adult & Community Education — Waterville.
• Mt. Desert Island Adult & Community Education — Bar Harbor.
• Lewiston Adult Education — Lewiston.
• Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative — Dover-Foxcroft.
• RSU 24 Adult Education — Sullivan.
• South Portland Public Library — South Portland.
• York Land Trust — York.

At 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 18, the class will be held at Mid-Maine Regional Adult & Community Education — Oakland.

After attending Grow Your Own Organic Garden, participants can continue honing their gardening skills by utilizing MOFGA’s many “how-to” gardening articles and videos; as well as attending webinars such as our “Gardening Q&A” on April 8, 2026. Find resources and classes at www.mofga.org.

Learn more about Grow Your Own Organic Garden at: https://www.mofga.org/event-calendar/grow-your-own-organic-garden-2026/. Information about the class can also be found on the websites of respective host locations.

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Washington, DC — As states across the country struggle with devastation to dairies, farms, and ranches from application of toxic sewage sludge fertilizers, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) has filed an appeal in federal court seeking a ruling that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is legally obligated to act to prevent contamination from high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in sewage sludge used as fertilizer.

EPA allows sewage sludge contaminated with high levels of PFAS to be spread as fertilizer on farms, rangeland, and home gardens, where these chemicals contaminate food supplies and have destroyed the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers. Sludge spreading also contaminates groundwater and surface water, posing risks to water supplies, fisheries, and surrounding ecosystems. PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” due to their long persistence in the environment and in living things.

At issue in the lawsuit is a provision of the Clean Water Act that requires EPA to review its regulations governing the use and disposal of sewage sludge every two years for the purpose of identifying and regulating substances that pose an environmental or public health danger. The lawsuit charges that EPA was remiss in failing to address certain PFAS in sewage sludge that have been well-studied and pose clear health and safety risks. Notably, EPA has not updated its sludge regulations since promulgating them in 1993.

In 2025, a judge for the U.S, District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed the PEER suit, ruling that the term “biennial” in the statute only applies to the word “review,” but does not apply to the actions of identifying and regulating substances that pose an environmental danger, meaning that there is no timetable for EPA to act.

“This interpretation flies in the face of the language and purpose of Clean Water Act,” stated PEER Staff Counsel Laura Dumais, who filed Plaintiff-Appellants’ opening brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. “The statute has a clear and consistent scheme requiring quick action to protect public health from hazards in sludge, and it was plain error to interpret this provision to let EPA instead act at its leisure – or maybe never.”

Although EPA continues to claim that curbing PFAS pollution is a priority, it has little to show for it. EPA’s biennial reviews over the decades have collected information about substances but it is still in the process of “prioritizing” substances so it can eventually determine whether any require regulation. After 33 years, the agency has not made a single such determination.

“EPA needs to take action now to protect our nation’s food supply and farmers from these dangerous forever chemicals,” added Sarah Alexander, executive director of Plaintiff-Appellant Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. “EPA could decide to act immediately under the Clean Water Act to protect the health of our farmers and food supply. Its failure to act is both shameful and legally unjustified.”

In 2024, PEER filed the original lawsuit on behalf of plaintiffs (now appellants): a group of adversely affected Texas farmers, their county (Johnson County, Texas), the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), and the Potomac Riverkeeper Network.

The post Toxic Sewage Sludge Fertilizer Fight at the Appeals Court appeared first on Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners.

Heather Spalding is the deputy director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA).

See the original op-ed published in the Portland Press Herald on February 19, 2026.

By now, most Mainers have heard of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), the ubiquitous “forever chemicals” that have contaminated dozens of farms statewide, polluted our drinking water and put farmers out of business.

Even for those who haven’t heard of PFAS, they’ve likely been affected by these forever chemicals — with PFAS pollution costing taxpayers over $100 million and found in high levels in the blood of farmers, their families and neighbors.

Maine is a leader in PFAS regulation, having passed numerous laws regulating the production of PFAS products and our food supply. But even as our state makes important advances to protect our health, the other side of the coin shows companies pushing for weaker standards.

Pesticide manufacturers unsuccessfully lobbied the Legislature for a blanket exclusion from PFAS regulations. Now, they are promoting new PFAS pesticides to the Board of Pesticide Control, which oversees the state’s pesticide registration system.

The Board of Pesticide Control has echoed industry talking points downplaying the dangers of PFAS. In order to protect our families from PFAS contamination, the Board of Pesticide Control needs to get on board with PFAS regulation.

Maine isn’t just cleaning up past messes but has adopted comprehensive laws to prevent future contamination by, as I put it in a Senate testimony in 2021, “turning off the PFAS tap.” Notably, the PFAS in Products Law, which was enacted that same year, requires pesticides sold in the state to be PFAS-free by 2032 — unless the manufacturer can establish that a product meets the narrow “currently unavoidable use” exemption.

While the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decides which pesticides may be sold in the U.S., federal law gives states leeway to endorse or reject the EPA’s decisions, and authority to set more protective environmental and safety standards. Maine regulators have exercised this prerogative over many years under Republican and Democratic federal administrations.

Thus, it was surprising and incredibly disappointing that the Board of Pesticide Control rushed to rubber-stamp the EPA’s approval of two new PFAS-laden pesticides: cyclobutrifluram and isocycloseram. National farmworker, conservation and food safety organizations have challenged the EPA’s approval of these PFAS pesticides in federal court for failing to follow the agency’s own cancer guidelines and federal law.

Instead of digging into existing research on PFAS, the Board of Pesticide Control’s toxicologist downplayed toxicity concerns. Given the extent of PFAS contamination, costs and public concern, the Board of Pesticide Control had a responsibility to exercise independent judgment and carefully review the EPA decision. 

As Nathan Donley of the Center for Biological Diversity points out, the EPA’s decision didn’t address the worrisome data: that cyclobutrifluram is known to break down into a smaller forever chemical which is likely one of the world’s most pervasive water contaminants, nor that research has linked isocycloseram to reduced testicle size, lower sperm counts and liver toxicity.

Maine’s Board of Pesticides Control needs to go back to the drawing board.

Instead of rushing to approve new PFAS products, it should take seriously the mandate to phase out unnecessary PFAS and begin reviewing already registered products to prepare for the 2032 deadline.

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For 50 years, the Common Ground Country Fair has been more than an annual event. It has been a gathering place for a movement rooted in organic agriculture, food justice, environmental stewardship, and the belief that communities can build healthier futures together. One of the most visible and enduring expressions of that movement has been the Fair’s posters.

From the beginning, Common Ground Country Fair posters were never just about announcing dates and locations. They were calls to action that reflected shared values of care for the soil, respect for labor, mutual aid, creativity, and joy. Long before sustainability entered everyday language, these images captured a community already imagining and practicing another way of living with the land.

Seen together, the posters trace the evolution of Maine’s organic movement. They mark moments of urgency and hope, resistance and celebration, continuity and change. As farming practices evolved, environmental concerns intensified, and new generations joined the work, the posters responded, grounded in a consistent vision of cooperation and care.

The artists behind these posters were not working apart from the movement. Many were farmers, activists, craftspeople, or deeply connected to MOFGA and the Fair community. Each poster reflects both an individual artistic voice and a collective story shaped by shared values and relationships.

To honor this legacy, MOFGA is presenting a traveling exhibition of all 50 Fair posters as part of the Fair’s 50th anniversary celebration. The exhibition will be on view at the Maine State House in Augusta from June through August 2026, before moving to Waterville Creates in September 2026. The Waterville opening will be celebrated with a First Friday Block Party on September 4, inviting the community to gather, reflect, and celebrate together.

Bringing all 50 posters together allows us to see a history often experienced one Fair at a time. Anchored by a companion publication, the exhibition extends the reach of the Fair beyond the fairgrounds, inviting new audiences to engage with the ideas and values that have sustained the Fair for five decades.

At a moment when food systems, climate resilience, and community connection feel increasingly fragile, these posters remind us that lasting change is built through persistence, creativity, and care. As the Common Ground Country Fair marks its 50th year, this exhibition affirms that its greatest legacy is not only what has been grown or taught, but the movement it continues to nourish — one that will carry forward on common ground for generations to come.

Stay tuned for more details by keeping an eye on MOFGA’s events calendar, or sign up for our newsletter.

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MOFGA’s 50th annual Common Ground Country Fair is a testament to the strength of our community — the volunteers, exhibitors, and fairgoers who make the event possible — as well as the continued need for a deepened connection around land stewardship and sustainable living. For the 50th, we are celebrating our past and rallying community members to continue to build common ground, support farmers, empower people to feed their communities, and advocate for an organic future.

We are looking forward to:

• Marking this milestone at a moment when organic farming, local food, and climate resilience are more important than ever.
• Celebrating volunteers with a button to proudly display how many fairs they have helped with. Start counting! First-time volunteers will also be celebrated.
• Enjoying camaraderie and cake with our volunteer planning team members.
• Reading the special fall edition of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener.
• Seeing volunteers wearing their favorite Fair shirts in the volunteer parade.
• Announcing more 50th celebration activities and events in April at mofga.org/the-fair and in MOFGA’s Bulletin newsletter.

How to get involved:

• Add the 50th Fair dates — September 25, 26, and 27 — to your calendar. 
• Thresh, swap, or purchase your seeds for the upcoming growing season. Plan to grow-a-row to feed our awesome volunteers and exhibit your best in the Exhibition Hall.
• Reflect on the knowledge and skills you can share with the community. Apply to be a speaker! Volunteer benefits or a stipend are available to support your knowledge share.
• Become a Fair leader. Apply to fill one of our open planning team positions on our website.
• Tune your bicycle and your body to get ready to bike, partway or all the way, to the Fair. 
• Check in with your child’s school to help plan a field trip to the Fair. School children, grades 1-12, get in for free on Friday! Considering chaperoning: you don’t want to miss out on the fun!
• Make a gift in honor of the 50th Fair to support farmers, education, and organic agriculture in Maine.

The post Celebrating 50 Years of Building Common Ground appeared first on Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners.

Earlier today, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) unveiled its 50th annual Common Ground Country Fair design at the Agricultural Trades Show in Augusta. 

The fair designs are intended to represent the values of the largest organic fair in the country, and are coveted by fairgoers from around the world. 

“I studied the previous posters for the fair and enjoyed the array of plants and animals selected to represent it each year,” says Brenda McGuinness, artist of the 2026 design. “I noticed that while a wide variety of farm animals had been featured over the years, there hadn’t yet been a poster that focused primarily on a dog.” 

As an avid spectator at sheepdog trials in both Ireland and Maine, McGuinness  has long been fascinated by the quiet bond between dog and handler. Witnessing how they understand the task and each other is, she says, something truly special and deserving of celebration. 

“This was my 3rd year entering the poster contest,” McGuinness adds. “And I thought how incredible it would be if the poster for the 50th anniversary of the fair featured a sheepdog. I was understandably elated when this dream became a reality!”

The 50th annual fair will be held September 25, 26, and 27, 2026, in Unity, Maine. With five decades of sharing MOFGA’s commitment to organic farming and gardening, the fair aims to inspire the wider community to continue to build common ground.

“The fair is a testament to the strength of MOFGA’s community — the volunteers, vendors, and fairgoers who make the event possible,” says April Boucher, fair director. “It is also a reminder of the continued need for a deepened connection around land stewardship and sustainable living.”

MOFGA is celebrating the 50th annual fair year-round with a variety of events. A silent auction will be held February 13 through 23 featuring one-of-a-kind memorabilia, unique experiences, and community storytelling. The auction will raise funds to support MOFGA’s mission of supporting farmers, empowering people to feed their communities, and advocating for an organic future. 

“The 50th fair isn’t just a weekend celebration, it’s a yearlong opportunity to honor the community that built it,” says Mary Weitzman, membership and development director. “Throughout 2026, we’ll be celebrating the people, creativity, and shared values that have made the fair such a powerful gathering place for 50 years, and looking ahead to how we’ll nurture that spirit for the next 50.”

More information can be found at mofga.org/the-fair. 

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), formed in 1971, is the oldest and largest state organic organization in the country. MOFGA’s vision is a future where local organic farming nourishes all people, and sustains thriving ecosystems, healthy communities, and fair economies. We accomplish this through our mission to transform our food system by supporting farmers, empowering people to feed their communities, and advocating for an organic future. Learn more at mofga.org.  

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The first stage prohibits the sale or distribution of cleaning products, cookware, cosmetics, dental floss, juvenile products, menstruation products, ski wax, and upholstered furniture that contain intentionally added PFAS chemicals. The law also bans textile articles with intentionally added PFAS, though it exempts outdoor apparel designed for severe wet conditions until 2029, along with textiles used in watercraft, aircraft, and motor vehicles. 

The ban addresses widespread consumer exposure to PFAS through everyday products. This landmark legislation positions Maine as a national leader in protecting public health from “forever chemicals” that accumulate in human bodies and the environment. 

For decades Maine spread sludge containing PFAS on farmers’ fields, contaminating our food, water, and soils. In response, MOFGA stepped in to create the PFAS Emergency Fund to support farmers who found contamination on their farms. 

“Banning PFAS from consumer products is an important step to reducing the contamination in our indoor and outdoor environments,” says Bill Pluecker, MOFGA’s public policy organizer. 

Manufacturers and retailers have had several years to reformulate products and adjust supply chains to comply with Maine’s strict standards.

Effective January 1, 2026, a person may not sell, offer for sale, or distribute for sale in Maine: 

• A cleaning product containing intentionally added PFAS; 
• A cookware product containing intentionally added PFAS; 
• A cosmetic product containing intentionally added PFAS; 
• Dental floss containing intentionally added PFAS; 
• A juvenile product containing intentionally added PFAS; 
• A menstruation product containing intentionally added PFAS; 
• A textile article containing intentionally added PFAS. The prohibition under this subparagraph does not include: Outdoor apparel for severe wet conditions; or this ban goes into effect in 2029 along with astroturf; A textile article that is included in or a component part of a watercraft, aircraft, or motor vehicle, including an off-highway vehicle;  Ski wax containing intentionally added PFAS; or  Upholstered furniture containing intentionally added PFAS.

For more information about MOFGA’s advocacy around banning PFAS, visit our website. 

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), formed in 1971, is the oldest and largest state organic organization in the country. MOFGA’s vision is a future where local organic farming nourishes all people, and sustains thriving ecosystems, healthy communities, and fair economies. We accomplish this through our mission to transform our food system by supporting farmers, empowering people to feed their communities, and advocating for an organic future. Learn more at mofga.org.  

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 For the full reviews, as well as other books we’ve enjoyed, click here.

“How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World” by Ethan Tapper

“How to Love a Forest” weaves together some of the history of the landscape, current ecology, and hopes for the future. There are explorations on passenger pigeons, changing land management practices, invasive species, and wolf trees, just to name a few of the journeys Ethan Tapper takes us on as he weaves his personal narrative with broader historical and ecological topics. This timely exploration may inspire you to consider ways in which you are interacting with the land around you. Tapper writes, “I wish not for a perfect relationship with this forest but for a good one; that we may both become a small piece of a better world.”

– Anna Libby

“What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures” by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

At the risk of sounding overly enthusiastic, “What If We Get It Right”? is a book for anyone who eats food, breathes air, drinks water, lives in a community, and cares even the slightest bit about our planet’s future. It left me brimming with a desire to act and a hundred suggestions of tangible ways to do so. It is both a roadmap to a better climate future and an image of what it will look like when we get there. 

– Elliott Greene

“They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals” by Mariah Blake 

PFAS are now ubiquitous in the environment, and are found in plants and animals around the world, including “the bodies of virtually every person on the planet,” writes Mariah Blake in her new book, “They Poisoned the World.” Linked to cancers, obesity, and neurological problems, PFAS are in our drinking water and in our blood. She shows how companies like 3M turned wartime inventions into peacetime profits. Poison gases, she writes, found new life as pesticides. Explosives were repurposed as fertilizers. And plastics found new uses as Tupperware, grocery bags, shower curtains, and more. 

– Sue Smith-Heavenrich

“Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature” by Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian

In “Forest Euphoria,” Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian cites Robin Wall Kimmerer as an early influence in her budding trajectory as a scientist, and the botanist’s impact is clear in some of the book’s essays. Such is the case in “Purple Love,” when Kaishian speaks to the coexistence of aster and goldenrod in the landscape as fulfilling a function of beauty — an observation that helped to spark Kimmerer’s own scientific career. Kaishian’s words feel like they are in conversation with her mentor’s, adding layers of contemplation and insight through her perspective as a queer, neurodivergent person with Armenian and Irish ancestors. She explores her identity on the page, adding references to more deeply understand the world as she sees it. And what a beautiful way she has of looking.

– Holli Cederholm

“Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership” by Brea Baker

In “Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership,” author Brea Baker personalizes the meaning of the historical events she discusses by drawing parallels between them and her own family’s journey to owning land that they now call Bakers’ Acres. The history of sharecropping, for instance, invokes stories of her grandmother’s family throwing peach parties — “turning the chore of growing fruit and vegetables into a family affair” — and of the initial purchase of land by her relatives Louis and Nancy Baker in the early 19th century. Stories of violence and struggle are interwoven with struggles of resistance and success. Baker’s writing is accessible, and readers will be especially drawn into her personal and familial narrative. This book is particularly resonant today, in a time of renewed consolidation of wealth and power that targets Black and other marginalized communities.

– Madi Whaley

“Leaning Toward Light: Poems for gardens & the hands that tend them” edited by Tess Taylor

What I love most about the collection is that the poems remind us — as poems so often do — of the greater connection and meaning behind the individual tasks we are carrying out. The authors reflect on their connection to the Earth and the food for their tables. They make meaning of events both deeply personal and global. I kept coming back to “Green Tomatoes in Fire Season” by Tess Taylor, who writes, “There is smoke in the air / when I go pick them. / I go despite panic, also because / inside I’ll make chutney… Jar them for friends & the winter.”

– Anna Libby

“The Salt Stones: Seasons of a Shepherd’s Life” by Helen Whybrow

“The Salt Stones” begins with an initiation: A ewe gives birth to two lambs. One lives. One dies. Helen Whybrow, the shepherd and author of this book, knows she will have to tell her toddler, Wren, about the death, and that they will go see the living and dead lambs together. With that, Whybrow steps forward into the story of her shepherding life, bringing the reader along with an ever-present tension of birth and death. Whybrow writes that the shepherd’s mind “is about finding a way to listen, to tend, and to immerse in the living world.” She offers this to readers — the possibility to belong to the living world as an antidote to loss. An antidote that must be taken day after day, like a shepherd moving the flock to fresh pasture.

– Katie Spring

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