Fiddlers Green Maine

11/21/2017

All Fields Must Lie Fallow

Dear friends,

Five years ago Marada and I took on this business of Fiddler's Green Farm. Fiddler's came to us when Allen and Laine asked us to carry on the legacy of this storied and beloved mill. We said no a few times, but took a closer look in the end and decided to try our hands at stewarding this business.

We moved the mill to Vassalboro, Robert moved to Maine to become our miller, and we all settled into the excitement and magic of a new world of good food and good people. It looked like we could do it all--run the distribution company we'd inherited, build the processing plant we'd started, and take Fiddler's in new, fun, vibrant directions.

Life swept in, though. Things we'd never imagined changed our courses. Instead of aligning nicely, the demands of all the businesses grew and diverged, and I encountered unexpected health issues that eventually led me to move away from the businesses and move home.

And now we find ourselves at a point when it's time to stop and take stock.

Farmers know this to be true: all fields must lie fallow. They must rest to regain their fertility, to break unchanging patterns of nutrient use, dis-ease, and pest pressure, to allow the chance for life to flourish as it wishes.

It is time for Fiddler's to lie fallow. We weren't able to give it all of the nourishing it needed.

We will be ceasing operations to allow time to explore new options and new owners, to see what opportunities there are for Fiddler's next life, perhaps outside of the ways we've tended its fields. Our final decision will be in March.

We feel the weight of this moment. No farmer likes to see fields grow into weeds. But we know that we need to break the patterns of pressure on the business in order to allow a new life for Fiddler's to flourish.

Please bear with us as we explore those options to find the right person to restore Fiddler's fertility and energy. We're open to hearing ideas and folks we should talk to, so please feel free to reach out and get in touch with your thoughts and suggestions.

We will ship our orders out this week and refund any folks with orders we can't fulfill. The website will go dormant while we work on our discoveries.

Thank you for your patience, and for all your years of support and lovely conversations. It's been an honor to get to speak with you all week after week.

Sincerely,

Leah

10/01/2017

This week's long read is a round up of cold weather breads and tips for finding the warmest places to start sourdough before you turn your heat up for the winter. (Hint: follow your cats!)

Read the whole collection here:

The first frost has finally, finally arrived in the North. In the newly shorn fields the ryegrass and crimson clover grow lusher and their green deepens in the cooling temperatures, and they will grow another month before it's a killing cold. We start cleaning up the gardens and the yards getti...

10/01/2017

This week's featured product is our Captain Dave's Pancake & Muffin Mix! For the best product review of all time, here's what Dragon had to say:

"This stuff is fantastic! Made some muffins with it today, 6 January, and they are delicious! Can't praise the mix high enough. Nearest I can come is to recall to you the scene from the movie, Spinal Tap. Remember the scene where he's showing the other guy that Spinal Tap's speakers go all the way to 11? That's Captain Dave's Pancake Mix.

I'll be reordering this product."

Turn your speakers to 11 by getting your Captain Dave's here:

Fiddler's Green strives to offer a wide selection of organic and locally produced Maine foods for mail order

09/16/2017

This week Leah writes with news from farming country:

"It's September, and the whole County has burst into activity. The grain harvest kicks off the harvest season, and before too long kids will be working on harvesters and picking potatoes.

A few days ago a farmer's brand new truck caught fire while carrying a load of oat straw. As the engine burned, totaling the truck, the smoldering oat straw had to be unloaded so it wouldn't combust as well.

A friend's husband retired on a Friday from 40 years of working for a farmer, and on Saturday was in the combine driving for him to get the harvest in.

Everyone helps as everyone can. We're a community, and we know what it takes to bring in the harvest. It's one more step to getting good food to your table."

She shares more of what it's like this time of year through photos and words on our blog. Read on for more!

http://www.fiddlersgreenmaine.com/food-for-thought-from-fiddlers-green/a-time-to-reap/

It is September, and the foxes have begun to cry in the night. When the sun clears the heavy river mists from the Valley's brow each morning, the grasshoppers saw their songs on bended knees, and snap like poets as they leap in the heat. And once the dew dries from the fields, the combine will run u...

09/16/2017

Hey friends! This week we're featuring a SALE on our Belleweather Chocolate Scones!

These scones are a delicious combination of whole wheat flour, rolled oats, and cornmeal for a base, and chocolate chips and cocoa for chocolately goodness.

Find both sizes ON SALE here:

http://www.fiddlersgreenmaine.com/on-sale-fiddlers-belleweather-chocolate-scones-11-oz/

http://www.fiddlersgreenmaine.com/on-sale-fiddlers-belleweather-chocolate-scones-5/

Fiddler's Green strives to offer a wide selection of organic and locally produced Maine foods for mail order

09/04/2017

This week's long read explores the roots and common cause shared by the farmers' Grange movement and the industrial workers' Labor movement. Happy Labor Day, all!

http://www.fiddlersgreenmaine.com/food-for-thought-from-fiddlers-green/the-common-cause-of-labor-and-the-grange/

09/04/2017

Our featured product this week is our New England Biscuit Mix--perfect for pairing with baked beans, scrambled eggs, or any gravy dinner you can dream of!

Find it here:
http://www.fiddlersgreenmaine.com/new-england-biscuit-mix-15-oz/

Fiddler's Green strives to offer a wide selection of organic and locally produced Maine foods for mail order

09/04/2017

This week Leah writes:

"Today we celebrate and honor all workers, including Robert who was using his day off from his other job to mill pastry flour.

In fact, almost everyone I know is working today. Food and farming and paper mills don't stop for much except for weather and collective action.

I am continually humbled by the care and craft that Robert puts into his work at Fiddler's Green (and everywhere else). No matter what else is going on, he takes his time and pays attention to every grind, every mixing, every data log, and every shipment.

With any luck he finished up in time to enjoy the sunshine in Vassalboro, and to rest and celebrate his work and his labors. I'm grateful for them, and for him.

Happy Labor Day, all."

Even if you don't see Robert today, join us in giving three cheers for his incredible, conscientious work. Thank you, Robert!

08/20/2017

This week Leah continues to ruminate on split peas and her father's split pea soup. She rounds up a host of split pea recipes that her more mature tastebuds might appreciate these days. Read it all here:

http://www.fiddlersgreenmaine.com/food-for-thought-from-fiddlers-green/soup-for-days-maybe-even-months/?sort=newest

The deal in my house growing up was that whoever cooked didn't have to clean up after dinner. They had to do their prep dishes, but someone else would take care of everything after the meal. My mother almost always did the cooking until we each were assigned a day of the week as teenagers, and…

08/20/2017

This week's featured product is organic split peas--use them for classic split pea soup, Indian dal, or roasted snacks. Find them here to add a wonderful legume to your cupboard!

http://www.fiddlersgreenmaine.com/organic-split-peas/

08/05/2017

In this week's long read, Leah writes of a surprise birthday party, a nearly-disastrous Guinness cake, and two of the best people in the world.

Find the whole piece here:

http://www.fiddlersgreenmaine.com/food-for-thought-from-fiddlers-green/beer-breads-and-guinness-cake/

It was Evan's birthday, and it certainly didn't feel like October in the Florida heat. Outside the grass was dry and scraggly and the air conditioners filled the house with that humid, humming, half-warm air that doesn't quite cool off. Minkler was in the kitchen like a bulldozer or a small tor...