Join UMaine researcher Tom Molloy for a tour of UMaine’s Rogers Farm!

In addition to getting a firsthand look at the farm’s small grain variety trials, attendees will learn about best management practices for organic spring cereals and explore new research on living winter rye mulch interseeded with soybeans.

This event is made possible with support from the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program.

Join us for a producer-led panel discussion on building strong markets for locally-grown organic grains, moderated by Kim Butz of the Rodale Institute!

Panelists Amber Lambke, Joel Alex, Kerry Hanney, and Kyle DePietro will share where demand is growing, what makes grain market-ready, and how growers can enter and expand into new markets.

(Please note: if you have already registered for these events through your Kneading Conference ticket, you do not need to register again through this link.)

After the panel, we gather.

Join us for an evening grower-buyer mixer designed to bring the grain community together over good food, drinks, and conversation.

Held in conjunction with the Kneading Conference hosted by the Maine Grain Alliance, this free gathering is about strengthening the relationships that power regional grain economies.

Enjoy locally crafted food and beverages featuring regionally grown grain while connecting with farmers, millers, bakers, brewers, distillers, institutional buyers, and food businesses who are shaping the future of grain.

(Please note: if you have already registered for these events through your Kneading Conference ticket, you do not need to register again through this link.)

The Back to Basics Grain Pairing is a Maine tasting event celebrating local grains through paired bites and sips. Guests will enjoy breads, pastries, and other baked goods paired with craft beer from Allagash Brewing Company and Bissell Brothers, along with cheeses from Crooked Face Creamery. Featuring remarks from Jason Perkins, Hester and Noah Bissell, Amy Rowbottom, Miles Lambke, and Tristan Noyes, the evening will explore how local grains bring flavor, texture, and connection to Maine’s food and beverage landscape.

Join us for an exclusive tour of Blue Ox Malthouse, where centuries-old floor malting traditions meet modern craft brewing. Blue Ox is dedicated to pushing the possibilities of craft beer and spirits while supporting Maine agriculture through the production of high-quality, locally made malt.

This tour is part of MGA’s ongoing series connecting organic grain growers with the markets and makers that depend on their work.

Made possible with support from the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program.

 Consumers want to know why local and regional grains matter, and expressing the differences is tough. This talk will discuss ways to invite consumers into the work of small-scale grain farming so they can understand the many environmental, nutritional and other values involved. We’ll cover signage, talking points, language for websites and packaging, and brainstorm how to create a voice for your farm.

About the Presenter:

Amy Halloran is the author of The New Bread Basket: How the New Crop of Grain Growers, Plant Breeders, Millers, Maltsters, Bakers, Brewers, and Local Food Activists Are Redefining Our Daily Loaf profiled people and groups making new food and farming routes for grains. In the decade since her book came out, she’s become an advocate for regional grain systems, and is eager to share what she’s learned to help brainstorm strategies for helping food grade grain enterprises succeed.

Maine-grown rice? You heard that right!

This tropical grain may seem out-of-place here in the Northeast, but Ben Rooney of the Maine Rice Project has been proving otherwise for over a decade.

Join us September 12th at Ararat Farms to see ripening rice crops up close (both upland and paddy varieties) and learn how you can organically cultivate and process this grain crop right here in Maine.

This event is made possible with support from the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program.