Episode 135: Mike Bowman of Groundswell Farm

Mike Bowman and Maria Reynolds named their Groundswell Farm after their farming ideology and the topography of the 7 acres they are leasing in Solon, Maine. Their 4 acres of MOFGA certified organic seed and market vegetable crops and 3 acres in cover crops crest in small hills, lending the landscape, in Reynolds’ words, likeness to the swelling sea. The name also harkens to the groundswell of general interest around sustainable organic agriculture, including seed production. Bowman and Reynolds founded their farm business in 2010 after years of varied agricultural experiences. Bowman is the sixth generation to live on the family orchard in Cornville. Bowman and Reynolds both apprenticed on MOFGA certified organic farms before attending college together at the University of Maine. While there they worked at and then co-managed the Black Bear Food Guild, a student-run organic vegetable CSA and market farm. After graduation they pursued work at other farms and at Johnny’s Selected Seeds, where Bowman worked at the research farm in Albion and Reynolds worked in the sales department in Winslow. This episode has been sponsored by Heritage Foods USA. “I feel like there are all these cheap food and material costs that are hurting the rest of the world. And if we don’t pay for these costs, somebody has to…” [22:25] — Mike Bowman on Greenhorn Radio See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.