WOLFES NECK FARM FOUNDATION INC
Transforming our relationship with farming and food for a healthier planet
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Organic Dairy Research and Farmer Training Program
Nationwide, the average age of dairy farmers is approaching 60 and the number of farms producing milk is in decline. Too few young people are entering the dairy industry.
Wolfe’s Neck Center’s Organic Dairy Farmer Training Program is a two-year residential apprenticeship program for new and transitioning commercial organic dairy farmers. This first-of-its kind program allows apprentices to learn hands-on in all aspects of our certified organic dairy operation.
The Wolfe’s Neck Training Program is part of the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship, a National Apprenticeship under the U.S. Department of Labor-Employment and Training Administration. It consists of 4,000 hours of training over a period of two years. Of these hours, 3,712 hours are employment and mentoring under an approved Master Dairy Grazier.
Our goal is to prepare each Apprentice to become a valuable member of the organic dairy industry with the knowledge to manage a grazing farm successfully at the conclusion of their two-year apprenticeship. The program will provide a guided pathway to the knowledge, skills, experiences and resources our Apprentices will need to begin their own organic dairy enterprise. Our focus is on using and teaching regenerative practices.
A comprehensive DGA Training Manual lays out the competencies that must be met in order to own and operate a managed-grazing organic dairy farm, providing a blueprint for the mentoring process. The other 288 hours are related instruction designed to enhance on-farm training.
OpenTEAM (Open Technology Ecosystem for Agricultural Management)
OpenTEAM, or Open Technology Ecosystem for Agricultural Management, is a farmer-driven, interoperable platform to provide farmers around the world with the best possible knowledge to improve soil health.
OpenTEAM offers field-level carbon measurement, digital management records, remote sensing, predictive analytics, and input and economic management decision support in a connected platform that reduces the need for farmer data entry while improving access to a wide array of tools.
The platform will support adaptive soil health management for farms of all scales, geographies and production systems. OpenTEAM will also accelerate scientific understanding of soil health by providing more high-quality data to researchers collaborating on the project.
Year-round Farming
Maine is the most food-insecure state in New England. Over 200,000 residents and 1 in 4 children unsure of where their next meal will come from. A 2015 USDA report revealed that Maine has the 2nd highest rate of “very low food security” in the country.
With the added burden of heating costs, hunger increases in the winter and food pantries often struggle to meet this need, seeing a drop off in fresh vegetables during the cold months. Local gardeners who donate produce all summer close up their gardens over the winter, and fresh food becomes scarce.
With funding from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation’s Healthy Food Fund, our high tunnel greenhouse extends our growing and programming season. Hardier crops like kale, carrots, and spinach grow under shelter in the colder months and warmer weather crops are started earlier and keep growing later in the season than without cover. The greenhouse is on wheels which allows our farmers to use our fields more efficiently. The mobility allows them to pull the structure to cover the crops need them at that time and they’re not limited to growing on the same plot season after season.
Farm Based Education
Includes summer Farm Camp, Fruit & Vegetable Apprenticeship Program, Farm Discovery School, Community and Visitor Programming
Where we work
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Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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WOLFES NECK FARM FOUNDATION INC
Board of directorsas of 01/25/2022
Timothy Griffin
Tufts University
Term: 2021 - 2023
Megan Hellstedt
Sustainability Advisor
Term: 2021 - 2023
Raina Maxwell
L.L. Bean, Inc.
Peter Bouman
Bates Mill Dermatology
Morgan Cuthbert
Yarmouth School Department, ME
Richard Ganong
Timothy Griffin
Tufts University
Gray Harris
Coastal Enterprises Institute
Triplett Kise
Woodworker
Tucker Lannon
Income Research and Management
Vivi Stevenson Miller
Consultant
Brett Pierce
Meridian Stories
Sam Smith
Editor, Progressive Review
Meredeth Winter
The Nature Conservancy
Lee Schepps
Retired
Sarah Zimman
Clinical Psychologist
David Daniel
Second Freedom
David Bennell
World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
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