Newsletter March 2025
The Crowded Table Collective
March 2025
This Month on the Farm
Welcome back to The Crowded Table Collective Newsletter!
With temperatures beginning to creep back above freezing, we are looking forward to spring and getting excited for our 2025 programming to officially begin. All our spring, summer and fall events are up on our website and registration for each event will open a month before. As always, these events are free with a focus on learning hands on skills, connecting with the land and forming community.
This month's blog focus on the hope that spring brings!
Read it here: Winter's Wisdom
🐷 This Month Only 🐷
Piglet 'Adoption' Event
With spring arriving so are many many piglets! So far we have welcomed around 12 piglets and are expecting at least 10 more in the next week. We wanted to give our community the opportunity to 'adopt a piglet'. Although we wont be dropping a squealing piglet off at your front door, this 'adoption' gives you the chance to name a piglet and receive the cutest pictures, videos, and updates of your piglet in your inbox every Monday in March. And of course, if you come visit the farm you can get up close and personal with all the cuteness!
To 'adopt' one of these cuties please donate $5 via our Venmo @Tirnanogfarm and email molly@crowdedtablemaine.org letting her know what you would like to name one of these cuties!
Person, Plant, Place
Each month we highlight an incredible person, plant, and place! Keep reading to learn about this month's selection.
Abby is our volunteer of the month! Abby joined us through the WWOOF program this past month and it has been a delight to have her. An inspiring woodworker, an accomplished chef and a kind soul, it has been so great to get to know her. I sat down with her recently to discuss all things farming. In our conversation she urges young people to run towards farming and get your hands dirty! Read our full conversation to find out what Abby's next farming adventure will be!
Head over to our website for our full conversation:
Willow is our plant of the month! Often referred to as the first flower of spring, when Willow starts to bud you can bet that spring is just around the corner. Native members of the Willow family are a keystone species. Willow feeds over 300 types of caterpillars, is an important source of nectar for bees and is a great place for song bird to nest. Willow is an easy plant to propagate and loves moist soil and lots of sunshine. So if you need a little hope as winter drags on, look to the Willows!
The Gulf of Maine Bookstore in Brunswick is our favorite place this month! For over 40 years owners Beth and Gary have created a space where important but largley underrepresented stories have a home. With a focus on First Nation titles, social and environmental justice, poetry, international fiction and banned books, Gulf of Maine has a book for every reader. We encourage you all to shop local at our favorite bookstore in Maine!
Head to their website for more information:
Know Thy Shelf Book Club
So many snowy days this month has led to some wonderful reading!
This month found us curling up near the wood stove with some dark academia, cozy queer stories, and of course a banned book or two. We are currently prepping our summer reading list, but for now, please enjoy these recommendations!
Upcoming Events
Our next event is a 'Provincial Potluck'!
Think you can make a dish with all locally sourced ingredients? This potluck will challenge you to do just that. The attendee whose dish uses the most ingredients sourced from Maine will go home with a prize!
On April 19th from 4:30 - 6:30pm we will gather for a tour of the farm followed by our Maine sourced potluck. We cannot wait to connect with all of you, get to know you and share a delicious meal together!
Project of the Month
Our project of the month is seedlings!
Each year we start getting ready for seedlings by setting up a germination chamber. You can think of it as a greenhouse inside a greenhouse. Once the germination chamber stays warm through the whole night we feel comfortable staring our seedlings. So far we have sowed Lettuce, Radish, Shallots, two types of Sweet Pea, Chrysanthemum greens and Marigold greens.
If you want to get your hands in the dirt while there is still snow on the ground, feel free to join in the seed sowing! Reach out to Molly if you want to come plant with us.
