Parkman’s Rusted Rooster Farm to be honored by PCSWCD

    PARKMAN — The Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District has selected Sean and Sandra O’Donnell of Rusted Rooster Farm in Parkman as the 2014 Outstanding Cooperators of the Year. 
    The couple will be honored on Friday, Sept. 12, as the farm will be open for a tour from 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

Contributed photo

The O’Donnell family of Rusted Rooster Farm

    Tucked back in the woods of Parkman, Rusted Rooster Farm, at first glance, appears to be a small, diversified farm. Upon staying awhile, visitors will see that Rusted Rooster Farm is anything but your typical small farm, and come to realize the depth and diversity of production.
    Sean and Sandra O’Donnell produce a variety of vegetables, hay and dry beans, which they use to feed their family and market through the Brewer Farmers Market, Community Supported Agriculture shares, Crown of Maine Co-op and the Natural Living Center in Bangor.
    Additionally, the O’Donnells specialize in growing grain – an endeavor not seen too often on small farms in Maine. Sean is currently part of a wheat breeding trial for Cornell University through a Northeast SARE grant. In addition to growing wheat, he also grows varieties of oats, barley, rye and soybeans for various uses.
    The couple has worked with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association to reach their goals to farm using new and innovative farming practices.
    Most recently, they welcomed the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District’s (PCSWCD) Youth Summer Camp so they could teach this next generation the value of farming and the types of farming that they do right there at Rusted Rooster Farm.
    During the annual tour and luncheon, Dr. Ellen Mallory and Tom Molloy from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension will be on hand to further discuss the wheat breeding trials that Sean is participating in.
    Dr. Mallory is the University of Maine sustainable agriculture extension specialist and Molloy is a research associate working with her. Their research and outreach program focuses on small grain production, both organic and conventional, and on the sustainable use of organic amendments like manure and compost for crop fertility.
    Dave Power, USDA-NRCS Piscataquis County district conservationist, will discuss the NRCS programs and practices that the O’Donnells have implemented at Rusted Rooster Farm.
    The high tunnel that they purchased with assistance from NRCS enables them to extend their growing season for a wide variety of produce. The tunnel, heated by the sun, also helps keep their plants healthier because of the climate control it offers. The O’Donnells have also implemented biomass and foraging plantings through NRCS contracts.
    After the tour, the PCSWCD will be offering a delicious picnic luncheon featuring seasonal and local foods, some of which are grown at Rusted Rooster Farm.
    To register for this exciting event, visit PCSWCD at the USDA Service Center at 42 Engdahl Drive in Dover-Foxcroft, call 564-2321 extension 3, or email them at info@piscataquisswcd.org.