Rhubarb is a tough perennial; along with some humans, deer and woodchucks don’t eat it. It is one of the first edibles to appear in May, with long red stalks ready for use in desserts and, increasingly, in the 21st century, in savory dishes, too.
In an era of YouTube music videos and dwindling public school arts budgets, Farmington, Maine, teenagers are lining up — and auditioning — to play the jigs and reels heard at 19th century barn dances. Part of the credit goes to a rural tradition of family and friends playing music together. The catalyst, though, is Steve Muise, the orchestra teacher at Mt. Blue High School.
It took some time, but eventually Great Gott became the heart of an island-based business for Claire and Carly Weinberg. Their company, Dulse & Rugosa, uses seaweed and botanicals grown on the island to make skin care products, and has allowed them to make a living in the one place that has always felt like home.
Maine’s stellar reputation for new boat construction gets the limelight. But it is all-purpose yards like Great Island Boat Yard with their capacity for service, repairs and refits that are the backbone of the state’s maritime industry today. Searching for more meaningful lives, Great Island owners Steve and Stephanie Rowe left high-powered corporate jobs to run the yard.
Founded by Bill Lowe of Owls Head, Maine, who started out making special metal fittings for yachts, Lowe Hardware has expanded into the high-end custom hardware home market. The company makes doorknobs, pulls, hinges, cabinet handles, and even fittings for furniture, in finishes that range from shiny or rough bronze to gold-plated brass or nickel.
The New-York Historical Society has sent an impressive array of its marine and maritime art holdings, mostly 19th century, to the Portland Museum Art for the 2014-2015 winter season. “The Coast & the Sea: Marine and Maritime Art in America” offers an excellent opportunity to take in a clutch of sea-going artifacts, plus ships, seascapes, and portraits by a top-notch lineup of painters.
Martha Ballard, a midwife who lived in the Hallowell area of Maine at the turn of the eighteenth century, kept a journal of her daily life for 27 years. Looking back at the entries is a wonderful way to learn about early gardening and food preparation. Food writer and Contributing Editor Sandy Oliver takes a look at what Martha was doing in June.
An environmentalist sees the rebuild of his shorefront home as an opportunity to align the house with his principles. The new house is small and extremely efficient.
An old mill in Freedom is a model for adaptive re-use. After a 40-year vacancy, it is filled with new life, including an alternative school and a restaurant.
