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Black Gold
Edible Maine

Before you can pour a glass of milk or garnish your cheese board with tasty morsels, the dairy industry has to deal with a lot of poop. Finish your yogurt and consider this: A single cow can excrete a hundred pounds of manure in a day. If you’ve ever driven by a dairy farm, you have most likely noticed that the whole facility seems to revolve around manure management: equipment to move it, places to put it, and the ever-present smell of it.

Photographs by Kirsten Lie-Nielsen

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Impulse Chickens and Trendy Goats: The Pitfalls of Modern Homesteading
Modern Farmer

A few months after backyard chickens became popular in the spring of 2020, farm rescues and sanctuaries saw an influx of surrendered birds. Now, they’re asking people to think twice before following their homesteading dreams.

Photography courtesy of Kathy Halamka

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Meet the Women Making Waves in Maine’s Tough Lobster Industry
Modern Farmer

Lobstering, a field traditionally dominated by men, is physically and emotionally demanding. For a growing number of women, that’s part of the draw.

Photography by Kirsten Lie-Nielsen

More Articles

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  • "These Hands" Personal Essay, Trailblazher magazine, Winter 2023

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For more essays on the modern homesteading movement and lifestyle, visit Kirsten's Substack

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