The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fogler Library Winter 12-2015 On Becoming a Homesteader Tasha Raymond University of Maine - Main, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons, and the Other Arts and Humanities Commons Recommended Citation Raymond, Tasha, "On Becoming a Homesteader" (2015). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2354. http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd/2354 This Open-Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. ON BECOMING A HOMESTEADER By Tasha Marie Raymond B.S. University of Maine, 2007 A PROJECT/THESIS Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (in Interdisciplinary Studies) The Graduate School The University of Maine December, 2015 Advisory Committee: Carol Toner, Ph.D., Chair – Director, Maine Studies, Advisor Betsy Beattie, Ph. D., Instructor in Maine Studies and Canadian Studies Librarian Jennifer Pickard, Instructor in Maine Studies Copyright 2015 Tasha Marie Raymond ii PROJECT/THESIS ACCEPTANCE STATEMENT On behalf of the Graduate Committee for Tasha Marie Raymond, I affirm that this manuscript is the final and accepted project/thesis. Signatures of all committee members are on file with the Graduate School at the University of Maine, 42 Stodder Hall, Orono, Maine. ________________________________________________________________________ Carol Toner, Ph.D., Chair LIBRARY RIGHTS STATEMENT In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Maine, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for “fair use” copying of this project/thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Librarian. It is understood that any copying or publication of this project/thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Signature: Date: ON BECOMING A HOMESTEADER By Tasha Marie Raymond Project/Thesis Advisor: Dr. Carol Toner An Abstract of the Project/Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (in Interdisciplinary Studies) December 2015 This project/thesis is a combination of personal reflection on my family's work towards building a homestead and the research that has driven, and been driven by, our homesteading goals and desires. The history of homesteading is included to situate our homestead into the larger homesteading history in Maine and in the country. Recalling our own motivations to control our food security and food sovereignty that is traditionally tied to commercial agriculture, I integrate the topics of genetically modified organisms and concentrated animal feeding operations and the reasons we chose to avoid both. Our concern for the environment, distrust in food that has been genetically altered, and concern over the lack of transparency from food corporations have led us to avoid consuming genetically modified organisms. Similarly, our concern about damage to the environment, consumer health, and animal welfare provided motivation to begin practicing small scale animal husbandry in an attempt to provide our homestead with meat and meat products not raised in a concentrated animal feeding operation setting. What we cannot produce on our own homestead we purchase locally, taking part in the efforts to create a self-sufficient community. Unfortunately, our ability to provide non- GMO produce and non-CAFO meat and meat products for our family hinges on the laws and regulations of our town and state. Fortunately, many towns in Maine are attempting to protect the food sovereignty and security of their communities by creating ordinances that protect the rights of both consumer and producer in the name of self-sufficiency, a state-wide response to industrial agriculture. This study examines our decision to homestead as a personal and sustainable response to the dangers inherent in industrial agriculture. iv DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this work to my wonderful family. My children have given me every reason to battle Maine's fickle climate and keep plugging away at our self-sufficiency. They are my motivation. My husband has been fantastic through it all, bringing in the only income so I can work on my graduate studies while running a homestead. He has been patient with my growing love for chickens and understanding in how long this journey has been; he is truly my rock. I love you all and am blessed to call you mine. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my committee members, Carol Toner, Jennifer Pickard, and Betsy Beattie for all the editing, suggestions, and support that they provided me while working on this project. Their mentoring during this process has been invaluable! The author also wishes to thank long-time friends Katrina Ray-Saulis and Desiree Giroux for the countless hours that they have dedicated to editing drafts and listening to a frustrated graduate student. Their love and hard work has been a blessing and the author hopes that she can one day return the favor. vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Norridgewock Area......................................................................................128 Figure 2. Local Resources............................................................................................129 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION....................................................................................................................iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.................................................................................................v LIST OF FIGURES............................................................................................................vi INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................1 CHAPTER ONE: WHO ARE HOMESTEADERS?...........................................................9 Defining Homesteaders..........................................................................................10 Connecting Current Homesteading to the Larger Historical Context....................13 Financial Issues as the Original Motive.................................................................16 Pure Survival: The Motivator From the Great Depression....................................18 “Dropping Out” of Current Culture.......................................................................21 CHAPTER TWO: TOMATOES, GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS, AND ORGANICS.......................................................................................................................29 What Are GMOs?..................................................................................................31 GMOs and The Environment.................................................................................35 Health and GMOs..................................................................................................37 Maine, GMOs, and Legalities................................................................................38 Organics.................................................................................................................43 CHAPTER THREE: CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS.............49 The Impact of CAFOS...........................................................................................51 An Example of CAFOs Close to Home: DeCoster Egg Farms.............................57 Homesteads and Animal Husbandry in Maine: A Stand Against CAFOs.............62 vii CHAPTER FOUR: MAINE HOMESTEADING'S CONNECTION TO STRENGTHENING FOOD SOVEREIGNTY AND FOOD SECURITY........................67 Defining Food Sovereignty and Food Security.....................................................70 Maine's Food Deserts.............................................................................................75 Maine Homesteaders Advocate for Food Sovereignty and Security.....................81 CHAPTER FIVE: SELF-SUFFICIENCY: COMMUNITY AND TECHNOLOGY........87 Self-sufficiency and Community...........................................................................90 The Internet: The Bridge Between Community and Technology..........................92 The Addition of Technology..................................................................................97 CONCLUSION................................................................................................................102 ENDNOTES....................................................................................................................108 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................121 APPENDIX A: MAPS.....................................................................................................128 APPENDIX B: SURVEY................................................................................................130 APPENDIX C: SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES AND WEBSITE LINKS.............................144 BIOGRAPHY OF AUTHOR...........................................................................................146 1 INTRODUCTION By mid-April, 2015, the snow has melted and I can finally mark out the expansions for the gardens. The flock of laying hens and their