Lake Living vol. 13, no. 3

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fall 2010 • vol. 13, no.3

A Down-toEarth Dwelling PLUS:

inside the eco-home tea time endless summer closing camp

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editor’s note

I awoke today and found the frost perched on the town It hovered in a frozen sky, then it gobbled summer down —from Urge for Going by Joni Mitchell It’s not so much when I pull a pair of socks out of the drawer for the first time in months, nor is it the gathering darkness that tells me another summer has come to a close. Instead it’s some kind of primordial alarm clock that hastens me, along with the squirrels, to shore up for winter. Stacking wood and stocking the pantry become a priority. I have enough Maine winters under my belt to know that I don’t want to be without firewood or raspberry jam at the end of February, so I come out of my summer languor and shift into winterization mode. The only thing I stubbornly avoid is retiring my flip-flops in favor of socks and shoes, which is probably a self-defeating stand against winter.

Despite my resistance, I can’t imagine living in an environment without distinct seasons. Each year in Maine is a condensed version of a rich and varied lifetime, with all the joy and sadness that accompany the various stages of it.

Fall, with its faint whiff of decay, may foretell another year’s end, but it does it so eloquently. I turn to tea again, and plan meals that will warm from the inside out. I marvel each morning at how the landscape has changed overnight.

Eventually and inevitably, with a parting bow to her boastful beauty, I let go of summer and accept the mellowed face of fall. Only then can I surrender to the common sense of wearing socks.

—Laurie LaMountain Editor & Publisher Laurie LaMountain Contributing Writers Leigh Macmillen Hayes, Joe Zentner, T. Jewell Collins Contributing Photographers Ethan McNerney, Oliver Solmitz, Leigh Macmillen Hayes, T. Jewell Collins Graphic Designer Dianne Lewis Proofreader/Copy Editor Leigh Macmillen Hayes Lake Living is published quarterly by Almanac Graphics, Inc., 625 Rocky Knoll Rd, Denmark, ME 04022 207-452-8005. lakeliving@fairpoint. net ©2010. All rights reserved. Contents of this magazine may not be reproduced in any manner without written consent from the publisher. Annual subscriptions are available by sending check or money order for $20 to the above address.

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fall 2010 • vol. 13, no. 3

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6 a down-to-earth dwelling

by leigh macmillen hayes

8 inside the eco-home

by laurie lamountain

10 endless summer

by laurie lamountain

12 tea time

by leigh macmillen hayes

14 after the fall

by laurie lamountain

16 gifts from the land

by joe zenter

19 closing camp

by t. jewell collins

cover photo by ethan mcnerney

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photo : oliver solmitz

A Down-to-Earth Dwelling U

p a gravel road, in a small opening at the top of a hill in Stoneham, Oliver Solmitz lives in a house notched into a grassy slope. “The moose are fooled,” says Ollie. “They stand on the roof and don’t know the difference.

Well before they get on the roof I hear the hooves transmit through the earth.”

Ollie’s earth-sheltered home is nestled into the landscape rather than projecting from it. Earth sheltered means his home is not completely underground, but is integrated into the surrounding earth. I expected the inside of this 481 square-foot home to be dark and oppressive but that’s not the case. Since it was architecturally designed to take advantage of the southern exposure, it receives plenty of light through a wall of windows.

The small scale house is a result of Ollie’s interest in architecture, the environment and his life circumstances. A divorce years ago

by leigh macmillen hayes 6

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meant he had to find somewhere to live. The first year after the divorce, he spent in a big canvas-walled tent. “I was so close to nature,” Ollie says. “It’s the best I ever lived.”

Having had an interest in architecture since high school, he assisted architect Bill Hamilton with the design of the house.

Though he’s worked as a paramedic for the last 22 years, Ollie has spent ten years pursuing an architectural degree at the University of Maine, Augusta. He’s one course shy of completing his studies and plans to have his degree by December. The year in the tent continues to influence his design as well as his life.

Ollie’s studies of the works of Malcolm Wells, Rob Roy and Frank Lloyd Wright also affect his approach to architecture and his current home. “Malcolm Wells was the father of earth sheltering, at least in the modern age,” says Ollie. “He very unfortunately died early last winter. I actually had

the honor of meeting him as he’s one of the finest humans who ever walked the earth.”

In his book Recovering America, Wells writes, “build a strong, weatherproofed building. Insulate it. Cover it with earth.

And plant it with native plants.” And that’s exactly what Ollie has done.

When I first drove into his driveway, I, like the moose, didn’t see the house. Tall grasses, goldenrod and Black-eyed Susans grow everywhere in the forest opening.

A stone wall retaining an embankment led me around the bend to the structure.

I wasn’t sure what to expect as I can only recall seeing one other earth shelter, yet earth shelters have been used by civilization since the dawn of history. My eyes were first drawn to the living roof, the shingled exterior, painted trim and triangles that created design against a gray cement wall.

Large windows seem to extend from the ground to the overhanging roof.

photo: ethan mcnerney

The shell of the home is made of steelreinforced concrete, allowing it to take advantage of the earth as a natural insulator. Concrete creates a huge thermal mass and serves as a heat sink, absorbing the sun during the day and reflecting it back as warmth at night.

The ceiling is wood-framed. Above the framing, a wooden deck supports eight inches of styrofoam insulation, about two inches of sand buffer, topped with two more inches of insulation. Rubber roof and filter fabric sit on top and the final layer is earth. The earth is used as a building material while providing protection from the elements. The roof is strong enough for a wet Maine spring, and Ollie neither shovels nor mows it. So far, trees haven’t rooted, but should they, he’ll need to pull them.

In constructing the well-built house, he needed to balance energy efficiency and light. His original intention had been to live in the home without any electricity at all, but . . . “I’m over 40 years old. Pumping water for twenty minutes every day was kind of cool but I blew out my shoulder doing it.” Thus his alternative energy includes four 50-watt solar panels for electricity and the water pump, plus propane, which fires the hot water heater, refrigerator and cook stove. Because the earth cools the house in the summer and keeps it warm in the winter, Ollie only burns about a third of a cord of wood per year. “Had I done some things differently, it wouldn’t need any additional heat. I’ve never lost more than 2 1/2 degrees in 24 hours when it’s 30 below,” he says.

Sitting at the kitchen table, Ollie’s speech quickens as he illustrates the three fundamental elements of architecture on paper—scale, light and space. It’s easy to see in his deliberate pencil sketches his intense passion for the subject. He talks as he draws and tries to condense a 4-year college course into a quick lesson for me.

Scale is evidence of the human hand.

Rob Roy’s work in Underground Houses illustrates how things done by hand create scale. In Ollie’s house, that includes the triangles on the outside cement wall. Inside, one example is the plastered walls, one by Ollie, the others by a professional. Though the pro’s work is more polished, it’s Ollie’s hand-smoothed plaster that creates more interest to the eye. Scale helps us relate to a building through the materials used.

Ideally, every space receives light from two directions, which reveals form and casts shadows as the sun travels through the sky. Light can create wonderful quality in space. The shifting light indoors connects us to nature. A combination of low light and high light is important, creating contrast and balance. Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture removed corners and made a literal connection between indoors and out.

This home isn’t a true “organic” place as defined by Wright, but Ollie says, “That [connection to the outdoors] becomes more important the smaller the house is.”

“Space,” says Ollie as he continues to illustrate these concepts on paper, “is more than volume, more than a box. Good space has a beyond.” His friend, James Schildroth, says, “Space defines but never limits nor confines.”

Space is the third element and the one I find most intriguing. When you create smaller spaces within larger spaces, that’s when space starts to happen. An implied plane suggests two different spaces and reinforces closure. “Lining up edges purposefully,” says Ollie, “establishes the space within a greater space.”

The earth shelter is essentially one room divided into smaller spaces--a living room, kitchen and bedroom. Each is a space unto itself, yet all are together.

Ollie has found guidance from Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House.

She suggests that “quality should come before quantity” in home design. “McMansions do not necessarily give us what we need in a house,” Susanka writes. A small house should be efficient as well as an expression of personality. In his home, it’s continued on page 18

Because the earth cools the house in the summer and keeps it warm in the winter, Ollie only burns about a third of a cord of wood per year.

books of interest Roy, Rob, The Complete Book of Underground Houses: How to Build a Low Cost Home, New York: Sterling Publishing Company, 1994.

Roy, Rob, Earth-Sheltered Houses: How to Build an Affordable Underground Home, British Columbia: New Society Publishers, 2006.

Susanka, Sarah, The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live, Newton, CT: The Taunton Press, 2001.

Wells, Malcolm, Recovering America: A More Gentle Way to Build, Singapore: 1999.

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Inside the Eco-Home: Reducing the Need to Recycle

it wasn’t that long ago that much of the trash we generated was

biodegradable. Remember the dump and how it got its name? Of course, no one is saying that creating a gigantic heap of trash and garbage in a communal location is a good thing, but it was a different world then. Plastic wasn’t present in virtually everything we buy, own or use, and home computers weren’t invented.

Electronics consisted of radios and televisions. No one, now here’s a concept, had a mobile phone.

Fast forward forty-odd years, and not only is each of us generating more waste, but there are more of us. Furthermore, a lot of the trash we generate is largely nonbiodegradable and/or hazardous. Add to that the fact that we consume much more and more often than previous generations, and the result is a LOT more refuse.

It’s not uncommon now for a household to have three or four televisions. Throw in treadmills, coffee makers, microwave ovens, dishwashers, answering machines, phones, digital cameras, DVD players, iPods, MP3 Players and game boxes to the already existing list of household appliances and you end up with a lot of stuff that is considered e-waste and may contain hazardous materials, such as lead, cadmium and mercury. According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Americans own approximately twenty-four electronic products per household.

Most people don’t know what to do with the e-waste they generate, so they keep a stockpile of obsolete electronics in their home. Manufacturers are constantly advancing technology, and consumers are scrambling to keep up; the average life span of a home computer is just 3 to 5 years and 80% of all households have one. According to EPA estimates for 2007, Americans discarded 29.9 million desktop computers, 12 million laptops, and 31.9 computer moni-

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tors, of which only 13.6% were recycled.

Finding a “Qualified Disposal/Recycler” can be difficult, but we’re fortunate that Maine has initiated an e-waste law that shares the responsibility of recycling televisions and computer monitors between consumers, municipalities, and manufacturers. Consumers are responsible for delivering their televisions and computer monitors to a consolidator, municipalities are responsible for providing consolidation sites, and manufacturers are responsible for paying the consolidators the costs of handling, transporting, and recycling the products. In addition, each manufacturer is required to provide Maine DEP with annual reports on the recycling of its products generated as waste in Maine.

While bringing your abandoned computer to an e-waste facility for recycling is the responsible thing to do, it’s better to make an “expandable” purchase and upgrade as much as possible. With good maintenance, there’s really no reason you shouldn’t be able to double the average life expectancy of your computer.

Besides electronics and appliances, there’s the trash factor. It’s estimated that each person in the U.S. generates an average of 4 pounds of trash per day, which, if you think about it, is not that difficult.

For every tube of toothpaste you buy, there’s a cardboard box that comes with

it. Packaging accounts for a huge amount of household waste; about thirty-seven percent of solid waste in the U.S. is paper and paperboard. When you consider the resources used to create this unnecessary waste, the implications are even greater.

You can make a big difference by being a conscious consumer. Avoid products that are unnecessarily packaged in cardboard, buy in bulk, or better yet, grow your own food or support local farmers’ markets and vendors. Not only will you be avoiding unnecessary packaging, but you’ll be buying products that haven’t left a carbon shipping footprint. Oh, and if you haven’t heard it enough and you’re STILL not doing it, bring your own cloth bags to the supermarket.

Reduce is first in line when it comes to the three Rs. In the words of the U.S. EPA, “reduction actually prevents the generation of waste in the first place, so it is the most

preferred method of waste management and goes a long way toward protecting the environment.” Buy only what you need, and buy durable and repairable products that will stand the test of time. Avoid buying disposable anything; razors, pens, pencils, napkins, lighters, etc.

Reducing your energy consumption is another way to honor the first of the 3 Rs of environmental awareness. Insulate and seal your home, choose Energy-Star rated windows and appliances, use compact florescent light bulbs, turn the thermostat down and the lights off, put up a clothesline. If you’re building a new home, consult environmental design specialists, such as Turner Building Science & Design, LLC in Harrison, for an integrated approach to sustainable design and construction.

Ultimately, it’s through reducing our consumption that we can make the biggest difference. And what better place to begin than within our own homes. R

more tips for reducing cut down on junk mail The average American household receives more than 500 pieces of advertising mail each year. Reduce the amount of junk mail you receive at home and at the office by contacting the National Do Not Mail List or registering with the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Mail Preference Service (MPS) to have your name removed from mailing lists. If you just want to stop select catalogs, you can contact individual mailers and ask them to remove your name from their mailing lists. There’s also a toll-free number to stop mailings of credit card offers: 1-888-5-OPT-OUT will reach the major national credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Have your Social Security number ready to confirm your identity.

buy milk in returnable glass bottles and keep a mug in your car for coffee or tea on the go. create compost, leave grass clippings on the lawn or use them for mulch. Or you can really be green by turning your grassy lawn into garden space. substitute rechargeable batteries for throwaway batteries. Better yet, limit the number of products you purchase that require batteries. buy a hot water bottle and use it instead of an electric blanket. can, freeze, conserve.

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9

Endless Summer I

n between the rush to plant peas in early spring and the annual rite of putting the garden to bed come fall lies the all-too-brief Maine summer, but just because the growing season is drawing to a close doesn’t mean we have to let go of summer completely. The prospect of spending two-thirds of the year without the goodness of foods we have grown and harvested ourselves becomes unthinkable since we’ve tasted the difference. It’s an investment of time and effort to grow our own food, and it’s one that very quickly necessitates a further investment of time and effort to extend the enjoyment

by laurie lamountain 10 lakelivingmaine.com

of it. No one said it would be easy taking back control of our food supply.

I was fortunate, though I felt anything but at the time, to have parents who were committed to growing and preserving our food. My job was to help my mother can and freeze the masses of vegetables my father harvested from our football field-sized garden. Summers were spent in a steamy kitchen, packing piping hot jars with beets, potatoes, tomatoes and carrots and filling freezer bags with peas, green beans and broccoli. The sharp aroma of vinegar mingled with dill and pickling spice never

fails to bring me back to those summers of yesteryear. At the time it felt like child labor, but now that I have a small garden of my own, I’m glad I have the skills to “put vegetables up” for the months ahead.

Canning is really a low-tech process.

In fact, the tools I use to can fruits and vegetables really haven’t changed much over the years. There have been improvements for safety’s sake, but the process has changed very little. Metal canning lids and jar rings have replaced the old jar rubbers that were used with jars with metal bales.

Recently I discovered a gadget for lifting the lids and rings out of hot water that consists of a round magnet mounted at the end of a plastic wand. The excitement that $2 gadget aroused in me was probably excessive, but I couldn’t wait to use it on this season’s second batch of raspberry jam. Unlike a lot of things we purchase these days, it’s worth every penny.

The pressure canner itself is probably what has most improved. Horror stories of second degree burns and food on the ceiling have disappeared along with advances in the design of pressure canners. If you are serious about canning, you would do well to invest in a good quality pressure canner, but be prepared to spend at least $100 for a heavy cast aluminum or stainless steel model.

My approach to canning eliminates the pressure canner altogether, but also eliminates low-acid vegetables from the list of items I can preserve. Fruits, tomatoes and any vegetables I’m pickling are fine with the water bath method of canning, but low-acid vegetables such as potatoes, green beans, beets and squash must have the sustained 240˚ F temperature achievable only with a pressure canner to kill potentially harmful bacteria. Unfortunately, ordinary water bath canners can only reach 212˚ F. Tomatoes, particularly low-acid ones, are considered border line, but adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to each quart bumps them up to the pH level that inhibits bacteria growth.

The fact that I’ve limited my canning to jams, jellies, chutneys, peaches, pickles and tomatoes doesn’t feel like a limitation to me. My mother pressure canned vegetables from our garden, but the results often didn’t appeal to my palate. I prefer my vegetables al dente and bringing them up to 240˚ F doesn’t yield that end. Canned new potatoes and beets were the exception, and I remember how good my mother’s were, but not so good that I want to go through the effort of pressure canning them.

The boiling water bath method I use for canning is really very simple. I always wash my jars in hot, soapy water and sterilize them in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. I then fill the hot jars with whatever I’m preserving, cap them and lower them into the same water I used to sterilize the jars. The water level should be one to two inches above the top of the jars. Once the water returns to a boil, I set the timer for the amount of processing time indicated by the recipe. Using a jar lifter, I then raise the jars out of the canner and let them rest for 24 hours on a wire rack covered with a tea towel.

Much of what makes canning easy is organization and practice. Give it a try.

Start with something simple, like fruit jam, and limit the size of your first batch.

Another discovery I made only recently is Pomona’s Universal Pectin. It allows me to make nearly foolproof jams and jellies with little or no sugar. I found it locally at Morning Dew in Bridgton. Two quarts of fresh

fruit will yield around six jelly jars of jam.

If somehow you have a disastrous result, and I can attest to the possibility, you won’t be too discouraged from trying again.

Make sure you have the proper equipment. A jar lifter, canning funnel, bubble remover, and that magnetized wand I got so excited about are available as a package from Ball® Jars and jar lids are seasonally available at most supermarkets and hardware stores. You should also have a rack for the bottom of your canner, for which a large stock pot will work equally well, and a timer for accurately measuring processing times.

The other reason I don’t feel limited in my canning efforts is my freezer. Peas and green beans that have been frozen appeal much more to my palate than canned, particularly in January when my memory is a little hazy. Freezing is also easy. Blanching and icing beans, peas and corn takes very little time. With the rotten tomato season we experienced last summer, there weren’t enough tomatoes in my garden to merit canning them, so I slow roasted them with olive oil, garlic, coarse salt and herbs, and then packaged two cups to each one-quart zip lock freezer bag so that I could lay them on top of one another in the freezer.

The rewards of canning and freezing fruits and vegetables you’ve grown yourself are immeasurable. Each time you pop the lid on something you’ve put up, you’ll be compensated for your efforts. Think of it as preserving summer in a jar. R

ginger peach preserves Makes 6 cups 5 lbs. ripe peaches 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 tablespoons chopped, fresh ginger root 4 cups sugar Bring a large pot of water to boil. Score an X in the bottom of each peach with a paring knife and place them in boiling water for 45 seconds. Transfer immediately to a large bowl filled with ice water. Remove skins, halve peaches, and remove pits. Cut each half into 6 to 8 slices. Bring peaches, ginger, sugar, and lemon juice to a simmer in a pot, and then transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Bring preserves to a simmer in a large saucepan, skimming foam from surface as necessary. Continue to cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Fill hot, sterilized jars with hot preserves, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe rims of jars with a clean, damp cloth, and cover with lids and finger-tightened screw tops.

Transfer jars, using tongs or a jar lifter, to the rack of a large canning pot filled halfway with hot water, being sure to keep jars upright at all times. Add enough hot water to cover jars by 2 inches. Cover, and bring to a boil. Process jars in gently boiling water for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack covered with a tea towel, and let cool for 24 hours.

Once jars have cooled, test the seal. Press on each lid. If lid pops back, it is not sealed; refrigerate immediately, and use within a month. Sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to one year. Once open, refrigerate.

books on canning Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving: 100th Anniversary Edition Publisher: Jarden Home Brands This elegant new version of America’s classic food preservation guide is printed in glossy magazine format with plenty of full-page color spreads, and contains more than 500 recipes. Covers general canning principles, high-acid foods, soft spreads, pickled foods, low-acid foods (including meats), condiments, and salsas. Includes sections on freezing and dehydrating, a trouble-shooting chart, a glossary, and an index. 128 pages, 2009. $7.95 USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning Publisher: Purdue University This book is great for people who are canning for the first time, although experienced canners will also find new and useful information. Discusses canning equipment, ingredients and procedures to achieve safe high-quality canned products.

Includes hundreds of canning recipes. 191 pages, 2009. $18.00 So Easy to Preserve Publisher: UGA Cooperative Extension The 5th edition of this popular book from University of Georgia Cooperative Extension contains the latest USDA recommendations for the three primary methods of preserving food: canning, freezing, and drying. Includes charts on food pH values; temperatures for food preservation; yields for canned, frozen, and dried foods; weights and measures for fresh produce; and common measurement equivalents.

Features more than 185 tested recipes.

The step by step instructions and in-depth information are appropriate for both new and experienced food preservers. 376 pages, 2006. $18.00 lakelivingmaine.com

11

leigh macmillen hayes

Tea Time

T

he Shaker bell tolls signaling lunch. I join garden interns of various ages and amble to the screened porch of a white clapboard building that houses the offices of Shaker Village at Sabbathday Lake in New Gloucester.

Comfortable chairs, cold lemonade and easy camaraderie are shared among these perspiring folks who’ve spent the morning hours harvesting herbs under the hot July sun.

Shaker Village is located on a hillside that slopes toward Sabbathday Lake. It’s covered with lovingly kept vegetable and herb gardens, orchards and hayfields, pasture and wood.

Neat red brick and white clapboard buildings sit nestled along either side of the road.

This is an eternal place and yet only three Shakers live here: Brother Arnold, Sister Frances and Sister June. But others help carry on their traditions. Betsey-Ann Golon, who goes by Betz, is one who helps. Almost twenty-one years ago Betz was called upon because the community was having difficulty with herbal vinegar. She has a degree in botany and with her husband Dale, owns Common Folk Farm in Naples. After solving the vinegar problem, Betz was asked to teach summer classes. A trusting relationship developed and she became employed as their herbalist.

After lunch, Betz beckons us to the cool laundry room of the Sister’s Shop, where she’s set a long table for our tea lesson. Descending the stairs to the basement, a potpourri of herbs mingles together and tickles my nose­— strong yet delightful, earthy, wholesome and fragrant.

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Betz’s interest in herbal teas is in her blood. Her grandmother was from Manchester, England. Growing up, she has fond memories of sharing tea with her five sisters and Gram at the end of a school day. On this afternoon, she is going to be the teacher and share her love of herbal teas with us.

With her hands in constant motion, the effervescent Betz explains that white, green and black tea only come from one plant— a shrub called Camellia sinensis, the Tea plant. It’s difficult to determine when it was discovered that dried leaves from the plant could be placed into boiling water to create a beverage, but as far back as 1000 BC tea is noted as a Chinese medicine.

Betz’s voice rises with excitement as she tells us we are about to create our own “tea.” Actually, we aren’t going to use any tea leaves from the Tea plant, but instead fresh picked herbs from the garden. We’ll create herbal infusions, also called tisanes.

Tisanes are made with edible herbs, flowers, leaves, bark, roots and/or berries of plants.

The Shaker garden yields peppermint, spearmint, lemon thyme, lemon verbena, lemon balm, Egyptian mint, bee balm, basil, lavender, rosemary and calendula for today’s lesson. It’s all about herbs, so not only will we make and sample our own teas, but we’ll also eat sugar cookies topped with frosting and yellow calendula petals.

Remember the 1950s book and Doris Day movie “Please Don’t Eat the Daisies”?

Well, back then few would have considered eating flowers. Calendula is a pot marigold from the daisy family Asteraceae—we are going to eat and drink the daisies. And Sister Francis has contributed a tin of her candycoated nuts. Outside, it is a sweltering 90°; inside we’re enjoying a delightful afternoon.

When creating tea from herbs, Betz encourages us to use 3 cups of whole herbs to 1 or 1/2 cup of dried herbs. “You’re trying

Calendula is a pot marigold from the daisy family Asteraceae—we are going to eat and drink the daisies.

leigh macmillen hayes

to get a solid flavor,” she explains. “It’s not as easy with fresh herbs.” Fresh herbs contain a high volume of water. Dried herbs are generally more potent and concentrated.

Betz mentions that men love a little rosemary in their tea because it gives a strong flavor. Devon, a young man, picks right up on that advice and wants his group to add a sprig of rosemary. The group chooses Egyptian mint, bee balm and spearmint plus the rosemary. Calendula petals are added for color. We pluck the leaves from the stems and gently bruise them to release the essential oils. Betz cups her hand to measure. The herbs are placed in an infuser and boiling water is added.

While the first pot steeps for about five minutes, Betz says that you can dry the herbs, toss them into a food processor and chop them for a stronger flavored tea. And you can make sun tea, but she cautions that you should keep the lid on so bugs stay out. One to two hours in the sun and your herbal tea should be ready. Sun tea must be consumed within 48 hours and any leftovers poured out. Since you are not using boiling water to make it, the plant material begins to break down.

It turns out that the rosemary isn’t such a hit in Devon’s tea, but the mint is good.

He suggests adding more mint. “A man who likes strong flavors,” jokes Betz.

Experimenting with flavors is Betz’s goal for the day. Lauren, Megan and Amanda, create what they affectionately name the “Three Chicks Tea.” They pluck lemon thyme, lemon verbena and yellow calendula petals. “I like my lemon tea,” says Megan, who is eager to take some of her favorite lemon thyme home to her mom.

The taste test includes our tea blends plus a couple Betz has already prepared: a bland green tea and Blueberry Lemon Tea from Common Folk Farm. To the green tea, she adds a bit of rosewater and ginger ale. “I like to see nice color,” she says as she holds the pitcher up, “With green tea, it’s hard to tell if it’s colored. I’ll add fruit juice to sweeten it or orange zest or lemon zest.” Raspberry and blackberry leaves can also be added. Jeremy drinks lots of the green tea combination. “Wow, that was awesome. It’s got zing,” he says, a broad smile lighting his face.

Each tea we sample is appealing and complex. For sweetness, some add either lavender sugar, honey or agave.

At Shaker Village, the herbs are dried

in an attic laundry room where clothes once hung to dry. When harvesting, they cut just the top of the plants so there is no dirt. “We literally strip the leaves off the stems to make sure there are no insects or brown leaves,” explains Betz. The herbs are laid on oak-framed racks and stacked for about three to seven days. Then the dried herbs are carried downstairs to the former ironing room where they are stored in food grade bags inside large barrels. From there, they are packed into tins the way the Shakers have always packed them and shipped around the country. Betz also takes them to fairs where she sells them along with her own Common Folk Farm brand.

In preparing your own teas, choose scents that appeal to you. Use your nose, imagination and herb guide. The taste will be different every time as the ingredients change with the seasons. Experiment with different combinations. You can grow your own herbs in the garden and forage for other ingredients, i.e. strawberry and raspberry leaves, which will add a delightful

tanginess to otherwise mild tea blends. Or you can purchase dried herbs from Shaker Village and Common Folk Farm.

The Shaker teas are herb based while Common Folk Farm blends herbs, fruits and spices. Both offer teas and spices online at www.shaker.lib.me.us and www. commonfolkfarmherbs.com or at the Shaker Village museum.

Find a sunny spot in the garden or shade on the porch, set a table and enjoy your very own tea party.

A word to the wise: A good identification book is a must for choosing herbs to craft your own tea. If you use any herbs, first make sure they are edible. If you gather wild herbs, choose only those that have grown without pesticides and avoid any that grow along a roadside where they have absorbed exhaust, oil, sand and salt from traffic. The best way to ensure that your tea herbs are safe is to grow them yourself—in pots or a garden. And finally, consult your doctor before beginning the use of medicinal herbs in tisanes. R

WINTER ROSE OR CHRISTMAS ROSE TEA 1/2 cup dried rose hips (for Vitamin C) 1/2 cup Lemon Verbena leaves 1/2 cup dried peppermint leaves 1/2 cup dried orange peel 1/2 cup hibiscus flowers (for natural sweetness and a rosy color)

Blend all ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry area. Use one tablespoon mix and 8 oz boiling water and steep for 10 minutes. Sweeten with honey or a red and white peppermint hard candy. Makes 2 cups mix or 24 cups of tea.

lakelivingmaine.com

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After the Fall R

emember when Mateus Rosé was the wine you bought when you were going high end? No doubt the pear-shaped bottle, which made a great candle holder when empty, had something to do with its relative prestige. Probably the biggest contributor, however, was the lack of competition. Flash forward forty-odd years and it’s a different world in which Mateus Rosé seems a quaint prelude to the vast array of wines now available. Here in backwater Maine you can find wines from Argentina, Chile, Africa, Spain, Italy and France, but even more satisfying is that there are more and better local offerings.

Maine Mead Works in Portland, is a relative newcomer to the ranks of Maine wine makers. Founded by Ben Alexander in 2007 with a core philosophy that embraces innovation, the environment and local community, Maine Mead Works now sells their HoneyMaker mead in over 150 shops and restaurants throughout Maine, and ships to nearly 20 other states.

Mead, thought to be the first alcoholic drink made by man over 5,000 years ago, is simply honey wine. HoneyMaker meads are handcrafted using a state-of-the-art continuous fermentation process that combines Swan’s 100% Maine wildflower honey and a proprietary yeast strain to create a diverse line of dry, semi-sweet and sweet wines of exceptional clarity and taste. The addition of native strawberries, lavender, cranberries, and apple cider makes them even more uniquely Maine-made.

Barrel-aged with American oak to lend complexity and depth, the meads are then hand bottled and labeled and stored a few more weeks before leaving the factory. Mead improves with age and because honey is one of the only foods that never goes bad, HoneyMaker can be cellared for 10 to 15 years or more or you can enjoy them immedi-

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ately. HoneyMaker benefits greatly from decanting or breathing, especially when young. Depending on the season, serve it chilled, room temperature or even warmed—each releases a distinct aroma.

Keep your eye open for MMW’s seasonal offerings—HoneyMaker Apple Cyser and HoneyMaker Cranberry. The Apple Cyser is a semi-sweet mead that Ben says will be available beginning mid-October, and the Cranberry is a dry mead that will be out in time for Thanksgiving. Both make great additions to the fall table. Bibo’s Madd Apple Cafe chef/owner Bill Boutwell uses HoneyMaker Cyser in the marinade for pork ribs (recipe next page) that he serves at the restaurant accompanied by Blacksmiths’ Fatty Bampkins Cider.

Blacksmiths Winery in South Casco, Maine, has been producing wines since 1999. Local ingredients such as blueberries, raspberries, rhubarb, elderberries, apples and cranberries lend themselves to their extensive list of Maine-made wines, most notably in their dessert wines which include Raspberry, Sweet Elderberry, Roughshod, and Sparkling Cranberry and Blueberry.

Pour a spoonful of Blacksmiths’ Roughshod, a Port-style wine made with Maine blueberries blended with brandy, into a glass of their Vidal Blanc and you have the perfect Maine kir cocktail. Add Roughshod to a glass of Blacksmiths’ Sparkling Blueberry wine and you’ve made a Kir Royale.

The most recent addition to Blacksmiths’ offerings is Fatty Bampkins draft cider.

After a visit to Ireland, Blacksmiths’ winemaker, Steve Linné, set out to create a European-style cider here in Maine. The result is a 100% Maine draft cider created using five apple varieties from Ricker Orchards of Turner, Maine. Each variety is individually pressed and fermented in bourbon and rye barrels. The cider is then blended to create an Irish style cider: crisp and refreshing, not sweet, with 5% alcohol. A true draft cider, Fatty Bampkins is available only in pubs, or in growlers at the winery. Perfect for fall.

Not only are Maine Mead Works and Blacksmiths Winery producing some very interesting wines, they are doing it in a way that supports other Maine businesses, like Richer Orchards and Swan’s Honey. Visit their Web sites for a list of retail locations and restaurants where you can buy their wines, or sample them at their locations.

Just make sure there’s plenty of room in the trunk before you go. R

maine mead works cocktails www.mainemeadworks.com

irish stinger

2 parts HoneyMaker Semi Sweet Mead 1 part Jameson Irish Whiskey Serve on the rocks and garnished with a lemon slice.

waggle dance

2 ounces HoneyMaker Dry Hopped

Mead 1/2 ounce lemongrass simple syrup 1/2 ounce Kaffir lime simple syrup 1/4 ounce lemon juice 1/4 ounce lime juice Serve straight up in a martini glass and garnished with a Kaffir lime leaf.

1/2 ounce housemade Kaffir lime

simple syrup Serve straight up and garnished with blueberries and a kumquat.

The Nor’Easter is the creation of mixologist Steve Lovenguth at Walter’s Restaurant in Portland. His concoction blends HoneyMaker mead with Cold

flocculator

2 ounces HoneyMaker Semi Sweet

Mead 1 ounce Pama Pomegranate Liqueur 1/2 ounce X-rated Fusion Liqueur Serve on the rocks garnished with a dried mango and pomegranate seeds.

blacksmiths winery roughshod cocktails www.blacksmithswinery.com

cranberry quench

The Maine cranberry crop and the holiday season merge in this delightful champagne cocktail.

1 1/2 cups chilled cranberry juice 3/4 cup Roughshod 1 750-ml bottle chilled dry champagne Place 2 tablespoons cranberry juice and 1 tablespoon Roughshod in each of 12 champagne flutes. Pour 1/4 cup champagne into each and serve. 12 Servings

beaujolais roughshod

2 teaspoons Roughshod 1/3 cup Beaujolais wine, well chilled In a wine glass, stir together the Roughshod and the Beaujolais and add several ice cubes if desired.

roughshod cup

2 tablespoons sugar 2 bottles (25.4 ounces each) chilled dry

red wine

2 ounces HoneyMaker Dry Mead 1 ounce thyme simple syrup 1 ounce Zen Green Tea Liqueur Serve on the rocks and garnished with a thyme sprig.

1 part HoneyMaker Semi Sweet Mead 2 parts sparkling white wine Serve in a champagne flute garnished with a fresh strawberry.

1 ounce HoneyMaker Blueberry Mead 2 ounces Cold River Blueberry Vodka 1/2 ounce Saké2Me Yuzu Citrus 1 ounce housemade Yozu citrus purée 1/2 ounce Bar Harbor Blueberry Syrup

2 ounces Brandy 1 ounce Dry Vermouth 1 ounce Roughshod dash of bitters Stir with cracked ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

royal-tea

buzzy nectar

the nor’easter

black anvil

River Vodka made from potatoes grown in Fryeburg for a disctinctly Maine cocktail.

1/2 cup Cointreau liqueur 1/2 cup Roughshod 1/3 cup tawny port 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1 bottle (33.8 ounces) chilled club soda Thin lemon slices Thin orange slices In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil.

Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool completely. In a large punch bowl stir together the red wine, Cointreau, Roughshod, tawny port, fresh lemon juice, and cooled sugar syrup. Cover and chill. Just before serving add club soda and citrus slices.

Makes about 13 cups.

sparks from the forge

1/4 ounce grenadine syrup 1/4 ounce Roughshod 1/4 ounce apricot brandy 1/4 ounce Cointreau 1/4 ounce green Chartreuse 1/4 ounce cognac or other brandy 1/4 ounce Kirschwasser Pour all the ingredients, in the order listed, into a narrow, straight-sided 2-ounce liqueur glass.

bibo’s madd apple café country style pork ribs Serves 6 A recent 100-mile dinner at Bibo’s featured this dish accompanied by Fatty Bampkins hard cider from Blacksmiths Winery.

3 lbs. Windy Hill Farm Country Style Pork Ribs marinade: 2 cups HoneyMaker Apple Cyser 1 cup local honey 3 tablespoons chopped local garlic 1/2 cup chopped local cilantro salt and pepper to taste 1 cup salad oil Marinate pork ribs for at least 6 hours or overnight. Grill on high heat and serve over a medley of roasted local vegetables in season.

BiBo’s Madd Apple Cafe is located at 23 Forest Avenue in Portland, Maine. Phone: 207.774.9698

close to home Find Maine Mead Works’ HoneyMaker meads locally at Quinn’s Jockey Cap in Fryeburg, The Good Life Market in Raymond, and Fare Share Coop in Norway. Blacksmiths Winery wines are available at The Good Life Market in Raymond, Tony’s Foodland in Naples, Craftworks in Bridgton, and The Market Basket in Harrison. lakelivingmaine.com

15

Gifts from the Land U

p until World War II, people ate ‘weeds’ regularly,” notes Peter Gail, author of The Dandelion Celebration: A Guide to Unexpected Cuisine.

“Dandelions, lambs-quarter—all sorts of wild plants—were part of a daily diet.

The bias against wild edibles came after World War II, in considerable part because of pesticide company advertising.”

Gail continues: “The pesticide industry convinced consumers that they should [for reasons not altogether clear] value uniformly green lawns, and the way to get a lawn green was by getting rid of ‘weeds.’”

Today, concerns over the long- and short-term health risks of pesticides, preservatives, additives, and food-borne illnesses in commercially prepared foods make wild edibles particularly appealing. As an added bonus for consumers concerned about protecting the environment, many wild edibles are naturally renewable food resources that thrive under our harsh growing conditions.

I have been fascinated with wild food foraging ever since my teens. Helping members of my family and others learn about wild edibles that grow in Maine has developed into an intriguing hobby that has allowed us to experience, to some degree, how our ancestors lived off the land.

To survive, wild plants must cope with herbivores (plant-eating animals), competing plants, weather and climatic changes. As a result, they’ve evolved to become fit species that contain concentrations of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. They are endowed with the vitamins, minerals and fiber that they (and we) need to survive—not to mention oftentimes more flavor than their waterbloated commercially sold counterparts.

The tastes we recognize and appreciate, such as sourness, pungency, sweet-

“

“The pesticide industry convinced consumers that they should [for reasons not altogether clear] value uniformly green lawns, and the way to get a lawn green was by getting rid of ‘weeds.’” by joe zentner 16 lakelivingmaine.com

ness, saltiness and bitterness, as well as the flavors of onions, garlic, wintergreen, chocolate and mint, are adaptations plants have developed in an effort to discourage herbivores. Many renewable herbs, greens, fruits, berries, nuts, and seeds thrive in backyards, fields, and trails throughout Maine. Although we can easily incorporate these tasty resources into meals the way our ancestors did, many people either ignore them or try diligently to destroy them as “weeds,” which is unfortunate because it is amazing how delicious meals taste when wild-growing ingredients are incorporated into them. Foraging also provides an innovative way to exercise, and it increases our understanding of and commitment to protecting local ecosystems.

Native Maine foods include seeds, which are a storehouse of energy, many having high protein levels. Living off the land, like the wild mammals, man ate seeds that were nutritionally (and visually) appealing.

Nuts are seeds, including tree seeds.

While they are seasonal, seeds have the advantage of being storable for long periods.

The great advantage of nut-bearing trees is that, unlike animals, they don’t run away.

The energy expended in gathering nuts is much less than the time and energy spent obtaining similar caloric value from hunting or fishing.

Fruits contain cancer-suppressing chemicals, are a valuable energy source, and possess fibers whose health-promoting qualities have only just recently begun to be understood.

Lamb’s-quarters, blueberries, wild cherries and dandelions are among my favorite wild foods. Lamb’s-quarters are related to spinach, beets and Swiss chard, and are equally tasty. The tender tips and undeveloped seed heads, mature leaves and whole young plants can be steamed. They cook down considerably, so for a generous helping, pick a substantial amount.

Dandelions, a member of the daisy family, are excellent tasting when added to salads or brewed as a tea. They contain calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium, as well as vitamins A, B, C, and D, along with health-enhancing bioflavonoids (biologically active substances found in plants that help nourish blood vessels). Dandelion flowers are sweetest when picked young and have a honey-like flavor.

A delicious-tasting wine can also be made

from the flowers. Young dandelion leaves taste great when steamed or tossed in salads.

Cattails grow in marshy ground virtually anywhere. They’re tall, reed-like plants with sword-shaped leaves. Cattail roots can be ground into flour that’s ideal for making muffins, biscuits, and pancakes.

Young shoots are used in salads, sautéed with meats, or cooked in a manner similar to how you prepare asparagus.

Marigolds have a citrus flavor that resembles that of saffron. Marigold petals can be sprinkled on salads, open-faced sandwiches, pasta and rice. Likewise, the flavor of Queen Anne’s Lace root is deliciously carrot-like, making this plant ideal for salads.

In the 19th century and earlier, native peoples collected wild blueberries from along Maine riverbanks. Adopted as Maine’s State berry in 1991, Maine wild blueberries grow on hills, plateaus and forests that stretch from the North Country to the state’s southwest corner.

One of the most nutritious of foods, packed with antioxidants, blueberries can be eaten fresh, made into a soup, or

baked into cakes, muffins, and bread.

Wild Maine strawberries are much smaller than the grocery store variety and are far tastier.

Fiddleheads—an early spring delicacy in Maine—are young coiled leaves of the ostrich fern. Harvest tender rolls of the ostrich fern as soon as they are an inch or two above the ground. Chilled fiddleheads can be served on toast or as a salad with an onion and vinegar dressing.

Chickweed tastes the way it looks: mild, gentle and bright green. This plant is loaded with calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, vitamins C and B plus proteins.

For a delicious chickweed-rice salad, mix equal parts chopped chickweed and cooked rice, then stir in olive oil, minced garlic, chopped walnuts and crumbled feta cheese.

An ideal way to begin searching for wild foods is to go with an experienced forager who can demonstrate which plants are edible and what specific parts of plants are safe to eat. Experienced foragers can also point out the best times of the year to harvest various parts of a plant.

Should you go it alone, start with just one plant, preferably an easily recognizable one. Of course, you must be able to identify any plant you plan to eat with absolute

certainty. Avoid species that have poisonous look-alikes. Follow a few safe species through the seasons and study them carefully, gradually adding new ones to your bring-home-and-eat list.

Use guidebooks to double- and triplecheck the identity of the plants you are thinking about eating. Do not forage for foods near heavily traveled roads, since they are may contain high concentrations of toxins picked-up from vehicle exhaust.

Always rinse your edibles thoroughly before eating them.

Finding, identifying, collecting, and consuming wild foods is an exciting way to add delicious variety to your meals, boost your health, get exercise, and learn about the environment. I will never again view land the way I did before I began foraging.

As a collector of wild things, I have become more deeply linked to nature and have developed a better understanding of where and how my food grows. We should all incorporate edible wild foods into our diets.

The closer to home you find your food, the better it will likely be for your pocketbook, your health, and the survivability of the planet. Enjoy, but do so circumspectly. R Joe Zentner is a freelance writer and long-time food foraging enthusiast.

foraging tips

provided by Robert K. Henderson, author of The Neighborhood Forager: A Guide for the Wild Food Gourmet.

spit the pits.

Many fruit pits, including apricots, enclose a poisonous substance (think cyanide), so it’s best to avoid them.

remember:

Any plant is poisonous to persons who are allergic to it.

always observe the firsttry protocol. When you have

positively identified a plant and its edible parts, taste it and then wait to see how your body reacts. Also, be aware that some plants, which are fine to consume in moderate amounts, can cause digestive problems in large quantities.

be a responsible forager.

Be kind to the trees and plants you harvest, leaving behind enough for them to regenerate, as well as enough for the wild creatures that depend on them for survival.

lakelivingmaine.com

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continued from page 7

the space that defines who Ollie is—from the natural setting surrounding the house to the violin, books and artwork within it.

The separate spaces within the whole make the house appear larger than its square footage. Other features enhance the size. The angle of the windowed wall from the entry way to the kitchen provides a longer view. Since the windows are at ground level, the opening to the wildflowers in the yard and forest beyond add to the feeling of more space. Following Wright’s example, the kitchen has been integrated into the primary living space.

And between the kitchen and bedroom, cabinets hang from the ceiling, accentuating the transition from one space to another.

Living in a small space forces one to simplify. Ollie has taken into consideration the house’s impact on the future. In his concern about the planet, he’s learned to live more with less. “I have minimized my material possessions, with a need for further refinement,” he says, “and am trying to live a life of greater conservation.”

Ollie began building the earth shelter in the fall of 2001 and has watched it grow and develop over the last nine years. Due to his upcoming plans to complete his degree in December and then either find a job in his new field or begin work on a masters degree program, he must sell the earth shelter and the 128 acres it’s situated upon. He’ll miss it.

The shelter needs an owner: someone who will be thrilled by the sound of approaching moose; someone who will rejoice in the isolation of this forested lot; someone who will embrace this small, efficient house and make it a home, just as Ollie has done.

Remember, neither size nor volume have much to do with comfort. R If the prospect of living in this downto-earth dwelling appeals to you, you can find out more about it by contacting Matt Lamontagne of Keller Williams Realty at 207.553. 2480 or 207.749.0433 or by email at Mattl@kw.com.

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have come over to close camp, the name Mainers give to their summer abode.

Mine will soon join the other empty ones around the lake, poignant reminders that autumn, that bittersweet season, is upon us once again.

Camp has been a part of my life ever since I can remember. Over the years it has shifted a bit on its foundation, opening entryways for small critters. Mice come in, especially in the spring, using rug fringe, tissues, or cushion stuffing to make their nests. Porcupines delight in gnawing their way under the camp.

The walls of camp are covered with history—the names of summer occupants dating back over the years and the names of those who slept in the beds inscribed on the wall with an occasional bit of doggerel added: I should have slept, instead I read, not knowing how great, was this comfortable bed. and There was lots to see; There was lots to do, But best of all There were all of you.

A 1919 Maine license plate rests propped up under the eaves. A yellowing map of Maine and faded family photos are

tacked to the back of the closet door.

The familiar sofa and rocking chair in the combination kitchen/living room lack the inviting hospitality of summer’s warmth. In the hush of a Maine autumn, that glorious season of the year when the warm days beckon, and the cool nights foretell yet colder ones to come, the scene is as stark as a deserted stage set. The sun, low in the sky, sheds its waning light into corners of camp that have not known its rays since late winter.

I decide it’s a good time to fill the wood box on the back porch from the supply in the woodshed. Better now than on a cold day when I want a fire in a hurry, because I know that before long, when the sun is even lower in the sky, I will find reasons to return. Any reason will do—like clipping twigs for kindling, or checking on the unwanted invasions of mice. With no insects around on this day tinged with the sweet warmth of summer, I prop open the back screen door, making the task easier.

After the wood box is filled, I empty the wastebaskets and pull the soiled towels off the rack over the stove, stuffing them

into a laundry bag. My goal is to leave camp as I want to find it upon my return—neat and welcoming.

I drag in the bedding from the World War II army cots on the porch, including the mattresses, piling them on another cot in the spare room, and shove the supports under the porch roof so it will safely withstand the weight of another winter’s snowfalls.

At some indefinable moment, my internal clock says, “O.K., time to fast forward.” Pulling down the shades and padlocking the backdoor, toolhouse, and two outside storage areas signify that camp is officially “closed.”

Before leaving I amble down the rootlaced path to the lake, the same path I’ve followed every summer since early childhood. A quick glance around 62-acre Back Pond reveals only empty beaches. Not a ripple stirs the surface. In the cove the reflection of the maples show their brilliant reds. No birds are chirping. Even the loons are quiet, and the ravens have ceased their squawking. The scavenging chipmunks that usually scurry about the beach, viewing me as a source of peanuts, seem unaware of my presence. After a lingering look at a landscape as familiar to me as the face of a loved one, I turn and walk up the path, past the camp with its shade-drawn windows, and across the dooryard to my car. R

by t. jewell collins lakelivingmaine.com

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Welcome to Mountain View Dentistry • The latest in Elective Cosmetic Dentistry & Smile Makeovers • Up to date restorative and laser techniques • A friendly, experienced team that strives to meet your unique needs • Relaxed modern care in a comfortable lakeside setting • Latex and amalgam free office

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Specialty Care Clinics

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Sports Medicine Pain Management Wound Center Nephrology Urology Pulmonology Endocrinology Coming Soon...

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If you’d like more information about any of our clinics, please call 207-647-6120.

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