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MADISON — Maine pollinator advocate Samantha Burns, owner of Runamuk Acres Farm & Apiary, is announcing her plan to create a pollinator sanctuary. The Runamuk Conservation Farm will be a cross between a botanical garden and working farm/apiary, where workshops and tours with the public will promote bee-friendly beekeeping, gardening, landscaping and farming. The “Runamuk FarmRaiser: a Bee-Friendly Farm” GoFundMe campaign will launch Sept. 1 to help raise funds for the down payment on a property allowing the farm and apiary to take root and grow into a pollinator conservation farm.
Burns has long been a champion for pollinators, formerly serving six years as president of the Somerset Beekeepers, teaching local beekeeping classes and speaking at schools, 4H clubs, granges, and other community organizations about pollinator conservation. At the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardener’s Common Ground Fair in 2016, Burns gave a standing-room only talk — “Pollinator Conservation Through Agriculture.” She also established the Madison farmers’ market; Burns has been advocating real food and local farming as the market’s director ever since.
To be able to save for the down-payment on her forever-farm, Burns continues to work part-time at Johnny’s Selected Seeds, who also sponsors the Runamuk blog. Runamuk will offer a beginning beekeeping workshop hosted by Hyl-Tun Farm in Starks, Sunday, Oct. 1, beginning at 9 a.m. That same day at 5 p.m. there will be a pot-luck dinner and contradance in the historic Hyl-Tun barn, with all proceeds to benefit the Runamuk FarmRaiser. Learn more at runamukacres.com/farmraiser/ or contact Burns directly at 207-858-5909 or by e-mail at runamukacres@gmail.com.
