The Family Place in Durham, Maine.
Michael A. Smith moved back to Maine to help the family after his father's accident and death three years ago. His dad, the Rev. Dr. Terry Smith, pastored the Old South Congregational Church in Hallowell, Maine, moving from his previous church in Massachusetts to build his retirement home on land his own grandfather, a ship's steward who fortuitously missed his berth on the Titanic due to illness, had acquired in Durham in the 20's.
Mike had been teaching high school math and music in Chicago since graduating from North Park University; back in Maine he continued teaching and helping kids with their music. Recently, he volunteered to help out a faith-based community musical group associated with several churches in the Lisbon/Lewiston area. Cornerstone, the group, is made up of people of all ages who love music and so Mike fit right in as their sound man. The group is now making its own record, another activity that Mike is very involved with.
As a teacher he insisted that the business of school come before music. One of the students he has recorded with was also in his algebra class and came to him asking for a copy of the song he had recorded. Mike would not give it to him until he was passing math. It took two weeks for the young man to re-establish his marks and proudly acquire his recording.
Life has to have cause and effect, Mike thinks.
Originally, the Smith farm was 70 acres, mostly pine forest; thirty still remain in the family. A small plot was set aside for a garden when they laid out the lots for their houses.
It is like a small family compound, with the three homes, Mike and Mom’s, Grandfather “Grump” Smith and Aunt Bonnie’s, and sister’s all occupying frontage on Rt. 136, sharing the garden space ministered to by Aunt Bonnie. Things have been growing there for a good while now.
Two years ago Michael got a call from an old friend, Augie Franklin, whom he had known in Chicago. Following the call a small box arrived in the mail.
The garden, occupying a space of 10 feet by 30 feet has become a focus of attention for the whole family these last two years as the new experimental plant food formula Michael received from Augie was used on some of the plants. Watching for and observing results soon became a subject of discussion for the whole family.
Mike applied the plant food for the first time in June of 2006. He had purchased a dozen new strawberry plants for the experiment. Half were treated with the liquid and after some discussion he and Aunt Bonnie went on to do the same with all the plants, half treated, half not.
The zucchini that they treated took over the back part of the garden, producing zucchinis twice as big as the other plants and muscling out its less fortunate brothers. There were more tomatoes than they could use, and the plants continued putting out the juicy red globes after the non-treated plants folded up and went away for the autumn. Overflow tomatoes found there way to friends and fellow members of the church.
The green beans, the zucchinis, and the sunflowers; each amazed the family that first year. The plants that had not received the formula looked so small and sad in comparison especially as autumn advanced, you almost felt sorry for them.
Even the Forsythia bush, which had been treated, kept its leaves weeks after the other ones in the area dropped theirs; the rose bush shot up nine feet by season’s end.
Reports from the Garden came to be as anticipated as the news. “Yup, that is one big zucchini,” bringing nods around the table.
This last spring Aunt Bonnie, not one to mince her words said, “Forget the experimentation. Treat them all!”
Michael did just that. Some advice is too sensible not to be followed. Indeed, the last juicy strawberries were picked during the first week of November! In Maine!
Next year, the Smiths are planning a larger garden and leaving more space between the zucchini plants and planting more strawberries. And the Augie formula became WOW! because that is what everyone said when they saw what happened.
