Cedar and Pearl
John Piotti is president of American Farmland Trust, the pioneering national organization founded in 1980 that catalyzed the conservation agricultural movement. He splits his time between Unity and Washington, DC.
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- Cedar & Pearl
At sea
By John Piotti - Apr 23At the time of this writing, we were about 200 nautical miles west southwest of Gibraltar, our 10th day out of Port Everglades, Florida. It's ...
- Cedar and Pearl
Some questions demand thoughtful answers
By John Piotti - Feb 16The organizers of a conference I'm speaking at next month recently sent me a list of questions. They wanted only short answers, and that's what I ...
- Cedar and Pearl
Two political choices I feel good about
By John Piotti - Oct 18Years ago, when the then-editor of The Republican Journal asked me take on a regular column, he pitched the idea that I could write about politics....
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Writing home
By Anna Piotti - Sep 13As a child, I never went to camp. I never stayed in a cabin with other young girls, roaming woods and singing songs by day, braiding hair and ...
- Cedar and Pearl
Fit to print
By John Piotti - Jul 05For the past few days I’ve been staying at one of those hotels that provides complimentary newspapers. I picked up a copy of The Wall Street ...
- Cedar and Pearl
Transition
By John Piotti - Jun 06I had a few different themes in mind for this week’s column. Two weekends ago, Susan and I varnished our old wooden boat, which we then launched ...
- Cedar and Pearl
Funerals: the stuff of life
By Susan Piotti - May 10Editor’s note: Susan Piotti, wife of our regular columnist, John Piotti, is writing this week. “I hate funerals, and would not attend my own if it ...
- Cedar and Pearl
Syrup
By John Piotti - Mar 29Susan grew up in Vermont — a state associated with maple syrup the way Maine is with lobsters. So I’d be ready to follow her lead if she ever ...
- Cedar and Pearl
Birthdays
By John Piotti - Mar 01I recently turned 55. I don't generally think much about birthdays, but I had been anticipating this one for years. The reason had nothing to do ...
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What makes us do what we do
By John Piotti - Feb 02Earlier this month, while Susan and Anna were in Germany, I traveled to Atlanta to present at a conference. I had no choice but to leave John ...
- Cedar and Pearl
First love (two-wheeled variety)
By John Piotti - Mar 14Susan loves her bike. Granted, it's a beauty: a classic black Raleigh with upright handlebars and a dark leather saddle and shiny chrome in all ...
- Cedar and Pearl
Home
By John Piotti - Jan 11Editor's Note: With this column, we welcome back John Piotti to the pages of our newspaper. After several years writing a column, John took a ...
- Cedar and Pearl
Every morning is different
By John Piotti - Sep 20Over a span of more than 30 years, I have spent countless hours sitting on the front porch of our lakeside cottage. I’m usually on the porch ...
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Rocking
By John Piotti - Aug 30Editor’s note: Regular readers may have noticed that Cedar and Pearl did not appear two weeks ago, as it normally would have. We have moved the ...
- Cedar and Pearl
Building bikes
By John Piotti - Jun 21For seven years, beginning when I was 14 years old, my summer job was at Snow’s Cycle Shop on Nantucket Island, where I rented, repaired and sold ...
- Cedar and Pearl
Something to sing about
By John Piotti - May 24Susan and I traveled to Bowdoin last Saturday night to hear Anna’s roommate sing. Virginia is a performance music major. As such, she always gives ...
- Cedar and Pearl
Coin toss
By John Piotti - Apr 25Somehow, Anna held onto the news for several days. Our daughter was waiting to see us in person, which would occur the next Saturday at Maine ...
- Cedar and Pearl
A changing climate for farms
By John Piotti - Mar 15I found myself a few months ago speaking to a room of environmentalists at a forum about climate change. I had been invited to talk about farming. ...
- Cedar and Pearl
Guten Tag
By Susan Piotti - Feb 16Editor’s note: This week, John Piotti has passed off his column to his wife, Susan. Like Inspector Clouseau in a classic scene from "The Pink ...
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Give 'em what they want
By John Piotti - Jan 21It began at my office Christmas party, and long before drinks began to flow — so that wasn’t the reason. A guest (not a staff member) told me how ...