Farms: A Heritage and a Privilege
Look around, drive around. These lands so occupied with new growth trees and lakeside communities were once dominated by farms. Belgrade — and much of Central Maine — was a thriving agricultural region with open farmland stretching from lake to lake, and farmers shared their way of life throughout the seasons with the very visible tending and harvesting, nurturing and transporting produce and products. It was almost as though farms were open and availble for the public to enjoy.
There still is a time when farms are open and available for the public to enjoy and when farmers share their special way of life — one day, the fourth Sunday in July, known as Open Farm Day.
Open Farm Day is a statewide event started by Maine farmers and supporters in 1989. For more than thirty years, this event has raised awareness about farms and their importance to Maine. Open Farm Day is an opportunity to see and learn firsthand the care and the effort required to achieve quality produce and products throughout the year. It is held rain or shine.
This year, on July’s fourth Sunday, July 26, over 80 farms in Maine will be hosting Open Farm Day — a list is available on realmaine.com — and they represent the entire spectrum of farming, giving visitors many choices in what type of farm to visit.
Each farm on the Real Maine listing gives information about location and main characteristics and many visitors choose a destination accordingly. The list is also divided into Maine’s eight tourism areas. Other information such as hours open, special activities, products for purchase and contact details may also be included.
Open Farms in the extended Belgrade area include locations in Skowhegan, West Gardiner, Temple, Starks, Litchfield, Wilton and Livermore. Several farms are listed in New Gloucester — for those who want to visit more than one farm. And, one town, Bowdoinham, turns the day into a townwide celebration with ten farms and studios to visit and a celebration/food pantry fundraiser in the town park.
Open Farm Day aside, there are many other opportunities to celebrate and enjoy Maine’s farming heritage. Farmers’ markets are available almost every day of the week. Roadside stands are a good and frequent source of fresh produce and eggs. And some farms, such as Water Dance in Belgrade, welcome visitors to walk around the property.
There’s also historical exploration. Look around, walk around. There are sunken stone walls on these lands, straight as arrows through stands of trees and bushes, where livestock pastures used to be. There are crooked skeletons of apple trees interspersed among pines and maple in what used to be world renowned orchards. There are huge slabs of granite rimming hidden cellar holes where families lived and worked and survived. And, there are remains of entire farm neighborhoods where drought or poverty or a volcano eruption on the other side of the world rendered farming impossible.
Yes, farms are a heritage and they are a privilege, especially when one day a year certain farms offer to open their properties and share their way of life with the public.
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