Twenty Years and Counting:

The year is 2001 and I bought the farm, I was 35 Kenya was 5 and Gil was 1.

It was april vacation and I had a list of a few farm/old houses to look at in the Readfield and Belgrade are from a real-estate agent, and the route to those listings took be right by what is now called Winterberry farm, I pulled over at the “forsale” sign, called the agent Allie Hunt she was quick to respond and I gave her a deposit the next day. End of story! I knew this was home in a moment. Right away we had a garden plowed by Ray Hammond and I went to work and I don’t think I have stopped since.

We now have 3 1/2 acres in production of cut flowers and vegetables a 3 season CSA program, a small flock of Romney sheep for wool and meat, a farmstore with a kitchen, a team of work horses and ox for single ox work, and three amazing farm raised kids and a 55 year old women farmer.

Thank you Belgrade for taking us in, loving us up, help me raise my kids and believing in us to grow food for you. I am so honored to call Belgrade my home. The year round folks keep us going through the winter months and the out of towners with lake homes support us in the summer months, and all of you have a special spot in my heart. With out all of you, we would not still be here twenty years later.

I wonder what the next 20 years will look like, Kenya is now 25, Gil is now 20 and Sage is 14. So lets see if they will take over the farm? We donated our development rights 12 years ago so the farm must always remain a farm, and can never be developed into eternity. Our 40 acres of paradise on Great Pond is Forever Protected and the barn is in the National Registry of historic places.

I am so happy to share my Winterberry farm with all of you, to buy our food through our CSA program, or our cut flowers, or to come to to be married, or buy your family Christmas tree for what ever reason, Thank you for being in our lives.

Mary of Winterberry Farm