What does it take to put more Maine food on Maine plates? What does it take to build a community of people that care about each other? These are questions I often ask myself as I go about my daily work and my chores.
First, it takes farmers. Lots of farmers, small, big, backyard, and more. Folks who are dedicated to the land, dedicated to working in harmony with nature, folks who milk cows, tend chickens, raise ducks, cut hay, till soil, plant seeds. Folks who work from dawn to dusk, growing the food that nourishes us…the food we put on our plate.
And it takes a community of people…people who support these farmers. People who go out of their way to buy their products, go to the farmers market, invest in a CSA share, drop off empty jars, save egg cartons…folks that care where their food comes from …folks that care about their communities.
Monday morning, one of our farming families, Darthia Farm in Gouldsboro, lost their barn to a fire. This barn was not only the centerpiece of their farm, but it also contained all their livestock: horses, sheep, pigs, calves, young ducklings and chickens. And all their feed: over 450 bales of hay and straw. Bill tried to save his three draft horses, and was driven back by the intense heat. Cynthia, tried unsuccessfully to let 20 sheep out of the burning barn, and burned her eye. It breaks my heart, and I’m sure it broke theirs, to watch their livelihood perish in flames.
The Thayers have been farming in Maine since the very beginning of the “movement”. They have mentored more young people that I can count….fed more people, grown more food, supported the farming community since the early 1970’s. They are of the age when passing the farm on and slowing down was on the horizon. And they need our help…they need the support of this community…
To support our farming community, and to help this farm continue, please send a donation to:
Darthia Farm Pheonix Fund
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust
P.O. Box 159
Winter Harbor, ME 04693
Thank you for supporting Maine agriculture. Thank you for supporting this community.