Farm ID 3828, 75 acres, 15 tillable, 1 orchard, Durham

Property Overview

With a beautiful view to the south of Bradbury Mountain State Park, and many open fields adjoining the property New Leaf Farm is ideally located for a market farm, with proximity to markets in Southern Maine, productive soils, and abundant water resources. The property totals 75.45 acres and includes approximately 25 acres of open fields underlain by sandy loam soils, with approximately 44 acres of woodland, and an irrigation pond.

Historic Farm Operations

The farm property has historically been farmed for over 100 years. Originally the attached barn was part of a larger barn structure and supported a small dairy. Records of potato harvest dating to the 1901 can be seen on the old wooden bulkhead door in the original cellar.

From 1983 through 2014, the farm operated a robust certified organic commercial vegetable operation on the property. The farm was purchased in 1982 primarily because of its deep, well-drained, agriculturally productive soils, gentle slopes, and abundant water resources.

In the early 1980s, the family constructed a 1,280-square-foot solar propagation greenhouse. The heated, year-round structure is divided between propagation space, workspace, and a farm office. The family also established a small orchard in the 1980s, producing apples. The orchard is now well established and contains 25 trees.

To extend the growing season, the farm eventually added three17-by-96-foot hoophouses and one 32-by-96 hoophouse. These structures supported as many as 1,000 tomato plants and the seasonal production of mesclun salad mix. In addition to the orchard and greenhouses, approximately 10 acres were actively cultivated, with half devoted to vegetables and herbs and half to cover crops.

The farm directed its marketing efforts toward restaurants and natural food stores and delivered its high-quality produce to the Portland area multiple times per week.

Current Land Use and Resources

Approximately 0.25 acres are currently cultivated using a 50/50 produce-and-cover-crop rotation, while the orchard occupies approximately 0.75 acres. The remaining 24 open acres are hayed by a local farmer.

Approximately 44 acres are forested with a mix of hardwoods and softwoods. The forest serves as wildlife habitat and provides the Landowner with firewood. The most recent commercial-scale woodlot harvest occurred approximately 65 years ago.

The farm’s water resources include a half-acre irrigation pond fed by a freshwater aquifer beneath the property, two drilled wells, and one dug well. A 5,600-square-foot composting pad was constructed on the east side of the farm’s main field in 2013 and is currently used for composting and outdoor storage.

MLS#: 1680641

The five-acre homestead includes the home, farm buildings, hoophouses, farm infrastructure, and a small orchard. The 2,900-square-foot farmhouse combines a 150-year-old Cape with a newer main portion constructed in 2008. A 1,200-square-foot barn is attached to the farmhouse. Other farm buildings include a 3,400-square-foot steel equipment building and a 600-square-foot livestock barn.

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