I was reminded again this morning how brilliantly colored the world really 
is. The green and blue that met my eyes when I awoke were almost cartoonish. A welcome change from the dreary shades of gray. We’re supposed to get two days of sun. I’ll be busy weeding the gardens and doing all of the outdoor activities that I need to get done.
I recently read a book called “A Small Farm In Maine” by Terry Silber. This book was published in 1988 and, as the subtitle puts it, is about “how one couple built a self-sustaining life in the country.”
Terry and her husband, Mark, both worked and lived in Boston. On a whim, they decide to buy an abandoned farm in Maine near Terry’s parents. They fix up the farmhouse to make it inhabitable and visit every weekend to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.
On discovering abandoned flower beds that still grew hardy perennials and learning about the history of their farm from the neighbors, Terry and Mark become curious about horticulture. They ask questions about plants and gardens of their farming neighbors and read every piece of literature on the subject as they can find. Eventually, with the help of friendly neighbors, they clear a piece of land on their farm and plant their first vegetable garden.
Even though Terry and Mark maintain their careers in the city, they become more and more interested in the lives of Maine farmers. For several years the couple continue their weekend trips to Maine, finding the work on the farm a perfect balance to their work in Boston.
After the first year of gardening, where they have more crop than they can consume, preserve, and give away, Terry and Mark decide to join the local farmers at the farmers’ markets. They are ecstatic to find that they can make money doing weekend farming! They then start planning how to garden more efficiently, and put their city talents to work by designing a layout that will make their vegetable display look more attractive and by trying to market their produce.
Being looked on by some as “hippies” and “rich city folk”, not all of the local farmers like the radical ideas that the Silbers come up with. The gap between the weekend farmers and the farmers that depend on their produce to support them through the long harsh winters can be larger than some would think.
Terry and Mark stick to their instinct and test new and unconventional methods. These include growing more exotic vegetables and herbs for sale, making and distributing pamphlets on how to use those foods, and growing without the use of pesticides. Growing strictly organically was virtually unheard of at the time and even considered risky. But the Silbers’ personal convictions guide ever decision they make.
While Terry and Mark become more involved on the farm they become less satisfied with their work in the city. Is it really possible to have a self-sustaining life on a farm in Maine? The Silbers put the question to the test, crunch the numbers, and then, with sheer determination, make the permanent move to Maine.
The story continues with their first Maine winter, the physical and financial struggles, how Terry and Mark turn their small farm into a viable business, and the ins and outs of working relationships.
As I read Terry’s account of these many years of her life, I felt that I was a witness to how their business evolved over that time. Starting as vegetable farmers, Terry and Mark finally settled their main business on growing everlastings, drying flowers and herbs, and selling decorative products made from the produce of the farm.
It was exciting to read about places so familiar to me like Lewiston, Auburn, Rumford, and Portland. I jumped on the web to see if I could locate their business. What fun to actually go visit a place that you’ve only just read about! Sadly, I found that the Silbers’ farm in Sumner closed just three years ago in 2006. Apparently, Terry Silber died of terminal cancer in 2003. For over three years Mark continued the business on his own, taking on all of Terry’s responsibilities while also fulfilling equally important duties outside of the farm. It just became too much for one person.
However, I feel as though I have gained tremendous knowledge and insight by reading “A Small Farm In Maine” and would recommend it to anyone who has a love for growing things!
I’m a little nervous about this weekend. We’re traveling 150 miles to visit my family in Northern Maine for Memorial Day weekend. We’re leaving the chicks home by themselves. I’ve decided that with the self-feeder and waterer that they should be okay for a couple of days. Willhi has promised to stop in to check on them. I’m glad because I’m afraid the temperature might fluctuate too much. The temp outside has been in the 90’s for the last two days. Very unseasonable for Maine. (I love global warming!) Anyway, the house has gotten very warm so I’ve been leaving the chick’s light off so they don’t get too hot. If it cools down this weekend while I’m away, I don’t want them to get too cold if I leave the light off. On the flip side, I don’t want to leave their light on and cook them.
It makes me feel better that Willhi will check on the chicks. I guess it will depend on the temperature in the morning whether I leave the light on. I’m using a 100watt bulb and the brooder is too small for the chicks to really get out of the heat if they need to. I’m almost as nervous as I might be if I were leaving my kids alone for a three day weekend. I hope they’re all still alive when I get back home. I’m sure they will look different. The chicks are developing so fast.
Willhi has said she would water my garden while we’re away too. I’d hate to lose my garden as much as I’d hate to lose my chickens. I’ve already been contending with some mysterious animal who only comes out at night and likes to dig holes in the gardens and eat up all my lettuce. I’d hat to lose all of it to a drought. I’m going to water them thoroughly before we leave in the morning.
I’m just a bundle of nerves. Let’s not even mention staying a whole weekend with family…
I’ve finished filling the vegetable gardens today. In the four garden beds, we have pumpkins, squash, spinach, cucumbers, watermelon, tomatoes, radishes, yellow peppers, carrots, beans, onions, beets, leaf lettuce, head lettuce, corn, green peppers, and I’m out of room! After looking through some scrap lumber, we’ve found enough boards to make one more bed. I’m going to fill the whole thing with potatoes.
I finally got my lilies planted yesterday. I bought the bulbs almost 3 weeks ago at the Bangor Home Show. they’ve been sitting in my refrigerator ever since. GH dug up the sod in front of our house. I put down some peat and vermiculite (which I picked up yesterday) before planting the bulbs. Then I put down a layer of black mulch. I added some marigolds today and planted some mint in the corner.
I called the LFS today to find out when our chicks will arrive in. Looks like the 13th!! Wow! Only four more days. That’s about a week sooner than I expected!
Since buying our house set on a rural 1.59 acres, I’ve been frantic to start growing our own food. Even in our second story apartment, I attempted to grow carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers on our fire escape landing. When I was a kid, my Grampy (who lived just across the road) instilled in me a love for nature and growing things.
My grandparents had a small farm on which they had a few horses, raspberry patches, an apple orchard, they harvested hay and had a beautiful garden. When it came to harvest time, all the family that still lived locally would come out to pick fresh veggies for their own families. That was how it was intended.
Looking back now, I have tremendous respect for my grandparents who spent the time, effort, and money to plant and care for a garden to continue to provide for their family long after the kids had left home and started families of their own. People in general aren’t like that any more. Our society would be so much better if we all looked out for our neighbors… not because we have to do it, but because we want to do it.
GH went to Lowes today to pick up some supplies this morning. He picked up chicken fencing and posts for the chicken run. I haven’t quite decided where I want the fencing attached. GH also brought home some pressure treated 8×2”x4’ planks for two more SFG frames, and two bales of peat moss for the mix. I picked up some compost a couple of weeks ago. We screwed together the frames and put them down on the fabric black mulch beside last year’s frames. We filled them with the compost and peat moss. Now we have double the gardens we had last year. I still need to get some vermiculite. I have to pick it up at our local nursery. I’ll get some seedlings at the same time. We don’t usually put in our gardens until Memorial Day weekend, but with all this warm weather, I think I may put it in early.
4×50’ green chicken fence $26.80
6 5’ fence posts $3.93 ea. =$23.58
Today was absolutely perfect! The temp was up in the mid 50’s, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. We’ve had some pretty harsh winds for a few days but it’s dried up a lot of the water that was lying around.
I finally had the opportunity to do some yard work. Little Maiden helped me rake the leaves from around the gardens. I cleaned up the leftovers from last year’s garden, pulled a few weeds (extremely few thanks to SFG!) and turned over the soil. That loose black soil felt so good in my fingers and smelled so fresh! I can’t wait to start planting. It still goes below freezing at night so I guess I’ll have to wait. Most planting in Maine doesn’t start until Memorial Day. ~sigh~ However, the rhubarb is already coming up!!
