New Leaf Farm was established in 1982 with the purpose of growing and marketing vegetables, herbs, and fruit organically while developing and teaching a sustainable agricultural system.  In recent years, our son-in-law has expanded the livestock aspect of the farm to include poultry, steer and pigs.
        We have been certified organic by Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association since 1985, and are involved with other aspects of this nationally respected organization.      
        Dave, the farm manager, graduated from Antioch College with a B.A. in Biological Agriculture and worked for eight seasons on different farms before moving to Maine. Chris (Dave’s wife) has worked on the farm since 1989, and is involved primarily with the business and marketing of our products.
        We are currently tilling 10 acres. Of those ten acres, four are in vegetable, herb, and fruit production, and six are in soil-building rotations and grain crops. The remaining cleared land is in hay. The farm markets thirty varieties of vegetables and eighteen culinary herbs directly to specialty restaurants and organic food stores in Portland and Freeport, delivering two days/week. While we do utilize two farm tractors for tillage, cultivation and transplanting, a large amount of weeding and all harvesting is done by hand (the majority of an intern’s work). The farm uses a solar heated greenhouse to start transplants and four plastic greenhouses to grow tomatoes, peppers, and early salad greens. Our marketing season begins in early May with salad greens and continues through November with storage crops.
    The season begins in the solar greenhouse, with the seeding and nurturing of our crops. Approximately 50,000 seedlings are started and grown each year, lettuce and broccoli predominately. Soil and field preparation, including plowing and fertilizing, are done in April, with transplanting continuing into August. This is accomplished using a homemade transplanter on our smaller tractor. Summer plant care involves cultivating, weeding, watering, mulching and pest control. Harvest begins in May, becoming intense in August and September. Mid-summer is also a good time for haying, firewood and possible building or maintenance projects.