Communities Directory: Fare Share Farm

Forming Formed: 2005 Established: 2005

Fare Share Farm

Canton, Maine,

United States

Fare Share Farm is a 7+ acre non certified organic & Biodynamic Farm located in the foothills of western ME. We have a year round stream running through the property.

We are looking for others interested in living a sustainable lifestyle around farming. Currently we grow and produce 80% of our food.

We are spiritual with no religious affiliation. Passionate about community outreach in the areas of food, nutrition, and living in harmony with the land and seasons. Seek to use ecologically sound practices create a closed system in which all of our imputs come from within our region. We seek to build envronmentally freindly homesites utilizing readily available building materials.We strive to create an off grid community utilizing water power, wind power,solar, and biodisel.

Currently we have a 1 acre organic/ biodynamic production garden. A 100'x 30' extended season greenhouse and an in-house bakery supplying area markets with wholesome baked goods.

Seasonal work includes. Cheese making, canning & pickling, sausage making & curing, sour Kraut, soap making, candle making, sewing, animal care, fruit tree care, mushroom cultivation, propagation, haying, foraging, berry picking, apple picking and pressing, animal care, Milking, cleaning stalls, mowing, composting, mulching, weeding, watering, clearing land, prepping land, cutting fire wood, moving snow, reading, study groups, office work, building projects, cooking, & cleaning.

Our equipment includes tractor, bush hog, mower, baler, post hole digger, 4 wd pick up with plow, 4wd jeep, 4wd wheeler, 2 trailers, and a small dozer with winch, and wood splitter.We will begin clearing lots on 60 acres we are currently negotiating a purchase price on. We expect to start work in late fall on the property.

Now if I havn't lost you with all the work...Here is the beauty of this life. fresh air and sunshine on your skin,

beutiful gardens and wonderful food, beutiful friendly animals and

being surrounded by unique community and friends who really will be there when times are tough. Laughter of children who truely understand the connection between health and living food.That many hands make light work and that knowledge and community are important.

We share meals together, we work together, we share our concerns about our future as a species togther, young and old, we do what we can and strive to do more to make a better world.

Serious inquiries only.

Refrences required.

Status: Looking for investing partners in time or money

Contact:

Albert E. Small III
641 Canton Point Rd
Canton, Maine 04221 United States
Phone: 207-597-2746
Send an Email

Last Updated:10/16/2007

Visitors Accepted

(Visitors are welcome to come and stay for a trial period. Work share is expected.. Advanced notice is required.)

Visitor Process: Everyone is expected to help in some way on the farm. Depending on the season work may include but is not limited to. Baking, animal care, gardening, wood cutting, cheese making, cooking, cleaning, construction, clearing land, apple pressing, maple syrup, food processing, etc....We would concisder persons with computer and business accounting,marketing, artists, healers, etc...

Population Adult Members: 2 (Currently we all share the main house. Construction on the first eco-friendly cabin will start in spring of 2006) Child Members: 0 (We have many local children of friends and family that participate in farm activities on a regular basis.) Non-member Residents: 0 (We have many extended community members, freinds, and family who participate in farm activities.) Open to new adults: Yes Open to new children: Yes Gender Balance: 50% M 50% F (Most of our extended community are male.) Open to which gender(s): All genders welcome Age Focus: No Focus Age Restrictions: No (We are looking for those who will contribute in some way to make the community grow and thrive. Health is important.)	Government Decision Making: By consensus Identified Leader: No Leadership Core Group: No	Labor and Money Financial Style: 100% income sharing (At this time all the farm generated income goes into the farm and the expenses of the members.) Open to Members with Pre-existing Debt: No Answer (This would be taken under concideration.) Labor Contribution: Expected (this is not a job. It is a life style. We work to live the life we are living here.) Join Fee: No Answer (We believe in helping others while helping ourselves. There is never a free ride. Commitment to the farm and it's growth is what we ask.) Regular Fees: No Answer (We seek invividuals who understand the importance of the work we do here on the farm as well as the outreach to our 'extended families'. Many of whom have supported us in times of financial hardship through barter, gifts of cash or gifts of time. We in turn are part of their security blanket if you will, when we are able to help them.)
Land and Buildings Rural (We are and hour ouutside Portland which is the largest city in the state.) Area: 7 acres (2.8 hectares) (We are negotiating to put a deposit on 69 acres behind us which once was a part of this old homestead. We will secure this by 2008.) Land Owned By: Individual community member(s) (At this time in the formation of our community we are owned by a single member. It is planned to put the land into a trust for the community as soon as we have a few more serious members commited to the community. Consensus will develope the trust agreement.) Number of Residences: 1 (We have cleared several sites for the building of eco freindly cabins.) Cohousing: Yes (At this time the main house is shared.)	Food, etc. Percentage of Food Grown: over 50% (We strive to produce all of our own foods for both humans and animals. Foraging, gleaning, and work sharing with others via barter in the surrounding communities.) Share Community Meals: Nearly all meals (Meal shareing and meal preparation is a shared aspect of our lifestyle where people meet face to face and share the day and ideas with each other. It is food which sustains life and brings us together.) Dietary Choice or Restrictions: Diet is up to each individual (We can and do accomodate all dietary choices for interns and volunteers. We raise and harvest our own meats and dairy and prefer to buy local organic if we buy outside. Our food is our health.) Dietary Practice: Omnivorous (Although we eat meat it is not the main stay of our diets. 70% of our meals are vegetarian.) Alcohol Use: Used occasionally (We prefer to brew our own beer and wines and partake on a semi regular basis in moderation. We choose balance over abstinance.) Tobacco Use: Used Occasionally (We are not our brothers keepers but do request smoking tobacco to the outside of the houseand mature and responsible use around others and in taking care of your butts. Washing hands before returning to work and encourage quitting but at the very least to drink lots of water to keep you body in maximun hydration.)	Social Factors Open to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Transgender members: Yes (Personal sex lives are just that ...personal.) Shared Spiritual Path: Yes (We seek to maintain a spiritual connectedness with creation itself. We are not affiliated with any religious organization but do not oppose those who choose to be.) Which Spiritual Path(s): Ecumenical (includes "all religions") Educational Style(s): Home schooling (We would like to encourage homeschooling as an education style. We have many freinds and neighbors who homeschool and would be a supportive base for those choosing to join us.)

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