Name: Wolfe’s Neck Center for
Agriculture & the Environment
Address: 184 Burnett Road
Freeport, Maine 04032
Phone: 207-865-4469
Website: www.wolfesneck.org
Email: info@wolfesneck.org
Fax: 207-865-4884
Products and Services:
-Farm School and Field Trips
-Summer and Vacation Camps
-Teen Ag Program
-Draft Horse Programs
-Turkeys and Lambs
-Hay for Sale
-Special Events
-Community Gardens
-Recompence Shore Campground
Updated Information on the Mission of the
Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the
Environment:
Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment is on a mission to transform our relationship with farming and food for a healthier planet.
Situated on over 600 acres of preserved coastal landscape in Freeport, Maine, Wolfe’s Neck Center uses its setting to connect people of all ages to the food they eat and where it comes from.
Encompassing a demonstration farm, oceanfront campground, wooded trails, and historic buildings, our vibrant campus serves as a unique hub for education and exploration.
As a nonprofit, Wolfe’s Neck Center draws upon a rich history of innovation and experimentation to continue the legacy of this place today. Through regenerative farming, innovative soil health research, and visitor interactions, the land is now used as an educational resource to create a healthier planet for all.
We hope to inspire active participation in a healthier food system and build a community of people who care deeply about the future of food.
What Makes Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment Unique?
The challenge of including the profile of Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment in the Unique Maine Farms’ project is simply whether there is enough room available to describe all the programs that take place at this 626-acre saltwater farm!
Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment is fortunate to be graced with a diversity of environments. There are forests, fields, and four miles of frontage on Casco Bay.
Lawrence and Eleanor Smith purchased the land, that is now called Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment, in 1947. They ran a natural farming operation and were very interested in conservation and agricultural education. Over sixty years have passed since the farm was purchased. It is exciting to see that this prime coastal and agricultural land so near to downtown Freeport has remained protected from development and its offerings are in alignment with the goals of the Smiths.
In regard to the farm operation at Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment beef cattle belonging to area farmers are pastured on the property. A variety of animals live at the farm. Free-range Bronze Broad Breasted turkeys are raised for Thanksgiving. North County Cheviot-Suffolk sheep graze in the fields and lamb is sold. All the animals are raised on pasture that is free from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides and their grain contains no hormones or antibiotics.
The barnyard at Wolfe’s Neck serves as an educational resource for visitors of all ages. The Education Department at Wolfe’s Neck raises sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits, turkeys, and ducks. There are descriptive signs that assist in the agricultural educational outreach program.
In the spring teachers can bring their students to the farm for various field trip options. The programs available for pre-kindergarten through high school in the spring are The Lifecycle of Our Foods, Maine’s Rocky Shores, Barns and Pastures, Wonderful Wool, Seeds and Soil, and Draft Horse 101. A Maine Forests program is available for second graders and up; Farm Machinery is offered to third graders and up; Woodlot Management can be enjoyed by fourth graders and older; and a Sustainable Agriculture program is geared towards fifth grade through high school students.
The fall field trips are geared towards early elementary classes, preschools, home school
students, scouts, and other organizations. Students help with morning chores in the barn. They enjoy a hayride, learn about plant life cycles and plant science at the pumpkin patch, and pick their own pumpkins. A Farm School experience is also offered at the farm. It lasts between two and five days from mid-April to mid-June.
The Teen Ag Crew program at Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment was piloted in 2012 and it proved highly successful. Four teenagers were introduced to the skills involved in a small-scale farming operation. They visited and learned from local farmers; toured Maine’s food relief systems; volunteered at local food pantries; planted and harvested; worked with livestock; and learned organic farming practices.
An Introduction to Draft Horse Driving and Logging- Beginner Course is offered every other Saturday in February and March for individuals eighteen years of age and up. Participants learn all aspects of managing a wood lot using draft horses.
Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment runs a successful hay operation. The high-quality all-natural hay is
grown on the oceanfront fields without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Two cuts of hay and mulch hay were available in 2012.
There is an assortment of raised garden beds at Wolfe’s Neck that contain a variety of vegetables, flowers, and herbs. Highbush blueberries are grown. There is a Kinder Garden that is planted, cared for, and harvested by summer campers and students who visit the farm on field trips. Mr. McGregor’s Garden includes plants that would attract rabbits. The movable greenhouse was built by Youth Building Alternatives through a grant from the Quimby Family Foundation.
There is a popular Freeport Community Garden program at Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment. Plots are 12 feet by 12 feet and are available from Memorial Day through Halloween. Bowdoin College grew squash in the Community Garden last season.
Three 4-H Clubs are hosted by Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment. The Barn and Pasture Club is open to children from eight to eleven years of age and its focus is on barn animals. The Baby Beef Club is geared to twelve to eighteen year-olds who are interested in learning about raising beef. The “Farm Hands” group is similar to the other 4-H clubs, but involves less of a time
commitment.
Summer Camp at Wolfe’s Neck runs from June 24 through August 20 in 2013. Spring and Winter School Vacation Camps are offered for children in first through fifth grade. On Wednesday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. young preschoolers or homeschoolers can help feed and water the animals, put out hay, collect eggs, and sweep out the barn. A story is then read in the Haze Hut.
While children of all ages have many unique opportunities to enjoy activities at Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment, adults have certainly not been overlooked. Besides having the opportunity to enjoy the various trails throughout the property special events take place on a year-round basis.
There is the Spring Gala and Auction in April; the Spring Festival in June; the Art Fest in August; and the Weekend Lobster Bakes throughout the summer. In the fall there is the
Harvest Dance in September and the Fall Festival and Pumpkin Hayrides in October. In December adults enjoy bringing children to
the Night Tree event where trees are decorated with treats for the birds and animals and Eve Bunting’s Night Tree book is enjoyed.
For individuals and families interested in hosting an event at Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment, this can materialize as the farm is often utilized for
weddings, large gatherings, reunions, birthday parties, foot races, and kayaking events.
The Recompense Shore Campground at Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment is open from May through October. There are three oceanfront cottages and 130 oceanfront, inland,nand wooded campsites. There is a tents-only area in Middle Bay and twenty RV sites (inland) with water and 30 amp electric service. There are limited oceanfront sites that accommodate motorhomes and trailers. With summer kayak and bicycle rentals, lobster bakes, a Snack Shack, and haywagon rides, many unique amenities are offered in a farm setting.
To label Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment as “highly-diversified” could be viewed as quite an understatement. This educational farm has an excellent website, and Unique Maine Farms recommends that you access it: www.wolfesneck.org to learn more
detailed information about all the farm-related
activities that are available because, as predicted, there’s not sufficient space to
describe all that’s taking place at this saltwater
farm.
