Mary Ann Haxton and Marty Elkin
Marty poses for a photo with Larry, the neighboring farmer and owner of the Morrill Farm Bed and Breakfast in Sumner, who was the catalyst in getting A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm off the ground.
Larry and Marty and Mary Ann discuss the bartering arrangement that involves butter and chicken.
Name: Marty Elkin
Mary Ann Haxton
Location: 106 Black Mountain Road
Sumner, Maine 04292
Email:
Website:
Phone: 207-212-4058
Hours: Tuesdays: noon - 4 p.m.
6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Other days by appointment
Products and Services:
-fiber shop
-learning center
-needle felting, spinning, dyeing
-maple syrup
-fiber CSA program
-retreats
-hands-on learning workshops
-sheep, chickens, goats
-online Etsy store:
www.etsy.com/shop/FiberThyme
Why is A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm Unique?
Have you ever observed how the generosity and actions of one individual can turn out to be the catalyst in changing the entire direction in other people’s lives? Could farmer Larry Perron, ever have imagined what would result from his gift of the hen and rooster in 1996, that he presented to his neighbors, Mary Ann Haxton and Marty Elkin? A great deal has transpired since his kindness seventeen years ago. Mary Ann and Marty are now operating A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm. It is a successful diversified woman-owned sustainable organic farm with a large assortment of animals and agricultural pursuits.
Visitors to A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm could easily assume that the thirty-two acre farm with the 1850‘s farmhouse was being operated by individuals who have farmed all their lives. The reality is that Mary Ann Haxton owned a printing business for ten years and earned a Master of Arts degree after her children were raised. Her interests had always included working with animals and building projects. Marty Elkin hailed from a registered nursing and childbirth and lactation educator career. Creative handwork, painting, and fiber arts are interests that have always appealed to Marty. They both admit that they really didn’t know much about farming and didn’t even consider it as a career path when they originally purchased the property in 1995.
So...back to farmer Larry and the hen and the rooster. Well, then Larry, after already presenting Mary Ann and Marty with the hen and the rooster, thought it would be great if some sheep showed up to pasture at his neighbor’s farm. The rest is history! Mary Ann and Marty now raise a variety of grass-fed pastured sheep including Border Leicester, Romney/Corriedale, Finn, and Romney breeds. They also care for a flock of laying hens, Meg the border collie, barn cats, and Angora goats. Bubba, their resident European Belgian, is drafted to help with transporting the firewood and hauling the sleigh.
When Mary Ann and Marty began raising sheep they found themselves with quite a bit of wool. They became immersed in yarns and spinning and dyeing, needle felting and all types of fiber handcrafts. Just like that hen and rooster that developed into a full-fledged animal farm for Mary Ann and Marty, the raising of the sheep and the gathering of wool morphed into a highly successful fiber arts business.
The Tesseract building that houses the fiber arts shop and the learning center at the farm was named after the concept of time travel that was featured in the A Wrinkle in Thyme book by Madeline L’Engle. There are elements of progressive state-of-the-art environmental practices in their building constructions, but there is also a focus on the traditional aspects of farming that took place many years ago at A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm. Mary Ann and Marty shear their sheep and sell sheepskins. They often use plants to dye their wool and they hand spin. They have gardens where they raise vegetables and herbs. They grow blueberries and preserve their own food.
The gathering of the sap at a Wrinkle in Thyme Farm takes place the old-fashioned way with the hauling of the buckets from over four hundred trees that they tap. Unlike so many maple syrup producers, A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm has not opted for the modern system of plastic tap lines running through the woods. Their syrup is available in pints, quarts, and decorative bottles.
Traditional handcraft classes are offered in knitting, dyeing, spinning, and needle felting
at A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm. Unspun hand-dyed wool with a special needle is used in needle felting. Nevas, one of the friends of
A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm, created the concept of “Thyme Tiles.” Many “Thyme Tile” needle felting kits are offered by Mary Ann and Marty in their fiber shop. They also offer completed “Pocket Bags” and pocket bag kits.
The mortise and tenon workmanship that Mary Ann and Marty demonstrated in building their timber-frame barn in 2003, is an impressive sight to behold. In 2009-2010, the pole barn went up. The construction of their barn, fiber arts and learning center building, and their maple syrup sugar house have proven instrumental in contributing to carrying out their sustainable farming operations. Mary Ann and Marty have included energy savings features in their construction by incorporating radiant floor heating and solar panels. They discussed their concern about the carbon footprint that they leave. They are ardent supporters of organic farming practices.
Special retreats and events also take place at A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm. Recently a yarn and yoga retreat was scheduled at the farm. There is a distinct sense of community at A Wrinkle in Thyme. Knitters and handcrafters gather at various times in the Fiber Learning Center. There is a dye kitchen and an area where visitors can wash, pick, and card wool.
They were the first farm in the state of Maine to offer a fiber CSA program.
Being involved in the community and learning and sharing with others are top priorities for A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm. Mary Ann and Marty attend many workshops and classes offered by MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association) and the Maine Women’s Agricultural Network (WAgn). They also have enjoyed their connections with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the Resource and Conservation Development Districts (RC&Ds), and the Western Maine Alliance, the Maine Grass Farmers, and the Maine Sheep Breeders Association.
Many individuals have offered advice and business counseling along the way and Mary Ann and Marty are especially grateful to all of them. They, in turn, enjoy sharing what they have learned with others. They have an informative blog and send out newsletters by email to interested individuals.
For a three-year period, Mary Ann worked on updating the Comprehensive Plan for the Sumner community. Both Mary Ann and Marty place great emphasis on staying in touch and contributing to their community and supporting local farming. They participate in various fairs and attend the Norway Farmers’ Market every Thursday from 2 to 6 p.m. from mid-June through August. They have opened up their farm on Maine Maple Sunday and for other special events. Individuals are encouraged to visit on Tuesdays during their afternoon and evening hours. At other times, visitors should call for an appointment.
A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm is an exceptionally welcoming and peaceful place. Visitors will find that there is a great respect for nature, community, traditional crafts, and a concern for the environment. The facilities and opportunities for learning about and enjoying fiber arts are outstanding. Marty and Mary Ann’s farm is located a little bit off the main road, but they have posted well-positioned and attractive directional signs to lead you right to their door. Planning a trip to this diversified
Sumner farm is well worth the effort.
Oh yes, a special thanks goes out to Larry for
dropping off that hen and rooster back in 1996! Your kindness was responsible for initiating the development of an exemplary diversified sustainable woman-owned organic farm.
