Name:         New Beat Farm

Address:     55 Morse Road

                    Knox, Maine  04986

Phone:        207-382-3400

Email:        newbeatfarm@gmail.com

Website:     www.newbeatfarm.com

Products and Services:

-MOFGA- certified organic vegetables

-MOFGA -certified herbs

-MOFGA-certified flowers

-Belfast Farmers’ Market

-Orono Farmers’ Market

-seedlings

-CSA shares- vegetables

-CSA shares - cut flowers

-horsepower farm

-new farm stand - June through Oct.

    Tuesdays through Fridays 2-6 p.m.

What Makes New Beat Farm Unique?

Ken Lamson and Adrienne Lee named their

ninety-three acre farm in Knox, “New Beat Farm,” because they believe that the sound of their horses working in the field far surpasses any sound emitted from any tractor or mechanical device.  Their belief in the traditional use of work horses combined with human power aligns with the value that they place on sustainable agriculture. They shared that the work that takes place on their farm is centered around their mission of “ecological, social, and economic health, from soil to soul, from farmer to your family.”

Adrienne Lee certainly has put her Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz to good use.  She has worked in agriculture for several years.  She gained quite a bit of experience from her apprenticeships at various farms in Maine.  She fine-tuned her draft horse skills under the tutelage of Mitch Savage.  (Mitch will be profiled on the Unique Maine Farms’ website soon for his work harvesting maple syrup with draft horses). 

Thanks to the assistance of Maine Farmland Trust’s Farmlink program, Ken Lamson joined efforts with Adrienne Lee in their purchase of New Beat Farm in 2010.  It was a good choice as Ken was able to contribute farm skills that he acquired while growing up on a farm and then working at several farms.  After further honing his proficiency in farming through an apprenticeship at the horse-powered Wildroot Farm, Ken became committed to incorporating horses in their farm.  He participated in MOFGA’s Journeyperson program and is a member of their Low Impact Forestry collective.

Ken and Adrienne’s focus centers on self-sustaining agrosystems, healthy soils, nutrient-rich crops, and a vibrant farm ecosystem. They depend on their Belgian and Percheron draft horses to help with the tilling, harrowing, mowing, cultivating, and plowing at their farm. In addition to the horses, they also raise pigs and chickens.  The manure is highly valued in their organic farming practices. It certainly seems fitting that the horses can do their part by helping to distribute their organic fertilizer with the horse-drawn manure spreader on the fields! Ken and Adrienne incorporate cover crops and crop rotation in their farm plan and the horses help with that, as well.

The vegetables, herbs, and flowers that they grow have been available for purchase at farmers markets, fairs, and through their multi-facted CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program.  They grow a selection of over fifty types of MOFGA-certified vegetables, herbs, and flowers. They also sell on a wholesale basis to restaurants, consumer buying clubs, and natural food stores. Their 22x96 greenhouse was acquired through funding from a ShadeFund loan and an Environmental Quality Incentives Program cost-share from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.  It has been used for growing vegetables in the winter and for raising early tomatoes.  It has enabled them to extend their growing season.

The Summer Vegetable Shares offered by New Beat Farm are available for eighteen weeks from mid-June through mid-October.  The shares come in two sizes.  The Standard Share is designed to feed two adults who eat vegetables as a major source of their diet.  Family Shares are geared towards a family of four or more or for those individuals interesting it preserving some of the vegetables for use in the winter.

The CSA Summer Vegetable Shares can be picked up at New Beat Farm on Morse Road in Knox from 2-6 p.m. on Tuesdays. Shares are also delivered to Woodford’s Church in Portland and to the North Street Park on Munjoy Hill.  These Portland deliveries occur on Tuesdays from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. and involve a $50 delivery fee.  On Wednesdays from 4:30-6:00 p.m., a share pick-up is also available in Belfast.

New Beat Farm participates in the Belfast Farmers’ Market on Fridays from June through December, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Waterfall Arts Center.  They can be found at the Orono Farmers’ Market on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Steam Plant Parking Lot.

Market Shares are offered by New Beat Farm at either the Belast or Orono Farmers’ Market.

Individuals who sign up for a Market Share receive 10% and 15% off of their market purchases.  If an individual signs up and purchases shares in $100 increments by May 1, they can use it as a credit at New Beat Farm’s farmers’ market stands from June through December.

New Beat Farm offers a unique flower CSA

share program.  Shareholders receive a bouquet of fresh cut flowers from their gardens every week from July through mid-September for $100.  Each share receives fifteen bouquets over the course of twelve weeks.  New Beat Farm also sells flowers for weddings and special events.  They even grow edible flowers!

If you attended the 2012 Common Ground Fair,

you may have noticed the beautiful display that was set up by New Beat Farm.  Their produce was under a red tent and their assorted vegetable bags were alive with vibrant colors.  Their beautiful New Beat Farm banner with the large hand-painted beet proved to be a great eye-catching addition to their set-up and a great play on words associated with their unique way of running their farm.

New Beat Farm stands apart from many other

farms because of a commitment to reach out to individuals of all economic backgrounds.  Ken and Adrienne offer a Sliding Scale Payment option in their CSA programs. They explained how a sliding scale allows folks of all income levels to have access to their produce while still maintaining economic viability at their farm.  The difference on the scale represents between a 10% and 35% discount off of the value of the produce in the share.

Aligned with their concern for everyone having accessibility to healthy food, New Beat Farm

offers Work Share options and share scholarships.  They accept SNAP/EBT payments.  Customers paying by SNAP/EBT will pay in weekly installments through the course of the eighteen-week CSA season.  After mailing in a $100 deposit by March 31, EBT customers pay $15 per week for the Standard share and $27 per week for the Family Share.

New Beat Farm has clearly illustrated their intentions to live true to their mission of “ecological, social, and economic health” of their farm.  Their choice of horsepower has been influenced by lifestyle and ecological reasons. Their commitment to the social and economic health factors of their farm has been demonstrated by their endorsement of community-supported agriculture.

Just as Adrienne and Ken learned about the use of horsepower and farming while participating in  apprentice programs, they have been willing to welcome apprentices at their farm to share their

knowledge and experiences with traditional draft power.  They have allowed an employee to use a section of the field to begin a perennial flower business. They have offered special events at their farm for shareholders and they have sent out a weekly newsletter with farm recipes during the CSA season. 

Ken and Adrienne are examples of young farmers who are holding true to their ideals. It was exciting to learn that they will be opening a new farm stand at their farm on Morse Road in Knox this June.  They will be carrying their seasonal produce, flowers, seedlings and local food products on Tuesdays through Fridays from 2 to 6 p.m. through October.  They truly are branching out from “the soil to the soul” and from “farmer to your family.”

(photo courtesy of New Beat Farm’s website)

Adrienne Lee

Ken Lamson

Ken Lamson