Farm: Spiller Farm
Location: 85 Spiller Farm Lane
both sides of Route 9A
(Branch Road)
Wells, Maine 04090
Phone: 207-985-2575
Website: www.spillerfarm.com
Email:
Products:
strawberries, raspberries, peas,
blueberries, veggies, rhubarb,
tomatoes, apples, corn, summer
squash, zucchini, cukes, peppers,
tomatoes, eggplant, pumpkins,
potatoes, hay, lettuce, green and
yellow beans, beets, carrots,
broccoli, chard, butter and sugar
corn, melons, watermelons,
winter squash, pasture-fed
hamburg - no hormones
no antibiotics
What Makes Spiller Farm So Unique:
Bill and Anna Spiller were chosen as
the very first farmers to be profiled on
the Unique Maine Farms website because
of their incredible commitment to address
the issue of hunger in our state. They have
consistently followed through with a pledge
to donate a large percentage of their crops
to those in need.
The Spiller family has been farming in
Maine since 1894. Their farm spans both
sides of Branch Road (Route 9A) in Wells
and encompasses 130 acres. Thirty acres are
dedicated to row crops. There are four
acres set aside for apples, as well as four
acres designated for strawberries.
Raspberries can be found on a one-acre
plot.
Like so many farmers in Maine, the Spillers
have learned to diversify. In addition
to offering a variety of U PICK crops, they
introduced hay rides in the fall. With the
help of the Wells Rotary, they held a
Strawberry Festival at the farm this past
June with strawberry shortcake, hayrides,
musical entertainment, face painting, and
fun.
The Spillers support local farmers markets
and participate in the Wells Farmers Market
at the Wells Town Hall on Wednesdays from
1:30-5:00 p.m. and at the Kennebunk
Farmers Market on Route One in Kennebunk
Center on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
A belief in the value of Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) has also been embraced
by Bill and Anna Spiller. They operate a
highly-successful CSA operation.
A person who agrees to purchase a CSA
share is provided with a very good
assortment of fresh (picked-in-their-season)
berries, fruit, veggies, and apples from the
middle of June until the middle of October
(18 weeks). The Spillers raise peppers,
strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries, blueberries,
summer squash, zucchini, cukes, tomatoes,
eggplant, lettuce, green and yellow beans,
beets, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, chard,
butter and sugar corn, silver corn, melons,
watermelons, winter squash, pumpkins, and
apples.
Bill Spiller conducts a special walking
tour of the farm for CSA members in July
or August. During U PICK hours CSA
members may walk the harvest lanes
after checking in at the sales area. CSA
members are able to purchase sweet corn
by the bushel in August or September
(all picked) and U PICK apples at a
discount.
Frank Wertheim with the York County Cooperative Extension and the Harvest for
Hunger project, echoed the sentiments of so
many admirers of Bill and Anna Spiller.
He explained how the Spillers have a philosophy
that giving to others is simply the right thing to do.
The Spillers have never felt any need to be recognized for their generosity. Bill has even
apologized on several occasions explaining that
he wishes he could contribute even more to the cause of hunger. In addition to donating an
enormous amount of food to those in need,
the Spillers grow food for the Good Shepherd
Food Bank and for the Senior Farm Share
program.
Frank Wertheim explained how the Spillers have
always been the largest donor to the Harvest for Hunger program. (Originally the program went
under the name of Plant-A-Row). The
Spillers consistently have donated over 10,000
pounds of produce each year for the past
several years. They designate certain fields
for specific food pantries and kitchens.
For the past seven or eight years the Spillers
have hosted seed potato cutting parties where
Master Gardeners come to their farm and cut
the potatoes into small sections for planting.
These Master Gardeners return in the fall
as different gleaning teams to harvest the potatoes
and deliver them to various food pantries and
soup kitchens.
When Lori Hussey and her son worked with
the Spillers to start the first gleaning team
at the Spillers in 2000, the Spillers became the first farm to welcome gleaners in the Plant-A-Row program. Because of their concern for those
in need and because of their welcoming ways,
gleaning for the Harvest for the Hunger program now takes place at almost ten farms throughout
York County.
York County’s successful gleaning program
and focus on addressing hunger has led the
way for other Maine counties to follow suit.
The Spillers were true catalysts for farm
programs specifically growing crops for
those in need. They were the first farm to
sign up for the Mothers and Others Against
Hunger project.
If the Spillers had not stepped forward to
address hunger back in 2000, one might
wonder if the gleaning programs would
be as successful as they are today. There are
many individuals and agencies that are
extremely grateful to Bill and Anna Spiller.
Thanks go out to the Spillers for
addressing the critical issue of hunger and
for being an inspiration to so many.
Anna and Bill Spiller
Bill Spiller built this farmhouse
from trees that he cut and milled.
The Spiller Family has been
farming for 118 years.
