Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
EXPANDING — Nature’s Circle Farm on the County Road in New Limerick is adding a new 60-foot by 90-foot storage unit. More than half of the new storage will be for roots and a section of it will be completely insulated and sectioned off for squash.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
NEW LIMERICK — Nature’s Circle Farm is expanding its organic, locally grown market by adding a 5,400-square foot (60 x 90) storage unit on the County Road in New Limerick.
Founded in 1996 by Dick York, Nature’s Circle Farm has — well, come full circle — starting with two-acres and growing into 300 tillable acres.
“We probably have 250 acres in production,” said Meg York Scott, co-owner of Nature’s Circle Farm. “We have about 50 acres of cover crop.”
Nature’s Circle Farm only grows winter storage crops and is part of the Aroostook County Co-op.
When York started his farm, he grew a variety of mixed vegetables, including chili peppers, egg plant and green peppers on black plastic.
“His land hadn’t been in production for over 40 years,” explained Scott. “That is one of the reasons he thought it would be good to go organic. He had heard a lot about organic methods and he thought it would make the soil more sustainable.”
At first, York tried selling his goods locally through a community supported agriculture, but as Scott pointed out, “I don’t think Houlton was ready for it and I don’t think the people were ready to go organic.”
Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
COUSINS — Meg York Scott, left, and Lowell Matthews are cousins working on Nature’s Circle Farm. The farm was founded by Scott’s father, Dick York. The two cousins are busy helping to operate the family-owned business.
Trying several different organic associations, York met other organic farmers, all struggling with the same issues.
“There were 20 farmers in Aroostook County,” said Scott. “Amongst them all, they had hundreds of acres of organic vegetables, and most of them didn’t have good markets. However, my dad ended up making some great connections and he met some amazing people.”
With a firm marketing strategy, York began supplying Hannaford with his vegetables. But, Hannaford needed potatoes.
“Dad expanded and started growing potatoes because they were calling for them,” said Scott. “Then, he started growing quite exponentially as he was actually trying to stay ahead of the demand curve. But, he kind of stayed too far ahead then he had too many potatoes.”
With only one storage unit on the Ludlow Road, York bought Millard Wright’s potato house on the County Road, adjacent to Cameron’s Market in New Limerick.
“This is the existing packing shed,” said Scott. “We have been using both [storage areas], but Millard’s obviously was built just for potatoes.”
At this time, Nature’s Circle Farm grows 12 varieties of double-certified organic seed potato.
Instead of compromising the life of the roots alongside the potatoes, Nature’s Circle Farm is adding another storage unit.
“Over half of our storage will be for roots and a section of it will be completely insulated and sectioned off for squash,” Scott added.
Zach Chase of Buildings Etcetera is the general contractor on site, with Josh McLaughlin setting the groundwork.
Nature’s Circle Farm is a wholesale vegetable farm. They do not sell straight from the field, although that is one of their goals.
“We grow things we can store with a good harvest window,” Scott explained. “We ship out by the pallet to major markets. Our products go to distribution centers, not stores. We very rarely sell to stores.”
Nature’s Circle Farm works with Whole Foods with distribution centers in Connecticut and Maryland, as well as Albert’s Organics out of New Jersey and Gold Bell at the Chelsea Market in Massachusetts.
Winter squash, potatoes, beets, turnips, rutabagas, parsnips and carrots are grown on Nature’s Circle Farm.
“Each year we try an experimental crop,” said Scott. “This year, we tried celeriac, but it all died.”
Nature’s Circle Farm ships out 15 to 20 pallets (2,000 to 2,500 pounds) daily during the harvest, slowing down to around five, depending on the demand and the fact other farmers are shipping, as well.
“We do early sales of potatoes, beets, rutabaga and turnip,” said Scott. “At that time, we are really moving some pallets. But once we run out of the early stuff then we season off.”
With very few of Nature’s Circle Farm products being redistributed in Houlton, a short-range plan is to provide that service.
“It’s been an issue for people wanting to get our product,” said Scott. “We have invited people to come out to the packing shed, but often we aren’t there, we are in the fields. So, the new storage unit will have an office and possibly a little retail space where people can walk in and purchase products.”
Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
OLD STRUCTURE — This conveyor is used to pack pallets of vegetables to be sent off from Nature’s Circle Farm to its distribution centers.
Nature’s Circle Farm employees six year-round employees, adding nine during the planting and harvest seasons. They also use hand weeders, up to 25 at times, to cultivate the crops.
Nature’s Circle Farm is a family-owned business co-owned by York and Scott, who joined her father in 2004 by doing payroll and bookkeeping and taking on a few of his markets. Scott’s cousin, Lowell Matthews, is indispensable on the farm in the last four years and Scott’s stepmother, Sue York, oversees the management of the squash operation.
“We have a lot of family that gets involved,” added Scott.
Matthews, a 2009 Houlton High School graduate, never thought he would end up working the farm. He went to college for mechanical engineering. He wasn’t satisfied with that field, so he came back to Houlton. He was looking for a job, called his cousin, and there was an opening for a harvest helper.
“I really didn’t see myself in a farming situation. It’s very serendipitous that I ended up here,” he said with a laugh. “Now I am thinking about going back to college for agriculture.”
Matthews, who has been gaining experience in growing, harvesting to managing, has performed pretty much all of the tasks on the farm.
“I have done everything,” he said with a laugh.
Matthews always worked the potato harvest in high school, discovered he enjoyed the work.
“I guess I never really made the connection that I even had the opportunity to make it a career not just a job,” he said.
Well, the job fits him and the younger generation of farmers is pushing for more of a local retail.
“I’d like to expand the local markets,” Matthews said. “l’d like to appeal to more individuals.”
Maybe some day, Matthews will partner with his cousin in the family business.
“I would like to get to a position that I could have the knowledge and ability to oversee everything,” he added.
“Our goal is to stabilize,” explained Scott. “We are still finding new markets. We are still feeling out different crops. We would like to find the crops that will work best in our fields that have stable markets.”
In the future, the young adults have a vision for Nature’s Circle Farm.
“We’d like to have more auxiliary businesses,” said Scott. “We may do brokerage, distribution and retail, with a processing plant down the road. The only way we are going to be sustainable, as a business, is if we really use all those [components] and pull it all together.”
Nature’s Circle Farm is located at 1133 County Road and Scott can be reached by calling 592-1476 or 532-9911. Also check out their Facebook page or website at www.naturescirclefarm.com.
York started this farm under the pretense that organic vegetables would take hold in northern Maine, and they have.
“Organic means you are building up the soil with more nutrients,” said Scott. “We are doing our very best to make the soil more sustainable for future generations.”
