Beech Hill Farm preps for a busy season
The lion of early March is quickly becoming a lamb as 30-degree days become 40-degree days and snow turns into rain. The ground is thawing, and crocuses are peeking up from the soil. All this means the team at College of the Atlantic Beech Hill Farm in Mount Desert has begun preparing for a busy growing season, according to the Mount Desert Islander.
By Piper Curtin | Mount Desert Islander
“It’s just so exciting to have fresh greens at the moment after having a winter of surviving on squash and sweet potato,” said Beech Hill Farm co-manager Anna Davis.
Davis stood in the doorway of a long greenhouse filled with fresh spinach and kale that was seeded in October. After spending the winter months protected under row covers, the greens have produced bountiful leaves that are harvested twice a week and sent off to the FarmDrop CSA (community-supported agriculture) program, College of the Atlantic, and stores like A&B Naturals and Sawyer’s Market.
Davis was accompanied in the greenhouse by Assistant Manager Tara Allen, who was cleaning up the crop, plucking away dead and unwanted leaves. This will be Allen’s fifth season as assistant manager of the farm.
The farm is owned by COA, Allen’s alma mater. After graduation, Allen managed a small farm in Florida before returning to Mount Desert Island and Beech Hill. “I like feeling connected to my food – seeing where it comes from and where it goes,” Allen said.
Davis and co-manager David Levison have been at Beech Hill for 10 seasons. While they originally had no connection to COA, Davis says they have grown to love the school and community.
“I just feel like it’s this extraordinary resource that we’ve been given to work here,” Davis said. “And it feels like an amazing way to kind of give back to the community and being able to provide local and sustainably grown food is so cool.”