Fare thee Well, Amy and Jeff!

Buckwheat Blossom Farm and Jeff and Amy Burchstead have moved from the Morris Farm to their new home on Willow Lane in Wiscasset.

If you’ve driven by the Morris Farm lately, you might be wondering what is, or what is not, going on over there. The cars, people, horses, hens and other animals of the Morris Farm are now strangely absent. For the past 5 years, the primary farm activities at the Morris Farm have been those of its first farmer-tenants, Jeff and Amy Burchstead, owners of Buckwheat Blossom Farm. The draft horses plowing the fields, the sheep with their spring lambs, the beef cattle dotting the landscape, and the laying hens producing the best eggs in town; these have all been farming activities of Buckwheat Blossom Farm (BBF). You could call BBF the face of the Morris Farm. So it is with both sadness and pride that the Morris Farm now bids them farewell.
Since its beginning as a community nonprofit farm, back in 1994, the Morris Farm has tried some different farming models to keep farmers working the land, while sharing its message of sustainable agriculture within and for the community. This latest model, with a farmer-tenant relationship, has been the most successful for the Morris Farm. The Burchsteads have provided much time, talent and a wealth of knowledge to the Morris Farm’s educational programming. They have grown their business and their family at the Morris Farm, so it is natural that they should build their own home on their own nearby land and now move on. Luckily they haven’t moved far. Buckwheat Blossom Farm has relocated to Willow Lane, in Wiscasset, just 2 miles from the Morris Farm. So if you want those especially good eggs or any of their other products, you can still find them here in town. Buckwheat Blossom Farm can also be found at the Portland Winter Market, 85 Free Street, on Saturdays, from 10am - 1pm, and at the Brunswick Winter Market, Fort Andross, also on Saturdays, from 9am - 1pm.
As for the Morris Farm, you can expect a variety of changes over the next few months. New farmers are moving in this spring, and they will be bringing dairy cows, as well as several other farm animals, to the Morris Farm. Watch for exciting announcements of new developments soon! For more information on Buckwheat Blossom Farm, call them at 882-8082. The Morris Farm is located at 156 Gardiner Road in Wiscasset; it is open to the public 7 days a week, from sunrise to sunset. For more information on the Morris Farm, visit www.morrisfarm.org or call 882-4080.