The Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village will be open from noon to 4 p.m. July 23 for Maine’s Open Farm Day with free activities and tours of the farms at 707 Shaker Road, New Gloucester. Gregory Rec / Portland Press Herald
Shaker Open Farm Day
The Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village will participate again in Maine’s Open Farm Day July 23, an agritourism event raising awareness about farms and their importance to Maine. Dating back to 1783, Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village is among the oldest farms in Maine still operating under the same management.
The farm, at 707 Shaker Road, will be open for these free activities from noon to 4 p.m. Get a closer look at Scottish highland cattle, a flock of more than 50 sheep, as well as bees, barn cats, apple orchards, herb and vegetable gardens and more. Additionally, take part in guided tours of the nearly two-century-old barns and speak with Aaron Sturgis of Preservation Timber Framers about the preservation project.
Other activities are tractor-drawn wagon rides, displays of honey bee hives and traditional craft demonstrations, including woodcarving, blacksmithing, yarn spinning, chair seat weaving, “Lamb to Loom” demonstrations, rug hooking and letterpress printing.
Authors Mary Doyle, author of “Unique Maine Farms,” and Don Perkins, “Barns of Maine,” will be present to sign books.
Barbecue lunch plates will be available for purchase while supplies last.
For more details, call 926-4597 or email info@maineshakers.com.
Patti Mikkelsen can be contacted at mikks@maine.rr.com.
Pineland garden tour
Pineland Farms will have its 1-acre perennial, herb and vegetable garden open to walk through from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 18, at the corner of Route 231 and Freeport Road.
The garden includes a quarter-mile of paved walkways through plant beds and an apple tree grove. A horticulturist will be present to answer questions. Light refreshments will be served.
Register at pinelandfarms.org for $5. For accommodations, contact Cheryl Jalbert at cjalbert@pinelandfarms.org or 688-4800, ext. 11.
Charter Q&A
The New Gloucester Select Board will hold a question-and-answer meeting about the town charter at 6 p.m. Monday, July 17. It takes place at the meetinghouse, 389 Intervale Road.
Public library news
At its June 26 meeting, the select board confirmed Emily Martin as the new library director. She formerly served as assistant librarian.
Due to a staffing shortage, the public library’s hours of operation have temporarily been reduced to 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays, 1-7 p.m. Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays. The library is located at 379 Intervale Road.
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