Wolfe's Neck Farm
 | |
  Location in Maine | |
| Town/City | Freeport |
|---|---|
| State | Maine |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 43°49′51″N 70°04′17″W / 43.830781°N 70.071258°W |
| Established | 1959 |
| Owner | University of Southern Maine (since 1985) |
| Area | 626 acres (2,530,000 m2)[1] |
| Status | Open to the public |
Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment (formerly Wolfe's Neck Farm)[2] is a sustainable coastal farm in Freeport, Maine, United States. Located at 184 Burnett Road, the farm was established in 1959 by Philadelphia natives Eleanor Houston Smith (1910–1987)[3] and Lawrence Smith (1902–1975).[3][1][4]
The farm was given to the University of Southern Maine by Eleanor Smith in 1985. Twelve years later, Wolfe's Neck Farm Foundation took over the management of the property.[1]
In addition to the farm, the property, which is situated on four miles (6.4 km) of Casco Bay coastline, also contains the main office building (located in the 1820s-built Little River House; renovated in 2017),[5] a barn, a campground (Wolfe's Neck Oceanfront Camping at Recompence Shore Campground), a farm store and cafe, community gardens, hiking trails,[6] the 1890-constructed Mallet Barn (at the end of Wolfe's Neck Road), the Banter House (restored in 2014; at the junction of Burnett and Wolfe's Neck Roads) and the Pote House and Barn (restored in 2017; on Wolfe's Neck Road).[1] The Wishcamper Livestock Education Barn was built in 2017[7] where a barn, torn down in 2008, previously stood.[5] An organic dairy barn, built at a cost of $1 million, opened in May 2019.[8]
Wolfe's Neck Farm was renamed Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment in October 2017.
In 2019, Wolfe's Neck Center received a donation of $25,000 from Kennebec Savings Bank "to support enhancements to its facilities."[9]
In 2025, the USDA canceled a $35 million agriculture grant which the farm was in line to receive as part of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program. The program was initiated during the Joe Biden presidential administration, but the farm's overhead costs exceeded the guidelines set by Biden's successor, Donald Trump.[10]
Gallery
[edit]-
The camp store on Burnett Road
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d About - WolfesNeck.org
- ^ "New focus, new name for Wolfe's Neck Farm in Freeport" - Portland Press Herald, October 12, 2017
- ^ a b "Eleanor Houston and Lawrence M.C. Smith" - Freeport Historical Society
- ^ "Farm Stay: Freeport" - Maine Magazine, March 2015
- ^ a b "Historic farmstead renovated" - MorningAgClips, May 31, 2017
- ^ Trail maps - FreeportCamping.com
- ^ "Farm unveils historic farmstead renovation, celebrates future" - Portland Press Herald, June 5, 2017
- ^ "Organic dairy barn opening at Wolfe’s Neck looks to next generation" - Portland Press Herald, May 10, 2019
- ^ "Wolfe’s Neck receives $25K donation to enhance facilities" - Portland Press Herald, March 20, 2019
- ^ "USDA cancels $35M climate grant to Freeport demonstration farm". Press Herald. 2025-04-21. Retrieved 2025-04-22.