Villageside Farm

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Villageside Farm- Freedom, Maine

Polly Shyka and Prentice Grassi

Villageside Farm overlooks Freedom village in central Maine’s rolling Waldo County. Polly Shyka and Prentice Grassi bought the land in 2001 and built a home and business where they raise 5-acres of vegetables and herbs along with broilers, laying hens, and a few pastured cows. The farm is a local hub and operated as a CSA for many years before recently transitioning to an on-farm market. In addition to growing food, Polly and Prentice grow tens of thousands of seedlings every spring that are offered for sale to local gardeners. Community is at the heart of Villageside’s ethos as well as education, open conversation, and sharing knowledge. Over the years, as many as 40 apprentices have learned how to farm working alongside these guys and they have mentored nearly a dozen aspiring farmers through MOFGA’s Journeyperson program; which helps new farmers with the ins and outs of developing a sustainable farm. We had a chance to talk with Prentice about what drew him to farming and finding meaningful ways to contribute and engage in light of current environmental and social disruption.

“I like being outside. I like the physicality of it and the environmental ethic. I grew up in a rural-urban environment, so lots of open space, but not really working farms. I had an interest in where food comes from, the cost of chemicals and the costs of big agriculture and livestock and the impacts on ecology, and on the planet, and people’s health.” – Prentice Grassi

“We got into farming for social and environmental reasons…the future seems so uncertain, doesn’t it? For anything. So that’s kind of a shadow over the whole thing…you know, trying to contribute to a better future, but sometimes you feel like it’s just too small a drop in the bucket…. how do I engage? what’s the thing to do?” – Prentice Grassi

http://www.villagesidefarm.com