2nd Annual Agrarian Acts concert brings The Mallett Brothers Band to a farm "up north"

What do farming and music have in common? Quite a lot, according to Maine Farmland Trust. The statewide nonprofit is known for using creative and artistic means to communicate the importance of farmland and farming, and on August 25^th they’ll host the 2^nd Annual Agrarian Acts concert with The Mallett Brothers Band. The show will be held on a farm in Sebec, Maine, but the setting isn’t the only connection to working the land.

A Maine-based band, The Mallett Brothers are a nationally touring country rock and roll and Americana group. Their latest release, The Falling of the Pine, celebrates Maine’s rural history and landscape by re-imagining a collection of 19^th century folk songs collected in the 1927 book “The Minstrelsy of Maine”. That concept struck a chord with the Trust, whose annual Agrarian Acts concert is “a celebration of agriculture through music.”

“We were looking for band that had a clear connection to the land,” said MFT’s outreach director Ellen Sabina. The new album, and the fact that Maine Farmland Trust recently protected an iconic farm in Sebec, the Mallett’s hometown, “seemed like the perfect ingredients for a farm concert,” Sabina said.

Luke and Will Mallett, who lead the band, have roots in the area and their mother and father (folk singer David Mallett) still live close by. In 2012, David Mallett put out his album, Greenin’ Up, in conjunction with Maine Farmland Trust. The album includes updated versions of Mallett’s most beloved folk songs from the ‘70s, and celebrates rural living in Maine.

The Mallett Brothers Band will perform in a hayfield at Eagle View Ranch. The ranch was formerly known as Varnum Farms. Maine Farmland Trust protected the 2,068-acre piece of land and sold the property to the current owner several years ago. The new farmer raises beef cattle on the property. “It’ll be a bit more rustic than your average concert venue,” said Sabina. “We’re encouraging people to bring their own blankets and chairs to stake out their spot in the field and enjoy the show.”

But rustic doesn’t mean there won’t be good food and drink. The ticket prices include dinner, prepared by Spruce Mill Farm & Kitchen. The menu includes locally pastured chicken sandwiches on fresh, handmade croissants, pulled pork sliders, farm green salad, potato salad and other sides, and fruit hand pies and flourless raspberry corncakes for dessert. A cash bar will have several local beer and wine options available for purchase, and non-alcoholic options as well.

Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for kids age 6-15 (kids 5 and under get in for free). The ticket price includes a hearty meal of local food. Tickets can be purchased HERE or by calling 207-338-6575.