A long history of dairy farming at High View

To close out Maine Dairy Month, we connected with Bill and Darcy Winslow of High View Farm, a licensed raw dairy in Harrison. The 147 acre farm in Southern Maine’s Lakes Region is home to grass-fed Guernsey cows, free-ranging Belgian draft horses, pigs, sheep, barn cats, and hardworking dogs. 

They worked with MFT in 2018 to protect the farm with an easement in what they hoped would be just the first step in ensuring the future of farming on the property. This has always been something that is deeply important to both of them. Since then, they have participated in the Maine Soil Health Network (which has now evolved into MFT’s new Climate Adaptation Planning program) to assess climate risks, and grow their farm’s resilience to weather and erosion.

For Bill and Darcy Winslow, dairy farming is in their blood. Darcy’s family raised chickens and pigs growing up and the land the two of them farm has been in Bill’s family for 214 years with a long history of agricultural use. Back then, Bill says “of course everyone farmed to provide for themselves and share with their neighbors. My grandfather milked a herd of Guernseys, then my father milked Guernseys off the farm for six years at Sprague Farm in Cape Elizabeth. I have always loved cows and wanted to milk Guernseys like my grandfather did. I did have a herd of Jerseys and started to make ice cream, but life changed, and here we are. I love being a farmer: milking Guernsey dairy cows, farming with Belgian draft horses, raising pigs and sheep.”

It’s clear that farming for them and their family has always been inextricably linked to providing for their community. “Well my favorite part [of farming] is drinking the milk. I would have to say the next is sharing with my family and then feeding the community. We really love being able to offer this beautiful golden milk, yogurt, kefir and feta to people,” says Bill. They also offer eggs from their neighbor's chickens and give horse-drawn sleigh rides in the winter when the snow allows. 

Darcy and Bill say that it’s a challenge to keep everything up to date on the farm, running smoothly, and promoting agriculture in the community at the same time. As a small family-run farm, there’s a long list of daily chores, from milking and feeding, to haying and mending, to producing and packing the goods they sell at their farm store and weekly Bridgton Farmers Market, while juggling expenses and other aspects of running the business. The Winslows have also been working on a succession plan so the farm can continue to feed the community with the next generation.  

Another challenge has been the weather. In recent years, milk yields have been impacted by hotter and drier summers, and wetter winters with more rain than snow. With forage productivity loss, heat stress to the herd, and reduced income when winter sleigh rides are impossible, the Winslows have been working with MFT staff and service providers to plan adaptation strategies. Some of these include ways to increase on-farm water access points, improve the water holding capacity of pasture soils to better absorb winter rains and mitigate summer drought, grow forage that is more resistant to drought, and reduce topsoil erosion. The Winslows are also exploring ways to diversify agritourism activities and other ways to adapt their year-round farm business model. 

With their mission to feed the community, the Winslows view their farm as a way to strengthen local food security, too. “We would like people to realize we are in this to maintain an agricultural presence in the area so there is local food available in case of an emergency,” says Bill. There aren’t many farms of this size left in the area, and as they think about the farm’s 200+ year history and plan for its future by protecting the farm, investing in the productivity of the land, and making longer-term plans for their business, they’re motivated not just by what the farm means to them personally, but the resource it represents for the region: “One of our goals for the future of our farm business is to have our land productive enough to produce dairy products enough to meet the needs of the community.”

Five years ago for MFT’s 20th Anniversary, we shared a film with more about Bill and Darcy’s story and the future of farming at High View Farm, although some aspects of their plans have changed since then. Darcy says, "We are very happy that our youngest daughter decided to join us on the farm. Hannah, her husband Keith and their daughter Payton will be the next generation of farmers. This will make 7 generations of farmers on this land." You can watch the film here.

You can find High View's products at their on-premises farm store and at the weekly Bridgton Farmers Market.