Name: Bill and Cynthia Thayer
Location: 51 Darthia Farm Road
Gouldsboro, Maine 04607
Phone: 207-963-7771
1-800-285-6234
Website: www.darthiafarm.com
Email: darthiafarm@gmail.com
Products and Services:
-farm store - organic vegetables & fruits
-MOFGA certified for 36 years
-fiber arts - dyeing, spinning, weaving
-jams, jellies, salves, vinegars, syrup
-draft horses
-wagon and sleigh rides
-apprentice program
-CSA (community supported agriculture)
-Winter Harbor Farmers’ Market in the winter
-online holiday catalogue
What Makes Darthia Farm So Unique?
When you drive on the lane leading into Darthia Farm in Gouldsboro, you are welcomed by a large sign that reads, “Darthia Farm ... Rebuilt by Human Kindness.” It is a sign that expresses the gratitude that Bill and Cynthia Thayer feel for all the individuals who stepped forward and helped them after the tragic fire in May 2012, that destroyed their 150-year-old barn and killed their horses, sheep, calves, pigs, chickens and ducks.
Three of the farms that are profiled in the
Unique Maine Farms’ project were devastated
by tragic fires. The Mandala Farm in East Orland faced the loss of their farmhouse five years ago. The farmhouse at Ricker Farm in Saco burned in 1832, and their barn was destroyed in a 2004 fire. All three of these farms managed to rebuild thanks to the generosity and kindness of many individuals.
The support that the Thayers received to rebuild Darthia Farm was expressed in countless ways. The children from the local Peninsula School raised money for the Thayers and presented them with a special book about their annual visits to the Darthia Farm. Youngsters in kindergarten and first grade have enjoyed the wagon rides and making cider at Darthia Farm for thirty years!
Many individuals sent donations and offered their labor and supplies. Various replacement animals were offered as gifts. Several different funds to rebuild their farm were put into place. Various organizations throughout the state of Maine spearheaded collection drives. It was a heart-warming response for a farming couple who have been been loved and admired for many years.
The Thayers are well known in the Downeast area and in the farming community. They have been involved with MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association) for thirty-six years. Bill Thayer serves as a selectman in Gouldsboro. He has conducted wagon rides with his draft horses at the Common Ground Fair for many years. The sleigh rides that he offers in the winter at the farm have proven to be extremely popular.
Bill enjoyed working his horses in the woods
in his firewood operation. Losing the horses was particularly challenging, since he had worked with one of them for twenty-nine years. It was good when Andy and Archie, the two Haflinger draft horses, were able to be brought from Kentucky to their new home at the Thayers’ farm after the fire.
Cynthia Thayer is well-known for her many
accomplishments. She is the well-respected
author of Strong for Potatoes, A Certain Slant of Light, and A Brief Lunacy. She is a teacher of writing and a leader of workshops. Skilled in cooking and also gifted with musical talents (bagpipes and steel pans), she is often at the forefront of many cultural happenings in the Schoodic area. As one of the initial members of the Wednesday Spinners, Cynthia is also known for her expertise with fiber arts - dyeing wools, spinning, and weaving. The replacement of her dyeing shed was another step in the rebuilding process of Darthia Farm. Several of the Thayers’ friends helped to replenish it.
It is difficult to perceive how one is able to face such unimaginable loss that resulted from the fire at Darthia Farm. It was a tragic event. The Thayers have exhibited an incredible strength by opting to rebuild and carry on. Despite the fire in 2012, they continued their Community Supported Agriculture program. Their Farm Store remained open, and they still offered items in their online holiday catalog.
If you have never visited the Thayers’ Farm Store, it is a real treat. When you first enter
the building, there is an amazing selection of
freshly-picked organic vegetables that are
beautifully displayed. Dried flowers are hung from the rafters. As you move into the next area of the building, there is an abundance of jams, jellies, pestos, salves, and herbal vinegars, that were all made in their state-licensed kitchen. There is also a selection of Darthia Farm items including cards and tee shirts.
Hattie’s Wool Shed composes the third area of the Farm Store. It is in this section that visitors are treated to an incredible array of fiber arts including handspun wool, and handmade hats, socks, scarves, woven items, and sheepskins. The work of area craftspeople is also represented. There is beautiful pottery and handcrafted wooden pieces.
Several of the items that can be found in the Thayers’ Farm Store are also available in their
online holiday catalog. It’s definitely worth
a look to check out the online offerings. There are handmade balsam holiday wreaths, mantlepiece greens, centerpieces, and kissing balls. A large assortment of homemade jams and jellies are available in beautiful wooden boxes. A unique picnic basket is offered, as well as beeswax candles, distinctive note cards, farm breakfast packages, shortbread cookies, Cynthia’s fruitcake, and garlic and herb swags.
It is obvious from all that is taking place at the Thayers’ farm that Darthia Farm continues to
be a flourishing, vibrant stronghold in the Gouldsboro Community. The sense of goodness and the fullness derived from hard
work and an appreciation for life is very obvious. On one of the days that photos were
being taken for this profile, Bill and Cynthia
were busy preparing for a jazz concert that
would be taking place on their porch. Music
remains alive at Darthia Farm.
The rebirth of Darthia Farm has truly centered around the concept of being rebuilt by kindness as indicated by the Thayers’ welcoming sign. It is a beautiful story of community and hope. All the best is extended to the Thayers as they continue in their healing and rebuilding.