Name: Fixit Farm -
Home of the Maine Worming Hut
Location: 15 Ferguson Lane off of Route #4
Sandy River Plantation, Maine 04970
Website: www.fixitfarmmaine.com
Email: fixitfarminmaine@gmail.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/fixitfarminmaine?fref=ts
Phone: 207-864-2971
Fax: 207-864-2716
Products and Services:
-Fixit Soil - earth worm castings in 5, 15, 30 pound
bags or in bulk in one-ton (2000 lb.) woven sacks
-GotMEBait - fishing bait - crawlers and trout worms
-veggies grown with non-GMO seeds
-farm fresh chicken eggs
-fresh herbs
Why is the Fixit Farm Unique?
Many individuals flock to the Rangeley, Maine area to enjoy the beautiful scenery and amenities that the western mountains, lakes, and woods provide. While the number of farms in the area is quite small, the Fixit Farm in Sandy River Plantation, just outside of the town of Rangeley, leaves visitors with quite a large and lasting impression.
Leslie and Paul Ferguson-Packard are the owners of Fixit Farm and they are the epitome of Maine resourcefulness. They have transformed their land into a sustainable farm operation and cultivated an extremely successful year-round worm and vegetable farm in an area with an extremely abbreviated growing season.
Individuals familiar with Leslie’s mother, Wanda Ferguson, a well-known and respected Rangeley native, are probably not surprised that Leslie has embraced a life focused on gardening and living off the land. Wanda and her husband, Holman, are Sandy River Plantation homesteaders. Wanda shared stories about growing the family’s food on the 160-acre family compound in her Home and Garden column for the Rangeley Highlander newspaper for many years. Her eighty-two page book entitled Mountain Gardening is a treasure. In this publication Wanda offers practical gardening advice for the short growing season in Maine’s Zone 3B and 4A.
Leslie was introduced to the value of composting
early in her life by her mother at a time when many people were not even familiar with the important role that compost plays in producing healthy soil. The idea of establishing a worm farm and creating an organic soil that incorporated worm castings became a reality after Leslie and her husband Paul thoughtfully evaluated all that would be necessary to begin the operation.
How fortunate it is that Paul’s very eclectic work background (mechanics, plumbing, repairs and maintenance, snow plowing) and his uncanny ability to fix all kinds of things contributed to the successful startup of the worm farm operation. For five years, Leslie and Paul have been selling their Fixit Soil that is made from worm castings or manure. The worm castings have been approved by MOFGA (the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association) for certified organic crop production. The Fixit soil is non-toxic, non-burning, and free of odors. It abounds with mircrobiotic life and various trace elements such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, zinc, boron, iron, copper, and phosphorus. It can be used both indoors and outdoors. Some of the significant purchasers of worm castings are individuals with operations growing medical marijuana.
Leslie and Paul are involved in all the steps of the raising and selling of the worms. They incubate their own worm cocoons on site and oversee the hatching, screening, packaging, marketing, and delivery. They have fine-tuned their methods over the years and have benefitted from keeping very precise computerized records of their inventory and production levels. They have learned about the optimum temperatures and lighting conditions and feed mixtures and moisture levels needed for the successful raising of worms.
Their Fixit Soil is available in 5 lb., 15 lb, and 30 lb. packages. Several retail locations carry the soil. The packages are also available at their farm. Some customers choose to bring their own containers and have them filled. When arrangements are made beforehand, woven sacks that hold up to a ton or 2000 pounds of worm castings can be purchased!
Contacting the Ferguson-Packards ahead is also requested if individuals wish to purchase their farm fresh eggs from their fifty-five Black Star, Red Star, and Rhode Island Red chickens. It was great to see all the chicken runs that have been built at the farm so that the chickens have plenty of safe space in which to roam free from fox, weasel, or mink predation. The “working chickens” at Fixit Farm contribute to insect control and soil fertility.
There are two greenhouses and three gardens at Fixit Farm. The Ferguson-Packards use their own non-GMO seeds or seeds that they have purchased from two Maine seed companies (Fedco Seeds and Johnny’s Selected Seeds) for the crops that they grow. Leslie and Paul raise a large selection of garden vegetables and herbs that can be ordered ahead and picked up at the farm or at their sister store, Sandy River Greens, at 2378 Main Street in downtown Rangeley.
An appreciation for fishing in the Rangeley Lakes area is huge. Leslie and Paul were perceptive in recognizing the need for quality bait. They presently
raise nightcrawlers and trout worms and sell them in bait cups at several locations. Individuals interested in buying bait in bulk quantities are encouraged to contact Leslie and Paul.
Going along with their interest in self-sufficiency, Leslie and Paul have constructed an amazing underground root cellar. It is a spacious, clean facility that stores a large selection of winter crops, preserves, and even paper products. If a national emergency materialized and the power grid was affected, Fixit Farm would be well-prepared with the many supplies that they have stored in their root cellar.
Leslie and Paul utilize waste oil and frylator oil from area businesses to heat their worm buildings. They also collect coffee grinds and egg shells, veggie scraps, and shredded paper as a way to feed their compost piles. Shredded paper is also used as bedding for their chicken coops.
A visit to Fixit Farm proves quite uplifting. It is
gratifying to see how two individuals are working very hard to live off their land. They joke that their livestock is worms. Have you heard of the statement, “where nothing goes to waste?” At Fixit Farm, that expression certainly holds true. Ironically, it is worm waste that does not go to waste at this farm in Sandy River Plantation and in all the gardens at various locations where it ends up.
