By David A. Sargent,Special to the Sun Journal

LEWISTON – A group of Bates College students reported on their research involving three Maine farms at an environmental-studies seminar at the college Wednesday.

Seventeen students of on-farm research teams examined economic, cultural and environmental factors at Gillespie Farms, New Gloucester; Sunrise Acres, Cumberland; and The Turkey Farm, New Sharon. It was part of their studies on world agriculture under Peter Roger, assistant professor of environmental studies.

“The same old issues – labor, sprawl and consumer demand” were factors impacting Gillespie Farms, the students said.

Their report on Gillespie Farms emphasized a modern growing agricultural operation that relies upon local marketing relationships with Shaw’s and Hannaford supermarkets. It also described how this is a mid-sized farm, a type and size of Maine farm that has been emerging in recent years.

The students said Gillespie Farms competes successfully by relying on “community embedded operations” rather than fighting Maine’s perennial problems for farms: distance from urban markets and limits on size because of the state’s topography.

Gillespie Farms’ 125-acre operation in New Gloucester has cultivated land on both sides of the Maine Turnpike. It uses extensive irrigation for its crops of sweet corn, pumpkins, beans and strawberries. New 144-foot-long greenhouses allow a nine-month growing season. Eight laborers from Jamaica are employed on the farm, in addition to three family members.

Financial assistance for Gillespie Farms comes through an ownership arrangement with Pineland Farms and the Libra Foundation.

Greg Gillespie, the farm’s owner, said, “They represented us very well.” He said local support of his operation is excellent.

Gillespie plans to add more acreage to corn cultivation next year. In about 10 years, he’d like to see the farm grow to about 300 acres.

Gillespie will travel to Jamaica this winter where he will discuss labor issues with government officials and have a chance to see the homes and lifestyles of the people who work for him.

80 families had shares

Sunrise Acres in Cumberland has 157 acres with three acres devoted to gardening. The students told how the community-supported agriculture concept has been successful there.

It is a family farm dating from the 1800s, which now produces beef, free-range poultry, wool from Dorset sheep and a variety of garden crops.

The community cooperative shares are the backbone of the farm’s operation. Last year, 80 families paid $400 each for shares of fresh produce. The students reported that Maine now has 80 of the 1,000 CSAs in the United States.

The Turkey Farm in New Sharon was called a successful niche operation that has raised free-range turkeys since 1986. The students said it thrives because of good consumer relations and the “philosophy of principle over comfort” held by owners Bob and Marilyn Neal.

“I’m lucky to teach this course in Maine where we have a great diversity of agricultural operations and a serious discussion about how best to promote agriculture,” Rogers said.

“This greatly benefits our students. It gives them an opportunity to practice hands-on field research on topics like farm history and the redevelopment of farming infrastructure in Maine. We do this research in a participatory manner with local farmers,” Rogers said.

The seminar, held every other year, introduces students to the history of agriculture, modern farm practices and issues in the relationship between agriculture and the broader world.

Owners and other representatives of each of the farms attended the presentation.

The participating students were Holly Bates, Andrea Wolf, Ari Rosenberg, Molly Marquand, Ben Lepesqueur, Sam Taylor, Pennie Taylor, Ben Stern, David Rosenzweig, Ronnie Helppie, Peter Keays, Brooks Motley, Collin Hollister, Allison Caine, Adam Dengler, Mariah Pfeiffer and Bennet Leon.

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