NEW GLOUCESTER — Thousands of people from Maine and beyond spent a leisurely afternoon on the farm Sunday during the 21st annual Open Farm Day.

“People should know where their food comes from and how they used to do it years ago,” said Chris Andrews, 52, of Wales.

Andrews, a sixth-generation farmer himself, brought his mother and family to check out Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village. The New Gloucester farm was founded in 1783, in what was then called Thompson’s Pond Plantation, by a group of Shaker missionaries.

“It’s an opportunity to open up parts of the village that most people don’t get to see too often,” said Brother Arnold Hadd.

According to the Maine Department of Agriculture, Shaker Village was one of dozens of farms in all 16 Maine counties that participated in Sunday’s afternoon event. During the day, farms offered activities including milking and felting demonstrations, berry picking, hay rides and tours, and homemade products for sale.

Hadd is one of three remaining Shakers who maintain, manage and oversee operations at the farm’s 1,600-plus acres of land and lake. He described Shaker Village as a Protestant monastic community. He and his fellow Shakers carry the farm’s workload with the help of staff and volunteers.

Hadd said that the Shaker community decided to join Open Farm Day as a way to invite the public to visit and gain a better understanding of how their particular farm operates. He said the village had more than 300 visitors last year and expected at least that many this year.

“It’s a wonderful thing. It’s a great way to get the community involved,” said Ami-Jo Curtis, 52, of Granby, Mass., one of several volunteers who came to lend a hand Sunday.

Curtis said too many people have a misconception about what the Shaker way of life is all about — furniture is often the first thing that comes to people’s minds. Open Farm Day offered the chance to see firsthand all the hard work and determination that goes into the farm’s operation.

“We came out to see all the critters,” joked Sandy Wilkey, 50, of Bristol, who attended Sunday’s event with her husband, Sean. “We’ve been very interested in the Shaker community and wanted to come out and see what they have to offer.”