A Trip Through Penobscot County
Maine’s known for its coastal cities and food, but the rest of the state has quite a bit to offer as well! A great place in central Maine to visit is Penobscot county, home to one of our biggest towns, Bangor! The county also houses the biggest college in the state, the University of Maine, which has led to quite the diverse community. The blend of college towns with more rural areas make for a really interesting experience, where visitors have the freedom to choose exactly what kind of experience they want when they’re visiting.
Looking for a warm, homey feeling location where you can enjoy some beautiful scenery? Junction Garden is a farm specializing in cultivating natural dye plants and dye stuffs, as well as their own fiber that they then dye. They also hold workshops throughout the season, aiming to teach you all about the dyeing process from harvesting the plant, all the way to creating beautiful patterns in the fabric you’ve bonded using their fiber. Want some beautiful dyed fabric, but can’t commit to going to their workshops? Don’t worry, as they have a gift shop on the property, so you can still take home something special. Junction Garden is an incredible location if you want to enjoy a gorgeous farm, as well as learn about the natural dyeing process.
If you’re in the mood for some high-quality, natural meat and dairy products, think about stopping by at Quill’s End Farm in North Penobscot. This family farm guarantees organic food, making sure their livestock is naturally grass-fed. You also don’t have to worry about their hours, as they have an honor-system store that’s open 7 days a week, from dawn to dusk! From their delicious greek yogurt, to their amazingly fresh eggs, you wouldn’t regret it if you stopped by and picked up some of their products.
Looking for another great place to get some fresh produce in Penobscot? Northern Bay Organics is a great choice if you want specialized products like pure honey, maple syrup, and duck eggs. Their garden is no-till, no-spray, and organically managed to ensure their produce is healthy and natural, free of any GMOs and pesticides. While the farm may be small compared to most others, it’s mighty, and helps support the local community by selling quality food at a fair price. If you want to visit the farm, just look out for their red barn, you can’t miss it!
In the mood for some shopping, and want to find a myriad of unique and healthy products to cook with? Abraham’s Goat Farm and Creamery, located in Newport, offers a huge selection of meals and food from their farm. They have recently purchased an old general store near their farm, and have expanded it into a huge outlet, selling their organic meat and dairy products! To help serve the community, they’ve also kept it as a general store as well, and serve delicious pizza! If you want to support the local community while buying some delicious food that's been locally raised to guarantee healthiness, Abraham's is definitely worth the stop.
If you want some delicious, high quality meats, W.A Bean & Sons is a great option. Their quick-visit butcher shop is a great place to get various bulk meats, including steak and hotdogs. If you live locally in the Bangor area, they’ll even deliver it directly to your door for a fee! If you don’t live locally and can’t make the drive, they even have an option to order their products from their site! While they specialize in meats, they carry other products as well, like breads, cheese, and desserts. W.A Bean & Sons is a great place to visit if you’re looking for high quality meats at a reasonable price.
Looking to learn more about the horticultural world, and how it functions? Check out Roger’s Farm in Old Town! This demonstration farm is actually part of the University of Maine, but it’s open to the public 7 days a week, dusk until dawn. The function of this farm is to educate visitors on sustainable horticultural practices, and they do this by constantly offering programming and lessons. Their vision is to enable gardeners of any skill level by creating a colorful, vibrant environment in which they can learn more about horticulture. Their classes cover a myriad of activities, from learning how to construct bee hotels to holding a field day for children to get out and be active. If you’re interested in learning more about horticulture, or just want to brush up on gardening knowledge, Roger’s Farm would definitely be the right choice for you.
Right in Bangor, you can find the Maine Harvest Festival! Every year, during late November, this festival becomes a hub for some of the best agricultural vendors in the state! Whether you want to walk around and learn about local chefs’ and artisans’ stories, or sample some delicious local food, this event will certainly deliver! If you decide you like the food, you can even buy some from the vendors, taking a piece of Maine’s agricultural flare home with you! Stopping by for this festival is a must if you have a special interest in the state’s food culture, or if you just want to try some delicious samples.