Risk & Business Magazine F.A. Peabody Insurance Fall 2015 | Page 26

Nature’s Circle Farm
An Organic Growth Story

BY: STEVE FITZPATRICK, BRANCH MANAGER - HOULTON, FA PEABODY INSURANCE

markets. The first strong
demand for York’s wholesale
market was, fitting for an
Aroostook County farmer,
organic seed potatoes. This
wholesale potato market was
the first key to growth, no pun
intended, for Nature’s Circle
Farm.

Meg York, Lowell Matthews

D

ick York has always had a passion
for farming and healthy food
alternatives. In 1996, Dick decided to
turn that passion into an organic farming
business on a 2 acre plot of land in New
Limerick, Maine. Unfortunately, it
was not as successful as he had hoped.
Although a national organics trend was
growing the local demand for organic
foods, it was simply not catching on with
his consumers. He knew more product
outlets were necessary and a 100% focus
on retail sales would not pay the bills.
In 1997, Dick and other Aroostook county
organic farmers developed a co-op to
assist in marketing their products. The
co-op has long since folded, but it did
start the development of wholesale

Nature’s Circle has met
certification requirements
from the USDA, the State of
Maine, and the Maine Organic
Farmers and Gardeners
Association. Today, Nature’s
Circle farms 300 acres with
180 acres in crop production
this year and the balance of
the land in rotation. The farm
continues to expand its crop selection
having added squash in 2009. The
current crop selection includes potatoes
(seed and table stock), beets, rutabagas,
parsnip, cabbage, carrots and 8 varieties
of winter squash. They now subcontract
some crops with other organic farmers
and act as the distributor. Nature’s
Circle Farm has become the second
largest organic farm in Maine and the
largest multi-crop organic farm in Maine
employing six full time workers and up to
30 employees in summer.
Nature’s Circle continues to evolve with
changing consumer demand and the
requirements brought on by its growth.
In 2008, Dick’s daughter, Meg, became
part owner of the business and has taken
over the sales and marketing functions.
Meg has a vision of the business
developing more stable
income by acting as
a packing and
distributing

facility for organic farmers throughout
southern and central Aroostook County.
She believes that once others with the
same passion for organic farming know
that a stable economic environment
is available and a local processor and
distributor can take over the process
once the crop is harvested, the area will
be dotted with a community of smaller
organic farms. Meg states, “There are
dozens of organic farmers throughout
Maine and as far away as California that
are searching for available growing land
and would come here in an instance if we
have a stable economic environment for
their products.”
Dick York has always had a rule that
states, “We will not grow crops that have
to be immediately harvested and shipped.
If we can’t store it, we won’t grow it”. As
Nature’s Circle Farm looks to the future,
Meg says that rule may be changing
as well. They are in the early stages of
researching the market for alternative
crops that are shipped straight from field
to market. Even so, there are growing
pains. To remain profitable, their main
crop must make grade #1. Additionally,
it is often difficult finding sufficient help,
seasonally, on the farm.
Nature’s Circle Farm is a success story for
an area that has seen a rapid decline in its
potato farming community within the
past several decades. The business has
grown multi-fold and now supplies such
large health food stores as Whole Foods.
When the product leaves Nature’s Circle,
it’s washed, inspected, and packaged.
The future looks bright and what started
as Dick’s dream and early despair has
literally become a growing reality.

Steve Fitzpatrick, branch manager
for the Houlton office, is the Agent for
Nature's Circle Farm. Steve handles
commercial accounts and specializes in
transportation.

26

RISK & BUSINESS MAGAZINETM FALL 2015