Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 14

Learning the Old
Fashioned Way
By Katy Nicketakis
S
unday afternoons at the
Leary Farm bring brothers,
granddaughters, cousins, and dogs
together for a dinner featuring
farm-raised produce, milk, and
beef. On an average day, more
than 20 family members gather to
eat, rest, and catch up over a meal
that they can take pride in having
grown themselves.
Back in 1943, the family of James
Leary '47 accumulated the land
that now makes up the 500 acre
Leary Farm. Back then, Saco was
filled with farms; there were more
than 50 dairy farms throughout
the city. Over time, farms closed
and the former farmland was
developed into new businesses
and houses, and in 2009, the Leary
farm was the last dairy farm in
Saco still operating. James’ son
Tim '67 had taken over farm
operations and made the difficult
decision that a change had to be
made to keep the farm financially
solvent. Tim’s son Kevin '05, the
current farm manager, educated
14
himself through apprenticeships
and continuing education classes
on how to transition the farm from
cows to vegetables, and they made
the change. Currently, the farm
produces green peppers, cabbages,
and cucumbers among other
vegetables. With the current level
of vegetable production, the farm is
able to support four generations of
the Leary Family that all live there.
The transition from dairy to
vegetables has been successful
for the farm, but many changes
have been made to accommodate
the new produce. One former
barn houses a piece of machinery
that cleans and sorts green
peppers, another houses storage
containers. The farm adheres to
strict guidelines for producing
high quality vegetables that
consumers can feel confident about
purchasing. Tim Leary has used
his knowledge of refrigeration to
build two large walk-in coolers to
store vegetables between harvesting
and sale. He describes how his
sons use mechanical and technical
knowledge to repair the many tools
and pieces of machinery that it
takes to keep the farm running. The
family even owns a tractor trailer
truck that they use for transport.
Tim smiles and says “never thought
we’d have one of these!”
Tim Leary’s sons Kevin '05 and
Nathan '17 continue to diversify
the farm’s offerings to maintain
its solvency. Kevin has launched
a sawmill at the rear of the farm
that harvests wood from their
property and also mills lumber for
local businesses. Nathan cuts and
delivers firewood during the winter
months.
The Leary family has been a part of
the Thornton Academy community
for almost 100 years. Maybelle
Four generations of the Leary Family gather for a Sunday
dinner on the farm.