IT ' S A WAY OF LIFE :
The Harris
FEATURE
Clint ’ 87 , Keith ’ 90 , Jake ’ 12 , Cody ’ 16 , Dixie ’ 70 , and Bill ’ 60 have split their efforts to manage the different operations of Harris Farm .
For a lucky few , work does not feel like work , work feels like what you love to do . The Harris family , longtime residents of Dayton , Maine , embody this characteristic in their daily lives .
Looking back to another challenging time in recent history , John and Ruth Harris started what is now Harris Farm in 1944 . John had been laid off from his foundry job ; the factory was taken over to make textiles for the war , so he purchased the land in Dayton and began dairy farming . According to Bill Harris ’ 60 , John ’ s son , “ It was a meager beginning . The homestead burned in ’ 44 and there was no electricity on the property .”
But John and Ruth worked hard , and as the years went by , the farm has grown and diversified to stay relevant and profitable . Today , Harris Farm occupies over 600 acres and features dairy cows , beef cows , cross country skiing , vegetables , and their famous sweet corn . Harris Farm is truly a family enterprise . Bill ’ 60 and his wife Dixie ’ 70 run the cross country ski portion of the farm , while their son Clint ’ 87 and his wife Rachel are now the main owners of the farm and oversee all operations . In addition to operating another Dayton staple , Pumpkin Valley Farm , Clint ’ s brother Keith ’ 90 produces maple syrup in the spring . Clint ’ s son Jake ’ 12 has perhaps the toughest work of all : managing the dairy and beef cows . His day begins with a 5:30am feeding and ends after “ everything that broke that day has been fixed .”
6 Story by Katy Nicketakis · Photos courtesy of Katy Nicketakis and Harris Farm