Warmest Greetings Everyone,
We have arrived at the end of summer. Indeed, this coming Sunday is the fall equinox. It is the time of Harvest, the gathering of all the bounties that the earth, in her generosity, allowed us to plant and nurture. Now we reap into our barns and kitchens all the hay and grain for our animals and store (canning and freezing) the garden produce to nurture ourselves during the frozen winter. It is truly a miracle-filled time of year when everything comes to fruition. We witness this cycle of life with awe and reverence. The baby birds have flown their nests, sunflowers bow their heads full of seeds for our bees and birds and the pumpkins are turning orange and are carefully placed on doorsteps to herald the coming autumn. It is a beautiful time of year and we are blessed to witness it.
In our news, this coming Saturday The Farm gathers all her wildflowers and organically grown blooms and travels to Portland for a wedding at The Immaculate Conception Cathedral. The bride and groom wanted organically grown flowers and greens and wished to support a nonprofit organization as well. They chose our Farm to provide their florals and fall decor to beautify their venue. It has, therefore, been a summer of growing a variety of blooms and vines specifically for them. Working with the bride and her family has been a great pleasure. It is with great excitement and a prayer in our hearts that everything transports well and the weather cooperates, that we travel to this beautiful event! It has been a splendid journey and we are grateful to have been asked to participate in this wonderful celebration of love!
Every fall we also host an event to raise awareness for our work and to fundraise for our programming needs. We use these funds specifically for our animals and their daily care, veterinary care, and the buildings that house everyone. All are costly.
The Farm offers hope and healing to individuals coping with physical and emotional challenges. There are no fees and no charges. Most individuals who come to us are often on a set income and finances are tight for them. We endeavor to offer a few hours of respite through animal interaction, gardening, and community.
We share smiles and acceptance and we offer this with open heart. However, we do have costs and upkeep, and it is through the generous support of the wonderful individuals who believe in our mission, that we can operate. To this end and to celebrate the harvest season, we hold our Open House and Fundraiser every fall. There will be free goodies and cider, pumpkin painting, and hayrides. As part of our fundraising, baskets donated by the community will be raffled off. These baskets include homemade items, soaps, honey, apple pies, and other baked items. Our Thanksgiving baskets include farm-raised organic turkeys and more!
The revenue we receive is folded immediately back into our programming. It is great fun to walk about, see, and talk to the people who support our initiative. It is also so rewarding to see the goodness and generosity of everyone who makes up this community! We are always excited to celebrate this time of year and the end of the season with all the families who come together to support us. It is a fun family day for all. We are so grateful for the community, everyone’s support, and the opportunity to celebrate the work done at the Farm.
After the wedding at the end of September, it’s clean-up and preparation time at the Farm! Coats are brushed, horses’ tails are fluffed, our brush and grasses are trimmed, and our goats are readied for visitors. Our roosters are crowing especially loudly just for you. Maybe it is my imagination, but everyone seems to know the Big Day is coming! So if you are reading this, please come say “hello” and have a cup of cider. We would love to welcome you.
The details are as follows:
Saturday, October 5
10:00 am – 1:30 pm
Ephphatha Farm
93 Basset Rd.
Winslow, ME
Happy fall everyone! May you harvest strength and love.
With gratitude, Robin
“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”
-Mother Teresa of Calcutta
