Interview with Ben Nelson of Calkins Farm, Hampden Me

We’re sitting down and chatting with my friend Ben Nelson of Calkins Farm in Hampden Maine.

Calkins farm has been in Hampden Maine for over 100 years. Ben is the fourth generation of farmers continuing in his family’s footsteps and we sit down to talk about the farm, changes over time, agriculture, and life. You can reach Ben at Calkins Farm at 207-862-3246.

Please be sure to reach out and support Calkins farm, as well as the local farms and small businesses around you. Together we keep local economies alive and thriving.

Timestamps of our Topics:

00:00 Welcome to Calkins Farm

01:57 John Calkins, Ben’s uncle, was born, raised, and died on the same farm his whole life

02:44 Trolley Lines down Main street. Ben’s Grandfather driving his teachers to school when he was 13

05:42 Growing crops and growing for yourself first

10:45 Crops other than veggies? Livestock and the laying hens of the 70’s

11:45 Egg Vending machine

13:45 Apples and the Orchard

16:11 The grocery store has twisted our perception of production and quality

22:53 Moving forward with greenhouses, seedlings, and flowers

25:25 How did Ben Nelson get started farming

30:00 Haying and loss of farmland

32:59 Future Plans

34:48 Covid and the changing markets

40:50 Tom Roberts of Snakeroot Organic Farm. “Pace of Life” a short film by Scott Julien. Pace of Life on Vimeo

41:28 Farm Life

43:55 Wreaths

44:43 Future of small farms, covid, climate, and sprawl

52:13 Finding happiness and purpose and paying the bills as a small farm

54:46 Modern technology: Spray paint

56:46 The seed industry

1:00:27 Outsourcing seed production to other countries with cheap labor

1:09:53 Encouraging folks to be more connected to the source of their food

1:10:44 Getting kids in the soil!

1:20:00 Reaching out to Ben at Calkins Farm. 207-862-3246 Calkins Farm Stand | Hampden ME | Facebook

Timestamps are included both for ease of finding topics you’re interested in, and to make it easy to return if you can’t finish the video in one sitting.