Lakeshore Farm reaches 202+ Acres

In April of 2006, Bradley and Jesse inspected the farm house and lakefront.  While walking with Karel Jacobs, we discussed that we were not interested in buying the house and 10 acres if we could not have the entire parcel.  Karel suggested that we buy the farmhouse first.  Within 5 years we could buy the remaining land less his new house and some acreage.  And finally upon his demise we could purchase his house as well.

In 2006, we purchased the core of lakeshore farm, the farmhouse, the lake frontage and the orchard along with 25 acres.  In the spring of 2008, Karel asked if we could help raise some funds for a trip across country for his ailing wife, Virginia.  We agreed to purchase 30 acres thus bringing our total to 55 acres.

In December of 2010, after surveying the remaining parcel and holding out 15 acres around Karel's house, we purchased 147+ acres to bring us to 202+ acres.  We have firmed up all of the agreements on the remaining 15 acres and are glad to see Karel enjoying his golden years up the hill.

Old Elm Trees and Sugar Maple Replaced

In late July of 2010, after collecting the drawings of the farm we had acquired from family and friends, Jesse went back to Jeff O'Donal and showed him the pictures and told him how the farm was set up.  Jeff asked many questions and then said that the elms and maple were the most common shade solutions and that they had worked well for generations. After an hour of discussion, Jesse bought the 3 trees and had Bradley bring them up in the dump trailer.   In the process of planting, Carol Bryan and her friend and accomplice at Scythe Supply Richard, stopped in while working the Kneading Conference in Skowhegan.  Richard helped with the watering and staking of the trees.  Again the Bryan clan was involved with the replanting of the farm.

Both elms in front of the house

Sugar Maple being planted
West side of house

Sugar Maple comes off the trailer

The elms are called Valley Forge Elms and are a hybrid found not to be susceptible to the Dutch Elm disease.  We look forward to the shade.

Milk House Converted to Farm Office August 2010

The Milk House was originally attached to the old barn by an 8' breezeway.  The barn 40' x 60' had a silo and several appendages, was the home to the Bradley family cow herd in the 1930's and 1940's.  The barn like many, no longer had a purpose and fell into ruin by the late 1980's.  It finally collapsed in the 1990's.  With the restoration of the tillage field across the lane, and the views of the hills beyond, we decided not to replace the barn in that location.

When we put in a new septic system in 2006, we built it below the milk house thinking that we would need plumbing in the barn.  After several summers of farm help using the house for the plumbing, we decided to add a bathroom to the outside of the milk house and to add an 8' covered porch to get farm help out of the sun.  We will be adding a refrigerator to the office so that farm hands can bring their own lunch and keep it cool.  

The lake side of the building will have a separate toilet room, the large wash sink from the summer house, (2'x4') and an enclosed outdoor shower.  We will add propane on demand hot water for the shower and the sink.  We finished the fall season by planting several lilacs from the front yard around the milk house.  The Celebration maple added in August 2009 is now 6' closer to the milk house and looks great.

Brick House Great Room Floor

After finishing the fireplace, it was time to fix the floor which had a big bump in it.  Jeff Coffin returned to pull up the floor, remove the forms for the concrete base, build a crawl to the summer house and replace the flooring that did not match after the mantle and wall were removed.

A new fir floor was installed.  The folks from Zimba Plastering returned to get the walls on both sides of the fireplace re plastered and the ceiling finished.  Jean Moore returned to paint it all up before Josh Wagner arrived to sand and finish the floors.  Josh did a great job and blended the old with the new very well.

2010 Corn Crib Renewal

The garage is actually an old corn with additions and the tool room added on the lake end of the building.  The building had melted into the ground over many years.  Initial jacking had buckled the roll roofing and finally a tarp was applied for the winter in 2009 to keep some of the water out.

John Webster and his son arrived in late April to jack the building and add a new floor system.  They spent several weeks getting the building straightened out and the eves once again look great.

Jesse ordered new flooring, 2 1/2" by 10" green hemlock in 14 and 16 foot lengths.  Jake Pray assisted Jesse with the install and the planks weighted over 150lbs each wet.

The roof was ably repaired by sistering all of the rough sawn 2x4's with new rough sawn 2x6's.  New rough sawn pine boards were added to the roof to replace those that had rotted.  A new door was added to the north end of the Corn Crib to allow entry without opening the front swinging doors.  Denny Olsen who skis with Jesse came down from Carrabassett Valley to do the bulk of the work on the roof and we hired Mike Long of Rome to assist Denny reworking the rakes and eves before re shingling the roof to give the building a new life if not a new look.

The Corn Crib will get a new roof over the tool room and get new siding the summer of 2011.  It can be reported however that the building is high and dry.  Thank you John Webster, Denny and Mike.

2009 Recapped

Bryan Family Visit Gets 2nd Floor Finished

We were blessed with a visit from Bill & Pam Bryan, Jenni's cousins from Montana. Bill spent many days on the farm growing up in Waterville. Bill brought his son Joe and grandson Lief with him. We managed a trip in the boat with Grampy Bill for a trip to Days Store for a fresh

donut. The housekeeping crew finished minutes before their arrival.

In honor of the Bryan visit, Jesse decided that he would begin the long process of replanting the farm. After much consulting with Jeff O'Donal, of O'Donals Nursury, and with Bill Bryans input, a silver maple was chosen with the name of Celebration Maple.

We planted the new offering below the old Milk House, far enough away to allow for the expansion of the Milk House into a farm office.

The tree was positioned to shade the Milk House in the coming years. We expect the Bryan to return again soon to see their tree.

New Fireplace and Chimney Started October 2009

The old bake oven was exposed and the chimney and fireplace were reviewed by the one and only Albie Barton from Maine Wood Heat of Norridgewock, Maine. It took 6 weeks for Jesse and his laborers to tear the old chimney and fireplace down.

The wood heater sits in the old kitchen replacing the wood stove and the old bake oven.  This heater has a heated bench and a small bake oven above the firebox.  After seeing the amount of room that could be added to the great room, Jenni asked to have both doors to the vestibules and the wall removed.

The building of the heater took 8 weeks and a tower was built to cover the top of the new chimney to allow it to dry properly in the winter cold.  This was the major hurtle in getting the brick house livable.

Scott Barden, Albie's son, sets the first fire Jan 2010