Stone Soup Collaborative Farms

Sharing the local vegetable harvest with friends and neighbors
from Argyle and Corinth
to Bangor and Brewer, Maine

What is a Stone Soup?

The orignal Stone Soup is a fable, usually told as a lesson in cooperation, especially amid scarcity, in which strangers trick a starving town into producing a tasty, nourishing soup. As each townsperson inquires about the pot which is simmering on the fire, he is told that it is a delicious soup, which just needs "a little bit" of this or that to be complete. No one is reluctant to part with just a small portion of what they have, and in the end everyone has contributed to a delicious meal.

When we came together as friends and farmers, we often made meals from "a little of this" from each of our farms, and this is how we share at market with our neighbors. We are not specialists, growing acres of one or two crops. Instead we all plant a wide variety of foods and varieties of each crop, which keeps our cupboards and freezers full year round and gives us plenty to share at market.

And just like the Stone Soup (which is never the same from week to week) our garden offerings will vary with the seasons and the weather. But it will always be local, natural and very fresh!

Why Collaborative?

Stone Soup Collaborative consists of two farming entities, Abundant Acres (Formerly Kiddin' Around Farm) in Argyle and Hearthfire Hill in West Corinth, Maine. The multi-generation farmers -- Todd and Anne Sheerman and Jj Starwalker -- met a few years ago and began working together at Sheermans' Kiddin Around Farm while Ms. Starwalker was still searching for land. Even though everyone involved wishes she had found something closer to Argyle, we three farmers enjoyed working together so much that we decided to continue to collaborate even after Starwalker settled on her acreage in Corinth.

The farms share not only a philosophy of farming (traditional, natural methods, "uncertified" organic) but labor, tools, seeds. food and marketing. As we continue to work and build our farms, the Collaborative appreciates the strength that comes from differences, joined. Low-lying Abundant Acres, tucked into the woods and Hearthfire Hill's open high ground give much diversity of soil and climate. Abuntant Acre's barn houses goats and chickens. Hearthfire Hill is establishing perennial herbs, berries and ornamentals for dried arrangements, as well as for traditional uses such a dye preparation..

Collaboration also helps in marketing. Because we are still getting established, Todd and Jj also work "non-farm" jobs at this time, while Anne does marketing, greenhouse and on-farm sales at Abundant Acres. Ms. Starwalker is a graphic designer marketing her services as Vision IPD and a folk artist. Todd Sheerman is employed in the landscaping business, where his certification as a Master Gardener helps both his employer and their customers.