Introducing the People
who Bring Local Foods
& Products to the Co-op
David's Folly Farm
On a rainy afternoon, recently, Conor Beliveau was cooking a late lunch in the farmhouse he shares with his partner, Leigh Tillman, and their friends Jared and Ruthie Ellis. As the barley simmered while he chopped burdock root, I got to talk to the group about the farm they are taking care of.
David’s Folly Farm has been a farm for several decades. Its previous occupant, Minerva Cutler, had a bed and breakfast there and raised worms that were sold all over the country. A couple of years ago, the farm was purchased by Donald Sussman, who was convinced by local farmer Eliot Coleman that he should turn it into a dairy farm. Since then, Eliot has worked with another farmer to manage a herd of Buelingos (a type of cattle with very lean beef) on the property. Unfortunately, the pasture at the farm needs to be improved substantially before it can properly support cows.
Donald then found Conor and Leigh. After working on a farm in mid-coast Maine, the two were ready for a new challenge. They arrived on the farm in the spring armed with seedlings and have been able to grow a wide variety of crops in the worm-rich soil.
This summer, the group has added a 16-member CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) plan to the farm. They also operate a farm stand on the property at 1390 Coastal Road. The farm stand is open on Tuesday afternoons between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. and Fridays from 1:30–5:00 p.m. Their produce can also be found at the farmers’ markets in Stonington and Brooksville.
