Eric Ziner and Missy (Melissa) Green moved to Deer Isle, ME, in 1991. At the time, they were both deeply absorbed in their art careers—Eric is an artist blacksmith and Missy is a ceramic artist. Situated right on a main road, they established makeshift studios and a gallery in their barn, and immersed themselves in the island community and in starting their family. After 10 years, they decided they needed room to grow and bought an old, 52-acre farm on Reach Rd. They expanded their garden, built proper studios, moved their gallery into the barn, and named their farm “Yellow Birch Farm” in honor of a special tree located on their property. The largest documented yellow birch tree in the country, it is noted in the Maine Register of Big Trees with a massive 200-inch circumference (around 16.7 ft diameter) and 91-foot crown spread.
The economy began to shift and, as they found their interest in organic food and a more self-reliant lifestyle increasing, their agricultural endeavors began to take on a larger part of their lives. Currently, Eric and Missy have about one acre under intensive, MOFGA-certified organic vegetable production, a herd of Alpine goats, chickens, pigs, several high tunnels, and a licensed dairy kitchen. Yellow Birch Farm provides organic goat milk cheeses, goat yogurts, gelatos, fresh organic produce, cajeta (goat milk caramel), soaps, and face creams (such as their EcoVita line) to the community.
Missy and Eric make EcoVita products by hand on-site and use only the highest quality, sustainably-sourced, and nontoxic ingredients. They are firm believers in the old adage “You are what you eat” and that, since the skin is our largest organ, it should be fed just as mindfully! After many trials, they have developed a product that mirrors their values and stands the test of our harsh Maine climate. It is an intensely moisturizing cream that protects skin from the elements, delivers a healthy, revitalizing glow, and is suitable for all ages and skin types—from farmers, fishermen, and sailors to kids, librarians, and CEOs. They offer a variety of scents in 2oz and 4oz jars: Unscented, Clary Sage, Edelweiss & Lavender, Neroli, Chaga, and Rose. The Blue Hill Co-op is proud to carry their full line in our Health and Beauty Department. Note: there have been some changes in availability and discontinuation of certain products recently (such as discontinuation of the 1oz tubes and the Clary Sage cream). Be sure to check out the current sale on 1oz tubes on the endcap of Register 1 (top shelf) and stock up before they’re gone!
If you happen to be on Deer Isle this summer, consider stopping in at Yellow Birch Farm’s seasonal farm store, located at 73 Reach Rd. The farm store is open from mid-June to mid-October, Friday and Saturday 10-5. Here, you’ll find fresh organic produce, their award-winning goat milk cheeses (both fresh and aged), Greek yogurt, goat milk gelato, cajeta (goat milk caramel), Ecovita organic skin creams, goat milk soaps, cookies, breads, blueberry balsamic vinegar, and Yellow Birch merch (t-shirts, hats and totes). They also carry a variety of other locally-sourced products, including Rainbow Farm pasture-raised chicken, pork, & beef, organic maple syrup, Tinder Hearth breads, locally-harvested seaweeds, and more. You can also order soaps, creams, and cajeta from their website. During the summer, you can find Yellow Birch Farm at the Stonington Farmer’s Market at the Stonington Community Center on Fridays from 10-2. Additionally, Yellow Birch Farm has hosted annual farm dinners throughout the summer for over 12 years. The goal of these dinners is to help sustain and grow their role as a community provider of fine produce and goods, as well as to provide an educational environment for sustainable farming and a vibrant example of organic living. The dinners are limited to sixteen guests per event and held in Eric and Missy’s nineteenth-century post-and-beam barn (which is also the Greene-Ziner Gallery). You can learn more about participating in their seasonal farm dinners here.
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