Founder

Spring of 2024 until Winter 2026 (now)
When Darren and I first stepped onto this 1800’s Maine farm in May of 2024, we could feel its history and the many lives it had lived. This farm was a place that had once been central to the community. Originally, it was used for generations as a traditional growing & livestock farm in the 1800’s. In the mid-late 1900’s it then became a petting zoo featuring baby animals, horses, ducks, and even hermit crabs! As of the early 2000’s it operated as a well-known antique barn.

What was once land used for gathering, growing, and belonging had since become run down due to time and Mother Nature taking their toll. Weather, overgrowth, and invasive Bittersweet vines were slowly strangling the trees that had stood here for generations. Foliage had swallowed pathways and open spaces – we literally couldn’t see the forest through the trees. We didn’t yet know exactly what this place would become, but our first goal was simple and clear: save the trees and bring the land back to life.

This was never just about making our back yard beautiful for the two of us to enjoy — The efforts and resources we’ve poured into this property were simply our way of honoring the many lives it had lived, and honoring the magnificent trees that had stood here for generations. Every effort on our part has always been driven by the intention of creating a sanctuary for our community, and setting up the necessary foundation for this place to continue thriving for generations to come.

So we got to work.

Phase 1: Awakening the Land
Spring of 2024, chainsaws and pruning shears in hand, we began by clearing and shaping the land, restoring & trimming trees, clearing brush, and opening pathways. We learned from the land — it told us what it needed, what it wanted to become — and slowly, the first pieces of our vision began to take shape.

Phase 2: Building Greenhouse No. 1
Fall of 2024, we built our first greenhouse — a space that allowed us to grow our first round of houseplants for the shop. What began as a practical growing space quickly became something more: a botanical sanctuary where people could gather, linger, and even rent the space during Maine’s quieter seasons. It was our first true glimpse of what a year-round community space could feel like. 

Phase 3: Restoring the Barn
Winter of 2024-2025, we then turned our attention to the barn. Its bones were strong, but nearly everything else needed care. Darren took down walls, leveled floors, and built out a space for our chicken coop. We cleared years of cobwebs, refreshed the interior, and added subtle modern touches — honoring the authenticity and history of the structure while making it functional for this next chapter. The barn began to feel alive again.

Phase 4: The Gardens Were Born
In early Spring of 2025, we created the first iteration of the gardens — doing a lot with very little. We started by establishing different growing areas, we planted over 100 fruiting and flowering trees, berry bushes, and native perennials. We transplanted plants from around the property, used seeds from our shop, bought discount plants from nurseries, and gratefully incorporated donations from family, friends, and neighbors.

We tilled the land to create our U-pick Wildflower Meadow which features a colorful whimsical mix of native plants, grasses, and perennial + annual blooms, along with our first vegetable & herb garden. 

Massive boulders and field stones unearthed from the property were used to border the first garden Darren made for Amalia:  “The Purple Garden,” which is a celebration of Amalia’s favorite color and now features over 20 varieties of purple plants. A generous neighbor donated even more boulders, which Darren moved with his tractor to create garden beds at the base of the mature trees saved throughout the property. He also used the boulders to create The Rainbow Garden, The Angel Garden, and many other garden beds here on the property. 

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, we worked through heat, cold, mud, and uncertainty, preparing for our first growing season ahead. We learned what works and what doesn’t. We learned how to build smarter systems. We learned how to listen more closely to the land. We learned that deer fencing and irrigation systems are essential for what we are building. Creating the first gardens showed us just how resourceful and creative we could be. Through every hardship, we kept moving forward. Not because it was easy, but because it felt true. 

We learned the true cost of bringing a dream of this scale to life and what it would require both physically and financially. Most of all, we humbly and graciously learned that this vision is so much bigger than just the two of us and what we alone are able to contribute.

Phase 5: Opening to the Community
Spring of 2025, we opened the farm to the public. Despite the challenges of record-setting rainfall, heat, drought, and deer, we learned lessons from each obstacle about how to care smarter and build a lasting foundation. The plant shop in the barn and garden spaces became a first step toward creating a sanctuary for the community. 

We also welcomed our new barn cats: Mama Roxbury and her 3 kittens Rhubarb, Radish, and Rudabaga (Rudy) to our crew and they have brought SO MUCH JOY to us and the whole community.

Phase 6: East Pine Plant Shop + Farm Store
As summer came to an end, we knew the colder months would not allow us to sell plants out of the barn past September. We needed a warm space in order to continue our retail throughout the winter. With limited time and resources, we got creative and renovated an insulated storage room in the barn into our plant shop and farm store! After a summer of meeting so many wonderful people from our community, hearing feedback, and learning all the lessons we could, we realized this was an opportunity to offer something special to the community. 

A retail plant shop, yes, but also offering fresh baked goods, pantry staples, sweet treats, and local art. We learned that business and community can be built on trust, not just the transaction. Inspired by other Maine farmstands, we decided our shop would operate fully on the honor system and be available to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. We learned that if you give people an opportunity to do the right thing, they do. 

It’s been such a joy to watch this space come alive and take on a life of its own — welcoming visitors, partnering with local businesses, supporting local agriculture, and helping grow a community that believes in the magic of East Pine and what we are creating here.

Phase 7: Building a Lasting Sanctuary
Now, we are ready to fully realize The East Pine Gardens: A community botanical garden, open to all, and fully supported by the community. A place where wonder, beauty, and connection are accessible to everyone. 

With support from the community, our efforts in this next phase will focus on essential infrastructure — irrigation, deer fencing, signage, accessible pathways, seating, tree maintenance, soil systems, greenhouse upgrades, and protective structures. In addition to these necessary components, we are most excited to bring the gardens into their fullest expression starting this Spring (2026). 

All donations received through June 2026 will go directly toward developing the gardens and  installing essential infrastructure. Once we open to the public in June, visitors will be invited to contribute through a pay-what-you-can model to support the gardens’ ongoing care. 

Follow along on Instagram & Tiktok for daily updates!

Instagram: @eastpine.maine
Tiktok: @eastpine.maine