Farmers’ Market: Sunrise Farm
Many people dream of the day that they will retire. Disgruntled souls picture clearly in their mind a starring role in a reprisal of the Johnny Paycheck ballad which suggests that the boss “take this job and (ahem) shelve it; I ain’t working here no more.” Others just imagine the pure pleasure of rolling over and turning off the alarm before going back to sleep on Monday morning. Some see the opportunity to travel, sight-see, visit their grandchildren, or tackle their bucket list as their post-employment plan.
What few realize until they get there is that after a lifetime of working hard, hard work feels normal! Phil and Jackie Doak certainly found that last to be true. After 32 years operating a vibrant Caribou floriculture business, they sold out in 2004. It took very little post-retirement time at all before, according to Jackie, “they just went nuts.”
Sunrise Farm in Woodland is the result. A bit of research into agricultural endeavors resulted in the arrival of registered Katahdin hair sheep in 2006. Though the farm is not certified organic, the fields have not been treated with anything except TLC for more than 25 years. Careful selection and culling resulted in tasty sausage for sale and the current flock of eight breeding ewes and 13 lambs.
The adult sheep and their annual lambs munch their way through lush organically-managed pasture through the summer months while Phil dodges raindrops to get in quality hay for the winter. Grass-fed freezer lamb closes that circle in the form of a pleasant, enjoyable, profitable retirement business. The lamb cuts are very popular and the Doaks’ “brand” is now appearing in restaurants and in stores. Three years ago, they joined the Presque Isle Farmers’ Market and have enjoyed success with frozen meat as well as jams, preserves, pickles, vinegars, and a variety of Maine products like maple syrup, sea salt, and Raye’s Mustards.
Their past and their future includes grass-fed Belted Galloway, an ancient beef breed that is noted for its tender, moist, and flavorful meat, high in the “good” omega fats while, like most breeds that do well grazing pasture, low in fat overall. The success of the Katahdins has shouldered this enterprise aside temporarily, but Phil is hard at work with a tractor and a chain saw, reclaiming pasture to be further improved with no-till seeding. The Doaks have their current home for sale and their eye on a farm “just a bit” down the road with more space, better pastures, and room to continue to develop their team effort at producing quality products that are wholesome and well received.
When Jackie was asked to identify the thing that makes this partnership most proud, her response was noteworthy. She stated, “We are a destination for families. We encourage children to come and purposely plan family activities.” She was quite clear that at Sunrise Farm, “blessings are shared” and that she and Phil are convinced that they are on the right path, that people want good food, and that their contribution can include “plain old fun!” for children and families.
This column is written by members of the Presque Isle Farmers’ Market. For more information, visit their website at https://sites.google.com/site/presqueislefarmersmarket/home.
