Jordan’s Farm in Cape Elizabeth announced they would take over the popular strawberry fields on Bowery Beach Road and anticipate opening in June.
CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine — It might be winter, but summer is on the brain for Jordan’s Farm in Cape Elizabeth.
In a social media post earlier this month, the family farm announced it would take over the strawberry fields on Bowery Beach Road, formerly owned by Maxwell’s Farm.
Maxwell’s Farm announced its permanent closure last summer, following a truncated picking season due to a fruit fly infestation. Anyone who grew up in southern Maine or is a dedicated tourist knows the disheartenment that followed Maxwell’s announcement.
In business for 51 years, Maxwell’s was known for its delicious strawberries, complete with an annual festival, and adorable merchandise, including strawberry-adorned baby onesies, t-shirts, baseball caps, and more.
Jordan’s Farm does not take on this responsibility lightly. Co-owner Penny Jordan said she knew what Maxwell’s meant to the community.
“The Jordans and Maxwells have worked together for several generations, and the Maxwells have created a legacy that we feel should be carried on in Cape Elizabeth,” she said.
“There are so many stories out there. It’s amazing the reach that Maxwell’s had because of generations of people who have picked strawberries at their fields. And the reach they had…it’s not just Maine, it’s people from New York, New Jersey, [and] Florida. It’s people who have grown up and moved away; when they come back to visit [their] parents they go to the strawberry fields. It’s an important part of Cape Elizabeth, it truly is,” she said.
Lead Farmer Phil Jordan said even though they already have some strawberry fields on Wells Road, adding the Bowery Beach fields is a huge undertaking. He explained strawberry farming can be challenging because it requires a lot of watering, and the plants have to be kept warm during the winter, using hay. Weather aside, he said he is also ready to tackle any pests that may threaten the crops next summer.
“The issue that we all had last year was a type of fruit fly that comes up from the south, usually it comes up later in the season so that it doesn’t affect strawberries,” he explained. “But as the winters have been warmer, they have been overwintering further north, so they ended up here earlier than usual,” he said.
Phil Jordan said the only tools to deal with insects like these are setting out traps and spraying for them.
Jordan’s Farm has been passed down through five generations so far and Phil Jordan said he hopes that by adding these extra fields to the farm, it will inspire his children to take over one day.
“Maxwells has obviously been a huge part of the pick-your-own strawberry market. Just seeing how busy they are and how important it is to everybody in southern Maine,” he said. “I have two young kids; I felt like it was a good opportunity to be more diverse and give my kids a better chance to take over one day if they want to.”
Penny Jordan said these crops will be a great addition to the farm, allowing them to expand on creating more products for their busy farm stand.
“It really positions us to have product available for our processed foods such as our salad dressing our jams or any other products that we might want to make with the strawberries, but it also ensures that we are going to have strawberries in our farm stand throughout the strawberry growing season and be able to freeze them so people have them available in the off-season,” she said.
The Jordans said the extra workload next year will be well worth it.
“Growing food to feed people and growing Maine agriculture are important aspects of our mission. Keeping fields in production is important, and it’s what we do if we can,” Penny Jordan said. “The number of acres being farmed in Maine continues to decline, we believe if we have the resources to keep farmland working for our farm and the community, then we need to take on the challenge,” she said.
NEWS CENTER Maine reached out to Maxwell’s Farm on social media for comment but has not heard back.
RELATED: Maxwell’s closing strawberry farm in Cape Elizabeth after 51 years
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