A Maine Entrepreneur, Farming Since AGE NINE

So Dan, you grew up farming.

Yeah.

That was, I mean, that was what you knew and had how many siblings?

There was nine of us children and of course my parents, we had a family of 11.

Wow.

And we grew up on a dead end road and we farmed and...

People probably don't remember this, but Samson Supermarket, we raised a large majority of all their vegetables.

And whatever didn't sell that day, we'd bring home and we'd can it and freeze it for our own goods.

That's amazing.

And, I mean, a couple hundred quarts of string beans in the cellar getting into winter was nothing.

It'll get you through the winter.

Get us all through the winter.

We husked corn.

We grew our own livestock.

We did everything that was needed to get us through the winter.

I mean, isn't that just like in the absolute core of Mainers? We do what is required.

You know, that independent-minded individual.

You guys did what was required to make it through, to have what you needed through the winter.

Now you've got your grandson farming.

Yes.

He is, you know, your siblings didn't stick around in farming.

They had enough growing up.

But Braden is here, the next generation.

What are some of the challenges that you think he faces that didn't exist when you first started in this industry?

One of the biggest things is equipment, land.