Since 1989, Blue Hill Heritage Trust has worked to preserve agricultural land on the Blue Hill peninsula. As part of this effort, the Trust sought to acquire an agricultural easement on Bowden Farm, an attractive 208-acre mix of woods and fields along Route 15. The Land for Maine’s Future program and the USDA Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program supported the easement purchase with dedicated farmland funds approved under the 1999 $50 million Land Bond.
Bowden Farm lies in a corridor of prime agricultural land on either side of Route 15, running through Orland, North Penobscot, and Blue Hill. The Route 15 corridor from Orland to Blue Hill contains most of the prime agricultural soil in Hancock County (which represents a mere 2.3 percent of all the county’s soils). With increasing development occurring along the length of this road, farmland is at risk of being subdivided and sold off for house lots. The easement on Bowden Farm, held by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, will ensure that it remains available for continued farming.
Surrounded by open pastures, the classic buildings at Bowden Farm look out to Blue Hill Mountain and help contribute to the rural character of the area. In association with three farms already protected in the vicinity, this farm (with 180 acres of managed woodlands) helps to protect a trail network of woods roads that community members have traditionally used for hiking, skiing, and snowmobiling.
Please note: On private farms protected with Land for Maine’s Future program support, public access is by landowner permission only. Please see the icons to determine allowed uses and follow any guidance posted on the property. For more information on how to obtain landowner permission, contact Stephanie Gilbert at the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
Closest Town
Blue Hill
Activities
Hiking, bird & other wildlife watching, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing
Region
Downeast Maine – Hancock & Washington
Acres
208
Directions from nearest town
DeLorme Maine Atlas and Gazetteer, Map 15, A-3. The farm is located off Route 15 approximately 13 miles south of the intersection with Route 1 in East Orland.
