About the Farm

We began farming in Mercer in 1976 with a mutual passion for agriculture and growing our own food. Our interest in sheep began in the late 1970’s when we purchased a starter flock of registered Dorset sheep. Dorsets have remained our primary breed and over the years we have built up a flock of quality seed stock that has gained national recognition within the sheep industry.

As the years progressed we out grew our original farm and expanded onto larger acreage where we now farm 300 acres of fields and woodland between two locations.

Sheep and hay have always been a constant, but in recent years the vegetable production has become more important with the introduction of a high tunnel hoop house which has allowed us to expand the vegetables into a year round business.

In the early 1990’s we named our enterprise ‘Blue Ribbon Farm’. Mary’s late father, Bill Warren, thought the name expressed our desire to grow the best product available and operate in a manner that was exemplary. Hence Blue Ribbon Farm was born!

Blue Ribbon Farm is now producing vegetables in four seasons; retailing our lamb by the cut as well as at the wholesale market; participating in the Skowhegan Farmers Market; expanding our ‘Friends & Neighbors’ weekly email list for ‘off the farm’ sales; expanding our wholesale accounts; continuing to produce quality hay and baleage for the horse and cattle industry; and maintaining our stewardship practices on the 200 acre certified Tree Farm.

Blue Ribbon Farm is expanding once again! Building on the success of the first high tunnel greenhouse, a second greenhouse is under construction and a retail outlet farm store is now open for business at Blue Ribbon Farm at 122 Corson Road in Mercer.

Perhaps the most exciting new addition is the new manufacturing facility for our fresh pasta. Our product is called PASTA FRESCA by Blue Ribbon Farm. Not only is it FRESH pasta, but most of the ingredients are either grown on Blue Ribbon Farm or produced locally in Maine by farmers who have shown the same commitment to quality and the local economy.

Pasta Fresca will be available at our retail farm store, through the Skowhegan Farmers’ Market and other retail outlets linked to our website.

The future looks bright for Blue Ribbon Farm as we envision expanding the Pasta Fresca label. There is great satisfaction for us in knowing we are contributing to growing the local economy and producing fresh, local, and natural products.