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In 2018, Katherine and Ato Swann decided to sell everything they owned and leave their suburban lifestyle to farm in Nova Scotia. – They didn’t make it. – Ato had gotten into a horticultural program, but two weeks before they were supposed to leave, their visas were denied. In their original plan, they were going to visit some friends in Southwest Harbor on the way to Canada. So they packed up the kids and headed north. They stayed in a campground in Ellsworth for the summer while they hoped to find their future farm. Serendipitously, they found a beautiful old farm in Pembroke on the coast Downeast. It had everything they were looking for, just not in the place they expected.
Katherine had always been fascinated by foraging and the idea that collectively we have forgotten how to recognize and use the abundance that nature provides. So she set out with her phone and an app, determined to find everything edible growing on their property. Exploring their land through food was a true joy.
Together they were farming and foraging and enjoying all the delicious food when they realized there was potential to make products with both farmed and foraged ingredients to share all the flavors of Downeast Maine with the world.
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Red Kettle Foods makes really good kimchi and Asian-inspired spice blends crafted from local Maine ingredients. Beginning from our owner’s humble roots as a chef aboard traditional sailing ships in the Caribbean, we put all our love into each small batch, showing every customer the warmth we’ve experienced passing homestyle dishes around the dinner table with family, shipmates, and friends. We are an Asian and woman owned brand. We champion East Asian cuisine and support Maine farms, producers, and businesses through our food, cooking classes, and hosted dinners. You can find our kimchi and other products at coops, specialty grocery stores, farm stands, and restaurants across the state of Maine.
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Your Barters Island beekeepers and honey lovers are Donna and Denny Denniston, residents of Barters Island, Maine. Denny started with 3 hives in 2020. He loved working with the bees and turned out to be pretty good at beekeeping! Soon neighbors were also bitten by the bee bug, and Barters Island’s bees now live in hives around the island. The Dennistons and their beekeeeping neighbors are committed to providing the bees with the healthiest environment possible… one avoiding harmful pesticides, providing lots of wildflowers and giving them the protections that we, as humans, can provide. Donna says, “Our bees are pretty lucky to live in a place where even the neighbors look out for them. They also can fly a short distance across the water to enjoy a gourmet feast at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens!”
Donna is responsible for the creation of the products sold. She’d enjoyed ‘honey butter’ growing up in Tennessee, but noticed that you don’t see it much in Maine, She decided to try ‘creaming’ some of the honey herself and the product called ‘Maine Mousse’ was born! The creamed honey is available plain as ‘Honey Butter’ but is also available infused with organic Blueberry-Lemon, Cinnamon, Orange Cranberry and Gentle Ginger. These mousse-like pure honey products have turned out to be as popular as the original honey! You are warned that Donna experiments with other addictive flavors that might just be on the horizon!
Donna and Denny both say that the bees allow them to do something positive and creative. When they decided that this endeavor might be a business, they knew they wanted to give back. “Food insecurity and the welfare of bees are two causes that we both care about very much. Our bees help us make a difference in both areas” said Denny. They support bee welfare organization and Veggies to Table, a non-profit farm providing healthy food and beautiful flowers directly to those in need in Lincoln County. As Donna said, “We love the idea of providing the flowers along with the food raised on their farm… something for the body and the soul. Nature at its best!”
Learn more about us in this video produced by Merrior Seafoods, one of our vendors.
Denny Denniston
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I learned to wet felt tulips at my sons morning garden program at a Waldorf school six years ago. A sweet little bunch of babes wiggled and played together as a group of moms played in soapy water. It was love. Kids and wool and handwork… I was sold. As my son grew, we began felting together… wet felted soap, wet felted ‘sunshine’ balls on a hot sunny spring day, needle felted critters and birthday crowns.My inspiration has always drawn from my kids… what can I make for their easter basket? What would they like to see on their birthday crown this year? What critters are we reading about and can I bring it to life in the form of a little felted something?
I bought my first wool from A Wrinkle in Thyme Farm at the Common Ground Fair in those earlier felting days. Then, this past spring, a neighbor invited our family to visit their farm to see the lambs. We realized our homestead was the perfect spot for some sheep. So we bought a few. Ended up with an extra one because, why not! We spent time skirting wool at A Wrinkle in Thyme, went back for Yarn and Yoga. Eventually Marty asked me if I had any interested in carrying on her business and I just knew it was something I wanted to do.
I have spent the past 7 months working along side Marty and Mary Ann. Every Thursday, and as many other days as possible, I have spent learning from them and helping them make kits. As of January 2024 the business is mine, but I still spend every Thursday at their farm using their equipment, space and soaking up some time with them. I am deeply honored and filled with gratitude at the opportunity to carry on Marty’s designs. I look forward to adding my own to the mix in the coming days. I am looking for space in Bethel to open a small storefront and workspace. I plan to continue the Wrinkle in Thyme feeling of community and art within our small town and hope to find more ways to share the love of natural fibers, sustainable farming and handwork with as many people as possible.
Thank you for being here with me.
-Morgan Macfarlane
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I am a native of the foothills of rural Western Maine, where I first developed my love of creating objects from the natural world. I first began working with clay on a regular basis while attending Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, NH in the late 90s. After undergraduate school I studied and apprenticed with potter and musician Dwight Graves, who had studied with Lucy Lewis of Acoma, Pueblo in NM. After 10 years in Taos, New Mexico, teaching art, building and firing wood kilns, developing clay and fiber wares and working on collaborations with area artists, I received my Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics at the State University of New York at New Paltz with a special focus on native clays.
I have been teaching for 20+ years, K-12 in both public in private schools, along with having taught at community college and adult workshops in studios and craft centers across the country, including Snow Farm: The New England Craft Program and Haystack Mountain School of Craft. I am a lifelong learner and regularly take workshops with fellow artists and craftsfolk to keep up with new technologies and concepts within the craft world. I am a proud Mainer and honored to be amongst so many talented and inspirational craft artists within the state of Maine. My current studio has been located within Running With Scissors Art Studios in Portland for 11 years now. in 2024 I am making plans to build and relocate my studio in my hometown of Otisfield.
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My name is Kanya Zillmer and I am the owner of Hills & Trails. I am an illustrator and printmaker based in Saco, Maine.
My love for printmaking started in college where I studied printmaking and graphic design at the Westphal School of Art at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Soon after graduating, I moved to Maine to be closer to my family. I became a member of Pickwick Press in Portland, Maine, and pursued my passion for screen printing on paper and textiles.
I combined my love of hiking in Maine with my printmaking and began designing and printing posters inspired by my weekend adventures. I sold my posters at craft fairs and soon built my own DIY screen printing studio in my house. The screen printing process is very therapeutic for me as an artist and I keep my products traditionally made, hand pulling each print in small batches and using only eco-friendly printing methods.
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What began in college as a means to make my mom Christmas gifts, turned into the thread that would connect four years spent living in six states. Through every move I managed to find a pottery studio to keep learning.
In 2018 a three month internship in Moab, UT, turned into four years spent exploring the desert. It is where my family grew (I married my husband, Nate and adopted a rescue pup, we named Frankie), where I developed my style as an artist, creating art that reflected the natural world, and where I turned my hobby into a career.
From Utah to Maine in 2023, we settled in Bridgton, Maine. Swapping desert sandstone for Maine granite, woodsy neutrals and coastal blues, I am learning to fall in love with Maine through the art I get to create every day.
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YOU’RE IN FOR A TREAT
THE CAPT’N ELI’S STORY
In the early 1920’s, the Forsley family started the fun tradition of crafting handmade root beer at their home in New Gloucester, Maine.
As a young boy, Eli Forsley perfected the recipe and began selling root beer around the neighborhood. An entrepreneur was born!
In 1996, Eli’s son Fred, brimming with the same entrepreneurial spirit as his father, introduced the Forsley’s famous root beer to the public. That year the first pint of Capt’n Eli’s Root Beer was served at Federal Jack’s Restaurant and Brew Pub in Kennebunk, ME.
Today, Capt’n Eli’s is available in seven flavors: Root Beer, Ginger Beer, Cream, Blueberry Pop, Strawberry Pop, Black Cherry Pop, and Orange Pop. All are caffeine and gluten free and made with all natural ingredients.
This Maine original soda line is handcrafted and distributed across the Northeast through our distribution partners. Purchase some Capt’n Eli’s today through our online shop!
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I graduated from the University of Southern Maine in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. Worked as a fitness specialist for 8 years and competed in a handful of local bodybuilding shows before having my first baby in 2019, then COVID hit and had to navigate working from home with a newborn.
I started binge watching a pottery competition show on HBO and got hooked. My husband bought me a pottery wheel and some clay for my first Mother’s day gift and I never looked back.
My glaze combinations are inspired from nature and my surroundings. Sunsets/rises, lakes, and birds are my go-to when it comes to picking colors. I also try to incorporate my family whenever possible and let my 4 year old “help” by randomly picking a pint of glaze of his choosing.
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Greetings Mainers,
My name is Andrew Frodahl. My wife Ashley and I recently purchased TriPom Chews. We have been busy putting the finishing touches on our new shop along with working closely with James (the former owner) so that we can continue to send out the same high-quality product that you expect.
We are the parents of 3 great boys – Axel, Hans, & Finn who are em’barking’ on this venture with us.
We want to thank James for his dedication, support and for working beside us so that we are able to meet your expectations.
We are humbled and honored to pick up the torch that Autumn lit and that James has carried so well since Autumn’s passing. We know from talking with James that she was loved by her family and her customers. Many of you shared a special relationship with her.
We are looking forward to hearing from you all and about your fur babies.
