Our Community Garden's are a wonderful addition to the property, especially as interest in food security has grown during the pandemic. Community garden plots are available for as little as $35 dollars (our lowest Membership level) and include a number of great benefits.
If you know anything about gardening, you know how important compost is to the fruit and vegetable garden. Compost doesn't just provide the full spectrum of Macro and Micro nutrients needed for a bountiful harvest; it also improves water retention, moderates pH, and improves soil structure.
It's likely been a few years since we've amended the soil with a heavy application of "gardeners gold" (mostly due to the significant costs), so when Jesse Haskell showed-up with two truck loads of compost, we couldn't be more pleased!
"The importance of freely accessible, beautifully maintained, and preserved land is valuable to the people and businesses of the Kennebec Valley region. As the owner of an agricultural business in the area, I'm happy I can provide the donation of compost to Viles Arboretum," commented Haskell. "I attended the Maine Compost School in 2015 through the University of Maine. From start to finish my compost takes almost a year to finish because of the time I have available to make it, my summers are too busy. I make my windrows in a day then over the course of a week or two I adjust my recipe so that the pile reaches between 131 and 170 degrees, then once I reach that Temperature range I make sure to turn my pile at least 5 times over the course of 15 days. Once I've met those marks I then consolidate the pile and begin the curing phase. I usually don't sell any compost til spring so the compost usually cures for 6 to 7 months. "
Jesse Haskell is a resident of Palermo, Maine and the owner of a small-scale composting business. In addition to compost, he co-owns a suite of family-run businesses including Haskell Farm, a fourth-generation organic dairy farm, M.A. Haskell Trucking, a transportation service company, and M.A. Haskell Fuel Company. To reach Jesse, please email
