Bangor farmers to bring fresh salads to festival

BANGOR – Earlier this year, the manager of the Blue Seal Feed Store on Stillwater Avenue invited Mark and Linda McBrine to maintain a farmers market in the store’s parking lot. They accepted the offer and immediately built a miniature red barn as their market’s base of operation. Mark and friends assembled it with large bolts so it could be disassembled for easy moves.

The McBrines are owners of Vine and Branch Farm, located at the south end of Union Street. Their fresh produce is the result of organic farming practices. Products include beef and poultry – all free-range – and lamb and pork. It’s a family farm where the children, extended family members and friends pitch in and help when needed.

Recently, the McBrines were among the 40-odd vendors chosen to accommodate visitors at the annual National Folk Festival on Bangor’s waterfront, Aug. 22-24. Some 140 vendors applied to participate.

Mark, Linda and their work force will dispense four kinds of salads throughout the festival – taco, chicken, fruit and basic greens. Using their produce and meats, the McBrines also will serve beef chili with the taco salad and, of course, chunks of chicken from their flock will be tossed into the chicken salad.

So down comes the barn and off it goes to the three-day festival. After the festival, follow the red barn back to the Blue Seal Feed Store across the street from the Bangor Mall. Mark and Linda will be there Tuesday, Friday and Saturday selling fresh produce picked earlier the same day from just down the road.

Martha Black is the editor of the Maine Farmer, published by the Maine Farm Bureau.