…the land originally known as the Thompson Homestead was bought by the Thompson family from the State of Massachusetts in the late 1700/early 1800’s when Maine was still a part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  The Thompsons raised cattle, hay, and wheat on the homestead. The Western style barn that still stands today was built by the Thompsons, circa 1840s.  It is one of the oldest buildings still standing in Roque Bluffs.

In 1912, the Homestead was bought by Frank and Mary Welch.  Frank and Mary were married on December 25, 1912 and moved that day to the Homestead as newlyweds to begin their lives together and start a family tradition that is still going strong today.  Two months after moving in, the original Thompson house burned from a chimney fire. While Frank rebuilt the family home, he and his wife lived in a small room in their woodshed and continued to work the farm.  He milked 25 heads of cattle by hand and raised 400 head of sheep. He tirelessly cut the timber and cleared the fields to plant wheat, rye, and oats. So, this leads us to the question of how we become Wild Blueberry growers.

Did you know the low bush blueberries grow natively in Downeast Maine?  So as Frank worked to clear the land, using sheep to help in the process, these natural, wild plants began to take over.   By the early 1920s, Frank and Mary began managing and harvesting those natural little wild blueberries to sell locally and shipped by train to the markets in Boston under their fresh product brand, Bluffs Point Blueberries.

Frank and Mary raised a daughter, Priscilla on the farm.  When Priscilla and her husband move to Boston after WWII to find work, Frank and Mary took in and raised Priscilla’s children, Wayne, and his sister Margo.  At the feet of his grandfather, Wayne learned farming and blueberry production. At the age of 16, Wayne became the head of the family and solely responsible for the farm operation after the death of his grandfather. Wayne soon made the decision to cut the number of cattle and to get rid of the sheep so he could focus on the wild blueberry production. In honor of his grandfather, he named the farm, Welch Farm.

Today Wayne’s Daughter, Lisa helps with the daily farm operation and management.  Over the past 10 plus years, the farm has expanded from a wild blueberry crop being sold only to a Wild Blueberry Processor to offering our own fresh Blueberries and value-added products, Christmas wreaths and centerpieces during the holidays.  Cabin Rentals are available during the summer season so people can stay and enjoy a Welch Farm experience.  Farm Tours are given all spring and summer long where you, our Guest can learn about this amazing wild fruit, The Maine Wild Blueberry, and about the wild blueberry Industry.  You might even want visit during the wild blueberry season and to try your hand at raking those small berries with the big taste.