Request for Proposals: Morris Farm

The 48-acre Morris Farm is located on Gardiner Road just outside downtown Wiscasset, an approximately 20-minute drive east of Brunswick.  The property consists of 32 open acres. Approximately 5 acres are suitable for crop cultivation; the balance is made up of pasture and a small orchard.  There is a substantial farmstead area and an 11-acre woodlot.

Morris Farm includes a variety of infrastructure in the farmstead area, including:

• a small commercial kitchen and an adjacent education/gathering space
• a 3-bedroom, 1.5 bathroom farmhouse, with an attached one-bedroom apartment
• a barn that was formerly used for events such as weddings and summer camps
• a former goat barn
• a walk-in cooler and root cellar
• a 4-season office
• a heated farm store
• a share shed that serves as a self-serve food pantry
• several outbuildings

The buildings range in condition and are all in functional shape, but have some deferred maintenance needs. Maine Farmland Trust will work with an applicant to prioritize maintenance needs, including replacing the heating system in the education/gathering space.  

The Wiscasset Community Center and the Wiscasset Middle High School are located just to the north of Morris Farm with a senior living center under construction abutting along the south.  Morris Farm is surrounded by town forest land and there is a public trail system that runs through a portion of the farm.

The Morris Farm will be sold subject to a perpetual agricultural conservation easement restricting non-agricultural development of the property.

The conservation easement will designate a “farmstead area” where the existing residence, barn, and other agricultural structures are located. Additional structures, with limitations, can be constructed, repaired, and replaced within the “farmstead area”. An additional building area for other farm structures may be permitted. The conservation easement will prohibit any future division of the property, and it will also include an Option to Purchase at Agricultural Value (OPAV). This Option will allow MFT to re-purchase the farm at its agricultural value should the buyer (or a future owner) contract to sell the farm to a non-farmer. The OPAV is included in the   conservation easement to ensure the property remains in active agricultural use.  

While some easement terms are non-negotiable, the selected buyer will have an opportunity to work with MFT to ensure the easement terms fit with their plans for the property.   A draft agricultural conservation easement is provided in the RFP Package available for download above.

The Morris Farm will be sold at its appraised value as encumbered by an Agricultural Conservation Easement. The final price will be determined by an appraisal commissioned within 6 months of the purchase date. An initial appraisal is being commissioned and the subsequent purchase price is expected, but not guaranteed, to fall within the range below:

Estimated Appraised Value as of May, 2025

• $750,000 - $850,000 – Estimate of the appraised value of the farm before the Agricultural Conservation Easement is in place
• $250,000 - $300,000 – Estimate of the appraised value of the Agricultural Conservation Easement
• Purchase Price =  $475,000 - $575,000 – Estimate of appraised value as encumbered by an Agricultural Conservation Easement

MFT is hosting an open house at the farm on July 22nd at 10:00 am to allow potential buyers to see the property (Farm Address: 156 Gardiner Road, Wiscasset). Please RSVP if interested in attending the open house:  

Brett Sykes, Co-Director, Farmland Protection

brett@mainefarmlandtrust.org

207-338-6575

If you are interested in purchasing the Morris Farm, please submit a completed Proposal Form and any supporting documentation by September 2nd, 2025.  Please either fill out the online proposal form and submit online, or use the downloaded proposal form and email or send by mail your completed form and any supporting documents to brett@mainefarmlandtrust.org or mail to Brett Sykes, 97 Main Street, Belfast, ME 04915.

Your proposal form and any supporting documents are confidential and will only be shared with the Review Committee.

Proposals will be reviewed and ranked by a Review Committee based on the criteria below, and all provided narrative explanations will be thoughtfully considered.  Finalists will be asked to take part in an interview, submit a list of references, and submit a credit report.  Interviews will occur during the week of September 15th, but may be flexible as needed.  A final decision is tentatively expected by September 30, 2025.

After a proposal is selected, MFT will work with the selected applicant to enter into a purchase and sale agreement and/or lease agreement at which time an earnest money/security deposit will be required.  

Selection criteria includes:

• The prospective buyer’s willingness to pay the appraised value for the protected property as encumbered by an agricultural conservation easement.
• Acceptability of any proposed contingencies
• The prospective buyer’s willingness to operate a farm that is protected by an agricultural conservation easement and understanding of the long term partnership that creates with MFT.
• Degree to which the prospective buyer’s vision for the farm is:
  
  • a) well-suited to the size, soils, configuration, and infrastructure of the farm;
    
  • b) well-suited to the local agricultural community; and
  • c) likely to result in viable, long-term agricultural use of the property.
• The prospective buyer’s level of training and experience to operate (or oversee) the farming activities proposed for the property.
  
• Degree to which this opportunity will enable the applicant to access land that they may not otherwise be able to access.
• The prospective buyer’s demonstrated ability to obtain funds to close on the purchase of the property, and the proposed timeline to closing.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a profitable farm business and/or ability to keep accurate financial records
• The prospective buyer’s willingness to engage with the surrounding community and maintain existing public use of the farm (including continued use of the share shed and public trail).

Please either fill out the online proposal form and submit online, or use the downloaded proposal form and email or send by mail your completed form and any supporting documents to brett@mainefarmlandtrust.org or mail to Brett Sykes, 97 Main Street, Belfast, ME 04915 by September 2, 2025.

For questions or additional information, including to request a previously completed inspection report and Phase 1 Environmental Assessment, contact Brett at brett@mainefarmlandtrust.org  or 207-338-6575.

If you cannot make this deadline but are interested in the farm, please feel free to contact us. We will do our best to keep you informed of the progress of the farm sale.