The Bailey Farm Organic Elderberry

17/03/2026

The March 14th PRUNING WORKSHOP at Growing To Give / Scatter Good Farm at 30 East Coxon Rd., Brunswick, was so much fun. The participants were eager to learn, asked good questions and then went to work pruning, while also harvesting over 100 Elderberry cuttings for propagation. Together, we managed to prune the entire Elderberry orchard. Thanks to all my participants for their enthusiasm and hard work!

Stay tuned. In April we will 'dress the Mother Elders' for the growing season by adding organic fertilizer, compost and wood chips. Open to the public, all are welcome.

FYI: This Elderberry orchard is your local go-to place for Elderberry knowledge, cuttings for propagation and organic Elderberries in the fall.

11/03/2026

Learn how to prune elderberry bushes on Saturday, March 14th, 9 a.m. - noon at Growing to Give / Scatter Good Farm, 30 E. Coxon Rd., Brunswick. Bring your clippers and dress warmly. Learn how and help us prune the Elderberry orchard. All are welcome!

02/03/2026

ELDERBERRY WORKSHOPS. It's been fun to share Elderberry wisdom with the people at Alan Day Community Garden in Norway, Maine, as well as with Growing to Give / Scatter Good Farm in Brunswick. Workshop participants were eager to learn more about Elderberry planting, propagating, processing into syrup and more. Thank you to workshop participants for attending.

As we ease out of winter, the immediate focus is pruning the Elderberry and making cuttings to propagate.
On March 14th, 9 a.m to noon, we hope the snow will be mostly gone. We will reconvene to prune the Elderberry orchard at Growing to Give, 30 East Coxon Rd., Brunswick. All are welcome.

03/11/2025

ELDERBERRY WORKSHOP offered at Growing to Give Farm, 30 East Coxon Rd., Brunswick on Sat., Nov. 8th @ 10 a.m. The Presenter, Abbie Sewall, has been growing Elderberry trees since 2011, and was the founder, owner/operator of The Bailey Farm in Freeport for seven years, selling Elderberry cuttings and plants, as well as organic Elderberries and Elderflowers for improved immune health.
This workshop will cover soil preparation, planting and plant care; growing, harvesting and processing into syrup, and propagation. All are welcome. Frozen organic Elderberries will be for sale at the farm for you to make your own Elderberry syrup for this winter.

26/09/2025

FALL CARE OF ELDERBERRY TREES
Layers to add: Compost, leaf mulch (birch, alder, maple is ideal), wood chips (birch, alder, maple is ideal). Water deeply. To avoid rot, keep amendments from touching canes at base. Think 'tea cup' shape, not 'volcano' when spreading amendments.

Typically, Elders need 1-2 inches of water per week. This drought has been an incredible challenge. However, once the roots are established, the Elders may survive less watering.

Ideally, Elders prefer morning sun to afternoon dappled light. They are an understory tree.

By now, your harvest should be in the freezer. As the temperatures drop and flu season begins, it will be time to process the cleaned berries into syrup. See thebaileyfarm.com for recipes and lessons learned in the world of this amazing plant with the capacity to keep us healthy all winter long.

27/07/2025

In the wild and/or cultivated, the Elders are in full bloom now. Wherever you find them, these flowers provide abundant food for the pollinators.
Once you identify the flowers, keep watching for berry development coming soon. What do you observe? Are the birds eating green berries, as one grower reported this year? Do you see ripe berries in the wild, or do the wild Elders fail to produce? Share your observations here to enhance our collective experience and knowledge!

13/07/2025

I’m seeing elderberry in bloom along the roadsides, making a mental note of their locations. I will return to these locations and check the production of berries in the wild. Although I have seen many flowering elderberries, I have yet to see any in the wild with berries on them. I’m hoping that’s because the birds eat them as soon as they are ripe.

09/04/2025

Despite the cold, we had a great turn out for the Elderberry Workshop last Saturday. The participants learned how to plant, grow, harvest, propagate and prune Mother Elder, as well as some of the history and folklore surrounding this amazing plant medicine. Thank you to all who participated, and for helping to prune the Elderberry orchard at Scatter Good Farm.

29/03/2025

Today’s elderberry workshop at Growing To Give at 30 East Coxon Rd. in Brunswick has been postponed due to snow to April 5 next Saturday. Hope to see you there, 9 to 12.

25/03/2025

ELDERBERRY PRUNING and PROPAGATING WORKSHOP, 9 am - noon, on Saturday, March 29th at Growing to Give, Scatter Good Farm, 30 E. Coxon Rd., Brunswick. Dress warmly bring your clean clippers and learn how to prune and propagate as you help prune the elderberry orchard. All are welcome.

25/03/2025

PRUNING + PROPAGATING. While still dormant, now is the time to prune your elders. As you prune, you make cuttings to share or sell for propagating new plants. Start them in water or propagating soil (loose and light) in a greenhouse or in your house. I keep my cuttings in a dark closet at first, to stimulate the roots. See more at www.thebaileyfarm.com.

24/02/2025

REBECCA MCMACKIN offers the most succinct and compelling explanation for why we must re-wild our lawns and gardens. Pls. listen to her 12 min. TedTalk, and pass it on!
https://www.ted.com/talks/rebecca_mcmackin_let_your_garden_grow_wild?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaaOt2ID97pMtcm18BKP49aBU0MVXs2PHxxXDHNyWr1s2naOHavKsjSNmSQ_aem_cBpR09O4c###hXc-jrZv6Q

Many gardeners work hard to maintain clean, tidy environments ... which is the exact opposite of what wildlife wants, says ecological horticulturist Rebecca McMackin. She shows the beauty of letting your garden run wild, surveying the success she's had increasing biodiversity even in the middle of N...