Maine is a beautiful place, however central Maine is often forgotten. I grew up in central Maine & find myself driving to & enjoying central Maine often to be around family and bring my daughter Izzy to all of the places I have fond memories of. So let me share a tour we took that will introduce you to some local places, foods and more here in central Maine.

This AgriCulture Experiences Tour we attended took place in an area of central Maine called Skowhegan. The tour started at the outdoor market. It was a great meeting point because, we could all look around while we waited for the tour to begin.

This beautiful outdoor Farmers Market takes place in the parking lot beside The Miller’s Table.

First up on the tour, the old county jail. You may be think, hmm that’s odd, however the building is no longer functioning as a jail. The old jail has been transformed into the restaurant, The Miller’s Table and is also used as Maine Grains complex. It was really cool to see the traditional stone milling process that Maine Grains uses to process their locally sourced organic grains.

Side note, I’m gluten intolerant. I did however find I don’t suffer from digestive issues when eating the local & organic foods such as this non gluten free flour from Maine Grains. Chew on that!

Next we walked over, right next door, to the Crooked Face Creamery. Those cheeses were incredible and it was wonderful to hear her discuss how her cheeses are made and the steady growth of her local business. Let me tell you, I’m not shocked she’s growing! If you love cheese, you must try Crooked Face Creamery.

Pasta Making was a blast with The Maine Meal. Izzy loved making and tasting the pasta, we all did! The Maine Meal uses exceptional ingredients from the farms and coastal waters of Maine. The create quick and easy, gourmet cuisine that can be ready in 20 minutes or less. Check out their website to see the variety of frozen, boil in bag menu items they offer.

Next we were off to meet with the Maine Grain Alliance. They spoke about the process and work that goes into growth and milling of heritage grain plots. They provided a ton of hands on products and we also were able to mill our own wheat and corn.

After we finished up with the Maine Grain Alliance, we headed to Tessiers Farm. At the farm we shook up some butter, fed baby cows and nibbled on yummy foods such as homemade sausages and cheese made by the farm. Izzy loved shaking the jar to make the butter and as you will see in the images below, feeding the baby cows.

Last but not least we enjoyed a brewery tour along with tasting yummy local beer over at Oak Pond Brewery. OPB opened in 1996 & was Skowhegan’s first brewery in 115 years. Gotta love some local Maine beahs! (That’s “beers” in a Mainer accent.)

The tour ended at the food and beer festival. Which allowed us to shop around and looks for some fun & delicious local goodies.

Have you ever been to central Maine? It’s worth the visit, this area has a lot to offer! Hope to see you all around.

XO Eryka