Bally Fox Farm - 62 acres, cooperative, with housing - Waldoboro, Maine

Bally Fox Farm is creating a cooperative housing project. We are looking for founding members / investors to transition the farm from its current state of private mortgage into something new with a loan from the Cooperative Fund of the Northeast. This allows each member to have legal ownership of the property, and the ability to build equity. No large down payment is required.

Located in Waldoboro, Maine, the farm is just over 63 acres of sunny fields, vibrant wetlands, creeks, and lots of forest. Waldoboro is halfway between Brunswick and Belfast, and the farm is less than fifteen minutes from route one, the beach, and amenities like a Hannaford, art galleries, and a handful of eateries.

Current infrastructure includes a farmhouse, which sits on the front edge of the property; a small orchard; walking trails; and a logging road that gives partial access to more of the land. 

There are currently goats and chickens on the property as well as a few dogs. There's a lot of space so additional personal animals can be accommodated. The goat herd is a separate business run by a cooperative member which leases extra land from the farm.

We envision working together to create a safe, sustainable, and socially conscious cooperative community, with plenty of space and support for individual growth. Given the current infrastructure, we are particularly seeking individuals who can sustain monthly paymentscontribute monetarily; have tiny homes of their own; or have extensive experience with building skills such as construction, plumbing, and electrical work so that we can help each other build homes that last.

Cost per person will depend on how many folks are on the property, whether you take a room in the farmhouse, and whether you use the farmhouse for utilities. Our current budget options put payments anywhere from $300/month for a cooperative share to $980/month for a cooperative share, room in the farmhouse, and utilities. While we ideally want long term members, we have some limited space for people who would prefer to rent first before becoming members. 

 If this sounds like something you are interested in building with us, please reach out to [email protected].

About the current Members:

Hannah (she/her) - Hi! I have worked on the State Ferries out of Rockland for the last 5 years and lived in Waldoboro for 4. I love Maine and enjoy cultivating a slower life that makes room for community involvement, time in nature, and creativity! I cycle through many creative interests and enjoy a good house diy project. My vision for the Ballyfox Farm is one of competing projects together, gardening, and caring for each other. I hope to be a parent and raise gentle, well rounded children that see what a caring and functional community can look like. 

Theo (he/they) - Hello potential cooperative living people!! I was born and raised in Maine, lived a couple other places for a while, and then moved back. I’m enjoying living on the coast - it’s nice to have the ocean nearby. My goal for this cooperative is to have a safe place to live, with reasonable costs and a community to hang out with when I want to do a new creative project or share something I cooked or get recommendations for a kickass queer romantasy. Capitalism is a nightmare. Let’s find some joy despite that.

Lake (he/him) - Howdy, I was born and raised in Maine, and have been living in Waldoboro working on various farms for the past three years. I love farming, I keep a small goat herd, as well as managing a garden podcast, and various agro-ecology projects. I’d love to see the cooperative grow as both a safe and prosperous place for people to live, but also as a place of farming and food sufficiency. I love to cook, and have discussions about working class history and politics, but most of all just help people. 

Ian (he/they) is working on small scale mushroom production in addition to his full time job with a gardening company. 

Currently the land is used largely as a housing cooperative, with space being opened for additional homes. Large field is largely used as goat pasture, but room for gardens and crops easily made available. Lots of forested land that can be converted into garden, pasture, sylvopasture, etc.