Pineland Farms is home to a host of wintertime activities, including Nordic ski races, ice skating and sledding. Mikayla Patel / The Forecaster

While the weather may sometimes forget, the winter season is undoubtedly upon us. Determined to find ways of avoiding the annual winter blues, I took a trip to Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, a 5,000-acre working farm ripe with recreational activities, skiing trails, farm animals and more. 

The farm is open to visitors with tickets daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mikayla Patel / The Forecaster

When there’s snow, Pineland bustles with cross-country skiers, skaters and snowshoers, but even without it, like when I visited, it’s a must for winter weekend to-do lists.

The family farmyard is home to chickens, goats, sheep, pigs and even peacocks. Drive a little ways down the road and you’ll find the dairy barn, calf barn and heifer barn, and farther away is the equestrian center.

I meandered through the barns and fenced areas, greeting the farm animals, my least chatty interviewees to date, giving some of them scratches once we warmed up to each other.

Pineland Farms is education-based and offers classes for students to learn about Maine agriculture and farming in their forests, fields, barns, gardens and farmyard.

Skiing is Pineland’s most popular snowy weather activity, along with snowshoeing, ice skating and sledding, said Brandy Raymond, digital marketing director.

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Tomatoes grow in a Pineland greenhouse. Mikayla Patel / The Forecaster

The “Making Tracks” program is another large draw. Visitors can rent snowshoes to walk the trails in search of wildlife tracks and try to identify them.

The farms also include a market complete with fresh produce, dairy products and Maine-made gifts, and a cafe. For those who want to eat outdoors but remain warm, the farm recently added heated globes for outdoor dining. 

At the cafe, I had a salad made with vegetables from the greenhouse I had visited earlier. The greenhouse sits atop a hill overlooking the farmland and has rows of tomatoes on the vine and herbs.

The visit was a wonderful way to enjoy a winter day.

For those less nature-inclined, the farm also offers an open gym, pickle ball and bowling.

Visit the winter schedule at pinelandfarms.org for a full list of activities and events offered January to March.

Peacocks perch at Pineland Farms, where much of the programming is focused on education and connecting visitors to nature. Mikayla Patel / The Forecaster

Visitors can book guest houses at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester during the winter months, too. Mikayla Patel / The Forecaster

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