Hello, my name is Farmer Dave!
My family and I are blessed to be one of Maine’s oldest family operated farms. Located along the Great Works River on the border of North Berwick and South Berwick, my family has been located here since 1743.
Starting out in 1743, Ebenezer Dennett acquired about 100 acres of wild land with the principal inhabitants being native Indians, wolves, deer, and moose. By 1855, the farm had expanded to over 200 acres. Even back then, Riverside Farm was a special place, being a fixture in the Dennett family for all gatherings.
My father, George Edward Tuttle Sr., was one of five children of George William Tuttle and Jane Dennett of Dover, NH. He grew up on the oldest family farm (Tuttle's Red Barn) in the United States. In the tradition of the time, my father’s oldest brother took over the Dover farm. My father, eager to own a farm of his own, purchased this farm from his mother’s family in 1930. At the time, Riverside Farm was in debt and in general disrepair. Through my father’s efforts, he restored it to a small dairy farm with a wholesale operation of tomatoes, potatoes, and corn.
I loved growing up on this farm. Working in the fields with my father and my two brothers, I grew up knowing that I wanted to be a farmer. When I was in my first year of college, my dad had a heart attack that severely limited the work he could do. I left school early and started to farm full time. I purchased Riverside Farm in 1970. I loved the vegetable side of the business so we closed the dairy, and focused our efforts on growing the best vegetables possible. We expanded into the greenhouse and decorative plant business as well as into retailing Christmas trees in the off-season.
I consider myself fortunate because we truly are a family-run farm. My wife, Lorraine (Mrs. Farmer Dave), runs our business with me by managing our farm stand and taking care of our bookwork. My children are the ninth generation that have grown up at this farm. My oldest son, Ryan, works along side me in the fields and assists with the farmers markets. My other son, Jason, and daugher, Michelle, are currently pursuing other opportunities but remain close. Our granchildren live on our farm land and love helping out in the fields, at the stand, and at farmers' markets. We're excited to have them so close by.
My family has been very blessed with how our business has grown. One of my favorite things about running this farm is always trying something new. Whether it’s trying new varieties of fruits and vegetables or utilizing new growing methods, I take pride in knowing we are constantly striving to provide you, the customer, with the highest quality of local produce possible. Thank you for supporting our farm!
