Frequently asked questions
Everything you’re wondering about our products, visiting the farm, and when we launch.
Buying our products
When can I buy your products?
Not quite yet. Everything on this site is coming soon. We’re finishing our first batches of yogurt, kefir and pepperoni. Call or text 207-275-8313 or send us a message and we’ll let you know the moment they’re ready.
Can I order and pay online?
Not yet. We’re not selling on the website at the moment, so think of this site as our shop window. Online ordering is something we’re working towards.
Where will I be able to find you?
At the Blue Hill Farmers Market from May through October, and the Blue Hill Winter Farmers Market from November through April. See Visit & Markets for the current schedule.
Can you set something aside for me?
Once we launch, absolutely. Since we make everything in small batches, a little notice always helps. Get in touch and we’ll note down what you’re after.
Do you deliver or ship?
Not at the moment. Refrigerated dairy doesn’t travel well by post. Our dry pepperoni is shelf-stable, so shipping that is something we may look at later.
Visiting the farm
Can I just drop by the farm?
No, all visits must be scheduled ahead of time. Call or text 207-275-8313 to book. We practice strict biosecurity to keep our dairy goats, pigs, chickens, and ducks safe from outside germs. See our full visiting guidelines.
What is biosecurity, and why does it apply to me?
Biosecurity is a health shield for our animals. Germs travel easily on clothing, footwear, and pets, and a single visit from another farm can introduce disease our herds have no way to fight. That’s why we ask for freshly washed clothes and footwear, disinfectant footbaths at the gates, and handwashing before and after you’re near any animal.
What should I wear, and can I bring my dog?
Please wear freshly washed clothes and sturdy, closed-toe shoes or mud boots. Skip sandals, flip-flops, and any footwear you’d be sad to muddy. Please leave all dogs and personal pets at home, as they cause stress to our livestock and can transmit disease.
I keep pigs, or I’ve been at another farm. Can I still visit?
If you have been around other hogs or swine facilities, please wait 24 hours before coming to the farm. This one matters a great deal for our heritage herd.
Can I pet or feed the animals?
Our animals are best enjoyed from outside their enclosures. Please don’t enter the goat pens, don’t touch the pigs through the fencing, and watch the hens and ducks from outside their run. Please also don’t offer any treats, scraps, or outside food, as it upsets their carefully balanced diets.
Where do I park?
Use our designated gravel visitor lot. Please don’t drive on the pastures. Once parked, step through the disinfectant footbaths at the entry gates before heading in.
The dairy
What dairy do you make?
Thick Greek-style yogurt in six flavors (Plain, Honey Vanilla, Blueberry, Lemon, Strawberry and Cherry) and drinkable kefir in five: Plain, Honey Vanilla, Blueberry, Strawberry and Cherry. Both come in 16 oz (473 ml) glass.
Are your kefir and yogurt pasteurized?
Our dairy is cultured from fresh goat milk that has been gently heat-treated, then fermented with live and active probiotic cultures, including BB-12® and LGG®. The label reads “not pasteurized.” Gentle heat treatment protects the character of the milk while the cultures do their work.
What sweetens the flavored ones?
Honey, plus the fruit itself and a little vanilla. No refined sugar and no artificial preservatives in any flavor. The Plain yogurt and kefir are just heat-treated goat milk and cultures.
Is goat milk easier to digest?
Goat milk naturally contains A2 beta casein protein and oligosaccharides that act as prebiotics and promote comfortable digestion. Many customers who find cow dairy heavy tell us goat dairy treats them better.
What do I do with the empty bottles and jars?
Bring them back! Kefir bottles and yogurt jars can be returned at farm pickup or the market booth so we can reuse them.
The pepperoni
How are your pigs raised?
Our registered Berkshire and Duroc heritage-breed pigs have access to pasture year-round and are raised with no antibiotics and no added hormones.
What does “uncured” mean here?
It means no nitrate or nitrite added. Our pepperoni is a traditional, rustic dry salami, seasoned and cured slowly on the farm rather than cured with the usual commercial additives.
Does the pepperoni need refrigeration?
Whole dry salami is shelf-stable, so it keeps in the pantry. Once you slice it, keep it wrapped in the refrigerator.
Availability
Why does everything say “coming soon”?
Because it is. We’re a small farmstead finishing our first production runs, and we’d rather show you exactly what’s coming than take orders we can’t fill yet.
How will I know when you launch?
Call or text 207-275-8313, or send us a message, and we’ll tell you directly when the first batches are ready.
What if something isn’t right?
Call or text us at 207-275-8313 and we’ll make it right with a replacement or refund. We’d rather lose a sale than a neighbor.
© 2026 Machias River Farms