C&C Farm offers local meats, in-town location

Photo: Claire Harbage

FRESH MEATS — Sandy Cullinan, Mike Cullinan, Linda Cleveland, and Jerry Cleveland all stand in the C&C Farm’s new store-front that is modeled after the barnyard at C & C Farm. The store is located at 495 Maine Street, Norway. The image on the wall is a photograph of the Cleveland’s farm in North Norway.

NORWAY — “We started out just raising for ourselves,” said Linda Cleveland of C&C Farm. “We wanted to know what we were feeding our kids.” Yet Linda and her husband Jerry found themselves teamed up with Mike and Sandy Cullinan to begin a business, selling their all-natural meat.

“They made the mistake of bring over some pork chops,” Mike Cullinan laughed. After that he was hooked, saying that the meat tasted vastly different from what he had eaten from a store.

“It had a richness and depth that seemed to be missing in the non grass-fed animals,” he admitted. “It’s got a better flavor and color” Jerry Cleveland added.

The all-natural meat that the Clevelands and Cullinans are selling comes straight from the Cleveland’s farm. They’ve been raising their own meat for the past 18 years. “Since we got married,” said Linda. They wanted to bring their products to the public and knew that most people didn’t have the freezer space to store an entire half of a cow or pig.

They also chose not to go the farm-stand route, since living in North Norway makes the house difficult to find. Instead, they opened a storefront at 495 Main Street in Norway, next to Jerry Cleveland’s carpentry business.

The store, however, doesn’t leave the farm far behind. Though they’ve been selling meat since May 5, the work on the inside of the space has only just been completed.

Ingeniously, through visuals and audio, (sans scent), they have managed to bring the farm with them. Walking into the store is an experience unto itself.

While not giving away too much, since visitors must see for themselves, the inside is styled after the outside of a barn. It has the usual characters, a pig and cow, peering through windows, while chickens squawk nearby.

It takes a moment to notice all of the details and work that has been put into the store, so one mustn’t walk through too quickly.

“We wanted a pleasant and entertaining retail business,” Mike said of the interior. He also plans to continue adding elements of the farm, building its intrigue.

The Clevelands will also be adding different meats to their repertoire. Though they currently have beef, pork, and chicken, they plan to have turkey within the week and pheasant, lamb, and duck coming soon. All of these animals will continue to be all-natural.

“They have less stress and are happier and healthier,” explained  Mike referring to the chemical-free, grass-fed lifestyle. Not only does it taste better but “it’s a healthier, more wholesome product than factory operations,” he added.

The Clevelands own approximately 300 acres for hay and silage production as well as about 60 acres of pastures, giving the animals plenty of space to graze and homegrown food to eat throughout the winter as well.

The USDA is currently assessing their land so that they can officially call it organic, although they haven’t used chemicals on it since they have owned it.

With all of the owners being busy on the farm and with other work, the C&C Farm store is only open limited hours.

Every Saturday it is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and they are experimenting with other days. “If you see the sign out come on in,” said Linda.

Despite the limited hours, they say they are happy to receive calls from people about ordering meat, and they will open they store if someone calls to buy some.

“We’re here to help the public,” said Linda. To get this one-of-a-kind service, call (207)527-2096.

More information about C&C Farm’s philosophy and animal-care can be found on its website: www.maineccfarm.com. Updates on store hours and information can be found on its facebook page: www.facebook.com/MaineCCFarm.

Photo: Claire Harbage

A detail of the chickens inside of C&C Farm’s new store-front located at 495 Maine Street, Norway.