Open farm Day in West Paris

: Farmer Pat Verrill shows Kevin Billings her hoop house full of tomatoes during Open Farm Day at Harvest Moon Produce in West Paris on Sunday. More than 60 farms across Maine opened their gates to visitors during the 25th annual event. Verrill and her husband, Paul, gave tours around their two acres of mixed vegetable gardens. “I have seen a lot more people trying to eat local,” said Verrill, who uses organic fertilizers and “no pesticides whatsoever.” Verrill said keeping her soil healthy is the key to avoiding pests and bugs. Customer trends tend to follow what the cooking shows on television follow, Verrill said. “Nobody was interested in kale a few years ago, and now I can’t grow enough,” Verrill said. Billings raises elk at his West Paris farm, Deer Meadow Farm.

: Sophie Billings, 7, of West Paris snacks on sugar snap peas during Open Farm Day at Harvest Moon Produce in West Paris on Sunday. More than 60 farms across Maine opened their gates to visitors during the 25th annual event. Verrill and her husband, Paul, gave tours around their two acres of mixed vegetable gardens. “I have seen a lot more people trying to eat local,” said Verrill, who uses organic fertilizers and “no pesticides whatsoever.” Verrill said keeping her soil healthy is the key to avoiding pests and bugs. Customer trends tend to follow what the cooking shows on television follow, Verrill said. “Nobody was interested in kale a few years ago, and now I can’t grow enough,” Verrill said. The Billings family raise elk at their West Paris farm, Deer Meadow Farm.

: Sugar snap peas grow at Harvest Moon Produce in West Paris. The lack of rain has not been an issue this summer, farmer Pat Verrill said. “It seems like it has rained every Wednesday.”

: Organic Annelise tomatoes grow at Harvest Moon Produce in West Paris. “As a farmer, you want to always experiment with growing new types,” Pat Verrill said.

: Rows of basil grow at Harvest Moon Produce in West Paris. Pat and Paul Verrill open their farm to visitors during Open Farm Day, “every other year so we can keep it fresh,” Paul Verrill said.

: Kale grows underneath row fabric to protect the plants from cabbage moths at Harvest Moon Produce in West Paris.

: Sarah Florenz and her two sons, Shay, 3, and Owen, 8 months, look through the side of a hoop house during Open Farm Day at Harvest Moon Produce in West Paris on Sunday. More than 60 farms across Maine opened their gates to visitors during the 25th annual event. Verrill and her husband, Paul, gave tours around their two acres of mixed vegetable gardens. “I have seen a lot more people trying to eat local,” said Verrill, who uses organic fertilizers and “no pesticides whatsoever.” Verrill said keeping her soil healthy is the key to avoiding pests and bugs. Customer trends tend to follow what the cooking shows on television follow, Verrill said. “Nobody was interested in kale a few years ago, and now I can’t grow enough,” Verrill said. Florenz of Medford, Mass., is visiting her parents, Russ and Judy Florenz of Paris.

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