PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 31, 2025
A dispute about rent, productivity and other issues has led to an arbitration ruling ordering the longtime operators of Two Coves Farm on Harpswell Neck to vacate the property. Joe and Laura Grady, who have lived and farmed at the 110-acre coastal property for 16 years, were ordered to leave by the end of 2025 after an arbitrator found they had violated the terms of their lease. The Gradys said they strongly disagree with the ruling and plan to appeal it. Perhaps the largest working farm in a community where commercial-scale agriculture has largely disappeared, Two Coves recently suspended operations because of the legal dispute. The farm is the property of Neils Point LLC, owned by Helen Norton, a Harpswell Neck philanthropist. Norton pointed to the arbitrator’s findings and said she plans to work with Maine Farmland Trust to identify new tenants who will operate the farm in line with its conservation easement and long-term vision.