Пинеленд Фармс: От больницы к рекреационной зоне.

Pineland Farms is a 5,000 acre farm and recreational property in the eastern part of New Gloucester, Maine. It is partly on the site of the former Pineland Hospital and Training Center.

In the early part of the 20th century, the State of Maine purchased six farms in New Gloucester, Maine, which became known as Pineland Farms. The purpose of this purchase was to build the Maine School for the Feeble Minded on part of the land and continue farming on the rest of it.

In 1953, Peter W. Bowman became the superintendent of the Pownal State School, which in 1957 became the Pineland Hospital and Training Center. This name would be shortened to Pineland Center in the early 1970s. Over the next 18 years, Pineland Center received national recognition for the care of the mentally disabled. In the 1970s, political intrusion and budget cuts ushered in a series of administrators who were poorly equipped to manage Pineland Center and advocate for its residents and underpaid staff. The facility deteriorated and quality care for its residents was largely abandoned. In 1976, due to worsening conditions and allegations of patient abuse, the Federal government placed Pineland Hospital into receivership. As social attitudes towards the mentally disabled evolved, many Pineland Center residents were reintegrated into society. The most able of the hospital population were re homed into apartments in the 1990s. Many advocates for the homeless noted that Maine's local transient population began to grow during this period as Pineland and other facilities released their residents. Routine care and therapy for these former residents ended and they drifted from their new homes. By June 1995, approximately sixty patients remained at Pineland Hospital. In 1996, Pineland Center was closed.

In 2000, the Libra Foundation purchased Pineland Farms. At that time, the property included 1600 acres (6.5 km2) and 28 buildings. Most of Pineland Farms was being used for agriculture. The foundation extensively renovated the property, adding businesses, trails and recreational areas. As of 2013, Pineland Farms encompassed approximately 5,000 (20.23 km2) acres and was being used primarily as a public recreation area.

The trail system at Pineland Farms is approximately 15.5 miles (25 km) long. The Libra Foundation renovated much of Pineland Farms into cross country ski trails, which are used for a variety of other seasonal activities, such as trail running, mountain biking, and cyclo cross. The Pineland Farm trails are also used for collegiate cross country running races and training. It is the home course for Bates College and has been the host site for the Maine state college championships. Pineland Farms is also used for orienteering events, such as the National Orienteering Championships, which were held at Pineland in 2004. Two disc golf courses are operated by Pineland Farms as part of its recreational offerings.

Wilsondale Farm, in Gray, is the source for Pineland's Trina Holstein breed, whose line is denoted with names beginning with T or R. Pineland used the "Wilsondale" prefix on the product until 2001, when it merged the Wilsondale herd with select prominent herds from around the country. A noted cow was Kissammee Dundee Haley, whose daughter, Pineland Goldwyn Hemi ET 3E 96, became one of the highest classified Holstein cows ever to be bred in Maine. Pineland Farms purchased two Highland cows in 2023. Bates College formerly operated a Dutch Warmblood horse breeding at Pineland's Equestrian Center, which opened in 2002. Until 2008, an Equine assisted therapy program was hosted at the center. Pineland's dressage program ended in 2017 and moved to another facility nearby; a private Morgan horse training and breeding facility replaced it. The Libra Foundation rents out meeting facilities and guest houses at Pineland Farms. It sells food grown at Pineland Farms to the general public.