Topsl Farm

The Power of Pause: How Topsl Farm is Redefining What It Means to Make

In a world that celebrates speed, scale, and constant output, Sarah is building something radically different in Midcoast Maine.

She’s building space.

Not just physical space—though Topsl Farm spans 83 acres of woods, fields, and riverfront—but emotional space. Creative space. The kind of space most of us don’t realize we’ve lost until we finally step into it.

And when you do, something shifts.

A Return That Wasn’t Planned

Sarah didn’t set out with a five-year plan or a polished pitch deck. In fact, when she and her husband purchased Topsl Farm in 2016, there was no roadmap at all.

Just a feeling.

After years spent building a career in marketing and launching a successful food company, she found herself burned out, disconnected, and craving something she couldn’t quite name—until a moment on a farm brought it all rushing back.

Working with her hands. Being outside. Sharing food. Slowing down.

That moment became the catalyst.

Within months, she found Topsl Farm—a property that had quietly sat on the market for two years—and knew it was hers to steward.

Building Something You Can Feel

What Sarah has created since then isn’t just a business. It’s an experience.

Topsl Farm has grown into a destination for retreats, weddings, and gatherings—but not in the traditional sense. There’s no rush here. No pressure to perform or produce.

Instead, there’s intention.

From the moment guests arrive, something subtle but powerful happens. Shoulders drop. Phones disappear. Conversations deepen.

“It’s not about what you’re wearing or what you’re doing,” Sarah shares. “It’s about coming here and knowing you’re going to be taken care of.”

And that care shows up everywhere—from shared meals to quiet mornings in the woods.

Redefining What It Means to Make

For Makers of the USA, the word “maker” often brings to mind artisans, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs.

But this conversation expands that definition.

At Topsl Farm, making isn’t just about creating products. It’s about creating environments. Moments. Transformations.

It’s about making space for people to reconnect—with themselves, with others, and with the land.

And perhaps most importantly, it’s about remembering that rest is part of the process.

The Shift Away from Hustle

Like many entrepreneurs, Sarah built her early career in hustle mode—fast-paced, high-pressure, always moving.

Now, she’s intentionally moving in the opposite direction.

Her next chapter isn’t about scaling bigger. It’s about going deeper.

More time in the garden.

More connection to the land.

More space for creativity without urgency.

“If I could have one job here,” she says, “it would be to be the gardener.”

It’s a simple statement—but one that carries a profound shift in how we think about success.

Why Maine Matters

There’s something about Maine that makes this kind of work possible.

The seasonality forces pause.

The landscape invites reflection.

The community fosters creativity.

For Sarah, returning to Maine wasn’t just a lifestyle choice—it was a homecoming.

And through Topsl Farm, she’s helping others experience that same sense of belonging, even if only for a weekend.

The Takeaway

In a culture obsessed with doing more, Topsl Farm offers a different perspective:

What if the most important thing you could do… is less?

Less noise.

Less pressure.

Less distraction.

And in that space, something deeper begins to emerge.

Clarity.

Connection.

And the quiet reminder of why you started in the first place.