Stonehedge, a 100-acre property in Gray that hosts outdoor concerts, festivals, weddings, camping, fundraisers and more, is the focus of a new reality TV show that airs locally this weekend.

The half-hour pilot episode, produced by Cumberland-based New England Productions, airs on WPME Sunday at 10 a.m., and repeats the following Sunday, Dec. 20, also at 10 a.m.

“We’re trying to get it up and running and have at least seven airings (of the pilot episode), so the potential sponsors for the 13-show series will be able to see it in a legitimate fashion,” said executive producer Frank Pote.

True Value Hardware Store in Gray and Blue Seal Feeds in Windham sponsored the pilot episode.

“It’s a lighthearted look at a day in the life of Stonehedge,” Pote said. “If indeed we get to move on, we will start to get into some dramatic situations (on the show).”

Windham native Russ Jeffords, who bought the property about 10 years ago, said he hopes the show portrays the essence of Stonehedge and provides a glimpse into the lives of those working and playing on the premises.

“It’s to try to show what really happens behind Stonehedge’s doors while we’re trying to (organize) functions,” he said. “A lot of people say, ‘What is Stonehedge? What’s it all about?’”

The property, located on Route 202, operated as the Freeman Farm for nearly 200 years. The farm officially opened as Stonehedge in 2009.

“Everybody can’t have what I have. My vision is to utilize what I can (of the property) to share,” said Jeffords, while giving the Lakes Region Weekly a tour of the sprawling property Monday.

Not to confuse it with the prehistoric monument Stonehenge, in England, the historic farm in Gray has become a popular year-round venue where families come together every year to play or listen to live bluegrass, country and gospel music, have cookouts and participate in other family-friendly activities, such a camping in the woods or out on the fields, said Jeffords.

The TV show, said Jeffords, focuses on how Stonehedge hopes to evolve into a successful business centered on music.

“We’re about music,” Jeffords said of Stonehedge, where a bluegrass festival is held every summer.

So-called pickin’ jams happen in the barn on the property every other Saturday featuring several well-known musicians, including Bob St. Pierre, “the best mandolin player in the state of Maine,” Jeffords said.

Stonehedge features a 24-by-40-foot, post-and-beam concert stage built with timber hewn on the property; a large historic barn for events and workshops; a small stable with animals for viewing and petting; 85 acres of conserved wilderness trails for walking, running, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing; and another 15 acres for camping, outdoor weddings, and business functions. Several wooden outhouses are located throughout the property for guests to use.

Next year, Jeffords said, he plans to construct tree houses, hobbit houses, teepees or other unique lodges, complete with bedrooms and bathrooms, located throughout the property for guests. He eventually wants to create a 6-acre pond for guests to swim, fish and boat, by installing a dam in a ravine located near the rear of the property.

“These are my dreams,” said Jeffords, “but everything takes time, money and effort. We have an open palette here. We have so many ideas.”

Stonehedge has become a popular site for weddings, said Jeffords.

“Last year I had 16 weddings for the summer,” he said. “That’s a lot compared to what we normally have. We have a lot more booked for next year, as well. People are loving country weddings,” he added.

While there’s no lack of content for the reality show, given all the enterprises Jeffords has in the works, he said due to a lack of money, filming for future episodes of the reality show are on hold – at least until spring.

“We’re looking for sponsors so we can get our message out there,” Jeffords said.

Pote said he decided to produce the show after spending time camping at Stonehedge two years ago with his wife, Karen, and enjoying the experience.

“What you have is a group of people, average down-to-earth folks in Maine, who come together to work in different facets of the farm,” Pote said. “The pilot (episode) is about a variety of things that could be possible.”

“It’s also to make people aware that it’s there,” said Pote, of the show. “A lot of folks didn’t even know it existed.”

A camera crew from New England Productions spent August and September filming Jeffords and five of his staff members for the pilot episode, including Allen Morris, Stonehedge’s assistant director, who was busy feeding the farm animals Monday afternoon.

“I’m a country boy, born and raised, so it’s perfect living here for me,” Morris said. “Seeing all the people and their interactions in the summertime is wonderful.”

What Morris enjoyed most about being filmed for the show is the fact he could be himself, he said. Morris, who has been living and working at Stonehedge full time for five years, said he hopes the show attracts more people to the property to learn what it’s all about.

“It’s interesting to see all the different things we do, and the characters we have here,” Morris said.

A CLOSER LOOK

The pilot episode of “Stonehedge Reality Show” will air on two Sundays, Dec. 13 and 20, on WPME at 10 a.m. It can also be seen online at http://tinyurl.com/j8n5275.

Russ Jeffords, owner of Stonehedge farm in Gray, leans on a fence near the stable Monday. In back is his longhaired Suri alpaca named Esteban. Jeffords stars in a pilot episode of a new reality TV show about Stonehedge, which airs the next two Sundays.Russ Jeffords, owner of Stonehedge, a 100-acre concert venue and campground in Gray, sits on his tractor Monday.A roadside sign advertises a new reality show about the farm on Route 202 near the Gray-Windham line.

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