Forever Farms Exhibit UPCOMING GALLERY SHOW  Forever Farms exhibit at Maine Farmland Trust Gallery   Belfast – This month through March, starting February 24th, Maine Farmland Trust Gallery will be showcasing the Trust’s recently launched Forever Farms program through an exhibit of farm photographs by Lily Piel – a Maine-based photographer with a great eye for detail, who is able to find the unique in the rituals of everyday.   "The Forever Farm Program celebrates the growing success of farmland protection efforts in Maine and recognizes the farms that are part of this movement.  This includes the fact that more and more farmland owners see the value of permanently protecting their land and their legacy," says John Piotti, executive director of Maine Farmland Trust.   2/7/2012 12:23:00 PM

Come Spring Farm Come Spring Farm in Union permanently conserved Union — Herbert Harriman has lived on Come Spring Farm since the 1960s, raising his family, managing the farmland and milling lumber. The old farmhouse, while not the original Come Spring Farm dating back to the late 1800s, sits up on a hill on Come Spring Lane and looks out across 14 acres of rolling fields onto Round Pond in the center of Union. On Dec. 21, 2011, Harriman signed a conservation easement with the Georges River Land Trust that will allow the land to remain as farmland forever. 2/6/2012 7:40:00 AM

St. George Talk Future of farming topic of St. George talk St. George — If the abundance of locally grown food is part of daily life, then the Thursday, Feb. 16 event with John Piotti should be on one's schedule. 2/2/2012 9:14:00 AM

Farmland Preserved - Fogg Farmland preserved By Kate Irish Collins kcollins@keepmecurrent.com SACO – Three hundred acres of land with access to the Saco River have been preserved from development by a recent agreement between the Fogg family of Saco and the Maine Farmland Trust. 2/1/2012 8:26:00 AM

Farm Bill - Museum of Science Let's Talk About the Farm Bill MFT's executive director John Piotti will be helping facilitate a special forum on the Farm Bill to be held at the Museum of Science in Boston on January 29. John will also be introducing U.S. Rep Chellie Pingree, who is delivering the keynote address.  Click Here For More Information   1/26/2012 10:45:00 AM

4-H Gallery Show Waldo County 4-H at MFT Gallery Belfast — Through Feb. 20, Maine Farmland Trust Gallery is hosting an exhibit compiled by several youth members of Waldo County 4-H. Under the supervision of Marilyn Schofield, Nicole, Shaynen and Mackensie Schofield put together a pictorial overview of 4-H activities that center around agriculture, food preservation and wood science. 1/26/2012 8:11:00 AM

Two protected farms                                                                                 Two protected farms   By Jennifer Feals jfeals@seacoastonline.com January 19, 2012 2:00 AM KENNEBUNK — Two farms in Kennebunk are now protected under an agricultural easement, thanks to a donation by the founders of Tom's of Maine. Tom and Kate Chappell have donated the agricultural easements for the two properties — which together boast 100 acres of open fields and over a mile of frontage on the Kennebunk River — to the Maine Farmland Trust, keeping the 154 acres forever available for farming. The farms are located along Alewife Road and Russell Farm Road. 1/19/2012 9:16:00 AM

Mid-Coast Currents - Louanna WERU Mid-Coast Currents 9/16/11 Producer/Host: John Zavodny Studio Engineer: Amy Browne Topic: Mid-Coast Land Conservation Guests: LouAnna Perkins is former Executive Director of Maine Farmland Trust and now serves as its staff attorney. On the side, she is a musician, storyteller and grandmother. She and her husband Royce live in Penobscot. Click Here to Listen to the Broadcast 1/17/2012 10:37:00 AM

Maine Farmland Trust reaches 30,000 acre milestone Maine Farmland Trust reaches 30,000 acre milestone Maine Farmland Trust recently announced the progress being made toward its goal to protect 100,000 acres of Maine farmland and provide support to more than 1,000 Maine farmers by the end of 2014. 1/17/2012 8:51:00 AM

Trust Campaign Preserves 30K Acres of Farmland Trust campaign preserves 30k acres of farmland By Mechele Coopermcooper@centralmaine.com Staff Writer AUGUSTA -- Maine Farmland Trust has reached the 30,000-acre mark in its campaign to preserve 100,000 acres of farmland.  Executive Director John Piotti announced the milestone this week at the Maine Agricultural Trades Show at the Augusta Civic Center. 1/17/2012 8:41:00 AM

Trust accepts land Trust accepts farmland By Kristy Wagner Staff Writer  The future of farming in Kennebunk became more secure recently thanks to Tom’s of Maine founder Tom Chappell and his wife, Kate. Just before Christmas, the couple donated agricultural easements on two farms they own in town, adding up to 154 acres of protected farmland for the state of Maine. The Chappell’s still own the acreage, but if they sell the land in the future the easements dictate that it can only be used for farming by whoever purchases it. 1/13/2012 8:40:00 AM

MFT Reaches Milestone Maine Farmland Trust Reaches Milestone  The organization says it's protected tens of thousands of acres of Maine farmland from being used for nonagricultural activities. An organization dedicated to preserving farmland in Maine has reached a significant milestone. The Maine Farmland Trust says it's protected 30,000 acres of Maine farmland toward its goal of 100,000 acres by the end of 2014. 1/13/2012 8:31:00 AM

Forever farms - Chappell Forever farms Chappell donates farmland to trust By MATT KIERNAN Staff Writer KENNEBUNK — Standing alongside a fenced-in pasture for sheep grazing, Tom Chappell looks out onto the illuminated rolling hills of his Ramblers Way Farm, a bucolic view he said he would never want to see changed. 1/13/2012 8:17:00 AM

Varnum Farm sold to MFT Varnum Farm sold to Maine Farmland Trust Written by Sheila Grant SEBEC/DOVER-FOXCROFT – The future of farming in Maine depends on keeping land available, and affordable, for farmers. That’s the message of the Maine Farmland Trust, an agency created in 1999 to help preserve farmland. On Dec. 30, another 2,075 acres of farmland was set aside when Maine Farmland Trust closed on the sale of much of the Varnum Farm located in Sebec and Dover-Foxcroft. 1/13/2012 7:48:00 AM

Land Trust to reaffirm vow to protect 100,000 farm acres Land trust to reaffirm vow to protect 100,000 farm acres AUGUSTA — A land trust on Tuesday will reaffirm its commitment to protect 100,000 acres of farmland by 2014 at the 71st Maine Agricultural Trades Show. The trade show, hosted by the Maine Department of Agriculture Food and Rural Resources, will run Tuesday through Thursday at the Augusta Civic Center. John Piotti, executive director of the Maine Farmland Trust, will speak, along with Walter Whitcomb, commissioner of agriculture. The presentation will start at 10 a.m. 1/11/2012 10:18:00 AM

WABI Ag Trade Show Press Conference Maine Farmland Trust Has Protected 30,000 Acres And Counting by Rob Poindexter - January 10th 2012 09:38pm - Read more Local News Augusta - A non-profit group dedicated to preserving Maine's farmland says they've now protected more than 30,000 acres and they're not finished yet. Maine Farmland Trust is a group that helps farmers buy land that is in transition to ensure that it continues to be used for farming. Click Here to Watch the Video 1/11/2012 9:37:00 AM

Ag Trade Show Press Conference Maine Farmland Trust update: Group 30,000 acres into 100,000-acre campaign Last week I wrote about how Tom Chappell, best known as the founder of Tom’s of Maine, has agreed to protective agricultural easements over two Kennebunk farm properties with the Maine Farmland Trust. 1/11/2012 9:14:00 AM

Senior College Maine Farmland Trust executive director to teach at Senior College Belfast — There’s a lot of talk these days about farming. The Belfast Senior College is sponsoring a four-session course designed to get “into the dirt,” to more fully understand what is actually happening with farming and what this could mean for Maine’s future. The principal instructor for the course is John Piotti, the executive director of Maine Farmland Trust, a statewide organization based in Belfast. 1/10/2012 8:38:00 AM

MFT buys Varnum Farm Maine Farmland Trust buys Varnum Farm in Sebec: 2075 acre property to be protected, re-sold Sebec - SEBEC, Maine – There are not too many properties like the Varnum Farm. It contains over 2,000 acres of fields and woods, including 840 acres of rich river bottom land. The property not only boasts highly productive farm fields, but bountiful wildlife and about eight miles of frontage on the Piscataquis River. 1/10/2012 8:30:00 AM

Empowering Federal Nutrition You’re invited! Empowering Federal Nutrition Benefit Clients to Buy Local Connecting Maine Farms and Low-Income Customers  Thursday, January 26th 2:00pm –5:00pm followed by dinner at 5:30 pm Harraseekett Inn, Freeport Registration: $15.00 (includes dinner) Click here to register 1/10/2012 7:42:00 AM

Farmer's Market Adding Value to Your Community You’re invited!  Farmers’ Markets: Adding Value to Your Community   Thursday, January 26th 2:00 pm –5:00 pm followed by dinner at 5:30 pm Harraseekett Inn, Freeport Registration: $15.00 (includes dinner) Click here to register 1/10/2012 7:19:00 AM

Farmland protection at show's core Farmland protection at show's core  By Mechele Coopermcooper@centralmaine.com Staff Writer  AUGUSTA -- A land trust on Tuesday will reaffirm its commitment to protect 100,000 acres of farmland by 2014 at the 71st Maine Agricultural Trades Show.  The trade show, hosted by the Maine Department of Agriculture Food and Rural Resources, will run Tuesday through Thursday at the Augusta Civic Center. 1/9/2012 8:02:00 AM

Funds boost land preservation projects Funds boost land preservation projects  Tom Chappell, the namesake behind natural products company Tom's of Maine, and his wife, Kate, have donated agricultural easements protecting 154 acres in Kennebunk to the Maine Farmland Trust. In another protection effort, the state is receiving nearly $1 million in federal funding to buy wetlands in the eastern town of Addison. 1/5/2012 7:51:00 AM

Chappell gives farmland ‘Tom’s of Maine’ founder gives farmland, name recognition to conservation campaign By Seth Koenig, BDN Staff KENNEBUNK, Maine — Maine Farmland Trust officials first approached Tom Chappell about lending some name recognition to their land protection campaign. They got much more than that. They got 154 acres more, to be exact. Chappell, best known as the “Tom” of the environmentally friendly soap and toothpaste maker Tom’s of Maine, was so intrigued by the trust’s goals that he donated agricultural easements protecting farmland over two Kennebunk properties he owns with his wife, Kate. 1/4/2012 10:11:00 AM

Chappells lend name Chappells lend name, acreage to farm trust By SETH KOENIG KENNEBUNK - Maine Farmland Trust officials first approached Tom Chappell about lending some name recognition to their land protection campaign. They got much more than that. 1/4/2012 9:19:00 AM