HARVEST July 2015

HARVEST: Farm and Food News From Maine and Beyond

Check back each month for a selection of articles, stories, and trends you might have missed.

Humans may have begun farming way earlier than we thought—10,000 years earlier.

Maine celebrated Open Farm Day last weekend, to showcase our agricultural history, present, and future.

The next big Maine agricultural product? Natural drinking straws.

Global agriculture industries are paying more attention to small farms worldwide, as we see the need to intensify our agricultural production and be better stewards of our land and environment.

Turns out fresh food is healthier: more hospitals nationwide are looking to local farmers or even their own gardens to supply cafeterias.

More Maine foods are showing up on plates around the Northeast: Maine-grown oats at Boston University.

Another institution, UMaine, is getting pressure from farmers, nonprofits, and consumers to buy more Maine food.

Millennials are gardening, not just because they want beautiful landscapes, but because they want to grow food. Mainers of all ages are taking tips from our innovative farmers (and organizations like MOFGA) and growing more of their own food as well.

Some Greeks are finding a way to increase their food security in times of crisis by growing their own food, and sharing it.

Lack of infrastructure is an obstacle for increased local food production; fortunately, a Gardiner slaughterhouse is hoping to add more processing facilities.

The number of Maine dairies is on the decline, although there is a better federal safety net than has existed in the past, the Dairy Margin Protection Program.

Some Maine farms have existed for generations, and will hopefully continue for many more.

Blue Hill’s Horsepower Farm exemplifies Maine’s integration of new and old in working the land.

More “new old-school” (or should we say schooner?) transportation innovations: Maine food traveling by sail freight!

Tech savvy farmers are promoting themselves on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and helping spread the excitement about ag… (so are we).

Maine’s food profile is diversifying with warm-water aquaculture (local yellowtail, anyone?). Others are using fish to grow veggies.

More craft industries are finding roots in Maine, like malting barley—a good thing for local beer enthusiasts.

How do you feel about 3D-printed food?

Seaweed consumption is up, and will keep rising­­—especially if it tastes like bacon.

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