Growing The
Future of Farming
Since 1999

Maine Farmland Trust protects farmland, supports farmers, and advances the future of farming. Our goal is to protect Maine farmland and revitalize Maine’s rural landscape by keeping agricultural lands working and helping farmers and communities thrive.

"The best land trust in the Northeast - their programs get farmers on the land."

Katia Holmes

Misty Brook Farm, Albion

A group of people standing around a table with food

Explore Maine farms this summer with our Summer Farm Activities Map

Use these maps to explore farms in your area and experience the year-round abundance of the Maine farming community. Buy fresh produce at farm stands, learn about your local farm on a tour, get outside at an on-farm event like yoga or a cheesemaking class, pick your own fruit, and more. All of the farms included on our map are part of MFT’s Farm Network and are either protected with an agricultural conservation easement or have participated in our other programs to grow their business or adapt to a changing environment.

Farmland

Maine farmland is the foundation for thriving farm businesses, communities, and rural economies, and is necessary to ensure that more Mainers can access healthy, local food.

Farmers

Thriving farm businesses feed Maine's local communities and economy and keep farmland in farming, but farmers can't go it alone.
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Future

Farming is fundamental to the health of our communities, food security, and economy. For farms to thrive, we need a social, economic, and political landscape that values farming.
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Farmland

Maine farmland is the foundation for thriving farm businesses, communities, and rural economies, and is necessary to ensure that more Mainers can access healthy, local food.

Farmers

Thriving farm businesses feed Maine's local communities and economy and keep farmland in farming, but farmers can't go it alone.

Future

Farming is fundamental to our future and warrants the highest levels of public attention and support.

Person preparing mulch

PFAS

MFT is working closely with the state and many other partners to increase testing, research, and support for Maine farmers who may be impacted by PFAS in Maine. We’ll continue to share information and resources as they become available.

Blog Posts

What is the value of farm business planning? Hear from this year’s participants

May 7, 2025

What is the value of farm business planning? Hear from this year’s participants

Talking Taxes: Topics & Takeaways

April 3, 2025

Talking Taxes: Topics & Takeaways

Kristin Varnum: Celebrating 25 years with MFT

March 7, 2025

Kristin Varnum: Celebrating 25 years with MFT

Investing in a thriving dairy sector for Maine

March 6, 2025

Investing in a thriving dairy sector for Maine

Bringing farmer voices to Washington, D.C.

February 13, 2025

Bringing farmer voices to Washington, D.C.

MFT's 2025 State Policy Priorities

February 10, 2025

MFT's 2025 State Policy Priorities

Looking back at a year in farmland protection: 2024

February 7, 2025

Looking back at a year in farmland protection: 2024

Restoring Wabanaki food and lifeways: a conversation with Niweskok

February 6, 2025

Restoring Wabanaki food and lifeways: a conversation with Niweskok

Farmers Know Best: Centering Farmer Perspectives and Voices to Grow Power for Maine Farms

January 27, 2025

Farmers Know Best: Centering Farmer Perspectives and Voices to Grow Power for Maine Farms

Navigating Maine farms' climate future

January 20, 2025

Navigating Maine farms' climate future

The farmers at Balfour Farm with their cheese-making equipment.

Grant Awardees

Balfour Farm

Doug and Heather Donahue of Balfour Farm in Pittsfield are one of our 2023 Implementation Grant awardees. Through MFT's Farming for the Long Haul program, Doug and Heather built a business plan to increase efficiency in cutting and packaging aged cheeses so they can expand the success of their business. Their Implementation Grant supports the purchase of a cheese portioning machine that will help them meet the needs of their growing wholesale customers.

"The planning mentorship and tools we received from MFT through the program honed our management skills and made a significant difference in the operations of the farm. Working on pricing showed us that packaging cheese was one of the places we could streamline our operation, and we investigated ways to mechanize some of the process. This is a step forward for our business that wouldn’t have been possible without the assistance of MFT.”