Earlier this month, Maine Farmland Trust’s Municipal Policy Associate Thacher Carter had the opportunity to attend the Build Maine 2023 conference hosted in downtown Skowhegan. The event drew hundreds of attendees from throughout Maine and beyond, including municipal officials, planners,…
State-level action: PFAS Fund Draft Implementation Plan Public Hearing The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) is holding a public hearing on June 12 to gather feedback on the draft PFAS Fund Implementation Plan. The $60 million PFAS Fund…
The presence of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in soil, water, crops and livestock is an emerging national issue, and PFAS contamination in Maine is alarming, especially for farmers whose livelihoods are connected to the land. For some farms, concentrations…
Protecting farmland in Maine is essential for ensuring that we have the land base to grow our agricultural economy, particularly as more farmers reach retirement age and development pressures increase across the state. Protecting land is also a key natural…
MFT understands that climate change is one of the most daunting challenges of our time, and will have significant impacts on Maine’s agricultural sector. Maine farmers are already experiencing climate change impacts, and are needing to adapt to the increasing…
Maine Farmland Trust partners with farmers, state policymakers and other stakeholders to cultivate a political and social environment in which Maine farms thrive. Through our farmland protection & farmland access work and the relationships we hold with farmers, our policy…
The Maine 2022 legislative session has ended, but we are pleased to report that many of MFT’s state policy priorities did very well this session. Thank you to all of our members and supporters who responded to our action alerts…
This month, we're celebrating Maine's food and farm advocates' hard work, which resulted in the passing of two landmark bills in the Maine Legislature. A Big Step Forward to Help PFAS-Impacted Farmers One of the biggest challenges in the fight…
MFT supports renewable energy production on farms as long as it does not significantly diminish the potential for agricultural production. The Maine Legislature recently voted in favor of LD 856, which would advance key recommendations to incentivize the siting of…
MFT supports renewable energy production, like solar, on farms as long as it does not significantly diminish the potential for agricultural production. On-site energy production can provide economic support to a farm, reduce the farm’s energy costs, and is important…