MFT awards Farming for Wholesale implementation grant to Emery Farm

This spring, MFT awarded its seventh implementation grant to help Emery Farm scale up their business. The farm participated in the 201 track of MFT’s Farming for Wholesale program and spent two years working with business advisors to research and define their business plan focused on scaling up for wholesale markets. This implementation grant is competitive and applications undergo an extensive review process by a committee comprised of MFT staff and industry consultants.

“The Maine Farmland Trust Farming for Wholesale program has empowered the financial future of our farm,” Trent Emery shares. “Undertaking an analysis of our farm’s business has allowed our farm to make informative decisions that have resulted in meeting our financial, philosophical, and family goals as a small vegetable farm in Maine.”

Emery Farm will use the $48,276 award to assist with new infrastructure costs as they scale up production of crops under protected growing environments. The new structures will allow them to grow more for their institutional markets.

This is the third year MFT has offered implementation grants for farms that have participated in the 201 Farming For Wholesale program. “Access to financing to implement new changes and ideas on farms continues to be a challenge,” said Alex Fouliard, Farming for Wholesale Program Manager. “MFT is pleased to be able to fill that need and keep the momentum moving forward for these farms.”

Learn more about Farming for Wholesale.