This program is designed to help farms become more successful and to help new farms get established. MFT will draw on a diverse network of agricultural experts and resources to help participating farmers initiate new operations, reach new markets, and take other steps to enhance future success. The new program will serve MFT’s broader goal of preserving farmland by providing tools and services that contribute to the overall success of farmers.

Two recently awarded grants, one a Quality of Place (QOP) grant from the Environmental Funders Network and the other a Community Food Projects (CFP) grant from the US Department of Agriculture will support MFT’s efforts to lead a coalition of partners in innovating new projects under this program.  These grants target activity in the towns of Albion, Freedom, Montville, Thorndike, Troy, and Unity.  But MFT is gearing up to do programming elsewhere over time.

The goals moving forward with this effort will be not just to preserve farmland but to revitalize village centers, boost local farming, and use community based strategies to improve food security. The project will take advantage of increasing interest in local farm products, while simultaneously responding to a surging local demand for emergency food assistance.
Currently the program’s areas of focus include:

• Business Planning Assistance
• Agricultural Infrastructure Development
• Community Planning & Economic Development
• Community Food Security

For more details on this program, please contact Mike Gold at mgold@mainefarmlandtrust.org