Mesonet staff person checking a weather station
Maine Mesonet Technician Devan Roper wires sensors for the new station on UMaine’s Highmoor Farm in Monmouth. To date, three stations have been installed in Jonesboro, Monmouth and Orono.

Network of advanced weather stations helps Maine farmers save time and money

March 10, 2026 News
Mesonet staff members working on weather station tower
Bart Nef (left), and Dan Russell (standing on ladder), from Campbell Scientific helped Devan Roper, Maine Mesonet technician (second from left), and Sean Birkel, Maine State Climatologist (right), install the state’s first advanced weather station at UMaine’s Blueberry Hill Farm in Jonesboro. There are plans to install a total of 26 stations across the state to form the Maine Mesonet.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension is developing a statewide network of research-grade weather stations designed specifically for agriculture. The project, known as the Maine Mesonet, stems from a needs assessment led by Extension wild blueberry specialist Lily Calderwood, which revealed that only 34% of surveyed growers reported using weather-based decision tools, but 86% said they wanted to in the future.

“The right data at the right moment turns guesswork into good decisions,” said Calderwood, who is co-leading the project along with Maine State Climatologist Sean Birkel. “A farm-level network will help growers decide when to irrigate, when a spray is justified, and when to protect against frost. That improves yields, decreases inputs, and saves time during the most stressful parts of the season.”

Read the full story on the UMaine News website. 

Contact: Lily Calderwood, lily.calderwood@maine.edu