Maine Land & Sea Farmer Wellness Forum

Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 8:30 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.
Maple Hill Farm Inn and Conference Center
11 Inn Road, Hallowell, Maine 04347 (Google Maps)

Registration is now closed.

Join this action-oriented, professional networking event.

Hear from:

  • Hannah Carter, Dean of University of Maine Cooperative Extension
  • Amanda Beal, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry
  • Representative Chellie Pingree (video)
  • Carl Wilson, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources
  • Henry Ingwersen, Maine Senator and Chair of Health and Human Services Committee

Who: For service providers working with Maine’s fishing and farming communities and seeing stresses and health/wellness needs.  For healthcare practitioners, land/sea worker or farmers, policymakers and/or providers with insurance, finance, healthcare, or legal expertise that can support farming and fishing communities.

What: A day to:

  • Address knowledge gaps about physical and psychological healthLand and Sea Wellness Forum September 23
  • Create networks of care
  • Share existing resources
  • Find opportunities within existing structures
  • Consider new policies and program

Learning ~ There will be a panel with Laura Valencia-Orozco from Maine Mobile Health; Tora Johnson from Sunrise County Economic Council; Emily Horton from Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry; Bo Dennis from Maine Organic Gardeners and Farmers Association; Tara Casimir from USM School of Nursing; moderated by Alex Redfield from Wildlands, Woodlands Farmlands & Communities and the New England Integrated Policy Partnership.

We will be joined by Monique Coombs from Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association and Jan Goranson from Goranson Farm, who will each speak to the needs and opportunities for farmers of land and sea.

Connecting ~ Learn more about programs through roundtable discussions with other participants and representatives from Farm Credit East, Vermont Farm First, Rhode Island’s Land and Sea Together, Cooperative Fund of the Northeast, the Maine Insurance Marketplace, and Slicing Through the Stigma.

Planning ~ Contribute your expertise in a Strategic Doing process to develop plans of action in our state with short term goals of mutual interest working in small groups, facilitated by local leaders in the land and sea farming communities with guest Maria Pippidis from University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. All attendees will be invited to contribute materials and papers to the Forum Proceedings.

 

A networking event to create networks of care for farmer health and wellbeing.

Registration is now closed. 

Please register HERE.

Deadline for registration: September 12, 2025

Cost: Sliding scale $0–$50 to defray costs of this professional development event.

After the loss of federal funds for this event (which have now been reinstated), the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry PFAS Fund, the Department of Marine Resources, and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension provided financial contributions to this event.

Any funds not needed to cover event expenses will be reallocated to programs and outreach consistent with the intent of the funding source. We are offering a sliding scale fee for registration at this event. We recognize that not all organizations can provide funds for professional development. Still, if you are in a position to contribute something toward the event, it will help make this networking and solution-focused event a success. The link to register is here. Thank you!

 

With support from:

The Northeast Maine Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network with support from USDA/NIFA

 

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 5713 Chadbourne Hall, Room 412, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5713, 207.581.1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).