Maine Farmer Resource Network

The Cornell Small Farms Program offers over twenty courses to help farmers improve their technical and business skills. Students connect with other farmers, work on farm plans, and gain practical tips without leaving their home. Course content can be accessed anywhere with a high-speed internet connection. Most courses are six weeks long. Each week features […]

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Maine Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director, David R. Lavway reminds producers that FSA offers specially targeted farm ownership and farm operating loans to underserved applicants as well as beginning farmers and ranchers. During fiscal year 2017 (Oct. 1, 2016, through Sept. 30, 2017), Maine FSA obligated $5.19 million in […]

Recently, Emera Maine has experienced a number of incidents with logging and farming machinery coming close to or having contact with power lines. Situations like these can potentially have tragic consequences. There is nothing more important to us than sending our employees home safe and well each and every day. We are reaching out with […]

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The Rural Business-Cooperative Service Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program helps agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and/or marketing of new products. The goals of this program are to generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities, and increase producer income. Applicants may receive priority if they are a beginning farmer […]

This a farmer-led program to help guide those with a strong commitment to creating a sustainable farm business achieve their goals. Designed for farmers with at least one year of production experience, this series of intensive workshops will help you to develop a whole farm plan through realistic goal setting, reflection, and assessment of your […]

New requirements under the Worker Protection Standards (WPS) mandate that all pesticide handlers, who are applying pesticides requiring the use of a respirator, have an OSHA approved respirator fit test. These tests include; A medical evaluation and questionnaire A check up with a physician if deemed necessary based on medical history Training on the proper […]

To help businesses meet the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Final Rule for Preventive Controls for Human Food, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is releasing a new software tool to help owners and operators of food facilities create a food safety plan specific to their facilities. The Food Safety Plan Builder […]

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with officials from SCORE, the nation’s largest volunteer network of expert business mentors, to support new and beginning farmers. Today’s agreement provides new help resources for beginning ranchers, veterans, women, socially disadvantaged Americans and others, providing new tools to help them both grow and […]

In stark contrast to last year this spring has been a wet one which means fields may be too wet to till and plant on time. Those with crop insurance might find some comfort knowing that their coverage can also help manage risk at planting time- in addition to helping with recovery from crop failure. […]