Regional Opportunities for Ocean, Timber and Soil (ROOTS) conference set for March 22 in Machias
Eastern Maine Regional Opportunities for Ocean, Timber and Soil (ROOTS) Conference will take place on Saturday, March 22, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the University of Maine at Machias, Reynold’s Center, 116 O’Brien Avenue. A snow date is set for Saturday, March 29. This event is being hosted by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the Washington County Food Council.
The 2025 Eastern Maine ROOTS Conference brings together specialists in agriculture, food, forestry management, fisheries and aquaculture. This year’s conference centers on value-based approaches to connecting with the land and natural resources, highlighting sustainable and community-driven strategies. Presenters and service providers from UMaine, local agencies, and nonprofit organizations will share information and resources with eastern Maine farmers, fisherfolk, growers, woodland owners and interested community members.
Highlights of the conference include a keynote address by Rowen Luuring, titled Our Role in the Interdependence of All Living Things; a morning panel titled Wood and Food Banks: Inspiration from Eastern Maine for Heat and Food Security Efforts; and six afternoon sessions with industry-specific talks and workshops.
“We are excited to create this opportunity for farmers and resource providers to learn, network, and share ideas with one another. Formerly the Downeast Agriculture and Forestry conference, we have changed the format to highlight cross-sector and industry-specific speaker panels that include producers with novel approaches, educators, regional service providers, conservationists and more,” says Rachel White, Assistant Professor at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
Registration is required. The conference fee is on a sliding scale of $10-60 and includes a catered lunch featuring local products. For more details and to register, visit the program webpage. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Tara Wood at 207.255.3345 or tara.a.wood@maine.edu.