Shaping the Future: Outcomes from the Eastern Maine ROOTS Gathering 

Members of the farming, forestry and fishing communities convened on Saturday, March 21 at the University of Maine Machias for the Eastern Maine ROOTS (Regional Opportunities in Ocean, Timber and Soil) Gathering. 

The mission of Eastern Maine ROOTS is to provide a gathering space for people who live, work and care for the lands and waters of Downeast Maine and connected regions. EMROOTS connects diverse perspectives in agriculture, forestry and fisheries to spark collaboration and learning. The annual event supports innovation, partnership and responsible stewardship for a stronger regional future.

Following a morning of networking, participants joined sector-specific breakout sessions to explore challenges, opportunities, available resources and support, and areas where knowledge and skills could be strengthened. Participants identified shared challenges including an aging workforce, limited local markets, workforce housing and loss of traditional knowledge. In the timber sector, land health and restoration emerged as a top priority, alongside interest in small-scale logging and forest products, and youth programming. Ocean-focused participants flagged waterfront access loss, processing facility gaps and aqua-tourism as a major growth opportunity. Soil discussions centered on food sovereignty, seed saving, farmer-to-farmer matchmaking and direct farm-to-pantry connections. Across all three sectors, participants expressed a strong desire for sustained collaboration, more networking opportunities and pathways to bring the next generation into natural resources stewardship.

The Eastern Maine ROOTS planning committee will use insights from the 2026 Gathering to inform the next conference, scheduled for March 2027. 

For more information about the Eastern Maine ROOTS project, please visit the website or contact Tara Wood at tara.a.wood@maine.edu or 207.255.3345.