#mainefarms — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #mainefarms, aggregated by home.social.
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#BangorME - Bangor Winter #FarmersMarket
April 5, 2026
Time: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Venue: Sea Dog Brewing
Location: 26 Front St, Bangor.FMI:
https://downtownbangor.com/events/bangor-winter-farmers-market/2026-04-05/#SolarPunkSunday #LocalFood #BuyLocal #MaineEvents #MaineFarms
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THE WORST OF THE WORST?!!! People who help supply food?!!
About a dozen workers detained in #SkowheganME #ImmigrationRaid, advocates say
The arrests marked the second raid this month by federal immigration agents on workers traveling to #BackyardFarms in #MadisonME.
Ethan Horton, February 25, 2026
Excerpt: "About 12 agricultural workers were detained in Skowhegan by federal officers Wednesday morning, two community advocates with knowledge of the situation said.
"Officers who appeared to be affiliated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection boarded a van and detained the workers at about 6 a.m., Iver Lofving, an advocate and translator, said.
"The van, Lofving said, was carrying workers from a former motel in Skowhegan to Backyard Farms in Madison and was stopped by federal agents about 10 minutes from Backyard Farms. The van also picked up several people from elsewhere in Skowhegan, who were detained as part of the operation, he said.
"Federal and local officials have yet to confirm the details of the operation, including how many workers were detained, where they are from, why they were detained and where they are being held. CBP and Skowhegan police did not respond to requests for comment.
"The raid marked the second time this month that immigration officers have detained workers en route from the former Skowhegan motel at 137 West Front St. to Backyard Farms. "
Archived version:
https://archive.md/5jww4#USPol #MainePol #AbolishICE #AbolishDHS #Farmworkers #FoodSecurity #MIRC #Maine
#ICEOutOfMaine #ICEOut #DefundICE
#DefundDHS #MaineFarms #FuckICE -
ON THEIR WAY TO WORK!!! SUCH HARDENED CRIMINALS!!!
#ImmigrantRights group says 17 people were arrested by #CBP agents while riding bus in #Skowhegan
Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition says it has seen more immigration enforcement activity in rural areas
Jacob Murphy, February 12, 2026
Excerpt: "Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition says the workers were staying in the former #KyesMotel in #SkowheganME. The bus regularly picks them up and brings them to #BackyardFarms.
"Backyard Farms grows #tomatoes and #lettuce and ships the produce across the country.
"Local growers are concerned that the agricultural workforce will significantly shrink with increasing immigration enforcement.
" 'The reality we're seeing is that the recent surge in ICE activity is causing uncertainty for farm labor that doesn't stop at a visa status. It’s making it harder for farms to maintain a reliable workforce, which will ultimately ripple out into the broader economy," said Jennifer Wilhelm with Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. "
#MIRC #Maine #ICEOutOfMaine #ICEOut #DefundICE #DefundDHS #MOFGA #MaineFarms #Farmworkers #USPol #MainePol #FuckICE
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#Maine - #Agricultural #ConservationEasements
"The primary purpose of an Agricultural Conservation Easement is to protect the agricultural soils, agricultural viability, and agricultural productivity of a property in perpetuity by limiting non-agricultural uses of the property.
What is it?
"It is a voluntary, legally recorded permanent deed restriction place on the property. The easement or 'development right' may be donated or sold (or a combination of the two) usually to a land trust which then holds (and manages) the easement. Land protected from development with an easement remains in private ownership.
Agricultural easements help farmers balance goals of:
- generating revenue for farming or retirement;
- making their land more affordable to future farmers;
- keeping their farmland in farming;
- maintaining a treasured legacy of #SustainableFarm #stewardship."Agricultural conservation easements are private transactions, entered into for perpetuity, and thus harder to undo compared to other land protection land use strategies.
"The process can take some time to negotiate and carry out. The cost of buying easements on a significant scale can be prohibitive. It is also important that the 'holder' of the easements has the capacity to ensure that the agricultural land is managed as intended.
"You can contact your local #LandTrust or the statewide #MaineFarmlandTrust when considering easements as a farm viability and farmland protection tool."
Read more (via #GrowSmartMaine):
https://growsmartmaine.org/agricultural-conservation-easements/Learn more about Maine Farmland Trust:
https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/farmland/protect-farmland#FarmsForMainesFuture #SaveTheFarms #Sprawl #LandPreservation #SolarPunkSunday #Farmland #FoodSecurity #MaineFarms #GrowLocal #EatLocal
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Another branch of the Marean family has already put 92 acres of land into a #ConservationEasement in nearby Standish!
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/04/17/centuries-old-standish-farm-protected-from-development/
Archived version:
https://archive.md/8PYVG#ForeverFarms #MaineFarmlandTrust
#ConservationEasements #SaveTheFarms #PreservingFarms #MaineFarms #SolarPunkSunday -
Here's some good news about a neighbor down the road -- he and his wife put an Agricultural Conservation Easement on their 42 acre farm to protect it from future development!
"Special Broadcast Presentation on the Benefits of Agricultural Conservation Easements - Aug. 21st @5:30pm
Posted on: August 14, 2025 - 12:04pmThere will be a special broadcast presentation on #SacoRiver Community TV (Cable channel 5 )Thursday, Aug. 21st @ 5:30pm by #DonMarean regarding the process and benefits of placing an agricultural conservation easement in perpetuity on their farm. This presentation will also be available to view on our Town's YouTube channel! We hope you can tune in!"
Another branch of the Marean family has already put 92 acres of land into a #ConservationEasement in nearby Standish!
Town of Hollis YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SRCM-TownofHollis/featured
#ForeverFarms #MaineFarmlandTrust #ConservationEasements #SaveTheFarms #PreservingFarms #MaineFarms #SolarPunkSunday
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#GoodShepherd pushes for increase in #MainersFeedingMainers program at state house
By Sierra Whaley
Published: May 13, 2025 at 5:17 PM EDTAUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) - "Federal cuts have impacted funding for #HungerRelief programs across the state.
"That’s why state representatives gathered at the state house to push for the passage of a bill that could strengthen a 15-year-partnership between the state and Good Shepherd to keep reliable sources alive in this uncertain time.
" 'As our costs are going up and as our funding is going down as we’ve experienced funding cancellations federally, we are looking for a more cost share model with the state and asking for increased state support,' said Heather Paquette, president of Good Shepherd Food Bank.
"The Good Shepherd Food Bank is Maine’s only #FeedingAmerica food bank distributing food from Fort Kent to Kittery.
"They’re urging lawmakers to pass #LD415 sponsored by North Yarmouth Rep. Annie Graham.
"It’s a bill to increase the state’s support for the Mainers feeding Mainers program through Good Shepherd.
"Here’s how it works.
" 'We purchase fresh local produce from 93 farmers throughout the state of Maine from Fort Kent to Kittery and those farmers deliver that fresh produce directly to our pantry partners which serve them to neighbors experiencing food insecurity in the state of Maine,' said Paquette.
"According to Feeding America nearly 200-thousand Mainers are experiencing hunger.
"That includes over 50,000 children.
"Which is why the increase would provide more security for state sources, such as #farmers, to keep those community partnerships active.
"If passed the bill would increase the funding from one million to two million dollars."
#Maine #FoodSecurity #TrumpHatesThePoor #USPol #MaineFarms #LocalGrownFood #SupportMaineFarms
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'This is our best option:' #Maine farmers turn to #SolarEnergy due to #contaminated fields
Story by Brad Rogers
7/25/2024ARUNDEL (WGME) – "#PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, have been nothing short of disastrous for hundreds of #Mainefarmers.
"It's ruined their land, made their cattle, milk and eggs unsafe to eat and left many farmers with serious health problems.
"'This farm has been in our family since 1914,' #FredStone, whose #Arundel farm was contaminated with PFAS, said.
"Stone was a third-generation dairy farmer in Arundel until forever chemicals were discovered in his fields, #WellWater, cows and milk.
"The pollution came from spreading #wastewater #sludge on his farm after the state told him it was safe.
"#MaineDEP has identified more than 500 sites where sludge was applied to farmland as #fertilizer.
"In 2017, Stone was the first farmer in the state to have his dairy farm and his pasture shut down due to #PFAScontamination.
"To make up for it, the state offered to buy his farm, but he refused to walk away.
"'We’re not in the farm selling or land selling business,' Stone said. 'Given what options we had left, that brought us to the solar thing.'
"He's been working with #WaldenRenewables to build a solar array on 100 acres of his contaminated farm.
"'It's their best alternative, but for some of these landowners, it's hard to kind of accept the change that they're facing,' Dale Knapp of Walden Renewables said. 'This is an injection of revenue that they desperately need.'
"This week, the Maine Public Utilities Commission [#MainePUC] approved new rules, paving the way for solar development on PFAS-polluted farms.
"'The Act provides that the commission must give a primary preference to projects that are located on contaminated lands,' Carrie Gilbert of the Maine PUC Commission said.
"'This is our best option,' Stone said. 'So reluctantly, very reluctantly I guess, that’s what we ended up having to do.'
"Stone plans to sign a 30-year lease for the solar array.
"After that, his farm may still be contaminated with forever chemicals, but 30 years is a long time for someone to come up with a solution.
"'That might mean that generational farm just goes on pause,' Knapp said. 'And the next generation may have the opportunity to return it to being a family farm someday.'
"'I’m very bitter,' Stone said. 'This is not the way we wanted to see this go. Yeah, I would love to see it continue on as a farm of some kind but damn the state of Maine for putting me in this position.'"
#MaineFarms #SolarFarms #ContaminatedFarmland #Reuse #SolarFarm #RenewablesNow #RenewableEnergy #PFOA #WaterIsLife #PFOS #PFASContamination #WaterPollution #PFASPollution #PTFE #Wildlife #Cancer #Contamination #Chemicals #Environment #GenXChemicals
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#CapeElizabethMaine farms shut down #strawberry fields due to #FruitFly infestation
by Brad Rogers, WGME
Mon, July 1st 2024 at 8:16 PM
Updated Tue, July 2nd 2024 at 5:49 AM"This particular spotted wing fruit fly first came to Maine in 2011, but farms typically don't see them in large numbers until late August and early September.
"'Strawberries usually escape,' Handley said. 'We don't see it in high numbers until we're pretty much done with strawberries. It's the people who are growing fall #raspberries and late-ripening #blueberries that usually have the big issue with this one.'
"Handley is a vegetable and small fruit specialist.
"He believes the relatively #MildWinter, combined with an unusually hot June, led to the early rise of fruit flies in the greater Portland area."
#ClimateChange #Maine #MaineFarms #InvasiveSpecies #ClimateCrisis #FoodShortages #ExtremeHeat