Agriculture

Agriculture has a huge historic and cultural significance to the State of Maine.  From our first settlers, to the current generation of young agricultural entrepreneurs, Maine would not be what it is today without its generations of agricultural producers.  Building upon the successes of this rich tradition, Maine is experiencing an exciting agricultural renaissance that is creating real opportunities for rural economic development.

Today more than 8,000 farms are working over 1.25 million acres of land and providing $1.2 billion in economic activity. We are the nation’s largest producers of wild blueberries and brown eggs, and have earned global recognition for producing the highest quality milk, cheeses, potatoes, apples, produce, maple syrup and livestock. 

To ensure the future strength and vitality of our agriculture industry, our farmers need assurances that they will not be subject to unnecessary and inappropriate regulatory burdens. Passing a reasonable and well balanced Farm Bill that takes into consideration the needs of small and mid-sized family farms is an important step in this process.

My priorities include:

• I am proud to co-sponsor The Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act which is a comprehensive bill to provide support to local and regional agriculture. Among other issues, the legislation addresses access to credit, support for small meat processors, improved value added producer grants, and reinstating the Farmers Market Promotion Program.
• I support Federal Milk Marketing Order reforms that seek to provide Dairy farmers across the country with a reasonable and reliable formula for milk pricing.