New England dairy farms focus of film

Maine Farmland Trust and Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association have teamed up to bring the new documentary film “Forgotten Farms” to Maine.

The film will screen at 7 p.m. Monday, May 22, at Space Gallery in Portland; 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 23, at Johnson Hall in Gardiner; and at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, at Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville. There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door.

The film profiles the New England dairy farmer and examines the class divides in New England’s farm and food communities, according to a news release from Susan Lasselle of Maine Farmland Trust.

Producer Sarah Gardner said, “There’s been a lot of focus on the new local food farmers, so we spent the last three years filming conventional dairy farmers. Many of their farms have been in operation for over a century and we wanted to find a way to tell their story. Forgotten Farms is their story,” according to the release.

New England has lost more than 10,000 conventional dairy farms in the past 50 years; about 2,000 farms remain. Collectively, they tend 1.2 million acres of farmland and produce almost all of the milk consumed in New England, according to the release.

Director Dave Simonds said, “In our enthusiasm for the local food movement, many of us have forgotten that 75 years ago these farmers were at the center of a thriving local food economy,” according to the release.

Each screening will be followed by a panel discussion about the role of dairy farms in Maine’s farming landscape. Panelists will include Amanda Beal of Maine Farmland Trust, Dave Colson of MOFGA, local dairy farmers, and the filmmakers.

For more information, call 338-6575 or email [email protected].

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