In a challenging landscape for the mostly family-run operations, many use the winter months to enhance their survival, finding ways to boost production or diversifying what they offer.
maine department of agriculture
Posted inAmy Calder, Local & State, Morning Sentinel
Reporting Aside: Many became equine experts following column on horse in Waterville
An innocuous recent column on lessons to be learned from the Amish way of life, which ran along with a photo of a horse munching on hay at Home Depot, generated a flurry of opinions from readers on the condition of the horse, Amy Calder writes.
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Posted inLocal & State
Cost of helping farmers manage PFAS is rising, now at $81 million
A five-year plan to help farmers includes $37 million for direct financial support, $25 million to buy contaminated farms, $11 million for agricultural research, and $7 million on medical testing and monitoring.
Posted inKennebec Journal, Local & State
First cases of avian flu reported in Kennebec County
Both wild birds and a domestic flock in Kennebec County have been found to be infected with highly pathogenic avian flu this year.
Posted inBusiness, Community
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry presents 2023 Commissioner’s Distinguished Service Award
AUGUSTA — The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Commissioner Amanda Beal named Caitlin Hunter of Appleton the recipient of the 2023 Commissioner’s Distinguished Service Award. Hunter invested more than 40 years in raising goats and making cheese and has been called the “Bedrock of the Maine Cheese Guild” and “cheesemaker extraordinaire.” The Commissioner’s Distinguished […]
Posted inLocal & State, Morning Sentinel
PFAS levels in livestock can diminish if contamination source removed, state officials say
Research has found that once a contamination source is removed from a farm, PFAS levels in livestock will drop to the point that products derived from the animals can be sold to consumers, officials said at a public forum last week.
Posted inLocal & State, Morning Sentinel
Initial round of PFAS testing of groundwater finds about 75% of Maine sites within safe levels
The state last year tested more than 1,600 private wells seen as high-priority sites, and inspectors this year will test hundreds more for groundwater contamination.
Posted inBusiness, Uncategorized
Infrastructure improvement grant awarded to Black Acres Farm
The grant will provide more options for consumers as well as other livestock producers.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State
Flocks at elevated risk for highly infectious avian flu in Maine
Strains of the virus have led the U.S. poultry industry to euthanize more than 15.6 million chickens and 1.3 million turkeys since Jan. 1. One Maine farm has lost 250 birds this year.
Posted inLocal & State, News
Second case of avian flu detected in backyard birds in Knox County
The first case was confirmed on Sunday and the second on Wednesday; the USDA conducted tests and found the presence of the H5N1 strain in both flocks of birds.