Action Alert: Support Agricultural Infrastructure Investment

Expanded agricultural infrastructure and processing capacity in Maine is critical to helping farmers grow and diversify their businesses, supporting local and regional supply chain development, and building a robust and resilient local food system. Improved infrastructure and processing across all agricultural sectors would also help to increase the supply of Maine-grown products and create new market opportunities for local farms.

LD 2212, An Act to Strengthen Maine's Agriculture, Food System and Forest Products Infrastructure Investment, seeks to expand funding for the Maine Agriculture, Food and Forest Products Investment Fund, which was established in the 130th Legislature to facilitate strategic infrastructure investments in the agriculture, food, and forest products economies.

MFT will be supporting LD 2212 because it would support Maine’s heritage industries, including agricultural producers and processors, by providing an important source of funding for agricultural infrastructure development and increasing access to new markets and opportunities through public-private partnerships. It would also prioritize investments in historically marginalized, underrepresented, and underserved communities.

Take Action

A public hearing for LD 2212 is being held tomorrow, Wednesday, February 28th, 2024 at 1:15pm before the Legislature’s Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee.

Consider providing live (in-person or over Zoom) or written testimony in support of expanding infrastructure investments in the agricultural, food and forest products economy. If you are a farmer, consider sharing insight about how expanded investment in agricultural infrastructure and processing capacity could support the viability and resilience of farm businesses in Maine.

Options for getting engaged:

Testify at the public hearing (1:15pm on Wednesday, February 28th)

• In-person: The hearing is being held in Cross Building, Room 214. There is a 3-minute time limit per person, so be prepared to keep your oral delivery of your testimony brief. Written testimony is not required, but if you want to distribute copies of your written testimony to committee members you should bring 20 copies. If you are testifying in-person, you do not need to submit your written testimony through the online portal.

• Over Zoom: You can submit written testimony and/or sign-up to deliver oral testimony over Zoom by following this link. Once there, select “public hearing,” select the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, the date of the hearing (February 28th, 1:15pm), and the bill title (LD 2212 - An Act to Strengthen Maine's Agriculture, Food System and Forest Products Infrastructure Investment). You will then be able to upload written comments and/or sign up to provide live testimony. If you would like to deliver your testimony orally, you need to sign-up at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the hearing. There is a 3-minute time limit per person, so be prepared to keep your oral delivery of your testimony brief.

• Submit written testimony: If you cannot make it to the hearing in-person or on Zoom, you can submit written testimony online anytime before the hearing by following this link (follow the steps above for testifying over Zoom).

Questions? Reach out to Abby Farnham, MFT’s Assistant Director of Policy and Research at abby@mainefarmlandtrust.org.

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