HARVEST: Farm and Food News From Maine and Beyond
Check back each month for a selection of articles, stories, and trends you might have missed.
Maine farmers are finally getting into spring! About time.
Drink beer? How about coffee? Waste from your beverages could be turning into your favorite farm products.
Farmers in Maine have a great selection of resources to help them get off (or on?) the ground—and Conservation Law Foundation is adding a Legal Services Food Hub to the mix, to aid with legal concerns.
The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry released a new info page about FSMA, the Food Safety Modernization Act, and how it could affect Maine farmers (hint: it can).
An update on the Maine Harvest Credit Project, which is working to be a niche credit union providing financing for farms.
More word on the potential of Maine agriculture… but we still need infrastructure.
Fortunately, a new red-meat slaughterhouse is coming soon to fill (at least part of) that niche.
The future of dairy in Maine is likely linked not to commodity milk pricing, but value added products. Say cheese!
Terroir: does it matter? (the place it’s made is changing the taste of that cheese)
There’s lots of new interesting ag tech on the radar these days, and we’re curious about a few developments—like tools for reducing food waste.
Farming doesn’t just afford physical benefits—it can be a boon to mental health too, especially for veterans suffering from PTSD.
But, think about it before you dig in: some helpful tips about getting into farming from Grist.
Mark Bittman on the challenges of food politics.
One of his suggestions put into action: labeling GMOs in Maine. For now, that regulation depends on other states.
The next trend in Maine farming: rabbits
In other news, scientists are still learning about Maine’s favorite food: why lobsters turn red.
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