January 20, 2025
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Kristina Buckley
As we have seen from the destructive power of recent years’ ice and wind storms, fluctuating winter temperatures, and unpredictable frosts that affect crop growth and pests, farmers and farm businesses are on the front lines when it comes to climate change. As Maine farms are impacted by the changing weather patterns, we’ve continued to expand our work to provide resources and support that can help farmers identify the climate risks their farm faces and develop climate resilience strategies to mitigate these risks now and into the future.
This year we are welcoming our first participants in a new Climate Adaptation Program geared towards tackling just that. The program entails an initial video consultation with MFT staff to provide an overview of the farm’s challenges and goals, followed by farm visits and risk assessment, follow-up meetings to further define strategies and connect farmers with additional resources, and collectively drafting a climate adaptation plan based on detailed research and analysis specific to the farm property. After completing their plan, farmers can also apply for a $5,000 mini-grant to help implement their plan. Welcome to the 17 farms participating in the inaugural program cohort:
In addition to the Climate Adaptation Planning program, MFT has also begun to offer Climate Resilience Adaptation Grants to farms in MFT’s Farm Network twice a year. These flexible, one-time grants of up to $5,000 per farm are designed to help farmers in MFT’s Farm Network respond to current climate-related problems in ways that increase their resilience. Many farms are leveraging the funds to improve water management on the farm, in response to flooding from excessive rainfall or drought conditions. Others are investing in high tunnel infrastructure where growing conditions can be more easily controlled year-round. We are happy to announce the most recent cohort of grantees:
Climate adaptation is about anticipating the challenges a farm may face in the future and responding in real time to systems and infrastructure that need reimagining in order to operate. Interested in learning more about our climate resilience programs? Read more here.
Special thanks to the TD Bank Group for their support through the 2022 TD Ready Challenge and to the Ram Island Conservation Fund at the Maine Community Foundation for making this work possible!
