SUN JOURNAL • March 16, 2023
The changing landscape of farming and related agriculture industries in Maine is raising questions about the viability of certain practices, even how people think of traditional farms. These were some of the topics raised Thursday during the Great Falls Forum at the Lewiston Public Library. With more than 7,600 farms in Maine, mostly small farms, issues such as PFAS contamination, labor shortages, housing, health care, food security and farmland conservation all play a role in the future of Maine farms. Nancy McBrady, deputy commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and moderator of the discussion, said Maine’s farmers are increasingly younger, female and new to farming. While that may sound encouraging, the costs associated with farming are rising beyond what some aspiring farmers can afford.