Governor Janet Mills announced nearly $20 million in grant awards through her Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan to help Maine farmers and food processers address infrastructure needs to expand in-state production and processing.
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These funds will help farmers increase the supply of Maine-grown food, meet growing demand, create and sustain jobs in one of Maine’s iconic heritage industries while also strengthening food system, supporting economic growth, and enhancing Maine’s national reputation for food excellence.
The grants were awarded through the Agricultural Infrastructure Investment Program (AIIP) administered through the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF).
The grants will be used to support a variety of infrastructure needs, including harvesting, processing, and manufacturing or packaging and handling equipment.
Improving agricultural infrastructure will allow this sector to increase production and storage capacity, enhance supply chain resilience, and drive growth within the state’s agricultural and food economy while enhancing production of Maine-grown foods.
Funding awards were approved for 64 farms and food processors.
The awards ranged from $41,669 to $500,000, with an average of $301,217, and awards were distributed across all sixteen Maine counties.
The 64 awards reflect the spectrum of Maine farms and food businesses of various scales and sizes, production methods, and product categories, including dairy, grain, vegetable, fruit, meat, and poultry.
The Governor announced the grants at Blue Ox Malthouse in Lisbon. Blue Ox, a grain processor and recipient of a $500,000 award, purchases grain from farmers across Maine, processes it into malt, then sells that malt to breweries, distillers, and other businesses across Maine.
Through its work, Blue Ox serves as a critical link in the agricultural supply chain, supporting local farmers and brewers while strengthening the economy. Blue Ox said it would use its grant to expand processing capacity.
“Our farmers and food processors have told us they can deliver Maine-grown food to more people if they can make upgrades and meaningful and strategic investments in their businesses,†said Governor Janet Mills.
“With these grants through my Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, we can deliver that help and they can deliver to all of us and the world over healthy food, all while creating jobs and strengthening our economy.â€
The investment comes after farmers and food producers who were surveyed by DACF during the pandemic indicated that storage, processing, and packaging capacity investments were critically important to the strength of the agricultural community and the statewide economy.
AIIP was a highly competitive program, ultimately attracting approximately 850 applications, with requests totaling nearly $180 million.
DACF recognizes that there is both need and opportunity for additional meaningful and strategic investments to further strengthen Maine’s food system and will continue to work to identify sources of funding to help agriculture and food-based business meet their goals.
Maine is home to approximately 7,600 farms of all sizes, scales, and agricultural practices.
Before the pandemic, the aging infrastructure or lack of infrastructure hindered the ability of some of Maine’s farmers and food processors to meet a growing demand for local food and to serve markets outside Maine. ■