Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today announced two USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program grants that would benefit Maine—one to Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport to train organic dairy farmers and another to fund an Armed to Farm veteran farmer training in Maine.
 
“Farming is hard work and a tough business, especially when you’re just starting out. This funding will help new farmers be successful so they can stick with it and keep breathing new life into Maine’s agriculture industry,” said Pingree.  “I’m very glad Wolfe’s Neck Farm will be able to expand its innovative efforts to train people in organic dairy farming—which is an area of great potential for Maine. Armed to Farm has proven to be a great tool in assisting veteran farmers around the country, so I’m excited this funding will allow Maine veterans to access it. 

$573,256 will go to Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport to expand its Organic Dairy Farmer Training Program, where apprentices live on the farm while managing a herd of cows for organic milk production.

$231,679 will go to the National Center for Appropriate Technology in Butte, Montana, to fund a program to support hundreds of beginning veteran farmers in Maine and other Northeast states. The program includes one-day workshops on a range of production topics as well as an intensive one-week Armed to Farm training in sustainable agriculture.  A number of Maine-based organizations are involved in the project.

As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture—which oversees funding for the USDA—Pingree has made advocating for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program one of her top funding priorities.