Abstract
Maine’s farmland and the people who steward it are at risk. Rising land costs, the accelerating loss of productive acreage, an aging farming population, and the increasing challenges of turning a profit threaten our rural communities in ways that ripple far beyond the farm gate (USDA NASS 2024a). If we want to keep Maine’s working lands working, we must see farmland protection and farm business viability as two sides of the same coin. This is not just about conserving open space. It is about ensuring that farmers today and in the next generation can afford to farm, build resilient businesses, and create jobs and economic activity that benefit all Mainers.
First page
107
Last page
111
Rights and Access Note
This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for non-commercial uses. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
DOI
https://doi.org/10.53558/znsy6054
Recommended Citation
Brenner, Stacy, Abby Farnham, Emily Gherman-Lad, and Shelley Megquier. "Maine’s Farms and Farmland: The Foundation of a Rural Future." Maine Policy Review 34.2 (2025) : 107 -111, https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mpr/vol34/iss2/11.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
