OXFORD — Agriculture & Conservation Day at Oxford County Fair will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, at the Oxford County Fairgrounds on Pottle Road. The day is traditionally set aside for children up to sixth grade and home-school families to learn about the many aspects of agriculture and conservation. […]
agriculture
Auburn mayor creates new committee for agricultural zone
AUBURN — Mayor Jason Levesque announced Wednesday the formation of a mayor’s “action group” on agriculture and resource protection. The announcement follows months of discussions over the future of the city’s large agricultural zone, and pressure to act on previous recommendations. The new group comes after a previous committee spent six months working in tandem with […]
Monmouth Fair to start Wednesday
MONMOUTH — The Monmouth Fair will run this week from Wednesday through Saturday, Aug. 1 to 4, at the Monmouth Fairgrounds, 79 Academy Road. This is a small, family-oriented agricultural fair with midway, animal exhibits, crafts and animal pull events. Major events will include live music, 4-H events and exhibits, horse and ox pulling and […]
Got milk? Maybe not if it’s from an almond or soybean
NEW YORK (AP) — Soy and almond drinks that bill themselves as “milk” may need to consider alternative language after a top regulator suggested the agency may start cracking down on use of the term. The Food and Drug Administration signaled plans to start enforcing a federal standard that defines “milk” as coming from the […]
Auburn considers future of agricultural land
AUBURN — The debate over how to best take advantage of the city’s vast agricultural zone continued Monday as the City Council reviewed the results of a recent study and committee recommendations. But even the chief recommendation from the ad-hoc committee made up of local farmers — to create a permanent agriculture commission — received […]
Storyteller's Cottage new feature at Waterford World's Fair
WATERFORD — Waterford World’s Fair will unveil The Storyteller’s Cottage for Agriculture History on Friday, July 20, at the fairgrounds on Green Road off Route 35. It’s a new exhibit at this year’s fair, which runs Friday to Sunday, July 20 to 22. The cottage is part of Agriculture & Conservation Family Day from 9:30 […]
Maine blueberry value tumbles to lowest point in more than 30 years
The value of Maine wild blueberries sank to its lowest point in almost three decades last year, as growers struggle with competition from cheaper Canadian producers and a thriving cultivated blueberry industry. Maine berries fetched 26 cents per pound last year, the lowest price since 1985, according to University of Maine data. The estimated value […]
Bruce Poliquin hails House farm bill that Chellie Pingree opposes
An $867 billion farm bill that narrowly passed the U.S. House on Thursday includes two provisions pushed by Maine Republican Bruce Poliquin, who represents the largely rural 2nd District. At Poliquin’s urging, the measure includes work requirements for many adults to receive food aid and a provision to replace the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program […]
Fearing a mousepocalypse, Maine farmers aren’t messing around
At one point, farmer Kate Hall resorted to setting up security cameras. By then she had a pretty good idea about what was decimating entire trays of her tender young microgreens – nearly $1,200 worth in one night. But she wanted to know how the mice were getting into her recently insulated Northport grow room; […]
Former senator blasts Bruce Poliquin’s push for fresh produce substitutes
The retired U.S. senator from Iowa who created the national Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is charging Maine Republican U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin with trying to destroy it. Former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, who served for three decades until his 2015 retirement, said, “This character from Maine” is so determined to let schools buy more […]