Dear John,
The catastrophic floods that recently washed out farms in Vermont could have happened in Maine1 – and that is only one of countless climate change impacts threatening Maine farmers’ livelihoods. From cycles of drought and heavy rainfall, to smoke and extreme heat, to pest infestations and more – Maine farmers are on the front lines of climate change.
But farms are also powerful agents to implement climate solutions. Farming practices that boost long term productivity by improving soil health, reducing food waste, and increasing renewable energy use also help fight the climate crisis.
Farmers want to make climate-smart agricultural choices like these, but demand for the resources they need outweighs available funding year after year.
That could change this year. The federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) includes $20 billion in additional resources for conservation and energy as part of the Farm Bill, a bill Congress renews every five years to address issues related to food and agriculture. The Farm Bill will be renewed this fall, and we are working to ensure that Congress maintains funding for climate-smart agriculture so it can benefit farmers, local communities, and Maine’s economy.
There will be a Farm Bill listening session at 2:00 PM on Monday, July 31 at Freeport High School where Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, Chairman GT Thompson, and other members of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee will hear from Mainers on the issues that you and your community want to see funded in the 2023 Farm Bill.
It's critical that Mainers who support this important funding speak out in person at this listening session. If you can attend, please sign up here to let us know you would like to share your comments and input with the Committee.
