AGRICULTURE

Growing up, my family had a small truck farm. My experiences there shaped a part of who I am. I learned to milk a cow, how to use a hand homogenizer, why to bang the side of a feed barrel before sticking my arm in, how to muck out the stalls and wheelbarrow the manure to the field. But most of all, I learned how people who work the land are tied to it and to one another. They showed me the true meaning of the Social Contract.

Maine has a long history revolving around its natural resources and I wholeheartedly support our farm families and communities who carry out the extremely important industry of agriculture. From the famous potato farms in The County, the vegetable stands of southern Maine, the cattlemen across the State, our poultry farmers, broccoli producers, and our grain growers, up and down the great rivers which formed the original corridors of commerce within our State, across the length of it's rocky coasts, sandy beaches and protected harbors where our working waterfront is the scene of new and exciting opportunities in aquaculture, to the great North Woods and the lumber industries, agriculture is one of Maine's top industries, returning over $1.2 billion to the State economy while managing over 1,200,000 acres of farmland. In addition to the beautiful backdrop these scenic landscapes, farmlands and vineyards provide, they also provide recreation and scenic beauty for our residents as well as for the thousands of tourists who visit Maine every year.

I will always work to preserve critical Farm Bill programs that benefit Maine's agricultural production and our farmers. I am particularly interested in the possibilities presented by bio-fuels in our current energy environment. Farmers in the mid-west have formed collectives to begin processing fuel from crops and we can do the same here. It is important that the next Senator from the State develops a relationship with the USDA which focuses on the needs of Maine farmers. Preparation for disaster relief, crop insurance, resource conservation programs, economic development programs, and specialty crop programs is critical to the successful operations of our family farms and the surrounding communities. I also recognize the importance increasing access to new markets for Maine agricultural products and am committed to promoting the growth of the agricultural industry, protecting our farm commodities from unfair competition and predatory foreign imports.