CARIBOU - A variety of farmers and interested parties in the region are in the process of or considering venturing into new diversified agriculture endeavors ranging from food coops and food hubs to beef processing. During initial discussions, market assessment and distribution seem to be two of the more pressing issues to growing the diversified agriculture cluster in Aroostook County.

    In 2013, the Aroostook Partnership for Progress (APP) identified small agriculture as an area ripe for growth during the Mobilize Northern Maine strategic planning process, an effort specifically designed to help focus Aroostook economic development efforts, and formed a diversified agriculture-working group as a result.

    Over the past several months, the diversified agriculture working group has held meetings with growers and distributers and engaged in discussions with agriculture officials from around the state to examine/explore various efforts to further these opportunities for our region. One of the more promising opportunities would be a beef processing plant (slaughterhouse) that Stan Maynard, of Orchard Hill Farm in Woodland, and Troy Haines, from Mapleton, are considering. This effort would not only be more efficient and cost effective for local cattle farmers but could open the opportunity for thousands of cattle to be raised on some of our unused fallow ground and bring a huge economic benefit to our region.

    APP President Bob Dorsey stated, "There is a lot to learn and a lot of variables to consider when dealing with diversified agriculture. We have so many resources, land, know- how and so much potential that it is incredible, but we are also quite distant geographically from many markets and that along with our shorter growing season present certain challenges. We truly hope that by networking, leveraging other successful models and working together, we can help each other to mitigate those challenges and advance some of these very promising opportunities."

    Mike Eisensmith, NMDC director of regional planning, has taken the lead in facilitating the diversified agriculture working group meetings.

    "The next step for us is to convene a larger meeting around the marketing and distribution aspect of what is generally perceived as one of the major issues that all of the small producers have," he said. "The issue of finding a market and how product is going to be collected, packaged and distributed to where."

    Eisensmith said the convening of a larger group would include folks who are already doing collection, packaging and distribution, but would also have other people at the table who want to expand their engagement or have good information on how to do that.

    The meeting is intended to glean information to develop an application for a potential grant to assist small- to mid-size growers and producers.

    "In my mind it [the grant] would be looking at markets for product, how products can be distributed and do we have the capacity to feed these markets," he added.

    Eisensmith said the meeting, which is in addition to the regular working group meetings, has yet to be scheduled, but ideally will happen before March.

    Meg Scott, of Nature's Circle Farm in New Limerick, serves on the APP diversified agriculture-working group and is exploring the potential for a food hub in Southern Aroostook. A food hub functions as an intermediary that adds value to the marketing of produce and facilitates the development of a local food supply chain. These facilities provide storage, logistics services and interact with the required distribution network to get local products to market.

    "We hear over and over again during our working group meetings that we need access to markets," York said. "We need distribution and trucking. This is what the small and middle size producers were saying."

    "I absolutely believe diversified agriculture has significant potential," said Eisensmith. "At the same time it is not going to the 300 jobs at once. The opportunity and land resources are present and there is a potential to grow the local economy.

    For more information on the effort, contact Eisensmith at 498-8736 or by email at meisensmith@nmdc.org.