Governor Mills: A recipe for independent and sustainable farms and a healthy people and a healthy economy.

My grandfather was a potato farmer in The County who labored within the woods within the winter. It was a tough existence, and the household barely survived the Despair. Lifelong residents of the city of Ashland, farming was in my grandparents’ blood. Their lives epitomized the work ethic of all households who toil the soil, the woods, and the ocean in Maine.

Hey, that is Governor Janet Mills and thanks for listening.

Maine’s farmers and meals processors have needed to work tougher than they ever have earlier than due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier than the pandemic, numerous Maine’s roughly 7,600 farms have been fighting insufficient and getting older infrastructure: an absence of refrigeration, freezers, and processing amenities. All of that added up. 

And the pandemic solely made issues worse. With many eating places, faculties, and different establishments closing, our farmers and meals processors all of a sudden misplaced a few of their greatest wholesale consumers.

Regardless of these hardships, Maine’s farmers and meals processors have responded in inventive methods – with Maine ingenuity – to feed folks throughout this unprecedented pandemic. 

We knew that they wanted a little bit additional assist too – so to help the success of our farms and farm households, to extend the availability of Maine-grown meals, and to strengthen our financial system, my Administration awarded $18 million in federal CARES act coronavirus reduction funds final yr to greater than 600 farms, and meals processors, and meals banks and pantries all throughout Maine.

Final week, I used to be proud to announce that we’re making one other historic funding in our farmers and meals processors by awarding practically $20 million in American Rescue Plan funds via my Maine Jobs and Restoration Plan to assist them deal with infrastructure wants and enhancements.

These grants — which common greater than $300,000 a bit — have been awarded to farmers and meals processors in each county in Maine. These companies produce and course of every little thing from dairy to grain and greens to fruit to meat and poultry.

Our farmers and meals processors have instructed us they will ship Maine-grown meals to much more folks if they will make upgrades and strategic investments of their companies. With these grants we’re delivering that assist in order that they in flip can ship to all of Maine and to the world throughout wholesome meals, creating good jobs and strengthening our financial system.

Investments in farming infrastructure could have a considerable impression on our financial system. In accordance with a research achieved by the Division of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the College of Maine Faculty of Economics, investments in further processing might help an estimated 1,400 Maine jobs, $321 million in annual statewide gross sales revenues, and $62 million in labor earnings per yr.

That’s simply additional proof that once we develop and lift our personal wholesome meals and course of it right here in Maine and promote it via our personal outlets, stands, and shops to our neighbors and associates — nicely, that’s a recipe for impartial and sustainable farms, and for a wholesome folks and a wholesome financial system.

Farming is on the coronary heart of my circle of relatives historical past – and it’s on the coronary heart of our state. Federal funds from the Maine Jobs and Restoration Plan as authorised by the Legislature are our probability to make sure that our farms can develop meals that’s processed and distributed right here in Maine to produce native companies and feed households, all of which is important to our financial system.

That is Governor Janet Mills and thanks for listening.