2007 Agricultural Development Grant Awards
The following projects have been approved for an Agricultural Development
Grant Award. The Agricultural Development Grants assist farmers in assessing
market potential of new ideas, increasing market promotion of existing
businesses, or improve the adoption of new technology on the farm. Results
of projects are meant to help a number of farmers throughout the state.
2007 Agricultural Development Grant Awards
The following projects have been approved for an Agricultural Development
Grant Award. The Agricultural Development Grants assist farmers in
assessing market potential of new ideas, increasing market promotion
of existing businesses, or improve the adoption of new technology on
the farm. Results of projects are meant to help a number of farmers
throughout the state.
Project 2007-1: Construction and Initial Operation of a Cooperatively
Owned, State Inspected Poultry Processing Facility
Grantee: Cooperative Poultry Producers (COOPP)
Contact: William Blaiklock 443-3725
Amount Awarded: $30,000
Summary of Project: To design, build and operate a mobile poultry processing
facility (MPU) which can travel to poultry farmers around the state.
This project follows a feasibility project last year that identified
the need for state inspected facilities and established a business plan
for developing a processing unit to expand the market for fresh, locally
grown poultry.
Project 2007-2: Mobile Milking Parlor Coalition
Grantee: Maine Association of Livestock Exhibitors
Contact: Curtis Prime, 892-5396
Amount Awarded: $30,000
Summary of Project: To create a mobile parlor that will be used by dairy
exhibitors at Maine’s Agricultural fairs. The parlor will become
the focal point of dairy education and promotion for the general public.
This service will also increase dairy producer attendance at the fairs
and create a revenue stream for the livestock programs and farmers who
frequent the fairs.
Project 2007-3: Improvement of Meat Distribution for Central Maine Dairy
and Beef Producers.
Grantee: Caldwell Farms
Contact: Ralph or Dee Caldwell 225-3871
Amount Awarded: $30,000
Summary of Project: To improve the distribution system for meat for central
Maine organic dairy farmers, based on development and retention of new
meat markets and increase in USDA inspected facilities in central Maine.
This project will add an inspected slaughter facility and two markets
for beef, and add value-added markets for those farmers.
Project 2007-4: Maine Cheese Guild Promotion at the American Cheese
Society Conference.
Grantee: Maine Cheese Guild
Contact: Jennifer B. Betancourt, 775-4818 x55
Amount Awarded: $14,085
Project Summary: The Maine Cheese Guild will be sponsoring Maine cheese
maker delegates to the American Cheese Society Annual conference in Vermont
in August. This market promotion opportunity will provide many cheese
makers with the ability to compete in a national competition and will
bring exposure to Maine cheese and result in increased demand and price
for Maine cheese.
Project 2007-5: Organic Grain Production for Local Bakery Products and
Livestock Feed for the Growing Organic Dairy Industry.
Grantee: Maine Organic Milk Producers/Borealis Bread
Contact: Mia Morrison, 207-7085, Jim Amaral, 641-8800
Amount Awarded: $30,000
Project Summary: This is a collaborative project between MOMP, Borealis
Breads and Aurora Mills to re-develop the grain infrastructure for growing
organic grains in Maine and to produce grains for dairy farms as well
as create additional markets for bread makers in Maine. The project will
help add additional underutilized farmland in Southern and Central Maine
for the growing of these specialty grain crops.
Project 2007-6: Demonstration of an Anaerobic Digester Technology for
Dairy Farms
Grantee: Rainbow Valley Farm
Contact: Jeff Bragg, 547-3814
Amount Awarded: $10,000
Project Summary: To help purchase and install equipment that will be
Maine’s first anaerobic digester in the last 15 years. The new
plug flow technology will assist dairy farmers in utilizing manure to
reduce cost of electricity and perhaps provide other by-products such
as bedding for animals and fertilizers for the farm cropland.
