Farmland Action Plan

According to the 2022 U.S. Agricultural Census, Maine lost nearly 230,000 acres of farmland between 2012 and 2022. This continues the trend of farmland loss documented in preceding Census periods, primarily due to commercial, industrial, and residential development – all pressures that continue to increase.  Meanwhile, it is clear that protecting our state’s farmland from conversion to non-agricultural uses is critical to ensuring that Maine’s agricultural land base remains available to promote a thriving agricultural economy, a healthy environment, and affordable land access for farmers.

To date, the primary tools and resources we have utilized to conserve farmland in Maine have resulted in less than 5% of our farmland being permanently protected, which is far less in comparison to our neighboring Northeastern states.

In recognition of the important role farmland plays in our overall climate resilience, Maine Won’t Wait, the State’s Climate Action Plan adopted in 2020 and updated in 2024, recognizes that farmland conservation, “helps Maine to become more resilient to future climate-related disruptions to the global food supply chain, as well as sequester carbon, protect land from development, reduce transportation emissions, and make land more resilient to climate effects like droughts. Strategies such as purchasing agricultural easements can make land more affordable as development increases prices, reducing barriers for new farmers and helping families transfer farms to the next generation.”

Further, it includes recommendations that the state “Develop a Maine Farmland Action Plan to safeguard the state’s agricultural resources by doubling permanently protected farmland in Maine by 2030,” “to articulate goals and strategies regarding Maine’s farmland resources and agricultural economy,” and that Maine should “Establish a new state program that identifies ongoing, dedicated funding for farmland conservation…that enables farmland conservation to occur at a much faster pace.”

In support of these goals, in February 2026, Commissioner Beal appointed a Working Group tasked with the development of a Farmland Action Plan. Working Group members include farmers from various sectors of the agricultural community and individuals experienced in policy, farmland conservation, farmland access, and farm vitality. The Farmland Action Plan will also invite public participation and feedback through the Working Group’s regular meetings, and a public comment period later in the fall, and will be completed by the end of 2026.

Working Group Members

Member Organization
Chair: Commissioner Amanda Beal Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Vice-Chair: Adam Bishop, Special Assistant to the Commissioner Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Stacy Brenner Maine Farmland Trust
Jason Bulay Land for Maine’s Future, DACF
Sara Williams Flewelling Aurora Mills
Ron Howard Brodis Blueberries
Laura Lee Maine Community Foundation
Jamie Pottern, Senior New England Program Manager American Farmland Trust
Alex Redfield, Policy Director Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities
Beth Schiller Dandelion Spring Farm
Mariam Taleb Working Farmland Access and Protection Program, Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Angela Twitchell Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Maine Land Trust Network
Brendon Wormell Wormell Farm

Meeting Dates, Materials and Links

Date & Time Title Location Additional Information
March 2, 2026 12:00 PM- 3:00 PM Maine Farmland Action Plan Working Group Meeting 90 Blossom Lane, Deering Building, Room 106, Augusta, Maine Agenda & Zoom Registration (DOCX)