Technical Resources Available to Maine Farmers
National Resources
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
American Wind Energy Association
Maine small wind site • windmail@awea.org
1101 14th Street NW, 12th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-383-2500
AWEA’s website includes a summary of wind power basics, publications, and specific resources and public policies related to small wind in Maine.
AWS Truewind, LLC
463 New Karner Rd.
Albany, NY 12205
Phone: 518-213-0044
Fax: 518-213-1145
AWS Truewind provides copies of New England wind maps.
Rural Electricity Resource Council
P.O. Box 309
2333 Rombach Ave.
Wilmington, OH 45177
Phone: 937-383-0001
Fax: 937-383-0003
The Rural Electricity Resource Council (RERC) is an association of nearly 200 electric companies, cooperatives and public power districts. RERC’s primary goal is to help their members serve their rural customers. This is done through educational materials, training courses, and direct technical assistance to members.
RERC provides technical support and assistance to help power suppliers with their rural businesses and commercial key accounts. Specific topics include motor efficiency, security lighting for businesses, standby generator sizing and distributed generation sources, key accounts programs, wiring or grounding upgrades for power quality, and new options for serving three-phase loads with single-phase service.
Maine-Based Resources
AgMatters
1063 Main Street
Vassalboro, ME 04989
Phone: 207-873-2108
Contacts: Lauchlin W. Titus, CPAg, CCA (Certified Professional Agronomist, Certified Crop Advisor), Jeremiah Titus, Crop Technician and Linda Titus, Administrator
AgMatters’ (AM) mission is to provide information and services for Maine farmers to help them increase the productivity, quality, and profitability of their farm operations. By helping to improve farm operations, we will enhance the quality of life for farm families, the communities in which they operate, and the environment of the State of Maine— and we have fun doing it!
AM’s intent is to acquire the necessary training to assist Maine farmers with energy audits to advance their on farm initiatives and projects. AM has experience in assisting farmers with permit applications in other aspects of Maine agriculture.
Androscoggin Valley Soil & Water Conservation District
254 Goddard Road
P.O Box 1938
Lewiston, ME 04241
Phone: 207-753-9400
Fax: 207-783-4104
Androscoggin Valley Soil & Water Conservation District (AVS&WCD)’s mission is to promote the conservation and stewardship of soil, water, and related natural resources, by providing leadership, technical assistance and educational programming to and with the citizens of Androscoggin and Sagadahoc Counties.
Through receipt of a NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant in 2007, the District has a pilot program to develop a soils carbon baseline database. This baseline is necessary for the establishment of a soils carbon credit program in the State of Maine. A carbon credit program will allow farmers and other landowners to participate in a voluntary market, selling carbon offset credits.
Community Energy Partners
Sue Jones, President
Freeport, ME 04032
Phone: 207-221-5631
As a renewable energy and efficiency consulting company serving businesses, agricultural producers, and municipalities, mission is simple: to bring locally-owned renewable energy and energy efficiency projects to communities throughout the Northeast. We want to power communities by communities, houses by houses and farms by farms, drawing from the clean, renewable resources found right in our backyards. We have a special interest in wind projects. Comm•En provides business consulting, strategic planning, government and media relations, policy, and grant writing.
Efficiency Maine
Efficiency Maine, Public Utilities Commission
18 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0018
Physical Address: 242 State Street, Augusta
Phone: 1-866-376-2463
Efficiency Maine (EM) offers a small business energy audit program and a small business low interest loan program (farms and farmers are eligible.) Contact Shirley Bartlett at 287-3318.
EM’s website provides information about cash incentives for energy upgrades, periodic announcements about grant programs, a list of certified solar thermal installers, certified residential energy auditors, and NABCEP certified solar electric installers, “Small Wind Electric Systems: A Maine Consumer’s Guide” and “The Maine Solar Primer” as well as publications about home energy and energy tax credits.
EnSave, Inc.
65 Millet Street, Suite 105
Richmond, VT 05477
Phone: 800-732-1399
Fax: 802-434-7011
Contact: Craig Metz, Vice President
EnSave has been designing and implementing energy efficiency programs for agriculture since 1991. They provide agricultural producers and food processors with costeffective ways to reduce operating costs while saving energy and reducing pollution.
EnSave provides farm energy audits, energy efficiency incentive programs, energy efficiency consulting, and special projects. EnSave’s clients include state and federal energy and environmental agencies, investor-owned utilities, rural electric cooperatives, and individual farmers.
EnSave can provide energy audits and assessments to help satisfy the energy audit enhancement for a NRCS Conservation Security Program (CSP) contract, and can also provide audits to help you apply for the Farm Bill’s energy efficiency and renewable energy grant and loan program. EnSave can focus on all fuels used on the farm—electricity as well as diesel, propane, natural gas, and others.
Four Directions Development Corporation
Target Technology Center
20 Godfrey Drive
Orono, ME 04473
Phone: 207- 866-6545
Fax: 207- 866-6553
The mission of the Four Directions Development Corporation (FDDC) is to improve the social and economic conditions of the tribal members of the four Maine tribes by investing in affordable housing, tribal business ventures and small and medium size businesses.
FDDC provides federally recognized tribes with small business and loan assistance, financial counseling and lending services.
Kennebec County Soil & Water Conservation District
21 Enterprise Drive, Suite #1
Augusta, ME 04330
Phone: 207-622-7847 Ext. 3
Fax: 207-626-8196
Contact: John Blais
Kennebec County Soil and Water Conservation District (KCS&WCD)’s mission is to protect and enhance Maine’s soil and water resources. KCS&WCD provides educational programs, conservation information and technical assistance to municipalities, schools, landowners and residents of Kennebec County.
Through receipt of a NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant in 2007, the District is able to assist county dairy farms with energy audits and assistance in leveraging state and federal program funds for energy efficiency investments.
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
P.O. Box 170
294 Crosby Brook Road
Unity, ME 04988
Phone: 207-568-4142
Fax: 207-568-4141
The purpose of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) is to help farmers and gardeners grow organic food, protect the environment, recycle natural resources, increase local food production, support rural communities, and illuminate for consumers the connection between healthful food and environmentally sound growing practices.
MOFGA provides technical and marketing assistance as well as informational resources on organic gardening and farming, holds educational seminars and promotes community agriculture. MOFGA holds its annual Common Ground Fair where 50,000 fair-goers a year join to share knowledge about sustainable living.
Maine Organic Milk Producers
Mia Morrison, Executive Director
159 Atkinson Road
Charleston, ME 04422
Phone: 207-564-3635
Maine Organic Milk Producers (MOMP) collaborates with the University of Maine and its membership to conduct onfarm research on growing energy and protein grain crops. This information is shared in newsletters, emails and through forage and grain conferences held in the spring and fall of each year. MOMP also helps to host field days during the growing season.
This past year, MOMP’s research focused on growing small grains (winter and summer) along with some test plots of sunflowers for oil and protein meal for livestock feed. MOMP has also developed a non-profit cooperative to facilitate group purchases.
Maine Rural Partners
Contacts: Mary Ann Hayes, Executive Director
maryann@mainerural.org, (207) 581-4521
Claudia Lowd, Energy Innovation Coordinator
claudia@mainerural.org, (207) 581-4523
Main Office:
4 York Village
Orono, ME 04469-5784
Phone: (207) 581-4520
Fax: (207) 581-1266
Maine Rural Partners’ (MRP) mission is to strengthen the capacity of rural communities to secure a sustainable high quality of life. As Maine’s federally recognized state rural development council, MRP specializes in building collaborative, integrated approaches to address identified needs at the state, regional and grassroots levels. MRP listens to what’s needed, connects the right players and creates innovative, value-added solutions.
As a response to both need and opportunity, MRP convened and facilitates the Farm Energy Partners network. Farm Energy Partners coordinates the programs of agricultural, energy, environmental and business support interests to leverage our collective ability to achieve energy efficiencies and pursue on-farm renewable energy technologies. With support of the USDA Risk Management Agency, Farm Energy Partners is strengthening its capacity to serve the farm community. To request a “Harvesting Clean Energy” farm energy audit, renewable energy assessment or resource materials, contact Claudia Lowd, Network Coordinator at 581-4523 or claudia@mainerural.org
Maine Solar Energy Association
Richard Komp, President
Maine Solar Energy Association
17 Rockwell Rd. SE
Jonesport, ME 04649
Maine Solar Energy Association (MSEA) provides information on solar power, links to other organizations and businesses; organizes annual solar tours in Maine.
Natural Resources Conservation Service
21 Enterprise Drive, Suite #1
Augusta, ME 04330-7451
Phone: 207-622-7847 Ext. 3
Fax: 207-622-8196
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has 15 field offices throughout Maine.
Since 1935, the NRCS has provided leadership in a partnership effort to help America’s private land owners and managers conserve their soil, water, and other natural resources.
NRCS employees provide technical assistance based on sound science and suited to a customer’s specific needs. We provide financial assistance for many conservation activities. Participation in our programs is voluntary.
NRCS has two existing programs that farmers can apply for: the Conservation Security Program (CSP) is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to producers who advance the conservation and improvement of soil, water, air, energy, plant and animal life, and other conservation purposes on Tribal and private working agricultural lands. Such lands include cropland, grassland, prairie land, improved pasture, and range land, as well as forested land and other non-cropped areas that are an incidental part of the agriculture operation.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program for farmers and ranchers that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality, including conservation practices that save energy, as compatible national goals. EQIP offers financial and technical help to assist eligible participants install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land.
St. John Aroostook Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council
735 Main St., Suite #3
Presque Isle, ME 04769
Phone: 207-764-4126 Ext. 5
Fax: 207-768-3407
Contact: Stephanie Landry
Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) is a unique program that helps people care for and protect their natural resources in a way that will improve the area’s economy, environment and living standards. It provides a way for people to work together to plan and carry out activities that will make their area a better place to live. It improves the capability of State, tribal and local units of government and non-profit organizations in rural areas to plan, develop and carry out programs for resource conservation and development.
Threshold to Maine Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council
67 Shaker Road, Suite #9
Gray, ME 04039-9640
Phone: 207 657-3131
Contact: Mark Hews
Threshold to Maine’s mission is to position natural resource based industries as key economic development centers for southern and western Maine communities, expanding the number of small natural resource based businesses contributing to local, regional, state, national, and international economies.
Threshold to Maine provides project consultation and coordination assistance, along with facilitation services. Other technical assistance services include meeting coordination and facilitation, project and strategic planning, and media development.
Time and Tide Resource Conservation & Development Council
21 Enterprise Drive, Suite #1
Augusta, ME 04330
Phone: 207-622-7847, Ext. 4
Fax: 207-626-8196
The Time & Tide RC&D Council’s mission is to help people develop, care for, and appreciate their natural resources in a manner that will enrich their community and better their lives.
The Council’s purpose is to provide local leadership in activities fostering the orderly conservation, improvement, development, and wise use of the natural resources within the Time & Tide RC&D Area, thereby improving the economic opportunities of the people within Androscoggin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and Waldo Counties.
The Council provides assistance and technical guidance on grant writing and preparation.
University of Maine Cooperative Extension
University of Maine Cooperative Extension (UMaine Extension) has 16 offices across Maine.
UMaine Extension provides Maine people with research-based educational programs to help them live fuller, more productive lives.
- For information on commercial cultivation of canola as a rotation and/or energy crop and infrastructure to establish canola processing facilities for biodiesel and other uses, contact: Peter Sexton, 800-287-1462, psexton@umext.maine.edu
- For information on organic dairy and grain production, contact: Rick Kersbergen, 800-287-1426, richardk@umext.maine.edu
- For information on alternative energy, including methane digesters, contact: Caragh Fitzgerald, 800-287-1481, cfitzgerald@umext.maine.edu
UMaine Extension provides individual farm consultations, holds conferences and has a number of fact sheets available on their web site, and provides other forms of farm-based outreach.
Western Mountains Alliance
info@westernmountainsalliance.org
109A Church Street
Church Street Commons
P.O. Box 29
Farmington, ME 04938
Phone: 207-778-3885
The Western Mountains Alliance (WMA) strives to improve the quality of life and to strengthen the regional identity of the western mountains region of Maine, while honoring rural values and the environment, and supporting sustainable community development.
WMA’s Eat Smart Eat Local initiative produces directories of farms, farm-stands and farmer’s markets in western Maine. WMA also works to support farm to school connections and organizes a winter workshop series on topics of interest to local farmers.
Women’s Agricultural Network
University of Maine Cooperative Extension
P.O. Box 179
Monmouth, ME 04259
Phone: 207-933-2100 x103
1-800-924-5258 (Maine only)
The Women’s Agricultural Network (WaGN) enables women and other underserved people to successfully own, operate and support agriculturally-related enterprises.
WaGN connects women and underserved farmers with appropriate resources including agricultural workshops, programs, and informal gatherings to learn from each other’s experiences.