PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE • February 27, 2023
Lawmakers in Maine are considering ways to help farmers develop long-term solutions to drought, which has plagued the state for the past three years. The lack of steady rain has at times dwindled the size of Maine's prized blueberry and potato crops, and left fields of hay too dry for livestock to consume. Sen. Henry Ingwerson, D-Arundel, said he is introducing a bill to provide farmers with greater technical assistance, to help them manage their current water resources as well as find new ones. Maine has seen some improvement in drought conditions since 2020, when a University of Maine survey found more than half of the state's farms lacked adequate water to operate.