PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 24, 2025
Maine farmers impacted by the state’s monthslong drought can now apply for emergency loans from the federal government. The Maine Emergency Management Agency announced Monday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared the drought a natural disaster. All 16 of the state’s counties are included in the disaster declaration. “Almost every sector of Maine agriculture has suffered losses from this year’s drought,” said Tom Gordon, soil and water conservation program coordinator at the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry. “These emergency federal programs will provide some economic relief for farmers as they prepare for 2026.”