Lawmaker wants Maine to help farmers hurt by federal funding freeze

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 28, 2025

A state lawmaker has submitted an after-deadline bill to create a state-funded, no-interest loan program to help Maine farmers struggling to survive a federal funding freeze that has left them on the hook for at least $1 million in unreimbursed expenses. Sen. Stacy Brenner, D-Scarborough, says Maine farmers shouldn’t face financial ruin for believing the U.S. Department of Agriculture would honor long-term contracts through agricultural programs that have enjoyed bipartisan support, some of which date to the Dust Bowl era. Maine can’t afford to lose any more farms, said Brenner.