BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 7, 2026
Our family farm has been shipping milk since the 1950s. Today, we milk between 75 and 100 cows and raise another 100 heifers and young stock. As my husband and I transition to ownership of the farm, we know we have enormous shoes to fill. I tear up when I think about all that my grandfather and dad have built and overcome to keep this farm going, from what was once a dilapidated homestead in the early 1930s to the working dairy it is today. A proposed $40 million agriculture and forestry bond (LD 2094) would invest in established state programs that farmers rely on for business investments and technical support. These programs were created by the Maine Legislature with bipartisan support, but aren’t funded in the way that they need to be. If this bond passes, farmers like me will be able to apply for grants, loans, and technical assistance so we can grow our businesses. Agriculture is more than a business; it is the backbone of rural communities and a driver of economic development. Please support LD 2094. ~ Holly Noyes, Noyes Family Farm, Albion