Maine Farmland Trust Inc

Quick Stats

Annual Expenditure: $4,899,473
Total Grants Distributed: $1.5+ million (across 300+ farms)
Grant Range: $500 - $50,000 (depending on program)
Geographic Focus: Maine (all 16 counties)
Network Size: 560+ farms
Protected Farmland: Nearly 60,000 acres

Contact Details

Belfast Office (Main): 97 Main Street Belfast, ME 04915

Portland Office: 509 Ocean Avenue Portland, ME 04103

Phone: (207) 338-6575 Email: info@mainefarmlandtrust.org Website: https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org

Program-Specific Contact: Catherine Durkin, Technical Assistance Specialist Email: catherine@mainefarmlandtrust.org

Overview

Maine Farmland Trust (MFT) was founded in 1999 by a coalition of farmers and agricultural advocates who recognized that farmland preservation was essential for Maine's future. Over 25 years, the organization has grown from protecting just a few hundred acres to becoming the state's premier farmland protection and farmer support organization, with nearly 60,000 acres of protected farmland across all 16 counties. MFT supports a network of 560+ farms through comprehensive programming that includes grant funding, business planning, climate adaptation support, and PFAS contamination relief. The organization has distributed $1.5+ million in grants to over 300 farm businesses through its various programs. With a staff of 35 working throughout Maine and over 2,200 members, MFT is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. In December 2024, Stacy Brenner became President & CEO—the first farmer to lead the organization in this role.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Farming for Wholesale Implementation Grants: Up to $50,000 Competitive matching grants awarded to farms that complete MFT's Farming for Wholesale 201 program and submit a comprehensive business plan. Farms work with business, production, and marketing advisers over 1-2 years. Requires equal matching investment from the farm. Supports equipment purchases, infrastructure improvements, and scaling operations for wholesale markets.

Seed Grants: Up to $1,000 Awarded to farms after completing Farming for Wholesale 101, providing early-stage support for business development initiatives.

Climate Resilience Assistance Grants: $5,000 Flexible, one-time grants help farms respond to current climate-related challenges and increase future resilience. Awarded to easement-protected farms or farms engaged in other MFT programs. Recent recipients have invested in drainage improvements, water systems, high tunnels, drought-tolerant seeds, and shade cloth.

PFAS Testing Grants: Up to $500 Co-administered with Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). Covers testing of home or irrigation water, farm soil, and farm products. MFT/MOFGA directly pays testing labs.

PFAS Income Replacement Grants: Variable amounts Provides bi-weekly payments to replace lost farm business income for farms that must pause sales due to PFAS contamination. Requires DACF referral and confirmation that farming represents at least 50% of family income.

PFAS Farmer Wellness Fund: Up to $500 per person Supports therapy, childcare, acupuncture, uncontaminated food/water purchases, massage, traditional healing, and stress-relief services for farmers and farmworkers on PFAS-affected farms.

PFAS Infrastructure Investment Program: Variable amounts Covers upfront infrastructure costs necessary for safe production response to PFAS contamination. Requires DACF referral and approval.

PFAS Tax Preparation Support: Variable amounts Direct payment to tax advisors for services related to PFAS program participation (available to farms receiving income replacement or infrastructure support, not testing/wellness only).

Priority Areas

MFT focuses on three main pillars:

Farmland Protection: Permanently preserving agricultural land from non-agricultural development to sustain farmers and communities for generations.

Farmer Support: Providing programs and resources that support farmers in stewarding farmland, growing business success, adapting to climate change, and navigating emergent challenges like PFAS contamination.

Future of Farming: Through grassroots organizing, advocacy, policy change, research, and storytelling, creating an environment that supports thriving, interconnected Maine farms.

Specific Focus Areas:

Farm business planning and expansion for wholesale markets
Climate adaptation and resilience
PFAS contamination response and recovery
Farmland access for new and beginning farmers
Generational farm transitions
Sustainable and economically viable farming operations

What They Don't Fund

Non-farm activities or projects
Farms located outside Maine
For PFAS programs: Farms with less than $2,000 annual sales (except Indigenous food/medicine producers)
For PFAS income replacement: Farms where farming represents less than 50% of family income

Governance and Leadership

Leadership

Stacy Brenner, President & CEO (appointed December 2024) Brenner is the first farmer to lead MFT as President & CEO. She has been involved with the organization for 20 years—as a farmer utilizing MFT programs, as a Board member, and most recently as Senior Advisor for Farmland Access. Previously served as a Maine State Senator.

Key quotes from Brenner:

"I have experienced both the challenges of farming and the immense fulfillment of supporting my family on the income of a successful farm operation, and have felt the impact of Maine Farmland Trust's programs firsthand."
"Farming is hard enough to break into as a profession. Access to land should not stand in the way as a barrier."
"I see my role as disrupting the existing paradigm around farmland ownership in order to bring more farmers onto more land in Maine."

Dave Colson, Board Chair

Kristin Varnum, VP and Chief Financial Officer

Board of Directors

Recent board members include Lauren Giroux, Alix Hopkins, Tom Settlemire, and Henry Whittemore (who previously served from 2010-2022).

Staff

MFT employs a staff of 35 working throughout Maine, with main offices in Belfast and Portland.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Farming for Wholesale Programs: Applications open periodically throughout the year. Interested farms should monitor MFT's website or contact them directly. Farms are not required to have participated in Farming for Wholesale 101 to apply. The program involves working with experienced business, production, and marketing advisers over 1-2 years before competing for implementation grants.

Climate Resilience Grants: Open to MFT's network of protected farms and farms engaged in other MFT programs. Applications open in spring and fall cycles. Some sources indicate MFT may proactively work with farmers to identify needs rather than requiring formal applications.

PFAS Testing Grants: Submit online application form at MFT's website. Applications reviewed weekly by MFT/MOFGA staff. Upon selection, MFT/MOFGA directly pays testing labs.

PFAS Income Replacement: Requires referral from Nancy McBrady at DACF with confirmation of high PFAS contamination levels. After referral, contact from MFT/MOFGA representative initiates enrollment process, requiring W-9 and recent Schedule F tax form.

PFAS Farmer Wellness Fund: Application through Google form available on MFT website. All commercial Maine farms selling more than $2,000 annually are eligible.

General Approach: MFT emphasizes relationship-building with farmers in its network. Many programs are available to farms already engaged with MFT through easements or other programs. For farmers new to MFT, initial contact via phone or email is recommended to discuss eligibility and program fit.

Decision Timeline

PFAS Testing Grants: Applications reviewed weekly; rapid turnaround.

Farming for Wholesale Implementation Grants: 1-2 year program participation before grant competition. Applications undergo extensive review by committee comprised of MFT staff and industry consultants.

Climate Resilience Grants: Awards announced in spring and fall cycles. Specific timelines vary.

PFAS Income Replacement: Bi-weekly payments begin after enrollment process completed; continues until enrollment in DACF's permanent program.

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly disclosed. The Farming for Wholesale Implementation Grants are described as highly competitive, with "extensive review process." In 2021, four farms received implementation grants totaling $200,000. Recent climate resilience grant cycles have selected nearly 40 farms in spring cycle with additional recipients in fall.

MFT has distributed over $1.5 million in grants across 300+ farms since inception, suggesting significant grant-making activity relative to application volume.

Reapplication Policy

For emergency grant programs (historically COVID-related), farmers who received grants in one round were eligible to apply again, though preference was given to new applicants. Specific reapplication policies vary by program and should be confirmed with MFT staff.

Application Success Factors

Program Participation: Many grants are available primarily or exclusively to farms already engaged in MFT programs. Building a relationship through farm protection easements, attending MFT events, or participating in business planning programs increases access to grant opportunities.

Business Planning Quality: For Farming for Wholesale Implementation Grants, the strength of the business plan is critical. MFT provides extensive advisory support during plan development. One recipient noted: "The planning mentorship and tools we received from MFT through the program honed our management skills and made a significant difference in the operations of the farm."

Matching Funds: Implementation grants require equal matching investment from the farm, demonstrating financial commitment and viability.

Climate Resilience Focus: Applications showing clear connection to climate adaptation needs are prioritized. Successful projects have addressed drainage, water security, drought resilience, and infrastructure to control growing conditions.

Farm Viability: For income-based programs, farms must demonstrate that farming represents at least 50% of family income. For all programs, demonstrating financial need and the grant's impact on farm sustainability strengthens applications.

Priority Groups: PFAS programs prioritize farms with confirmed contamination, those deriving majority income from farming, and Indigenous food/medicine producers. "Tier 1" licensed sites and farms with biosolids-related concerns receive priority for testing grants.

Wholesale Market Focus: Farming for Wholesale programs specifically target farms expanding into or scaling up wholesale markets. Clear plans for reaching institutional buyers, distributors, or wholesale accounts align with program goals.

Geographic Diversity: MFT works across all 16 Maine counties and supports diverse farm types and scales, from small direct-market operations to larger wholesale producers.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Build the relationship first: Many grant opportunities are available to farms already in MFT's network. Start by connecting with MFT staff, attending events, or participating in programs before applying for major grants.
Strong business planning is essential: For implementation grants up to $50,000, invest time in the business planning process. MFT's advisors help farms develop competitive applications.
Climate adaptation is a priority: MFT has secured significant funding (including $1 million from TD Bank) to expand climate resilience programming. Projects addressing climate challenges align with organizational priorities.
Be prepared to match funds: Implementation grants require equal investment from the farm. Demonstrate financial capacity and commitment to the project.
Multiple entry points exist: From $500 PFAS testing grants to $50,000 implementation grants, MFT offers programs at various scales. Start small if needed and build up.
PFAS support is comprehensive: If dealing with PFAS contamination, MFT and MOFGA provide holistic support from testing through income replacement, infrastructure adaptation, and even tax assistance.
Speed matters for crisis response: PFAS testing grants are reviewed weekly, showing MFT's responsiveness to urgent farmer needs.

References

Maine Farmland Trust Official Website, https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org, accessed January 2025
"Maine Farmland Trust 2024 Annual Impact Report," Issuu, https://issuu.com/mainefarmlandtrust/docs/maine_farmland_trust_2024_annual_impact_report, accessed January 2025
"Support for PFAS-Affected Maine Farmers," Maine Farmland Trust, https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/farmers/pfas, accessed January 2025
"Find Resources," Maine Farmland Trust, https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/farmers/find-resources, accessed January 2025
"Meet Our New President & CEO," Maine Farmland Trust blog, https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/blogs/meet-our-new-president-ceo, accessed January 2025
"Our Story," Maine Farmland Trust, https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/about-us/our-story, accessed January 2025
"Four Maine Farms Receive Grants to Expand Businesses," Maine Farmland Trust blog, https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/blogs/four-maine-farms-receive-grants-to-expand-businesses, accessed January 2025
"Maine Farmland Trust Awarded Historic Federal Funding to Advance Climate Resilience in Agriculture," Maine Farmland Trust blog, https://www.mainefarmlandtrust.org/blogs/maine-farmland-trust-awarded-historic-federal-funding-to-advance-climate-resilience-in-agriculture, accessed January 2025
"New mapping tool, grants may help Maine farms adapt to climate change," Mainebiz.biz, https://www.mainebiz.biz/article/new-mapping-tool-grants-may-help-maine-farms-adapt-to-climate-change, accessed January 2025
Maine Farmland Trust - GuideStar Profile, https://www.guidestar.org/profile/01-0528014, accessed January 2025
Maine Farmland Trust Inc - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/10528014, accessed January 2025