The History of Farming & Food Production in Maine
Maine has always been a state where farming is a means of survival, the diverse landscape caused Maine to be sparsely populated, mountainous terrain made it very difficult to travel, therefore Mainers were forced to become self reliant. The State had a number of commercial farms by the middle of the 19th century, most of these farms were located in the southern portion of the state before the Portland Toll and they farmed many different things for survival as well for sale to local neighbors and markets. This same area today accounts for 40% of Maine’s total population.
After the Civil War, when trains started to appear in the Northeast, farmers expanded their crops and grew in size to meet the new market demands. This was a new beginning. The newly purchased farms were owned by large companies rather than just a farmer, and they were setting new standards, required to be used in order to compete.
In 1787, the Kennebec Agricultural Society Started and their primary goal was to teach farming through education.
In 1819, the first Agricultural Fair was held in Skowhegan, ME. It has just celebrated its 195th anniversary, the oldest in the country! The Great Geauga County Fair, in Geauga, OH is celebrating its 192nd anniversary and Topsfield Fair in Massachusetts is celebrating its 177th year. These agricultural fairs were a way for the farmer to see the latest inventions, possibly try them out, attend seminars and these fairs still provide the same service today. Presently there are 25 agricultural fairs in Maine.
Blueberries are grown wild here in Maine and are a huge source of revenue. The first blueberries to be commercially harvested was in 1840. Initially blueberries were harvested by anyone who happened upon them, therefore making it very difficult to make a living from, but in 1882 two things happened, Abijah Tabbott made the first blueberry rake, which made harvesting so much easier, and the privatization of blueberry bushes, whereas, land was sold with existing wild blueberries. Washington and Hancock counties remain the largest producers of blueberries, with the greatest number being sold to Wyman’s. In 2013 10,000,000 pounds were picked at .67 per pound or $6,700,000 in annual sales.
In 1848 lobster was being canned, it is unclear if it was being actually canned in metal or in glass, at that time. Napolean Bonapart is actually responsible for canning, he was looking for a way to better feed his army and funded research to create a process for storing food, glass jar canning came into existence.
In 1850, Isaac and Nathan Winslow patented the first canned corn machine and there were 26 canneries just for lobster existing along the coast. Today only 9 remain, LePage has been trying to open some additional closed canneries to meet the current demand, excess is presently sent to Canada for processing. At the turn of the 20th Century, Maine had 111 canneries. Canneries thrived in Maine until the 1950s and then frozen food was introduced and by the 1990s only 9 canneries existed, most of them canning seafood except for B&M.
Dairy farms were Maine’s most lucrative crop and those farms that were producing surplus were now entering into a new business of butter, cream and cheese production, being sold locally for the most part.
In 1871, the first cheese factory was opened in Maine, Sandy River Cheese Company, Strong ME. The first cheese being produced 6-12-1871, this cheese company did not last, only in existence for 15 years. It is believed that its failure was due to inability to collect enough milk, poor travel and lack of interest by consumers.
In 1881, refrigerated cars started to be used on the railways between Boston and Maine, this allowed farmers to start shipping their product further away and opened the way for more markets. Creameries started to dominate the market and less cheese was being produced, money was earned quicker by doing so.
By 1896 Maine had 49 creameries and the silo had been introduced to the dairy farm, now they could be fed silage all year round. Larger herds could be maintained. Dairy farmers today use artificial breeding as means of reproduction.
Since 1765, farmers still perform the sameannual work cycle and I can attest to this, living on a farm myself for 10+ years:
January – Cutting next year’s wood – Knocking the trees down
February – Continuing to cut and maybe even rounding up
March – Maple syrup production and more wood cutting
April – plow, plant and prune
May – Plant and shear animals
June – Hoe, plant, fix and erect fences
July – Hay
August – Continue haying and harvest
September – Harvest and start making cider, wine
October – Harvest
November – Plow
December – Cut wood, Clear land
On rainy days – walk the property – make repairs – work on the woodpile
After WWII chicken meat was in huge demand, red meat was rationed and chicken became a staple, when the war was over, the demand for chicken increased. Belfast became chicken haven.
In the 1970s the environmental concerns for chicken waste became an issue and Belfast’s harbor was a disgrace, literally feathers everywhere. The cost to do business in Maine was increasing so that the environmental impact could be cleaned and addressed, this opened the road to competition in other states and by the 90s poultry farms have become almost non-existent. Belfast had already lost its shoe & clothing manufacturing plants many years ago, they needed the chicken industry, without it 700 people in the area were now unemployed between 1980-1988.
Today, Maine’s agricultural revenues are about 60% for livestock and 40% for vegetation.
Maine leads the world in production of blueberries.
Somerset County in Maine produces more maple syrup than any other county in the country.
Maine ranks 8th in the country for potato production, Idaho produces the most and they produce 10 times as many as we do.
Maine is working towards a diverse organic farm offerings. Small scale farming has grown tremendously in Maine over the last few years, many of these farms are selling direct to the public and large scale farming is down. Large farms sell their product to processors or wholesalers and small farms sell their product directly to the consumer either at a stand, farmers market, restaurant, and CSA’s. More money earned. The small farmer needs the big farmer to keep the prices in check and to bring attention to the needs of the farmer. The large farms sees the need for the new demand in organic and helps set the new standards for production and marketing.
Total number of Farms today 8100
Average Size of Farms 166 acres
According to a census done by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension done in 2011, sales were for the following in that year:
Milk Cows – 556 Farms – Averaging $157,453 in sales for the year per farm
Poultry & Eggs – 1044 Farms – Averaging $75,224 in sales for the year per farm
Beef Cattle – 1107 Farms – Averaging $14,448 in sales for the year per farm
Horses – 2152 Farms – Averaging $1,302 in sales for the year per farm
Sheep – 490 Farms – Averaging $1,634 in sales for the year per farm
And roughly another 2751 very small farms
The above figures are grossly distorted for the average farmer, this does not account for some of the farms mentioned above that are quite large and therefore the percentage of sales to the rest is much more, but if all things were equal the average farmer would earn based on above $250,061. More than half of the farmers named in the numbers above have declared that they earn $10,000 or less per calendar year and the larger newer farmers have so much debt that the $150,000 that they made is still cutting it close.
What can farmers do today to assure that they stay in business, seek new avenues continuously to sell their products, expand their product line to include perhaps a finished product or two. Participate in the different markets to increase your sales. Look for ways to better educate the community and bring more nutrition to the school cafeteria and hospitals too. Find more efficient ways to produce enough food without waste, lower their carbon footprint and most of all buy local!