Meeting will discuss SARE grants for farmers

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — One of the most common questions about farming that comes into the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Office in Piscataquis County is, “How can I get a grant to help me farm?”

    Tom Malloy, outreach coordinator at the University of Maine for Northeast SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) will be coming to the next Maine Highlands Farmers meeting on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Piscataquis County Extension Office to talk about how farmers can get a grant from the SARE program to help with their farm.
    Malloy will discuss some successful grants that farmers in Maine have received and what they have been able to do with the extra funds. Some recent projects include pasturing hogs on field peas and barley, sunflowers for oil and feed, as well as winter-hardy bees. Many times the farmer/grower grant is about researching a new and different way of doing something on the farm. SARE provides some funding and the farmer provides the sweat equity.
    All are invited to attend this free session. The Maine Highlands Farmers will hold a business meeting after the session to discuss their website and other marketing outlets. All are welcome to sit in on this discussion too.
    For more information contact Donna Coffin, extension educator, at 564-3301 or in Maine 1-800-287-1491 or donna.coffin@maine.edu — or at www.mainehighlandsfarmers.com.