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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 19 M AY 2 7 , 2 0 1 9 F O C U S L E W I S T O N / A U B U R N & C E N T R A L M A I N E While farming in Maine is decreas- ing, there is an increase in farmers under 34, and it's one of the largest sectors of people moving to the state, the Maine Farmland Trust reports. e number of New American farmers, many of them members of the Somali-Bantu Community Association, is also growing. e association farms 13 acres in Lewiston, with 130 farmers each on one-tenth of an acre, says Abby Sadauckas of Land for Good, which works with the association. e group is looking for more land as it increases its business reach. "is land has an incredible story to tell," Harper said at the March conference. "Current efforts to craft a new ordinance have potential to make it attractive to a growing population of young farmers and food entrepreneurs." 'Farmers want to farm' Bolduc, a Raymond native, bought the Auburn farm with her husband, John, 10 years ago largely because of the soil quality and the proximity to Portland markets. She says Auburn is poised to be one of the state's most productive farming areas. "Farmers want to farm," she says. "Let's embrace that." She has sold produce to restaurants and, like many farms, had a Community Supported Agriculture shares program. Two years ago she piloted a program that delivered two meals' worth of food, with recipes, to homes. She got her product from two dozen area farms. e aim was not only to get local, fresh food to people, but also to get families to eat together. e pilot went well, but she couldn't get the 100 sub- scriptions she needed take it farther. e feedback was that the $35-a-week cost was too much for many people. "I thought, 'How can I make this available to more people who can't afford it?'" she says. She plans to buy 100 acres and build a "treehouse sanctuary" that will take advantage of the growing high-end camping trend. Profits will help subsi- dize the meal-kit program, making it affordable, or even free to some. "Ideally, I feel like the whole [local agriculture] system would operate on passion — local food, good and fresh, something everyone's behind," she says. "But there's not enough to sustain it here. Farmers work hard and they deserve to make a living." at means farmers themselves thinking outside of the box, but it also Since 1989 Local Decisions Be Budget! 800.924.4229 www.bdtme.com Problems Solved. Budget Document Technology is an industry leader in providing digital solutions for document creation, production, and distribution. Helping Maine get business done! • Multi-functional Color & B&W Copiers • Printers & Scanners • Postage & Mailing Equipment • Software & Network Solutions • Managed Print Services Sensible Solutions 207.989.4824 www.cesincusa.com Make sure all the pieces stack up. At CES we believe that quality service, responsiveness, and expertise are key to developing success. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E »

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