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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 A U G U S T 2 5 , 2 0 2 5 F O C U S G R E AT E R B A N G O R / N O R T H E R N M A I N E government. at funding went to efficient equipment. "Our governor also invested a lot of our COVID money into making sure Maine has a resilient agricultural sector," she notes. Elements of the wider economy can be rocky. "e threat of tariffs creates some instability in the marketplace," says Lambke. In addition, the advent of modern weight-loss drugs has changed some con- sumer habits. Maine Grains focuses on what it calls high quality calories and may not be as vulnerable to general down- swings in eating habits, the current trend may still cut into sales, Lambke says. "All food industries are feeling the impact of weight loss drugs," says Lambke. "People are consuming less." Meat processing Although Maine has a storied history of quality livestock farming, some parts of the state lack infrastructure for processing. Like with grain and potatoes, livestock processing in Maine is on the upswing. Brady Hatch owns and operates Hatch's Custom Meat Cutting in rural Crystal, in southern Aroostook County. Off the beaten path but accessible because of its proximity to I-95, Hatch's slaughterhouse is a clean, modern, new facility sporting an array of solar panels on its roof. Hatch had done just custom slaughtering for years — that is when a customer buys the animal or half of the animal live and hires the butcher to do the slaughtering and processing. Now, Hatch's Custom Meat Cutting is state inspected. Farmers can bring an animal to the new facility and have it processed and sell the meat piece by piece to indi- vidual customers or restaurants or stores — even across state lines. "e state came to me," says Hatch. During COVID and a steep rise in demand for local food, the state recognized that there was a need for more livestock processing and chose two slaughterhouses to upgrade. e state helped with a plan and eventu- ally Hatch got grants that helped with modern equipment and infrastructure — and the solar panels. "It took about a year to get it started. I am able to offer more products. I also expanded my cooler," says Hatch. Like with Amber Lambke and Rhett Fox, business is good at Hatch's Custom Meat Cutting — even in tiny Crystal, which has a population of 248. "My numbers are up this year from last year," says Hatch. Tortilla flats Tortilleria Pachanga in Scarborough is also experiencing growth and steady demand. Owner Lynn Rowe makes yellow, blue and white tortilla's from mostly locally grown corn. She has six part-time employees and sells to restaurants and natural food stores in Maine, moving about 15 tons of corn a year. Rowe's company got an infrastruc- ture grant through the Department of Agriculture that allowed her to get a new delivery vehicle and upgrade some other equipment. e grant was competitive. "ere were over 900 applicants and they awarded only 60 grants," says Rowe. ere is a difference between selling to restaurants and selling to natural food stores. "e margin is always slim but it is smaller for restaurants," she says, not- ing that the restaurants could certainly buy cheaper, mass produced tortillas but they choose local and high quality. Small businesses make an owner busy. Rowe says she will be quite busy this summer until after the Common Ground Fair, when she hopes she will get a breather and be able to install some of the new equipment. Some of the new infrastructure will allow Tortilleria Pachanga to make chips on a small scale. Adding value to agricultural products is on the rise in Maine and is driving our agricultural economy into a brighter future. Although Brady Hatch, Lynn Rowe, Rhett Fox and Amber Lambke are all clearly busy, they have all also used wit and work to contribute to the success of Maine's changing economy. John O'Meara , a f reelance writer, can be reached at editorial @ mainebiz.biz Consigli Construction Co., Inc. Construction Managers & General Contractors | consigli.com Building Maine's Most Complex Projects LEARN MORE Acadia Hospital Pediatric Inpatient Wing/Adult Inpatient Renovations & Pediatric Day Treatment Addition EXPECT to learn at your pace Financial aid available for qualified students. at the UNIVERSITY of MAINE at PRESQUE ISLE YO U R J O U R N E Y. YO U R PAC E . affordability EXTREME UNPARALLELED EXCEPTIONAL support personal academic success coach flexibility 100% online & fully asynchronous Flat tuition rate per 8 week session— $1,800 for bachelor's, $2,450 for master's umpi.edu/yourpace | umpi-yourpace@maine.edu Looking for a degree completion program that's both affordable and designed to meet the needs of working professionals? APPLY BY 9/26 New Master of Science in Business degree Fall 2 Session starts 10/27 What I can do now every five minutes would take five hours when I started. — Rhett Fox Fox Family Potato Chips

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