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V O L . X X X I I N O. X I I J U N E 1 , 2 0 2 6 14 A G R I C U LT U R E / A Q UA C U LT U R E aheavy rain hits. All the effort from the past 30 to 60 days to keep the grass healthy, properly managed, and harvested at the right time goes to waste," says Garzon. e success of Maine's agricultural economy, in the context of a difficult national economy and a changing climate, is rooted in the cooperation of specialists like Garzon and the state's many farmers. Mike Clewley definitely figures climate into his plan when he is making and marketing hay —doing his forage match-making. "With it being a drought one year and a swamp the next year, you just can't have enough ground," he says. Clewley farms his own land in Pittsfield but also manages land off-farm. "e loss of the large dairy farm- ers has left a lot of the fields unman- aged," he notes, explaining that unused fields are both an opportunity and a challenge. Maintaining productive fields takes time, effort and inputs — the productivity of Maine's hayfields draws upon the efforts of researchers like Garzon and the in-field work of farmers like Clewley. John O'Meara , a f reelance writer, can be reached at editorial @ mainebiz.biz » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Lower Your Energy Costs with Efficiency Upgrades Learn about Efficiency Maine's commercial and industrial incentive opportunities at efficiencymaine.com/at-work. Efficiency Maine offers incentives for a range of energy efficiency upgrades. Solutions for agriculture include HVAC, lighting and dehumidification, refrigeration, pumps, compressors, high-efficiency heating equipment, greenhouse thermal curtains, and variable frequency drives. From straightforward prescriptive upgrades to site-specific custom solutions, Efficiency Maine is here to help make energy efficiency more accessible for your business. P H O T O / JA I M E G A R Z O N Jaime Garzon with an unusual crop for Maine, Sunn Hemp. F O C U S Historically, there were weather patterns that repeated every year, but that is no longer the case. — Jaime Garzon University of Maine