Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. X I V J U N E 2 6 , 2 0 1 7 10 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E Acadia Insurance in Westbrook, a Berkley Co., became the official carrier of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Massachusetts and will underwrite coverage for participating members of the association and its affiliates serving five chapters and ap- proximately 700 construction members. Woodfords Family Services in Westbrook assumed operation of Easterseals Maine's Child Development Center for children with special needs when the program closed on June 15 preserv- ing all services for 43 young children and their families, as well as hiring 23 former Easterseals employees. Flowfold, an outdoor retail brand in Portland focused on minimalist gear for everyday adventures, partnered with Women United Around the World to sell a limited number of handbags to raise awareness and money for skills training and leadership development for Maine- based immigrant women. Shipyard Brewing Co. in Portland released a commemorative Export Ale can that celebrates the 20th running of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K. Maine elver season tops $12 million Maine elver harvesters caught 9,282 pounds of the baby eels this season, with a reported value of $12.09 million and an average price per pound of $1,302. According to the Maine Department of Marine Resources, the breakdown for this year's elver season for tribal elver harvesters was: 1,261 pounds, Passamaquoddy; 619 pounds, Penobscot; 86 pounds, Maliseet; Micmac numbers are confidential and cannot be made public until three or more harvesters have reported, according to the confi- dentiality provisions of Maine law. e remaining licensed Maine harvesters caught 7,316 pounds, DMR reported. is year's harvest came in 334 pounds short of the season's quota of 9,616 pounds. e value of this year's harvest is more than $1 million less than $13.45 million in 2016, when harvesters were paid an average price of $1,431 per pound for 9,400 pounds of elvers. e highest value reported in the last five years was $40.38 million in 2012 for 21,611 pounds of elvers and a per-pound price of $1,868. Maine's blueberry farmers could be imperiled e low price of Maine wild blueber- ries may drive some growers out of business. e Associated Press reported that the price paid to farmers dropped from about $1 a pound in 2011 to 25 to 30 cents last year. Wild blueberries are smaller and, some argue, more flavorful than their cultivated counterparts. But Maine officials say wild blueberry grow- ers in Washington and Hancock coun- ties are seeing annual losses of $70 mil- lion. While the number of growers and acreage devoted to blueberries has held steady, farmers have been hurt in some unexpected ways. For example, the AP reported, the number of bees imported to Maine to pollinate blueberry crops declined by 20% between 2015-16, said David Yarborough, a horticulture pro- fessor at the University of Maine. Gov. Paul LePage's proposed budget that would use $2.5 million to market agri- cultural products, including blueberries. "ese are challenging times for the blueberry industry," Homer Woodward, vice president of Jasper Wyman & Son, told the AP. "Everyone is trying to rethink their farm management plan." N O T E W O R T H Y M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T The Midcoast Editors Alliance in Rockport was formed by five Midcoast professionals with experience in writing, editing and publishing to help novelists, nonfiction writers, screenwriters, busi- ness people and media professionals initiate, organize and polish their work. The boards of Child and Family Opportunities in Ellsworth and the Washington Hancock Community Agency in Machias voted to merge. The two organizations provide a wide array of services including, but not limited to, Head Start and Early Head Start, Transportation, Home Energy Assistance, Home Repair and Weatherization, Friendship Cottage Adult Day Service and At Home. Backyard Farms sold to Canadian produce grower Backyard Farms, which gener- ates nearly $100 million in sales of greenhouse-grown tomatoes, was sold to Mastronardi Produce Ltd., Call us today! 207-854-2422 directpersonnel.net 1-800-639-8802 mainestaff.com A corporate division of Maine Staffing Group Diverse hiring solutions for Maine's competitive economy Filling entry-level roles to specialized technical positions. Providing skilled candidates for any industry! • Healthcare • Administrative • Accounting/Financial And much more! www.NonprofitMaine.org We help nonprofits help Maine. We help nonprofits help Maine. $264 million in state income tax revenue Maine's nonprofit wages generate every year M I D C O A S T & D O W N E A S T C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N

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