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Holly Noyes is a third-generation dairy farmer at Noyes Family Farm in Albion. The Noyes Family Farm is Albion’s longest-running family-owned farm.
In January, I picked up my 3 year old at nursery school and headed to Augusta for a public hearing on a proposed $40 million agriculture and forestry bond. This was not a normal Tuesday for me. I made it work because I believe that a critical investment is needed in Maine’s agricultural infrastructure. I spoke out in support as my son made cute faces and the 6-7 hand gesture by my side, because this bond proposal (LD 2094) would do what is needed to help farmers, protect farmland, promote healthy soils, and strengthen our dairy sector.
Our family farm has been shipping milk since the 1950s. Today, we milk between 75 and 100 cows and raise another 100 heifers and young stock. As my husband and I transition to ownership of the farm, we know we have enormous shoes to fill. I tear up when I think about all that my grandfather and dad have built and overcome to keep this farm going, from what was once a dilapidated homestead in the early 1930s to the working dairy it is today.
I am incredibly proud of what they have built. I want my son to feel the same, and I want our farm to be in a secure financial position if he chooses to farm someday.
This bill is something that I’m excited about because it would invest in established state programs that farmers rely on for business investments and technical support. These programs were created by the Maine Legislature with bipartisan support, but aren’t funded in the way that they need to be. If this bond passes, farmers like me will be able to apply for grants, loans, and technical assistance so we can grow our businesses.
This investment would lay the groundwork needed so that Maine’s broader farm, food, and forest economies can thrive. Farms like ours are vital to Maine’s economy, environment, and way of life but we are struggling from things like rising costs of production, increasingly volatile weather conditions, lack of affordable capital to invest in our businesses and the loss of working lands.
For our farm, we are eager to transition to a no-till system across our 120 acres of corn. This was a transition we had carefully planned and financially prepared for. However, the December 18, 2023, storm disaster destroyed three of our barns that housed winter dry cows and heifers. We had to pivot immediately, redirecting the funds we had saved for equipment toward rebuilding critical infrastructure.
Moving to no-till would allow us greater efficiency in our crop rotation and help us better navigate both dry and increasingly wet conditions. It would further strengthen our soil health, improve long-term management, and make our farm more resilient to extreme weather. Funding through the Maine Healthy Soils Program could help offset the cost of the necessary equipment and make this important transition possible.
Land access is also huge for us as a dairy operation. We lease a portion of the land that we farm on. I wish that we could feel more confident that land will always be available for agriculture whereas now I worry it could be sold off and transitioned to housing lots. This bond would help to conserve our working lands, which is something I care about deeply.
Agriculture is more than a business; it is the backbone of rural communities and a driver of economic development. Please support LD 2094 for the hardworking Mainers who produce our food and care for the land and resources that we all depend on.