Testimony of Nancy Smith, CEO of GrowSmart Maine
In Support of LD 606, Resolve, To Study Barriers To Financial Assistance Programs For Farmers And Food Producers
March 11, 2025
Senator Talbot-Ross, Representative Pluecker, and honorable Members of the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry,
My name is Nancy Smith, I live in Ellsworth, and I am the CEO of GrowSmart Maine. We are a statewide non-partisan non-profit organization helping communities navigate change in alignment with smart growth. We advocate for comprehensive policies and funding for smart growth practices and outcomes.
As part of this work, we joined other Maine organizations in helping to design and host last October’s Economic Equity Summit. This resolve addresses one of the challenges recognized during the event; that accessing financial assistance programs for farmers and food producers may be challenging to the point of becoming barriers to participation.
As co-owner of a family farm for nearly twenty years myself, I invested time in learning to navigate these processes. This takes time away from the work of farming, though it is often necessary for the continued operation of the farm. Through this resolve, the Department can learn from the intended users of these programs, and adjust their processes to ensure programs are fully utilized by all who could make good use of the financial assistance.
This benefits not only the direct beneficiaries, but all Mainers, in that profitable farms keep farmland in production, in turn reducing sprawling growth while providing access to quality local foods for all of us.
GrowSmart Maine is willing to assist the committee in any way that is helpful.