HOULTON, Maine — Spring is in full swing in Northern Maine, and farms of all types are raring to go. For many, spring means repairing damage caused from erosion and winter freezing on pastures, or battling the endless mud. This not only costs precious time in an already short season, but money for farms often at the mercy of a tight budget.
Many farms in the area have begun utilizing the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funded through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The federally funded program helps farms of any size address issues that affect their land and productivity.
“Whether the farm is one acre or 100 acres, or has two horses or 80 cows, NRCS can provide assistance to improve the land for the better,” District Conservationist Helena Swiatek said from the USDA Service Center in Houlton. “Our number one goal is to work with the farmers to address their concerns about their operations while improving the land. We’ve already assisted farms in Southern Aroostook with new fence, watering systems and improving their crop rotations.”
Sign-up for the 2018 EQIP program is going on now at the Houlton Field Office at 304 North St. For more information call the NRCS staff at (207) 532-2087, Ext. 3.
