Maine and the Farm Bill 2.0

## How the Farm Bill 2.0 affects MaineMaine has small-scale, diverse agriculture. Major specialty crop interests (potatoes, blueberries). Significant forest products economy. ## Maine agriculture at a glance | Metric | Value | |---|---| | Farms | 7,500 | | Farmland | 1.3 million acres | | Top crops | Potatoes, Wild blueberries, Dairy, Eggs, Lobster | | SNAP recipients | 165,000 | | Ag rank | Smaller ag state | ## Key programs for Maine producers The most relevant Farm Bill 2.0 programs for Maine:

• Specialty Crop Block Grants
• FCEP
• Crop Insurance
• DMC

## What's specifically changing for Maine

1. FCEP: Maine has significant private forest acreage.
2. Wild blueberries: specialty crop framework.
3. Aquaculture: Title VII and XII provisions.
4. Dairy: small dairies access Forward Pricing permanence.

## Top resources for Maine producers - **Maine Department of Agriculture**: primary state-level point of contact for many federal programs. - **Maine State University Extension**: local research, conservation planning, technical assistance. - **Maine Farm Bureau Federation**: advocacy and producer information. - **Maine FSA County Offices**: direct USDA loan applications, ARC/PLC enrollment, CRP. - **NRCS Maine State Office**: EQIP, CSP, ACEP, conservation planning. ## How Maine should think about the Farm Bill 2.0 If you're a producer in Maine, the most important thing to track is the **interaction between this bill and H.R. 1** (the 2025 reconciliation law). Most commodity policy is locked in by H.R. 1; the 2026 farm bill adds incremental changes on top. For most Maine operations, the highest-impact changes are likely to be: - **Title II conservation reshuffling**: if you use EQIP heavily, expect tighter funding - **Title VI REAP expansion**: if you're a co-op or in renewable energy - **Title XI crop insurance** for veterans, expanded eligibility and subsidy - **Title XII Prop 12 preemption**: if you're in livestock ## Related - [Full Farm Bill 2.0 Summary](/full-bill-summary/) - [What's New vs the 2018 Farm Bill](/whats-new-vs-2018/) - [Program Finder](/program-finder/) - [Browse all states](/states/)