Our district staff is available to assist you in farm management and planning, as well as in locating resources. Please contact us if you would like assistance. We have listed other worthwhile resources here.
Resources
Organizations Assisting Farmers
State of Maine
Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF)
Federal
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS):
Natural Resources Conservation Services Home page
NRCS Field Office Technical Guides Many useful guides to management, in the following areas:
Section I — General References
In this section you will find general state maps, descriptions of Major Land Resource Areas, watershed information, and links to NRCS reference manuals and handbooks. Section I contains links to researchers, universities, and agencies we work. Section I also contains conservation practice costs, agricultural laws and regulations, cultural resources, and information about protected plant and animal species.
Section II — Soil and Site Information
In this section you will find detailed information about soil, water, air, plant, and animal resources. NRCS Soil Surveys, Hydric Soils Interpretations, Ecological Site Descriptions, Forage Suitability Groups, Cropland Production Tables, Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Guides, Water Quality Guides, and other related information can be found here as it becomes available.
Section III — Conservation Management Systems
In this section you will find information on NRCS Quality Criteria, which establish standards for resource conditions that help provide sustained use.
Section IV — Practice Standards and Specifications
In this section you will find the NRCS Conservation Practices. Practice Standards define the practice and where it applies. Practice specifications are detailed requirements for installing the practice in the state.
Section V — Conservation Effects
In this section you will find background information on how Conservation Practices affect each identified resource concerns in the state.
USDA Small and Midsize Farm Resources
Regional
Knox Lincoln SWCD Beginning Farmers Program
University of Maine Cooperative Extension in Waldo Beginning Farmer Resources
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
Maine Dairy Industry Association
Other Online Resources
Web Soil Survey – A tool for learning about the soil types on your land.
For Teachers See our website section Teacher Resources for farm related educational ideas.
Recommended Books and Publications
The Art and Science of Grazing: How Grass Farmers Can Create Sustainable Systems for Healthy Animals and Farm Ecosystems by Sarah Flack
NOFA Guides Set: Whole-Farm Planning: Ecological Imperatives, Personal Values, and Economics (Organic Principles and Practices Handbook Series) Paperback – April 15, 2011by Elizabeth Henderson , Karl North
Farming for Bees: Guidelines for Providing Native Bee Habitat on Farms
By Mace Vaughan, Jennifer Hopwood, Eric Lee-Mader, Matthew Shepherd, Claire Kremen, Anne Stine, and Scott Hoffman Black
Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies By The Xerces Society
Farming with Native Beneficial Insects By The Xerces Society