Rebar quoted in Deseret News article on younger generation of farmers

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

September 1, 2015 Cooperative Extension, UMaine in the News

John Rebar, executive director of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, spoke with Deseret News for the article, “A younger generation of farmers gets in the dirt.” The article states the number of Americans younger than 35 pursuing farming as their primary occupation increased 10 percent to roughly 55,000 between 2007 and 2012, according to a United States Department of Agriculture census. “The younger farmers of today are not the same as the ‘back to the land’ homesteaders of the 1970s,” Rebar said. “Today’s young farmers are aspiring to be successful businesspeople who want a relationship with their customers. They want to work toward creating something that is meaningful for them and the communities where they live. They want to make a living while having a quality of life that creates a positive place within their community.” Daily American also published the Deseret News article.