As a state with a large rural geography, farming is critical to Maine’s health, social, economic, and scientific development. Thus, the work of the University of Maine in fostering excellence in land and aqua-based agriculture is ongoing and central to both the land and sea grant missions of our institution.
While significant research has been conducted on sustainability, the science that intensifies and improves food and product development, and economic models within the agricultural sector, investigation of the social and health needs of older farmers is in its infancy.
Older farmers possess more than a third of all farm capital. Remove the older farmers and we starve. It’s as simple as that. Our responsibility to the people who provide food and fiber for the world is to turn our attention to their needs and work together to maximize their well-being and safety (Reed, 2008, p.70).
It is to Reed’s plea and the collaborative efforts that are now occurring at the University of Maine that we turn our attention in this seminar. Within the past four years, faculty and students in interdisciplinary disability studies, social work, and Cooperative Extension have engaged in a research agenda to understand career trajectory, ingenuity and unmet needs of aging farmers as the basis for tailoring and /or developing community services and informing educational curricula. We present the background, methods and findings of our initial studies and then engage the audience in a critical discussion of future steps in this complex, rural-relevant agenda. We conclude with ideas on the importance of this work for Maine and beyond.