Maine Food and Agriculture Center plans unveiled at UMS board of trustees meeting, media report
The Portland Press Herald and Bangor Daily News reported University of Maine System officials announced the creation of the Maine Food and Agriculture Center, a new way for Maine residents and businesses to tap into the resources offered across all seven campuses. The new center is in response to the growing markets in agritourism, organic farming, and the local food movement, according to the Press Herald. “Food is becoming an economic development issue. It’s very exciting,” said John Rebar, executive director of UMaine’s Cooperative Extension, adding the center can help small farmers or major chains. He said Chipotle reached out to him recently to identify farmers within 175 miles of their locations, the Press Herald reported.
The plans for the center were discussed during a meeting of the UMS board of trustees. The meeting also focused on the One University Initiative and shrinking the systemwide budget gap. Howard Segal, a UMaine history professor and faculty senate member, said he and fellow faculty members have concerns about what the changes might mean for UMaine’s identity as the system’s flagship campus and urged the system to be as open as possible about the changes, the BDN reported.