Maine's wild blueberry industry gets $15.6M to help address climate change
Photo / Courtesy, UMaine
The federal government awarded $15.6 million for a project to help Maine's wild blueberry industry become more resilient to climate-induced challenges.
The federal government has awarded $15.6 million to the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine to help the state's blueberry industry become more resilient to climate challenges, including rainfall and the increased risk of late-frost events.
The commission’s Maine Wild Blueberry Climate Adaptation Project will implement new irrigation, mulching and water management practices with an estimated 25 to 45 producers, improving farm sustainability and economic stability.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture award is part of more than $40.5 million for conservation projects in Maine, announced this week by U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine 1st District.
The money “will help our farmers adapt to the realities of climate change, ensuring that one of Maine’s most iconic crops can thrive despite unpredictable weather patterns,” said Pingree.
The money follows a $2.9 million award in December from the U.S. Small Business Administration to the University of Maine to strengthen and grow the industry.
Historically, the cultivation practices of Maine’s wild blueberries have roots in the methods of the Wabanaki people. The practices now encompass a production system that spans 512 farms across approximately 46,000 acres, according to a separate news release. That’s a significant reduction from the nearly 250,000 acres used in the past.
Part of the reduction is due to an increase of production per acre. The industry, however, faces new challenges, primarily driven by climate change. They include droughts and wetter springs that impact yields and pollination.
The USDA also awarded nearly $25 million to the Nature Conservancy of Maine to improve aquatic organism passage for native fish and wildlife species throughout Maine by upgrading road-stream crossings and other means of improved fish passage.
Habitat fragmentation caused by aquatic organism passage barriers is the most critical direct threat to endangered Atlantic salmon, Eastern brook trout, other diadromous and native fish, and protected wildlife species including mussels and turtles.
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments