BCDI is excited to share that we have launched a new website for linking farmland owners and aspiring farmers in the town of Bowdoinham. The website is part of a larger Farmland Inventory Project aiming to help map the availability of farmland in town (current use, use restrictions, etc.) and identify and support landowners interested in making their land available for farming.

Photo by Brendan Bullock at Apple Creek Farm

If landowners want to make their property available for use by a farmer, then with this new website, they are able to set-up their own property listing with the support of Land For Good. Likewise, farm seekers are invited to create a profile where they can detail the type of farmland they are seeking. Our goal is to make this searchable database a match-making site, connecting needs while preserving farmland. Maine Farmland Trust’s program, Farm Link, connects farmland owners with farmers seeking farm land. Our project complements the Farm Link program by offering a hyper-local point of connection for land owners and land seekers. We expect our Farmland Inventory to serve as a model that could be used by other farming communities across the state. Check out our Farmland Inventory web page for more details! https://www.bcdimaine.org/farmland-inventory and https://farmland.bcdimaine.org/

Farmland succession, and use of all farmland in Bowdoinham, creates immediate opportunities and challenges. If we are to maintain the character of our town, continue to be a provider of healthy food, and a steward of the environment, it is essential that we help provide landowners the tools necessary to manage the future of their land. The Farmland Inventory Project aims to do this by facilitating the connections of landowners and farmers. By increasing the land base in production, we support the creation of new jobs, increase access to healthy local food, and strengthen the health of our local economy.