Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

Michaud moved by local-food movement

Congressman tours three farms in Franklin County

By David F. Robinson drobinson@onlinesentinel.com
Staff Writer, Morning Sentinel

FARMINGTON -- Andy Marble leaned over a withered cucumber plant amid rows of bright, leafy greens.

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TOMATO TOUR: Andrew Marble, left, gives Rep. Mike Michaud a tour of one the greenhouses that houses tomato plants at Marble Family Farms in Farmington on Thursday afternoon.

Staff photo by Michael G. Seamans

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He gently plucked the crooked stem, stood up and gazed at the moist earth clinging to its roots, almost studying the soil for a cause of death.

"Oh well, they all can't make it," he said with a sigh, before smiling at U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine.

Marble, 29, is the fourth generation to farm the same land in the western Maine hills in Farmington, where his family goes to sell most of their crops, eggs and baked goods.

His family's vision is to grow their 136-acre farm alongside an emerging local-food movement, relying on farmers' markets and community-supported agriculture, where local consumers pledge money to help farmers grow crops.

It's the only way for small Maine farms to compete with the big boys in the Midwest, where giant farms undercut prices and truck food hundreds of miles to grocery stores nationwide, Marble said.

This was the message Marble and his father, Richard, delivered Thursday afternoon to Michaud, who toured three Franklin County farms, including the Marbles'.

To succeed, small Maine farms need to be more efficient, innovative and get better access to federal agriculture programs that help fund the technology to make it all possible, Richard Marble, 58, told the congressman.

The Marbles showed Michaud what it takes for a family farm to turn a profit.

Andy, Richard and their wives, Sarah and Weslene, all work the farm.

They harvest vegetables and fruits, bake bread and other goods and raise livestock for beef and eggs. The family has invested thousands of dollars in innovative farming technologies and a commercial kitchen for the baking and food processing.

About 80 percent of what they produce is sold directly to consumers within 10 miles of the farm, many gathering at year-round farmers' markets, Andy said.

Marbles' vegetables are also sold to area schools, which participate in the farm-to-school programs sparked by community advocacy group Western Mountains in Alliance in Farmington, according to Andy.

He reeled off the entire operation during the congressman's visit. He explained everything from an experimental walk-in refrigeration system to the energy-saving greenhouses.

"Everything we did here we did ourselves," Andy said.

Michaud only interrupted Andy a few times to say "how innovative" or "that's amazing."

At the end of the tour, Richard told the congressman about a project at the West Farmington Grange, where farmers' markets are held all year.

Several farms and other groups have partnered to build a commercial kitchen and distribution center at the grange hall, according to Richard. It's the type of project that is essential for farmers to compete and survive in the future, he said.

He said the project has spent about $31,000, with money coming from fundraising, grants and in-kind volunteer work. Another $40,000 is needed to finish the project, he said.

Michaud agreed that local-food projects are important and need support. He said they position Maine to be "the breadbasket for the rest of New England."

The problem is that communities and small farms often lack the money to invest in innovative projects, Michaud, said after the tour, walking along a dirt path softened by slight drizzle.

Michaud said he helped build programs in recent years, through the Northern Border Regional Commission, that provides more federal money for natural resource projects, from agriculture to forestry.

"A lot of them need that capital money," Michaud said, referring to federal grants and programs giving money to farmers.

The new technology and pushes for more organic products are part of the local-food movement, Andy said during the tour.

But they're not as important as building relationships with local customers.

"They don't really care about organic. They care about knowing who their farmer is and where it was grown," he said.

David Robinson -- 861-9287

drobinson@centralmaine.com