Haines participates in ‘Maine Can Feed Maine’ panel

    MAPLETON — House District 7 Candidate Troy Haines demonstrated his expertise in agriculture this month as a panelist for the Maine Farmland Trust, Maine Can Feed Maine discussion.
    Haines, a small business owner and butcher from Aroostook, served as the meat expert for the discussion, which focused on how Maine can grow its economy and create food security through developing its agriculture industry. Haines is currently working on several development projects to facilitate expansion of existing farms and creation of new ones in rural Maine.
    “More and more we see farms closing throughout Maine and farmers struggling to get by. It doesn’t have to be that way,” said Haines. “We need to refocus our energy on building our economy through agricultural development so that small family farmers can turn a profit and Maine is less reliant on other states and countries for food.
    “Aroostook County has more available agricultural land then the rest of New England, including the rest of the state of Maine, put together,” he continued. “We can, and will, be the breadbasket for the northeast.”