Title 7, Title 7

1. Fund established. The Fund To Address Food Insecurity and Provide Nutrition Incentives, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established in the department to provide incentives to federal food and nutrition assistance program participants for the purchase of locally g…

1. Use permitted; rules and guidelines. The department shall ensure that its rules, established in accordance with the commissioner's rule-making authority in section 12, and guidelines: A. Explicitly allow a business, on a voluntary basis, to allow consumers to supply their own …

A county or municipality may not adopt a regulation or ordinance that prohibits a person from keeping chickens on that person's residential property. For purposes of this section, "chicken" means a female domesticated bird that is raised for meat or eggs and does not include a fu…

1. Grant program established. The Farmers Drought Relief Grant Program, referred to in this section as "the program," is established in the department to assist farmers in the State to overcome the adverse effects of drought conditions by providing grants in accordance with this …

The commissioner shall establish a Maine Agricultural Internship and Training Program.

The commissioner shall: [PL 1987, c. 520 (NEW).] 1. Information. Conduct studies and otherwise gather, maintain and disseminate information concerning farmland transfers, availability of farm labor, existence of farm internship and training programs, persons desiring to participa…

The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall: [PL 1989, c. 194 (NEW); PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §6 (REV).] 1. Public awareness. Produce audio-visual materials, facilitate public service programming, prepare written materials, organize a speakers' bureau and othe…

1. Establishment. The Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Council, established in Title 5, section 12004‑G, subsection 4‑C and referred to in this section as "the council," has all the powers necessary to achieve the public purpose stated in subsection 2 and to carry out the power…

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 2011, c. 609, §1 (NEW).] 1. Agritourism activity. "Agritourism activity" means any agricultural activity carried out on a farm or ranch that members of the genera…

1. No liability. Except as provided in subsection 2, an agritourism professional is not liable for any property damage or damages arising from the personal injury of a participant resulting from the inherent risks of agritourism activities. Except as provided in subsection 2, a p…

This chapter may be known and cited as "the Maine Food Sovereignty Act."

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 2017, c. 314, §1 (NEW).] 1. Direct producer-to-consumer transaction. "Direct producer-to-consumer transaction" means an exchange of food or food products directly…

It is the policy of this State to encourage food self-sufficiency for its citizens. The State shall support policies that: [PL 2025, c. 309, §6 (AMD).] 1. Local control. Through local control, preserve the ability of communities to produce, process, sell, purchase and consume loc…

The Legislature finds that advancing the principles of food sovereignty will further the preservation of rural life and values as set forth in section 1‑B and protect the right to food as declared in the Constitution of Maine, Article I, Section 25. Food sovereignty: [PL 2025, c.…

Pursuant to the home rule authority granted to municipalities by Title 30‑A, section 3001 and by the Constitution of Maine, Article VIII, Part Second, pursuant to the authority granted to plantations by Title 30‑A, section 7051, and notwithstanding any provision of law regulating…

The provisions of this chapter apply to any local food ordinance adopted by a municipality, plantation or county, including those local food ordinances adopted prior to October 31, 2017.

To advance food sovereignty, the principles of food sovereignty pursuant to section 283‑A and the policy of the State as set forth in this chapter, and to protect the right to food as declared in the Constitution of Maine, Article I, Section 25, this chapter may not be construed …

Notwithstanding any provision in this chapter to the contrary, the department shall implement and enforce all provisions of Title 22, chapter 562‑A and the rules adopted thereunder that are necessary to ensure that the requirements of the State's meat and poultry products inspect…

An individual who grows, produces, processes or prepares food or food products for purposes other than direct producer-to-consumer transactions in a municipality, plantation or unorganized territory governed by an ordinance authorized pursuant to section 284 shall grow, produce, …

This chapter may be known and cited as "the Maine Vegetable Garden Protection Act."

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 2025, c. 309, §14 (NEW).] 1. Food forest. "Food forest" means a diverse planting of edible plants that attempts to mimic the ecosystems and patterns found in natu…

Pursuant to the right to food as declared in the Constitution of Maine, Article I, Section 25, and notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, an individual has the right to cultivate vegetable gardens on the individual's property or on the private property of another w…

Pursuant to the right to food as declared in the Constitution of Maine, Article I, Section 25, any political subdivision of the State may develop and implement a program to promote permaculture and establish edible landscaping, food forests and community gardens in public spaces,…

Pursuant to the right to food as declared in the Constitution of Maine, Article I, Section 25, and notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the State or any political subdivision of the State may not prohibit or regulate vegetable gardens, permaculture, edible landsc…

This chapter may not be construed to prohibit the adoption of an ordinance or regulation pursuant to the home rule authority granted to municipalities by the Constitution of Maine, Article VIII, Part Second; the powers granted to villages, plantations, counties or other political…

1. Agricultural Development Fund. The commissioner shall establish the Agricultural Development Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," to accelerate market development, adoption of technology and promotion of state agricultural products by state producers. 2. Fund opera…

The commissioner may contract directly with the University of Maine System or qualified public agencies and private for-profit entities and nonprofit entities based in the State for market research, for testing new technologies and for research on technical problems related to th…

The commissioner and the Agricultural Development Committee shall, on an annual basis, review the effectiveness of the programs operated under the provisions of this chapter and provide a summary of the review to the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development.

The Maine Farms for the Future Program, referred to in this chapter as the "program," is created. The program is administered by the department, either directly or by contract with a suitable organization. The program provides a selected farm with assistance in developing a detai…

1. Eligibility. An applicant must own a farm business that has been producing agricultural products commercially in the State for at least 2 years at the time of application. The applicant must submit an application to the department to be eligible for participation in the progra…

1. Eligibility. A selected farm business that has completed a business plan pursuant to section 318 is eligible to apply for funding to implement the plan. The applicant may apply for a reduced-interest loan from the Agricultural Marketing Loan Fund under chapter 101, subchapter …

1. Duties. The department shall ensure that the following duties are performed: A. Promoting the program to farms in the State; [PL 1999, c. 763, §1 (NEW).] B. Organizing and overseeing the panel; [PL 1999, c. 763, §1 (NEW).] C. Developing criteria to select participants for the …

1. Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Food system" means all processes, infrastructure and persons involved in feeding a population, including growing, harvesting, collecting, processi…

1. Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Agricultural land" has the same meaning as in section 32, subsection 2. [PL 2025, c. 65, §5 (NEW); RR 2025, c. 1, Pt. A, §12 (RAL).] B. "Commercia…

1. Fund established. The Maine Agriculture, Food and Forest Products Investment Fund, referred to in this chapter as "the fund," is established and administered by the department to support public-private partnerships to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The fund consists o…

1. The Maine Agriculture, Food System and Forest Products Infrastructure Investment Advisory Board. The Maine Agriculture, Food System and Forest Products Infrastructure Investment Advisory Board established in Title 5, section 12004‑J, subsection 1‑A, referred to in this section…

1. Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Advisory committee" means the Advisory Committee on the Fund To Address PFAS Contamination in section 320‑L. [PL 2021, c. 635, Pt. XX, §2 (NEW).] …

The Advisory Committee on the Fund To Address PFAS Contamination is established pursuant to Title 5, section 12004‑I, subsection 2‑I to make recommendations to the department regarding administration of the fund. In order to develop recommendations for the department, the advisor…

1. Fund; established. The Agricultural Water Management and Irrigation Fund, referred to in this chapter as "the fund," is established as a nonlapsing fund in the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. The commissioner may accept money for the fund from any public …

The Maine Agricultural Water Management Board is established in Title 5, section 12004‑G, subsection 3‑D and referred to in this section and section 353 as "the board." [PL 2005, c. 559, §2 (NEW).] 1. Membership. All members of the board must be residents of this State. The board…

The board shall work with the department and the Department of Environmental Protection to facilitate implementation of the sustainable agricultural water source program in accordance with this section. The Board of Environmental Protection shall determine flow standards through …

The commissioner is authorized and directed, through such agents as the commissioner may appoint for the purpose and in cooperation with such agricultural corporations or associations as the commissioner considers proper, to investigate the existing methods and costs of marketing…

The Legislature finds that the marketing of agricultural commodities produced in the State is crucial to the maintenance and expansion of the agricultural industry, to the preservation of rural life in the State and to the economic well-being of all of the State's people. There e…

To further the purposes of this Part, the commissioner shall initiate and implement programs necessary to facilitate the effective, profitable marketing of Maine agricultural products. For the purposes of this subchapter, the terms "agricultural products" and "farm products" incl…

The commissioner may enter into agreements or cooperative arrangements with any person, firm or corporation for the purpose of advertising and increasing the sale and consumption of Maine farm products or disseminating information concerning Maine farm products. The commissioner …

1. Agriculture Promotion Committee. 2. Fund. There is created a nonlapsing Agriculture Promotion Fund. The commissioner is authorized to accept moneys for this fund from any public or private source and to credit to this fund any moneys received from the sale of agricultural prom…