Code of Maine Rules › 01 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY › 001 - AGRICULTURE - GENERAL › Chapter 36 - RULES GOVERNING THE MAINE FARMS FOR THE FUTURE PROGRAM › Section 001-36-1 - DEFINITIONS

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
1.
Agricultural Products
- means
				fresh, or to be processed, food, fiber, or horticultural products grown on the
				farm, with the intent that the product be sold or otherwise disposed of to
				generate income. Agricultural products produced on the farm may include the
				growing and harvesting of some specialty forest products, such as firewood
				processing, but may not include the products of a business engaged primarily in
				the growing, harvesting or processing of trees for the purpose of producing
				pulp or other materials used in paper manufacturing or wood manufacturing. An
				agricultural product may also include aquacultural products, so long as they
				are raised on the farm.
2.
Business Plan
- means a document that identifies changes in farm
				management practices and investments in equipment and property that would
				increase the profitability and net worth of the farm (vitality). A typical plan
				identifies ways to increase on-farm income through such methods as improved
				management practices, direct marketing, and value-added initiatives; and
				describes current operations and future plans for the business, including but
				not limited to sections on mission/vision, legal organization, management team,
				product descriptions, market research, market promotion, customer profiles,
				financial statements, financial analysis of planned changes in the business and
				long-term goals for the business.
3.
Capital
- means cash or goods
				used to generate income by investing in a business, and/or the net worth of a
				business as in the amount by which its assets exceed its liabilities and/or the
				money, property, and other valuables which collectively represent the wealth of
				the business.
4.
Department
- means the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and
				Rural Resources.
5.
Development Pressure
- means the potential of the farm operations
				to be curtailed or the Farm Business to be put out of business due to
				increasing development of non-compatible land uses near the farm. This
				includes, but is not limited to residential and industrial development,
				nuisance complaints, and loss of agricultural infrastructure in the vicinity of
				the farm or food business. These, and other non-compatible land uses, can
				create environmental, social, political, or operational constraints on the farm
				operation and result in, negative financial impacts to the Farm
				Business.
6.
Farm
				Business
- means that the agricultural products grown or produced on the
				farm are being sold commercially and the farm has documentation of gross and
				net farm income, expenses, net worth and farm debt.
7.
Farmland Protection Agreement
- means a written agreement between a farm selected to receive an investment
				support cash grant and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural
				Resources, wherein the farm agrees to keep an area of farmland of no less than
				5 acres in active agricultural use and to protect that land from
				non-agricultural development for a period of seven (7) years.
8.
Financial Capacity
- means
				the ability of the business to pay back its debt through the present or future
				cash flow of the business.
9.
Land in Agricultural Use
- means land that is currently being used
				to grow agricultural, horticultural and silvicultural products.
10.
Net Worth
- means the total
				assets of the farm enterprise minus total liabilities of the farm
				enterprise.
11.
Non-State
				sources of funds
- means any source of funds other than moneys provided
				directly or indirectly by the State of Maine government. A state source does
				not include commodity group dedicated revenues generated by commodity check-off
				programs, even if collected by the Department of Revenue Services.
12.
Program Administrator
-
				means the Suitable Organization contracted by the Department to administer the
				Maine Farms for the Future Program (the "Program").
13.
Review Panel
- means a group
				of individuals, appointed by the Commissioner of Agriculture, who shall
				evaluate and approve applications for participation in the business planning
				and investment support programs, as well as to do periodic reviews of program
				criteria.
14.
Services
				Package
- means a number of specific tasks to be accomplished by a team
				of Service Providers and the owner or operator of the selected farm to develop
				a Business Plan. Services may include, but are not limited to, analyzing
				markets, developing financial data, creating production or processing
				efficiencies and registration for instruction or classroom training in
				economics and business planning for the owner or operator of the farm. All
				tasks must result in planning potential changes of the farm's production,
				management or marketing practices and investments in equipment and/or property
				that would increase the future profitability and net worth (vitality) of the
				farm.
15.
Service
				Provider
- means the following entities: including but not limited to,
				individuals, private organizations, public organizations and agencies of the
				State, marketing consultants, accounting firms, business support organizations,
				farm support organizations and other organizations that the Department
				determines may provide valuable services such as, but not limited to, analyzing
				markets or developing financial data and instruction or classroom training in
				economics and business planning for the owner or operator of a farm.
16.
Suitable Organization
-
				means an organization capable of performing all the duties outlined in 7
				M.R.S.A. Chapter 10-B Section 320(1) (A) through (E) and (G). The organization
				contracted by the Department to administer the program becomes the "Program
				Administrator".
17.
Vitality
- means an increase in the long-term, maintainable, farm
				profitability and net worth.