Maine is known worldwide for its potatoes and its lobster, not for its red meat. But if a group of agricultural producers and processors have their way, Maine will eventually be known throughout the region as a competitive producer of lean, grass-fed beef and lamb. As Jennifer Mitchell reports, promoters of the More Maine Meat project say that, so far, as a farming development opportunity, meat has been left off the table.

Take a stroll around the perimeter of a big supermarket like Hannaford: You'll find Maine apples, potatoes, squash and cranberries. Walk around to the seafood section: There are Maine clams, shrimp, mussels and salmon. But by the time you stroll to the meat section, your Maine options pretty much peter out.

"One of the best ways that we find introductions into markets for local products is from consumers saying something," says Gabriel Clark, a beef producer and owner of Cold Spring Ranch in North New Portland. "There's nothing stronger at a Hannaford's, or any other local store you're shopping at, of asking, 'Have you looked into finding a source for this locally?'"

Clark moved from a big beef state - California - to Maine because, he says, Maine has untapped potential. While Hannaford works with more than 200 family farms to offer local fruits and vegetables, they usually only offer one choice for local, naturally raised beef.

"We're a small state in terms of our population of beef cattle. But we have a lot of consumers, we have a relatively steady economy here," Clark says. "So it's an opportunity to have customers who value a local product."

Clark is one of about 40 producers and processors involved in a new project called "More Maine Meat," spearheaded by the Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society. The idea is to cultivate a new red meat industry in Maine - that's beef, lamb, pork, and goat, which they say is lagging behind other areas of agriculture.

And when it comes to beef, producers are looking toward grass-fed production. Studies suggest grass-fed is is leaner than conventionally produced beef, where cattle are fed corn on a feedlot. Knowing that, Rick Kersbergen, with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service, says it makes sense for Maine to refocus on grass.

"I get calls from land owners now that are non-farmers, that have bought 20 acres. They have their house in one corner of that and they have another 15 acres they don't know what to do with," Kersbergen says. "They have to pay some people to mow that. There are ways that we can utilize some of that land for forage production, whether that's grazing or for a harvested feed."

Kersbergen estimates that more than 100,000 acres of grass could be reclaimed for livestock, through grazing agreements with land owners, or the development of a grazing and growing rotation cycle with the state's potato farmers.

A spokesman for Hannford says the store is always looking to expand its line of local produce and welcomes proposals from More Maine Meat in the coming months.

But there are challenges, such as processing capacity. Slaughterhouses in Maine are limited. And then there is price. In one store in Waterville, the price of organic grass-fed stew beef is currently about $11 per pound. That's more than $6 a pound higher than for conventionally raised beef.

Project supporters say that with a more cooperative farming system and significant local buy-in, most of these challenges can be overcome. And they say that in the wake of disasters like Hurricane Sandy, some consumers just want to see a more secure food supply that isn't at the mercy of gas prices or long distance infrastructure.

http://umaine.edu/livestock/blog/2012/09/05/more-maine-meat-project-to-aid-maine-livestock-producers/

http://mesas.org/