The maine agricultural and forest experiment station has been conducting research for maine and its people for over 140 years

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded the University of Maine System $3,565,458 under the Payments to Agricultural Experiment Stations Under the Hatch Act (CFDA 10.203) on October 1, 2025, for a performance period through September 30, 2027.

The Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station conducts fundamental and applied research addressing issues and opportunities for Maine and the nation. University of Maine faculty lead 48 research projects funded through Hatch Act appropriations. Agricultural research programs breed new profitable potato varieties, develop cost-effective insect and fungus management methods for blueberries, quantify soil health metrics for farmers, build adaptive capacity across diversified farm operations, and advance ecological weed management strategies to reduce herbicide costs. Natural resource research supports Maine's aquaculture and wild fisheries sectors by studying host-pathogen interactions in wild and farmed fish, investigating immune development in commercially important aquatic animals, exploring biophysical systems in freshwater fisheries, and assessing market acceptance of seafood production and products. Hatch-funded research also examines the health and economies of Maine's rural communities, with expected outcomes that increase health-related quality of life and diet quality in young adults and inform rural and blue economy transitions.

Work is performed in Orono, Maine. The University of Maine operates as a child division of the University of Maine System, conducting research through Research & Sponsored Program. Hatch funds leverage additional support from competitive grants, contracts, and industry partnerships. The program permits up to 100 percent carryover of unobligated funds for up to one year beyond the fiscal year of appropriation without prior approval.

Annual appropriations under the hatch act of 1887, in combination with state appropriated funding, allow faculty to conduct fundamental and applied research to address issues and develop opportunities for the people of maine and the nation. The research capacity provided by base funding leverages additional funding from competitive grants and contracts and industry support. University of maine faculty lead 48 research projects funded through hatch act. Typically, each hatch project will have several associated projects or activities supported by competitive grants or other sources. Specifically, hatch projects study questions aimed to support maine's agricultural and natural resource industries, and rural communities. In the agricultural sector, our hatch research programs seek to breed new, profitable potato varieties, develop cost-effect methods for insect, and fungi management in blueberries, quantify physical and biochemical aspects of soil health for farmers, build adaptive capacity on farms with a variety of products, and improve weed management through ecological strategies that reduce herbicide costs on farmers. Hatch funds also support natural resource research in maine's aquaculture industry and wild fisheries finding reliance in the seafood economy by studying host pathogen interactions in wild and farmed fish, investigating immune development in commercially important aquatic animals, exploring biophysical systems in freshwater fisheries, and understanding people's reactions to seafood production and products. Our hatch-funded research also directly studies the health and economies of maine's rural communities with expected outcomes that increase health related quality of life and diet quality in young adults, inform rural community and blue economy transitions, to support the research, and help the economic development of regions, businesses, industries, and people. The maine agricultural and forest experiment station will use administrative hatch funds for program administration and financial recordkeeping and reporting activities required by the federal regulations that govern the expenditure of hatch funds. The station director will facilitate development of new hatch projects, approve new projects, and monitor all approved projects including integrated grants and contracts. An allotment of hatch funds will be made to pay expenditures of a general administrative nature, including partial funding for salaries and other items related to planning, coordination, oversight, reporting, and compliance of the hatch agricultural research program of the maine agricultural and forest experiment station.