Maine co-ops Growing

Portland Press Herald:

"The people behind the cooperative envision a time when it will provide locally produced foods to more people, operate a community-supported cafe and provide a greater source of income to its worker-owners.
'It's sustaining itself,' said Hanifa Washington, one of the four worker-owners. 'We definitely want more.'
...
Local Sprouts is just one type of cooperative found in Maine. Other member-owned entities include food-buying clubs, credit unions and cooperatives formed for housing, to provide electricity or to sell the wares of artisans, farmers and fishermen."

Katahdin Times Folds

WMTW Portland:

"The publisher of a northern Maine weekly newspaper said the poor economy and a sharp downturn in advertising are to blame for his decision to shut down the paper.

The Katahdin Times hit the stands for the last time on Thursday.

The paper had been a mainstay in the Millinocket region since the early 1970s."

Peaks Island Wind Power Considered

Residents of the island in Portland are looking into measuring the wind on the island for its potential of electric generation.

Maine Farming Numbers

Portland Press Herald:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its latest five-year census this week, showing that the number of farms in Maine increased by 13 percent, to 8,136, from 2002 to 2007, compared with a 4 percent increase nationwide. The average size of a Maine farm declined 13 percent, to 166 acres, during the same period.

Overall, Maine farms recorded $617 million in sales in 2007, up 33 percent from 2002.