AUBURN – The board of directors of Farm Credit of Maine has declared a patronage dividend of $1 million for 2000. The statewide credit cooperative will distribute the cash portion of the dividend this spring to its members throughout Maine who are producers and harvesters of a variety of agricultural, seafood and forestry products.

“This dividend is a distribution of a portion of year 2000 earnings to the owners-members of our cooperative,” said President Raymond Nowak. “In meeting our earnings goal for the year, we are able to declare this patronage dividend and continue to reduce the stock purchase requirement of our members.”

The cooperative is owned by its borrowers in Maine, who are primarily full-time potato growers, dairy farmers, apple growers, loggers, timberland owners, sawmill owners, lobstermen, ground fishermen and other businesses that provide services and supplies directly to these producers.