PORTLAND – A major economic development program to assist Maine’s farmers is now accepting applications for up to $25,000 in individualized, special grants to develop business ideas.

The Farms for the Future Program already has helped 15 farms create business plans and provided $95,000 in funding to a handful of dairy operations and vegetable farms, according to Morton Mather, program administrator at Coastal Enterprises Inc.

CEI is a nonprofit community development corporation, which is jointly offering the program with the Maine Department of Agriculture.

The program recognizes the importance of family farms to Maine’s economy, said Mather. “The goal is to increase local food production as a way of building self-reliance and fostering changes in the foods system. This program helps farms become or remain viable, therefore contributing to the community in many ways, including by paying higher taxes.”

In the first round of funding last fall, Mather said, four dairy farms were able to implement plans that included purchasing an additional farm, building a new barn, attending composting school, creating a composting facility, and in the case of one small organic dairy farm, switching to direct marketing with glass bottles.

“The program is really simple,” said Mather. “The most important part of the Farms for the Future program is the individual attention each farm gets. Not one size [program] fits all. We ask the farmer ‘What do you need?’ and we put together a team.”

Last year’s first round of the program had 32 applicants, he said. Of those, 15 farms were assisted in creating business plans, and five farms were invited into the funding phase, with more than $95,000 in assistance supplied.

“The pool is small,” Mather admitted. “We asked the Legislature for $1 million, but we got $200,000. We matched that with funds from a [U.S. Department of Agriculture] sustainable agriculture program and money from a private foundation. Including administration, we have $500,000.”

The package of services offered by CEI includes:

. Consultation with other farmers who have done something similar elsewhere.

. Tuition for relevant education.

. Market feasibility studies.

. Laboratory testing of new products or production techniques.

. Professional assistance developing financial documents or writing business plans.

Mather said the deadline for applying to the program is Sept. 30. Information may be obtained at www.ceimaine.org or by calling Mather at 772-5356.