New “get real. get Maine!” Service Provider Directory

Published

ARE YOU LISTED? New “get real. get Maine” Service Provider Directory Connects Service Providers and Farmers.

The get real. get Maine! branding program, sponsored by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, hosts www.getrealmaine.com a free promotional website that annually connects thousands of consumers to producers all over the State of Maine who list their food, farm and forest products. www.getrealmaine.com also helps consumers locate and visit farmers’ markets, agricultural fairs or agricultural events, and offers farmers informational resources. Now, www.getrealmaine.com offers Maine’s agricultural and small business service providers membership to a Service Provider Directory that aims to help farmers and consumers reach out to Maine’s wonderfully varied and diverse agricultural business community.

Professional agricultural and small business consultants in the public, private and non-profit sectors, who assist farm businesses for free, or for a fee, are invited to create a password-protected account at http://www.getrealmaine.com/page/Service-Providers and build a unique profile by selecting from a list of 89 agricultural topics and 41 small business topics. If you are a service provider and you find that a topic is missing, please contact the Division of Agricultural Resource Development (Stephanie.Gilbert@Maine.gov) to request an addition or to suggest a change. The Division will review each profile before notifying each new member that their listing is published. Once listed, service providers are encouraged to keep their profile up to date.

Farm owners and operators who access the Service Provider Directory http://www.getrealmaine.com/Service-Providers search for Agricultural Consulting Services and/or Business Consulting Services, then by topic and category to identify the public and private sector – educators, technical assistance advisors, and consultants – who may be best suited to help them address their agricultural and business development needs.

According to the USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service, 8,174 farms could be identifying their farm and listing their products and services on www.getrealmaine.com  Please encourage the farmers and service providers in your community to benefit from this free promotional website.