Maine Farmland Trust
Maine Farmland Trust is a public charity based in Belfast, Maine. It works to protect farmland, support farmers, and advance farming in Maine.
Maine Farmland Trust at a glance
In short: Maine Farmland Trust gave $939K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $63K), mostly in Maine. 87% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $938,630
- +1347.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +150.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $62,575
- +479.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $27,539,021
- +2.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 87% first-time grantees (13 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maine (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Maine Farmland Trust
- Next open deadline
- March 31, 2027 (Blue Hill Peninsula Community Food Grants)
- Contact
Mailing address: 97 Main Street, Belfast, ME 04915
Phone: (207) 338-6575
Website: https://mainefarmlandtrust.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Maine Farmland Trust
Who Maine Farmland Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Niweskok ($414K). Together the top 10 received $898K.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 25 grants of 45 (56%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization is based in Belfast, Maine. In filing year 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maine and 1% to recipients in Vermont.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Maine Farmland Trust open to new grantees?
87%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 15 grantees (87%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $70K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $12K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $65K (2024) to $939K (2025). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $939K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Niweskok Swanville, ME | Land Return & Goose River Farm Purchase | $413,702 |
| Dostie Farm Fairfield, ME | PFAS Infrastructure & Wellness | $138,634 |
| Keith Hunter Unity, ME | PFAS Infrastructure | $107,457 |
| Brigreen Farms Turner, ME | Farming for the Long Haul Implementation | $65,000 |
| Second Frost Farm Monroe, ME | Farming for the Long Haul Implementation | $55,000 |
| Old Crow Ranch Durham, ME | Farming for the Long Haul Implementation | $55,000 |
| Misty Brook Farm Albion, ME | Farming for the Long Haul Implementation | $18,090 |
| Fields Fields Blueberries Dresden, ME | Wild Blueberry Innovation Grant | $15,000 |
| Brodis Blueberries Hope, ME | Wild Blueberry Innovation Grant | $15,000 |
| Lost & Found Farm Gray, ME | Wild Blueberry Innovation Grant | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Maine Farmland Trust?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $27,539,021 | $8,306,755 | $7,877,916 | $938,630 | 15 | $236,409 |
| 2024 | $26,990,758 | $5,173,541 | $6,628,767 | $64,844 | 6 | $-1,648,322 |
| 2023 | $28,370,138 | $4,221,079 | $5,419,196 | $226,700 | 4 | $240,253 |
| 2022 | $29,194,157 | $7,917,677 | $7,131,158 | $466,531 | 14 | $21,542 |
| 2021 | $29,241,466 | $9,589,606 | $4,224,763 | $234,968 | 6 | $-1,000,632 |
| 2020 | $27,747,175 | $4,930,457 | $6,912,455 | $308,340 | 10 | $-642,818 |
| 2019 | $30,055,798 | $11,050,204 | $6,700,237 | $433,669 | 6 | $-51,617 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Maine Farmland Trust states its mission as protecting farmland, supporting farmers, and advancing the future of farming.
Its work includes permanently protecting farmland through donated and purchased agricultural easements and the purchase, protection, and resale of farms. It also monitors protected farmland, supports farmland access and transfers, and operates FarmLink to match prospective farmers with landowners. Farmer-support programs include business planning, climate resilience assistance, and PFAS-related education, technical assistance, and grants. The organization also works on policy and research concerning Maine farms.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Maine Farmland Trust reported 15 grants totaling $938,630. Grant amounts ranged from $5,086 to $413,702, with a median of $15,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $413,702 to Niweskok for “Land Return & an individual recipient Purchase,” $138,634 to an individual recipient for “PFAS Infrastructure & Wellness,” $65,000 to Brigreen Farms, $55,000 each to an individual recipient and Old Crow Ranch, and $15,000 each to Fields Fields Blueberries, Brodis Blueberries, and Lost & an individual recipient The grants to Brigreen Farms, an individual recipient, and Old Crow Ranch were for “Farming for the Long Haul Implementation”; the three $15,000 grants were for “Wild Blueberry Innovation Grant.” The filing also lists a $107,457 grant to an individual recipient for “PFAS Infrastructure.”
The organization’s website describes a PFAS Emergency Relief Fund that it jointly administers with MOFGA. The fund provides support related to testing, income replacement, infrastructure adaptations, and wellness for eligible Maine farms affected by potential PFAS contamination. The website also describes PFAS testing grants and other farmer resources.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dave Colson as chair, Margot Anne Kelley as vice chair, Justin Jamison as treasurer, and Alix Hopkins as secretary. It lists Jason Bolton, Amanda Bunker, Steve Crane, Caitlin Frame, Lauren Giroux, and Don Perkins as directors.
Maine Farmland Trust is led by Kristin Varnum, Interim President since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 2 of 15 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kristin Varnum
Interim President
Vice President, CFO & Co-P → Vice President & CFO, 2022
Vice President & CFO → Interim President, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$118K (2019) → $179K (2025)
Stacy Brenner
President
Director → President, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$61K (2025)
Dave Colson
Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Henry Whittemore
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason Bolton
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Crane
Director
Director → Secretary F, 2022
Secretary F → Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Caitlin Frame
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amanda Bunker
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Don Perkins
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Drew Sigfridson
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lauren Giroux
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tom Settlemire
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Justin Jamison
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Margot Anne Kelley
Vice Chair
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alix Hopkins
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (16)
- Former: Jon Olson (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Meredith Eilers (2019–2024) — Chair
- Former: Susan Morris (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Taylor Mudge (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Amy Fisher (2021–2024) — President
- Former: Nick Armentrout (2021–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Eleanor Kinney (2019–2022) — Secretary
- Former: James Lawrence (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Walter Fletcher (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: William Bell (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Steven Page (2019–2021) — Secretary F
- Former: Louanna Perkins (2020–2021) — Co-President
- Former: Neil Crane (2019–2020) — Director Fm
- Former: William Toomey (2019–2020) — President F
- Former: Amanda Beal (2019) — President F
- Former: Franklin B. Miles Jr. (2019) — Director Fm
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $179K, to Kristin Varnum (Interim President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Maine Farmland Trust
How much does Maine Farmland Trust give each year?
Maine Farmland Trust gave $939K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $65K across 6 grants.
What is Maine Farmland Trust's typical grant size?
Maine Farmland Trust's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $62,575, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Maine Farmland Trust that year got $70K on average.
Where does Maine Farmland Trust give grants?
Maine Farmland Trust gives mostly in Maine: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Unity, ME (2 grants).
Does Maine Farmland Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Maine Farmland Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Farming for the Long Haul Implementation" (4 grants) and "Wild Blueberry Innovation Grant" (3 grants).
Who are Maine Farmland Trust's largest grantees?
Maine Farmland Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Niweskok ($413,702), Dostie Farm ($138,634) and Keith Hunter ($107,457), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Maine Farmland Trust?
Maine Farmland Trust reported $27.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $8.3M.
What does Maine Farmland Trust fund?
Maine Farmland Trust states its mission as protecting farmland, supporting farmers, and advancing the future of farming. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Maine Farmland Trust?
Maine Farmland Trust has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check mainefarmlandtrust.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Maine Farmland Trust's EIN?
Maine Farmland Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 01-0528014. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 10, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 21, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 22, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 24, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 3, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 10, 2024)
Live grants for the work Maine Farmland Trust funds
Food, Agriculture & Nutrition Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Maine Farmland Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Figures come from Maine Farmland Trust's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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