“Being members of the Maine Aquaculture Association (MAA) is incredibly important to our business. We are a small operation and we spend the vast majority of our time farming. Knowing that we can lean on MAA to help us grow, better our business planning strategies, and advocate for our industry is not just comforting, it’s necessary.
Running and growing an oyster farm in Maine means that you are constantly a part of the leasing process in one form or another and when the governing agencies fall short, or we run into roadblocks, we know we can always turn to the folks at MAA for guidance, representation, and advocacy during that process.
We often pick up the phone and talk to Sebastian, Afton, or Christian about everything from small local hiccups in our leasing processes to larger questions about how and where to grow our business. We always end up finding our answers faster because of those conversations.
In addition to the direct help we get from membership as a business, we also rest easier knowing that we have MAA to advocate for our industry all the time. As a business owner, I don’t feel like I have the time to write all the op-eds, provide all the testimonies, monitor all the potential changes in legislation, and keep tabs on all the potential threats to my business and our industry’s public image, but I know that MAA works consistently on all of that. It’s that advocacy and organization that makes membership worth every penny.”
Cameron Barner
Co-Owner, Love Point Oysters
Freeport, ME
The Maine Aquaculture Association (MAA) is a nonprofit trade association that advocates for and supports Maine’s aquatic farmers, including those who produce finfish, shellfish, and sea vegetables on land and in marine environments. MAA is the oldest state aquaculture association in the country, established in 1978, and represents one of the nation’s most diverse and dynamic aquaculture sectors. Our work is centered on three main pillars: legislative advocacy, business planning support, and public outreach and education. Maine aquaculture farmers as well as businesses that provide goods and services to the sector may apply for membership with the organization, which includes several benefits:
- A full-time professional staff ready to serve your business needs
- Advocacy for your business at the state & federal levels
- Exclusive access to our Membership Newsletter which includes event notifications, job postings, business resources, news, webinars & special announcements
- Business planning & support
- Access to best management practices (BMPs)
- Crop insurance consulting
- Opportunities to showcase your products in trade shows
Please visit MAA's membership page for more information and to apply online today. Curious about which Maine businesses are already members? Check out their featured members page.
Case studies are authored by industry members at the request of The Maine Aquaculturist. Authors are selected based on experience and expertise in a key business aspect of aquaculture. See our About page for more information.