Business and Economy

Mainers like buying local. And it's not just a slogan, it's now a documented fact, according to a local food initiative called the Maine Food Strategy, which today released its first ever Consumer Survey Report. The group hopes that the findings will accelerate even more local food purchasing -- and beyond fresh fruits and veggies.

MOO chief executive Bill Eldridge says the problem is not demand for the milk - which has quadruped in the last two years - but the poor state of a key piece of machinery.

A bold experiment launched by ten Maine organic dairy farmers has come to an end. The company known as Maine's Own Organic Milk, or MOO Milk, has announced it will end operations tomorrow.

  After being dropped by a national dairy, the farmers joined together five years ago to process and market their milk to consumers.

More than 30 local food activists took their support of Maine farmer Dan Brown from the barnyard to the courtyard this morning. Brown is a Blue Hill farmer who was fined $1,000 by the state for selling raw milk at his farm stand without a license. Blue Hill is one of 11 towns in Maine that have declared independence from state and federal regulations on locally-produced food. And Brown issued a legal challenge of the state's action against him. Today the Maine Supreme Court took up his case.

If you've ever driven into Portsmouth, New Hampshire from Newington, you've likely seen the large piles of scrap metal looming along the waterfront. The scrap company's lease at the port is up for renewal in December, and opponents in town are upset about the view and the environment. They're now pushing the state for some changes. From New Hampshire Public Radio, Emily Corwin reports.

The Lewiston-Auburn area is poised for a mini retail boom - of sorts. Two major discount "dollar store" chains are targeting the Twin Cities for major development in the near future - a move that some industry observers find interesting, given that hundreds of dollar stores are closing elsewhere in the country.

Heavy equipment prepares the ground for the construction of an 8,300-square-foot Family Dollar store on Sabbatus Street, about two-and-a-half miles from downtown Lewiston. 

Some disappointing news came today for the deep water wind project known as Aqua Ventus. That's the pilot project led by a University of Maine development team. Aqua Ventus was competing for federal development money. But, as Jennifer Mitchell reports, the project was not selected for full funding. So now, its fate is less certain. Meanwhile, environmental advocates are still lamenting a decision they say chased away another wind developer.

What do renters and landlords need to know? Learn about fair housing laws, your rights as a renter, and what reasonable accommodations landlords are sometimes required to make. Learn about fair housing issues affecting veterans and people with disabilities.

Guests:

• Amy M. Sneirson, Executive Director, Maine Human Rights Commission

• Patricia Ender, Pine Tree Legal

• Brit Vitalius, on behalf of the Maine Real Estate and Development Association (MEREDA)

 We've all witnessed the ongoing saga of the slow decline of Maine's dairy industry as measured by the number of family farms, and some processors. So where are we headed? One of the region's largest operations, Oakhurst dairy, has been sold to a national farmer-owned co-op. Maine Farmers who lost their contracts with processors decided to team up and create their own company called Moo Milk, that's putting Maine product on store shelves.

Host Keith Shortall discussed the future of dairy farming in Maine with:

Bill Eldridge, CEO of MOO Milk

  Jamie and John are back to talk cars, car repairs and the latest news from the auto industry.

Host Jennifer Rooks will be joined by 

Jamie Page Deaton, US News and World Report Automotive Editor 

John Paul, master technician and public affairs manager AAA Southern New England