WINDSOR, Maine — Kennebec Savings Bank has committed $75,000 toward a proposed Windsor Fair Agricultural Education Center, "a major local investment in a year-round facility designed to strengthen agricultural education, workforce development, and farm viability in Maine," said KSB, in a news release. The bank's announcement comes as thousands of people visit the Windsor Fair this week.

The approximately $2.79 million project would create a permanent, year-round agricultural education facility on the Windsor Fairgrounds with livestock and exhibition space, classrooms, and space for hands-on programs, according to KSB. The Center would be a year-round “front door” into Maine agriculture — a place where youth, beginning farmers, career-changers, existing farmers, educators, and families can connect with training, mentors, technical assistance, and agricultural career opportunities.

“This is exactly the kind of local support that has allowed this project to grow from an idea into something that can have a meaningful impact on agriculture across Maine,” said Dan Foster, president of Windsor Fair. “Kennebec Savings Bank’s investment demonstrates that our community recognizes both the challenges facing Maine farms and the opportunity we have to do something about them.”

Plans for the Center come at a consequential time for Maine agriculture, according to the news release. Between 2017 and 2022, Maine lost 564 farms and more than 82,000 acres of farmland, while the average age of the state’s farmers reached 57.5. A 2025 agricultural workforce report prepared by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry at the direction of the Legislature also identified difficulty recruiting workers, gaps in entry-level skills, uneven access to training, limited awareness of agricultural careers, and a need for stronger connections among existing organizations providing technical assistance to growers and producers.

The Center’s emerging program model responds directly to those gaps, said KSB. Rather than duplicating programs already operating across Maine, Windsor Fair plans to convene partners, help participants navigate existing resources, host recurring workshops and short courses, and create more visible entry points into agriculture. Current plans include an annual statewide partner convening, farmer navigation and support office hours, an agricultural career exploration expo, and practical training on priority farm topics.

Ryan Martin, a former horticulture teacher at Mid-Coast School of Technology and former executive director of the Viles Arboretum in Augusta, has been tapped to lead the Center.

“Maine already has strong agricultural organizations and training programs, but it can be difficult for a young person, a beginning farmer, or someone considering a career change to know where to start,” said Martin. “The goal of this Center is not to recreate what already exists. It is to create a clearer front door — connecting people to the right partners, training, mentors, and opportunities, while giving those partners a place to work together more intentionally.”

The project has received support from organizations including the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, University of Maine Cooperative Extension 4-H, Maine FFA, Maine Farm Bureau, Maine Dairy & Nutrition Council, Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs, and other agricultural and community partners.

"The Windsor Fair has been a gathering place for generations, celebrating the people, traditions, and hard work that define rural Maine," said Andrew Silsby, president and CEO of Kennebec Savings Bank. "We're honored to support the Agricultural Education Center because it invests in the future by creating a place where students, families, and farmers can learn, connect, and explore the many opportunities agriculture provides. We hope this center inspires the next generation to appreciate agriculture's vital role in our communities and consider the many opportunities it offers for the future."

The $75,000 commitment strengthens the project’s non-federal investment as U.S. Senator Susan Collins sponsors a $2.09 million Congressionally Directed Spending request to support construction of the Center. The federal request remains subject to the congressional appropriations process and has not yet received final funding approval, according to the news release.

“Federal investment could give this project the scale to serve people from across Maine, but its foundation has always been local,” said Foster. “Farmers, families, businesses, volunteers, and community members have been supporting this vision for years. This commitment from Kennebec Savings Bank is another significant step toward making it real.”

Founded in 1888, the Windsor Fair draws approximately 125,000 visitors annually and has long served as a place where Maine residents encounter working agriculture firsthand. The proposed Center would build on that tradition by creating a permanent, year-round home for agricultural education, career exploration, farmer training, and collaboration.