UNITY — The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, thanks to support from the John Merck Fund, has awarded $3,000 grants to three MOFGA-certified organic businesses: Turtle Rock Farm in Brunswick, Ripley Farm in Dover-Foxcroft and Left Field Farm in Bowdoinham.

The funding will enable these businesses to access technical and consulting services to increase their sales to wholesale markets.

In addition, MOFGA has partnered with Slow Money Maine, which will support two additional applicants at $1,500 each: Two Farmers Farm in Saco and Morning Dew Farm in Newcastle.

MOFGA’s Wholesale Technical Assistance (TA) grant program is designed to help Maine organic farmers and businesses access technical assistance at key points in their development so that they engage more successfully with such wholesale markets as restaurants, grocery stores and food distributors.

This is MOFGA’s third year offering the program, which can help businesses evaluate profitability of different products or business models, conduct market research, research new equipment or packaging, address legal needs, redesign marketing efforts, and more.

Past recipients include Sap Hound Maple Company, Green Spark Farm, Dandelion Spring Farm and Misty Brook Farm.

For more information about MOFGA’s TA grant program, contact Heather Omand at homand@mofga.org. The application process will open again in spring of 2019.