Scientists would soon find the culprit: longfin squid followed warmer waters into the Gulf of Maine migrating from farther south, which led to the collapse of the fishery. A decade later, as heating in the Gulf of Maine continues to outpace most bodies of water in the world, the shrimp fishery still hasn’t recovered.

The shrimp were an early sign of how changes in the climate can decimate a food source, affecting a harvest and the restaurants that depend on it.

Increasingly, those signs are hard to ignore. Farmers and fishermen around the state said erratic weather patterns are leading to regular crop failures, loss of infrastructure as roads and farm structures are battered by rain and wind, and more — issues that add costs and stress onto a livelihood that was already costly and stressful.

Restaurant owners — who also face dips in tourism during extended rainy periods, and expensive repairs when extreme heat pushes air conditioners past their limit — said local food is a core tenet of many of Maine’s vaunted restaurants. Losing those sources means losing a piece of what makes their food so special. Shipping food in from other places means sacrificing taste and quality, while also adding new sources of carbon emissions from long-haul deliveries.

“We get a lot of people in the restaurant who believe in the same stuff that we do,” said Jake Stevens, head chef and owner of Leeward in Portland. “They want to eat local food. They want to get organic food. But it does get to a tipping point . . . some people just can’t abide paying, you know, $75 for a pork chop. It’s just untenable.”

Independent restaurants such as Leeward are the fifth-largest employer in the United States, according to a recent report by the James Beard Foundation, and they are among the most vulnerable. More than a quarter fail in their first year of operation, and 59 percent fail in the first three years. While restaurant revenues have largely rebounded from the hit they took during COVID-19, it isn’t expected to last, as a warming climate impacts crop yields and drives higher inflation.

The worst of those impacts are expected in years to come, but already, some are showing up.

At Bumbleroot Organic Farm, an 8-acre plot outside Portland that sells vegetables and flowers to roughly 30 local restaurants, it’s been one challenge after another.

The summer of 2022, it was sweltering temperatures and little rain. Crew had to wake up throughout the night to irrigate fields and save the crops. The following year, the reverse — the rain didn’t quit. One field got so saturated, it never really dried out, causing entire plantings to fail.

“We have to literally be ready for every scenario, because it’s not just wet, it’s heat, it’s extended heat, it’s late frost, it’s early frost,” said Ben Whalen, co-owner of the farm. “The extreme nature of what we’re dealing with, even right now, is crazy.”

Leeward is one of the restaurants that get regular deliveries from Bumbleroot.

“The carrot that was $2 a pound is now $4 a pound because half the crop got washed away,” said Stevens. “That either gets passed on to consumers or we have to make tough decisions and not serve that stuff.”

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When it comes to vulnerability and carrots, farmer Seth Kroeck knows the story well. This spring, a major storm dropped 3 inches of rain not long after fields of carrot seeds were planted at Crystal Spring Farm in Brunswick. Thousands of tiny seeds floated up from the quarter-inch of soil they were buried under. In the end, they were only able to harvest about 30 percent of the expected 18,000 pounds of carrots.

It’s not just the carrots. “In two of the last four springs, we’ve had a late enough frost that we’ve lost our entire blueberry crop,” Kroeck said. “Old timers” in Maine’s farming community have told him that no one can recall such frequent and severe losses.

Crop insurance and some business planning has allowed Maine’s farmers to squeak through, “but it’s been a huge challenge,” he said. Increased costs for labor, fuel, and packaging have further hurt their bottom lines.

Similar challenges are playing out in the ocean. In 2023, Maine lobstermen reported the smallest catch since 2009, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. While this year’s official numbers won’t be reported for months, locally, lobstermen report a more typical catch. It’s not yet clear what caused that, though winter temperatures in the Gulf were not as warm as they have been in recent years and lower bait and fuel prices may have led to more consistent fishing. Regardless, researchers expect that as the Gulf of Maine continues to warm, lobster will move north.

“It’s the slow change that really is going to be the problem in the long run, right?” said Matt Moretti, co-owner of Bangs Island Mussels in Portland. “It’s the constantly warming, slow crawl up in temperature” and the increased acidification, as the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide, which over time can weaken the shells of some ocean species.

Then there are unexpected acute events, triggered by climate change. A few years ago, when Moretti’s team went out to harvest wild mussel spawn, which they use to grow mussels for restaurants, instead of finding ropes covered in spawn, they were met with an ugly surprise: 100,000 pounds of sea squirts, an invasive species that’s becoming more common as the gulf warms.

“We could not capture the muscle seed at the time when we’re supposed to catch it,” Moretti said.

Both at sea and on the land, harvesters aren’t sitting back and waiting for the next crisis. Moretti has begun buying mussel spawn that’s more resilient to warming waters from the Downeast Institute, a marine research laboratory in Beals, Maine. Bangs Island is doing regular ocean monitoring to better understand how changes in the Gulf of Maine may be affecting seafood. They have also diversified, growing oysters and kelp in addition to mussels.

Diversification is key on land, too. At Bumbleroot, low vegetable sales last year could have been devastating had their cut flower sales not buoyed the business.

Meg Chase, whose family owns Chase’s Daily — a restaurant in Belfast — and grows food and flowers on 20 acres of their farm in nearby Freedom, is transitioning to no-till farming, a method that increases the drainage capabilities of fields. She’s also working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, an arm of the US Department of Agriculture, to plan for resiliency and apply for grants.

One thing that’s top of mind: funds for a new farm road. “At this point, we can’t even access our fields at some points, because it’s too wet,” Chase said.

All this stress takes a toll.

Last year, as the fall came to a close, Whalen, of Bumbleroot Organic Farm, gathered his crew together to take their temperature: How was everyone feeling?

Over and over, he heard the same thing. “We put so much energy and effort into growing high-quality food . . . you do all this work, and then yet you get a zero,” he said. “Their souls were just crushed.”

This year, as the farm diversifies its crops and looks for other ways to become more resilient, they’re also seeking out ways to support each other, including a mandatory week of paid vacation during the summer for all year-round workers.

Soon, they’ll repeat last year’s mental health poll. “I think everyone’s gonna be at like, 80 percent,” said Whalen. “That’s a win. That’s a huge win.”

Sabrina Shankman can be reached at sabrina.shankman@globe.com. Follow her @shankman.

Maine high school football is back and so begins our Player of the Week polls for the state. Teams showcased more of what they’ve got heading into the state playoffs portion of the season.

As such, we have eight athletes nominated this week for the SBLive’s Maine Football Player of the Week award from Nov. 8-9, and we ask you, the fans, to help decide who should indeed be the top athlete selected.

In a wild 56-50 victory over Orono, Ervin went absolutely nuts on the ground. The running back rushed for 487 yards on 44 carries and scored seven touchdowns for Houlton/Hodgdon/Southern Aroostook/Greater Houlton Christian Academy.

SBLive voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You can vote as often as you wish and are encouraged to share our polls with others. The use of voting bots and other forms of automated voting are not allowed. Individuals will be removed from the poll if any form of automated voting can be verified. – SBLive Sports

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17. The winner will be announced in the following week’s poll. Here are this week’s nominees:

The Trojans’ running back could not be stopped in Thornton Academy’s 36-12 win over South Portland, scoring four rushing touchdowns.

Thurston was an all-around offensive menace in the Bulldogs’ 42-14 victory over Windham in the playoffs. The quarterback accounted for 196 yards and three touchdowns.

The Noble running back led the way in its 28-24 win over Bonny Eagle, rushing for 101 yards on 28 carries and a touchdown.

Johnson was truly the difference maker in the team’s 22-14 victory over Lewiston, ending the game with three rushing touchdowns on the night.

We’re going to recognize a special teamer this week in Deering place kicker Tavian Lauture. The kicker knocked down two field goals in a 21-0 win over Massabesic.

The Lawrence signal caller was terrific in a 28-18 victory over Cony last week, with Hamlin throwing multiple touchdowns in the win.

Fryeburg Academy left no doubt in a blowout win over York last week, rushing for three touchdowns in the victory.

Daigle made all the difference in a 27-20 victory over Cape Elizabeth last week, picking off two passes.

Follow SBLive Maine throughout the 2024 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

To get live updates on your phone – as well as follow your favorite teams and top games – you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

— Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi

Local business owner Rich Friscia leads a tour of his historic building that was lifted from its foundation by flood waters in last December’s storm. The building is now getting repairs funded by a state business resiliency grant that will help it better withstand future storms. Tuesday. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

HALLOWELL — During last December’s storm, after flood waters submerged the basement and climbed three feet high in the first-floor shops, the Kennebec River lifted Rich and Barb Friscia’s four-story commercial building off its Water Street foundation.

The building didn’t float far, but the structural damage caused when the building fell back down caused engineers to worry the building could collapse and left the Friscias facing more than $200,000 in repairs.

“My wife and I bought the place in 2020 for retirement income,” said Rich Friscia, now 70, of Bridgton. “Because of the flood, we were facing possible bankruptcy. But we got lucky. With insurance, a state grant and a lot of help, we’re going to survive this, and we’ll be ready for the next one.”

Friscia gave a tour of his renovated basement on Tuesday to members of the Maine Infrastructure Rebuilding and Resilience Commission before it released its first report on how the state can prepare for more extreme weather events like the December flood and be ready to recover and rebuild.

The report calls for a range of short and long-term resiliency proposals, including improved emergency communications, an online flood risk disclosure, streamlined rebuilding permitting, storm preparedness grants for homeowners, and voluntary buyouts for oft-flooded properties.

For example, the commission wants to give local officials and emergency managers access to the federal Integrated Public Alert and Warning System to send wireless alerts to all mobile phones within a designated area, without requiring prior registration, during emergencies.

The commission wants the state to develop an online tool to make it easy for a buyer to find out if their home is at risk of flood – something required under Maine’s new disclosure law – and help homeowners assess their need for flood insurance and home improvements to minimize flood damage.

Gary Lamb, Halowell city Manager, speaks during a news conference at Hallowell City Hall on Tuesday, when the state released a storm damage report. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

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The commission wants Maine to consider giving grants to Maine residents to strengthen their homes against future weather-related losses, like roof replacements, storm windows or shutters, tree branch removal and building retaining walls to direct water around home foundations.

The report also suggests that the state help fund the 25% municipal cost share for FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which buys flood-prone properties from homeowners who want to sell. The land is turned into wetlands, gardens or wildlife refuges to reduce future flooding.

The grant that helped the Friscias stave off bankruptcy was a $100,000 Business Recovery and Resilience Grant. The Legislature established the $10 million fund to help businesses and nonprofit organizations recover from damages caused by the storms in December 2023 and January 2024.

‘STORMS KNOW NO POLITICS’

The Friscias are using the funding for floor joist replacement, mold remediation, foundation strapping, basement flood vent installation, sump pumps, and sloped drainage to allow water to recede more easily during future floods.

Although those grants require businesses to increase resilience to future storms and other climate conditions that scientists say make those storms more frequent and ferocious, Gov. Janet Mills noted that preparing for extreme weather is a bipartisan concern. Mills said she would review the report and work with the Legislature to find ways to better prepare for and respond to future storms.

“Storms know no politics,” Mills said Tuesday in a written statement issued upon receiving the report. “They don’t care if you are a Republican, Democrat or independent. They will flood our homes and businesses, wash out our roads and bridges, and threaten the health and safety of our people.”

The December 2023 and January 2024 storms caused an estimated $90 million in damage to Maine’s public infrastructure, plus millions more in private property losses.

“The city of Hallowell was hit hard by the December 2023 storm, like many riverfront communities in Maine,”  City Manager Gary Lamb said. “A river gauge alerted us to the flooding, allowing downtown businesses to salvage food, appliances and merchandise.”

Local business owner Rich Friscia leads a tour on Tuesday of his historic building, which was lifted from its foundation by flood waters in last December’s storm. The building is now getting repairs funded by a state business resiliency grant that will help it better withstand future storms. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

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One of the recommendations included in the commission’s interim report is for the installation of more river gauges throughout inland Maine, where areas that have never been flooded before saw extensive building, road and riverbank damage. Four people died in the December floods.

But over the long term, Lamb knows the city must harden the Front Street riverbank to become more flood resilient, or it will “all wash away in the coming decades.”

COST AND FUNDING

The resiliency commission will deliver its final report in May, which will focus on longer-term solutions. None of the proposals in the first report included cost estimates, but the commission plans to spend more time exploring possible funding methods for the final report.

When pressed about costs, commission officials pointed to a recent study released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that found every $1 spent on climate resilience and preparedness saves communities $13 in damages, cleanup costs and economic impact.

While the winter storms caused destructive river flooding, coastal properties and beaches also took a beating from storm surges and waves. And coastal storms are expected to become more destructive as sea levels continue to rise.

The Gulf of Maine has risen about 7.5 inches over the last century, with about half of that happening since the 1990s. The Maine Climate Council projects seas will rise another 1.1 to 3.2 feet by 2050 and 3 to 9.3 feet by 2100, depending on how much we curb global emissions rates.

Mainers don’t have to imagine what storms like the ones we had last winter will do to Maine’s future coastline. The state has mapped out how much of it will be lost to rising sea levels under different scenarios, in different years, and what future storms could do to that which remains.

A 1-foot increase in sea level by 2050 will lead to a 15-fold increase in the frequency of nuisance flooding, which is daytime or high-tide flooding that happens absent a storm. It would cause a “100-year storm” flood level to have a probability of occurring once every 10 years.

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