As founder and director of Greenhorns, a young farmers organization whose mission is to recruit, promote and support the incoming generation of sustainable farms and farmers, I’m pleased about this summer's flagship event, Maine Sail Freight.

Bobby Beckman is just 22, but when it comes to the lobster business, he takes the long view. "I figure, lobsters have been here millions of years," he says, foot propped up on the console of his boat in Vinalhaven Harbor. "I think there'll always be lobsters."

Briana Warner, the Institute's director of economic development, toured the state's 15 unbridged, year-round island communities and listened to local leaders talk about their needs. "Many," Warner reported, "said that the lack of reliable broadband is one of the biggest hindrances to economic growth."

The decision to make violins with nontraditional woods has meant Peter Gallant has been largely shut out of the classical violin world.

Thomaston-based Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding has purchased Wayfarer Marine in Camden. Lyman-Morse announced the purchase on July 1. The terms of the purchase were not disclosed. Both boatyards have deep ties to their communities. Lyman-Morse's history dates back nearly 100 years, while boatbuilding at the Wayfarer site began in the late 1700s.

Aaron Bell and his wife Carly DelSignore founded Tide Mill Organic Farm 15 years ago on the shores of Cobscook Bay in Edmunds in Washington County. With a herd of 60 milking cows, dairy production represents 50 percent of the farm's operations. Chickens, pigs and gardening making up the other half.

Creating and maintaining this vital link between fisherman and market is what the Vinalhaven Fisherman’s Coop has been doing since the 1970s. The coop is one of several in Maine, and is second only in volume to Stonington Lobster Coop, selling 3 million pounds a year.

Located at the end of a peninsula, Lubec is a stone's throw from Canada. Water Street, Lubec's principal commercial waterfront street, is lined by historic buildings, some dating back two centuries and formerly housing fish-packing plants, smokehouses, ship chandlery...

The caption on an earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the preferred route for a new bridge.

By Tom Groening