Or, well, almost. As you may remember, two summers ago, the Greenhorns loaded a schooner with 10 tons-- $70,000 worth of cargo-- and sailed it from Maine to Boston to sell at markets in the city. And then, the NEWSAG conference held a "FoodBarge Hack" lunch at their annual conference. The Portland Press Herald said of the project, "It's art. It's protest. It's celebration. And, who knows? It may even be a practical way to get cargo to market."
It looks like Maine's Department of Transportation might actually agree. As BDN Maine reports, "The National Governor’s Association submitted its members’ wish lists to the Trump administration last week. The overall list isn’t being made public, but the Maine Department of Transportation is releasing its proposal: almost half a billion dollars for improving the state’s roads and bridges and to jump-start a project that would revive a long-dormant coastal barge route, from Maine to New York City." They're calling it the "New England Marine Highway."
Though the Greenhorns would like to see a less fossil-fuel dependent model than tug-boat-pulled barges, we're glad to see people thinking more creatively about viable ways to move goods from agricultural areas to regional markets. Put a sail on that barge-- or, oh we don't know, a solar panel, a hydrokinetic turbine, or some draft power-- and we're all for it!
Missed Maine Sail Freight, read more here!