TURNER -- Speaking to a dozen farmers at a roundtable discussion about energy Friday, U.S. Rep. Tom Allen acknowledge he needs to earn their trust. He would do that, he said, by working hard for them in the Senate.

"I owe you a lot. I have to prove myself here," Allen said. "My family has been here for seven generations. I am not going to turn my back on rural Maine."

To defeat Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins, the 1st District Democrat must reach beyond his political base, the cities and suburbs of southern Maine, and connect with the state's rural residents at events such as this one in Turner.

It's a daunting task. The 2nd District is a huge geographical area that includes eight counties and stretches from Lisbon to Madawaska.

Allen on Friday traveled 189 miles, riding with his wife, Diana, and four campaign workers in a newly purchased Chevrolet van, painted blue and red and emblazoned with the campaign's slogan, "Right Choice. Real Change." Also traveling with him was U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Tester's wife, Sharla.

Tester is the only farmer in the Senate and a popular draw in agricultural regions.

In recent weeks, Allen has campaigned 12- to 14-hours a day when he's not in Washington, according to his staff.

On Friday, his first campaign stop was at 8 a.m. in Portland at Verrill Dana law offices, where he met with members of the legal and Jewish communities. California Congressman Henry Waxman joined him for that event.

Allen's day ended near 10 p.m., when he and his wife returned home to Portland after attending an art fair in Norway.

Also Friday, Allen spoke at a senior care facility in Portland, held a press conference at the home of a Portland couple struggling to pay their home heating oil bill, and spoke at a community supper in South Paris. When Allen speaks in small groups, such as in Turner and Portland, he is low-key and conversational.

He was energized, though, by a large turnout in South Paris, giving a rousing stump speech that generated cheers.

"I can feel the momentum in the race," he told the crowd. The campaign had brought enough food to feed 110 people at the supper, which was held at the First Congregational Church. But so many people came, the campaign ran out of food. Several people stood to listen to Allen because there were not enough seats.

Allen said he's running to increase the narrow Democratic majority in the Senate. That's the only way Congress will be able to make the "bold changes" needed to address the nation's problems.

He said that he and Collins have voting records that are sharply different on the major issues, and that voters should not be lulled into supporting Collins because she talks about her moderate stances and bipartisan approach.

As he does at every public event, Allen avoided criticizing Collins personally and instead focused on detailing their policy differences on the war in Iraq, congressional oversight over military contracts, tax policy and energy policy.

He said his opposition to the war from the start indicates that he has better judgment than Collins, who voted to support the war.

"Look at the issues and how we have voted," he said, adding, "Believe me, I like Susan Collins, none of this is personal."

In Turner, the response was more subdued. About half the farmers were Republican.

Allen, who served on the Portland City Council before winning his U.S. House seat in 1996, presented his own rural credentials: He grew up, he said, spending a lot of time on his parents' 120-acre farm, located in a remote section of north Sebago, and earned money tending the family's apple orchard.

Today, he owns the mostly-wooded farm and enjoys growing apples as a hobby, he said.

The farmers complained that rising energy costs are driving up the cost of grain, which they use to feed their cattle.

Allen said the long-term solution is for the nation to move away from dependence on oil and invest in alternative energy, such as wind and solar. He said the nation must also reduce the amount of fuel consumed by automobiles.

"We have only 3 percent of the world's oil and use 25 percent of the world's oil," he said. "We have to do everything" including driving down the amount we use "in order to be free of Saudi Arabia."

One of the Republicans in the room, Ralph Caldwell, an organic beef and dairy farmer from Turner, said that Allen came across well.

"He's a first-rate guy," he said. "He's a caring human being."

Lee Holman of Hartford, population 963, said she'll probably vote for Allen because of his voting record on the war and tax policy.

"I do get a good feeling from him," said Holman, who described herself as an "independent-minded" voter. "He's very personable and approachable, which is a good thing in a senator."