Maine farm collaborative gets $99k grant to help fill federal funding gap
Photo / Courtesy Strega Studios
Badi Camara, a farm manager with Cultivating Community in Portland, planted seedlings in a high tunnel this spring.
A statewide collaborative of food-support organizations received a $99,000 “food vision prize” that’s expected to help bolster local food access and farm viability.
Farm to Neighbor Maine was established by seven food-support organizations in May in response to federal funding cuts.
The organization launched a fundraiser to mitigate the loss of $1.25 million, to be distributed from June 2025 through June 2028, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's local food purchasing agreement.
The money would have made it possible for Maine food aggregators to purchase 500,000 to 600,000 pounds of food from 75 Maine producers and distribute directly to over 200 Maine hunger relief organizations.
Rapid response
The $99,000 prize was awarded by the Henry P. Kendall Foundation in Boston. The award recognizes Farm to Neighbor’s project to enhance regional food sourcing by Maine’s K-12 cafeterias.
Portland-based nonprofit Cultivating Community, a member of the collaborative, is the award’s fiscal sponsor.
Silvan Shawe, executive director of Cultivating Community, credited Kendall for its rapid response.
“The seven groups involved launched Farm to Neighbor in May to address unexpected federal cuts and ensure our farms and food programs weren't devastated,” Shawe said. “To already have the support of an impactful foundation like Kendall is a testament to the urgency of our mission and the power of collaborative action.”
Farm to Neighbor’s mission is to expand local food access to vulnerable people, support underserved and BIPOC farmers and contribute to a resilient agricultural economy and community.
Crop and menu planning
The prize will allow the collaborative’s members and 10 school systems, from South Portland to Fort Kent, to dedicate staff time and operational resources to plan crops and menus, according to a news release.
Goals include developing and diversifying markets for farms and building supply chains for nutritious, appealing, local foods for students.
Farm to Neighbor Maine came together in response to an unexpected cancellation in March of the USDA’s local food purchasing agreement.
Previously, participating groups used the USDA funds to buy products from over 75 Maine farms to supply local food pantries and food access programs.
The project supported historically underrepresented farmers and culturally appropriate foods for communities.
The sudden termination caught producers and recipient sites off guard amidst the spring growing season and rising food insecurity.
$500k still needed
Seven groups that had received the funding — Cultivating Community in Portland, Daybreak Growers Alliance in Unity, Healthy Acadia in Ellsworth, Farms for Food Equity in Cape Elizabeth, Mi’kmaq Farms in Caribou, New Roots Cooperative in Lewiston and Somali Bantu Community Association in Wales — launched Farms to Neighbors with campaign management support from Peak Season Maine, a wholesale produce distributor in Freedom, and fiscal sponsorship from Full Plates Full Potential, a child nutrition organization in Brunswick.
"This prize will help fund an important part of Farm to Neighbor Maine’s mission: sustaining our food access programs and ensuring our farm partners' long-term success,” said Colleen Hanlon-Smith, a 2023 Mainebiz 40 Under 40 honoree who owns Peak Season Produce, co-owns Daybreak Growers Alliance and spearheaded the Kendall submission.
Over $500,000 is still needed, she said.
“Reimbursing the farms for their work, purchasing the products and making the food available to Maine’s most vulnerable populations this season is our immediate focus,” she sad. “We are asking for the public's support to give what they can give to help us bring in the harvest and feed our neighbors in need.”
Fundraising strategy
So far, the total amount raised specifically to replace the cancelled local food purchasing agreement funds is $103,968. (The figure doesn’t include in-kind support.) The sum includes $12,868 in contributions from individual donors, $23,600 in business sponsorships and $67,500 in grants.
The Food Vision Prize supports the work broadly but doesn't directly replace the canceled funds.
The strategy to raise the rest of the cancelled local food purchasing agreement funds includes launching partnerships in July with food service retailers throughout the state that have committed to donating a percentage of sales to Farm to Neighbor.
Additionally, Farm To Neighbor is working with farm partners to launch a “Ready to Grow for Farm to Neighbor” social media campaign. Business partnerships — such as corporate sponsorships, employer matched giving and media sponsorships — are shaping up in Greater Portland.
The group is working on obtaining individual donations, including recurring monthly contributions, as well as donor advised funds, stock giving, employer matched giving programs and estate and planned giving.
In partnership with food service and retailer partners, Hannlon-Smith said the group expects to launch a program later this summer that highlights donated menu and online auction items.
Volunteers are interviewing community leaders at hunger relief distribution sites to engage the media.
Due to the timing of the funding freeze, in early March, the group missed the opportunity to work with many grant-making foundations. Hanlon-Smith said the group expects to engage them late this year and early 2026.
Farm to Neighbor is seeking donors, sponsors and business partners. Contributions will enable the purchase of food from participating farms to supply pantries, meal programs, and other initiatives aiding food-insecure Mainers.
For more information or to donate, click here.
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