Maine Food Convergence Virtual Convenings February 15 - March 11!

PRESS RELEASE

Maine Food Convergence Virtual Convenings February 15 - March 11

Statewide via Zoom - The Maine Food Convergence, a collaborative of 5 Maine food and climate networks, is convening organizations, networks, and groups in a series of interactive virtual networking events in February and March 2021. A wide variety of Maine food system colleagues will gather to focus on:

  • Top priorities in the Maine food system identified through 2020 Regional Dialogues

  • Collective group work and action planning

  • Systems that support ongoing collaboration 


The Convergence stands apart from other virtual events for a unique focus on relationship building and facilitated storytelling led by the Maine Environmental Changemakers Youth Network, Maine Youth for Climate Justice, and Maine Wabanaki REACH. Participants will hear from new voices across the Maine food system and co-create action plans for working together across the intersections between Maine’s food, climate, and justice movements. Racial Equity and Justice of Bangor will provide a framework for centering diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the Convergence. This is the beginning, as the Convergence aims to build long-term structures for greater collaboration and collective impact.


Learn more and register today for one or more of the following tracks: 


Participants are encouraged to attend all three sessions of their chosen track, as well as the Opening and Reconvening events. Find the full schedule here. 

Stipends and scholarships to support participation are available; for more information, please contact mainefoodconvergence@gmail.com.

 

Contact: Maine Farm to Institution

Renee Page r.page@hccame.org 

Stephanie Cesario s.cesario@hccame.org 

Fall and Winter CSA Options

Community Supported Agriculture - Sign Up Time!

Here are a few of the area farms that are offering CSA sign ups right now. If you are a farm and would like us to add your information to this list, please contact us.

Apple Creek Farm (Bowdoinham)

Market Share CSA - The program is modeled after a traditional CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program where the farmers receive payment upfront in return for a share of the harvest throughout the season. Designed to share the risks of farming with our local community, your purchase of a share helps to offset the up front costs of raising the healthy, organic animals destined to feed you and your family. It’s easy to join and to start using your pre-loaded card to purchase farm products. You can refill your card as needed, the share can be used for any of our products and your only obligation is to use up your balance by December 31st.

Dandelion Spring Farm (Bowdoinham)

Dandelion Debit Card: Have us create a debit card for you! We'll hold it on file and you are welcome to use it any time at the farmers' market or where ever we've popped up! Purchase in increments of $100 (simply order multiple of this item to get to the value that works for your family.) Card is good for all future purchases (it is available starting the week following purchase). Card is good for all farm products offered at our farm stands. Card does not expire. Food Donation: One of the most rewarding and challenging moments of my Saturday is delivering food to Preble St. in Portland. I want to continue to do this, and bring them more food every week. Please help us do so by adding value (which we translate into product) to our deliveries. October CSA: Embracing the fall bounty, change of seasons, and preparing for winter ahead, we're offering a 5 week mini - CSA share. Winter CSA: This winter of 2020-2021 we are focusing our vegetables on direct sale to you through pre-purchased community supported agriculture (CSA) shares. We do not plan to attend any winter farmers' markets. Dates: 17 weeks, December 1 - April 1,With the week off between Dec. 27- Jan 2. Pickups in Bowdoinham, Portland, and Rockland.

Emily’s Oysters (Bath)

Buy a farm share and participate in Emily's Oysters' fun and unique "community supported aquaculture" (CSA) program! Enjoy the freshest local oysters year round, available delivered right to your home or fresh from any of our local farmer's market locations. Friday oyster deliveries within 25 miles of Freeport or pick up in Bath. Sign up for a CSA or just buy some oysters. CSA runs for 1 year or until you eat up all your oysters.

Goranson Farm (Dresden)

Winter CSA - Once-a-month pick-up of crops that are available November through April. Includes winter storage vegetables (potatoes, beets, carrots, leeks, garlic, onions, parsnips, celeriac, herbs, squash, cabbage, rutabagas and turnips) and fall greens are packed for pick-up once a month, either at the farm or at a location in Boothbay or Portland markets. We feature different potato and squash varieties each month. Also included each month are recipes, storage tips, and a letter from Jan about what’s happening on the farm. *Total share is $300 and runs Nov-Apr. Pricing is prorated for late joiners.

Harvest Tide Organics (Bowdoinham)

Currently Servicing the Following Towns! Contact us for delivery to your workplace or community space along our route! Auburn, Bath, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Brunswick, Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, Lewiston, North Yarmouth, Portland, South Portland, Topsham, and Westbrook. Autumn Vegetable Share - Enjoy the best of fresh autumn vegetables, delivered to your workplace or community location. The fall share consists of four deliveries, delivered bi-weekly from early October to the week before Thanksgiving (Oct 4 - Nov 21) and include all the veggies that thrive in Maine's fall, including late summer veggies, storage veggies, and hardy leafy greens. Cost is $36.00 per delivery which includes enough veggies to last a family about 2 weeks. The last share delivery, just before Thanksgiving is a holiday oriented share, with many of the veggies you need for the holiday.

Little Ridge Farm (Lisbon Falls)

Thanksgiving, December and Winter Shares available. Learn more. This list will provide an idea of when and what items are available. Recipes and preservation tips are provided each week via the Happy Farmer Farm Blog and Facebook.

Milkweed Farm (Brunswick)

Three 6 week Late Fall-Early Winter options: Farmstead Share, Vegan Farmstead Share, and Medicinal Herb Share. Farmstead Share Application. Vegan Share Application. Medicinal Herb Share Application. The Farmstead share include: fall greens, storage vegetables, (carrots, onions, shallots, beets, winter squash, and potatoes), apples, pasture raised eggs, pasture raised chicken, a selection of cheeses from local Maine creameries, yogurt, farmstead granola, seeds saved from our own crops, and medicinal herb preparations for immune support such as Elderberry Syrup, Thyme Tincture, Fire Tonic, and Sacred Basil Honey.  The Vegan Share is similar to the Farmstead share but excludes chicken, eggs and dairy. The Medicinal Share includes: one medicinal preparations each week for 6 weeks. For more information about each share see the link in the farm name and contact milkweedfarm.@gmail.com.

Scratch Farm (Bowdoin)

Farm Boxes - We offer a different Full Plate Farm Box every month from August through February. Each has it’s own name (e.g. the Summer Picnic Box). They are jam-packed full of fresh organic produce, eggs, whole wheat pita bread and an assortment of pickles, jam, sauerkraut, hot sauce, applesauce, frozen vegetables, cornmeal, tea mixes and much more! We prepare everything from scratch and we grow the majority of the food. All of our veggies, herbs and fruit are certified organic. We also offer à la carte options for those who want less, or more, than a full farm box. Commit to six monthly farm boxes now for a discount! Click here for details. SNAP accepted and Maine Harvest Bucks Program offered.

Stonecipher Farm (Bowdoin)

Fall CSA: Late Oct- Late December. A full share has from 12 to 14 items of varying value, and the half share has 6 to 9 items, depending on value. You will see over 30 different items in your share over the course of the CSA. We work hard to keep it interesting… but not too interesting! A "full share" is $30 value per week, with 20% savings from retail. A "half share" is $20 value per week, with 20% savings from retail. Portland, Bowdoinham and Rockport pick up sites. Email for more information and to sign up.

Tender Soles Farm (Richmond)

Veggie and Fruit Shares - Sign up now for 9 weeks of organic local food! Runs October 21st - December 16th. Receive $25 of our organic produce every week for 9 weeks. Curb Side style pick ups at all locations. Pick-ups are every week at 3 locations:  Our Farm Stand in Richmond (Wednesdays 4-6 pm) $225; Topsham (Tuesdays 4-6 pm) $250 (includes *$25 delivery fee); Bath (Tuesdays 4-7 pm) ​$250 (includes *$25 delivery fee). * Richmond School and Town Staff receive $10 off shares! *Customers with SNAP benefits qualify for 1/2 priced  shares! Call or email us to learn more! (207) 620-0030; ​tendersolesfarm@gmail.com.

Two Coves Farm (Harpswell)

A meat CSA includes pasture raised beef, lamb, pork and poultry. Animals are sold by the whole, half, quarter as well as various assortment packages. We have an ordering page on our website as well as an online order form. Both of these options allow customers to place a deposit on the meat they would like us to produce for them in the season. In the fall we process orders, get cut instructions from customers, and then offer delivery or pick up when the order is complete. At that point we figure and collect a final balance.

Whatley Farm (Topsham)

1) Market-Debit CSA - A flexible CSA program which you can customize to suit your needs. Sign up online any time, get a bonus based on the dollar amount you sign up for, use your CSA account until you run out of money, and then sign up again. Everything that we sell is eligible for purchase with your CSA balance, and you can check your balance at any time in our ledger at market.

2) SNAP CSA - An option for customers who want to use their SNAP benefits to shop with us. We sell certified organic vegetables, seedlings, edible flowers, duck eggs, and pork. DOUBLE YOUR DOLLARS with Maine Harvest Bucks in our flexible CSA program! It’s really simple: sign up by visiting us at any of our farmers markets, or emailing. Each time you shop with us at market using SNAP/EBT, you will only be charged half of the cost of your fruits and vegetables from our stand. The other half is covered by grant funding from the Maine Harvest Bucks program. You can sign up by sending us your name and phone number, or come to any of our markets. Please email us for a sign-up form!

CEI Secures Award to Advance Catalyst Fund for Early-Stage Food Businesses

September 24, 2020

CEI Secures Award to Advance Catalyst Fund for Early-Stage Food Businesses

September 23, 2020 (Brunswick, ME) – A new $300,000 grant award from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship will support Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) in developing its Catalyst Fund, a pool of capital for equity investments to be deployed by CEI’s lending and investment team in collaboration with its food systems program. The fund is designed to grow Maine’s food economy by offering early-stage, patient equity investments paired with business advice and technical support. CEI was selected as one of 52 award recipients out of a nationwide pool of 600 applicants.

CEI originated the Catalyst Fund in 2017, recognizing that the limited availability of early stage equity investment presents a bottleneck for business growth. CEI’s goal for the fund is to grow Maine’s food economy by providing catalytic capital for food businesses with the potential for high growth, job creation and positive environmental and social impacts aligned with CEI’s mission. The EDA award for the Catalyst Fund follows a $565,000 award from the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund at the U.S. Treasury in November 2019.

To date, CEI’s Catalyst Fund has invested $1.09 million in eight businesses, three of them women-led, engaged in a diverse array of food production including heritage grain milling, eel aquaculture, growing exotic mushrooms and kelp processing, creating and/or retaining 75 jobs from Maine’s rural heartland to its coastline. These commitments leveraged another $4.82 million in additional investments. From the time of CEI’s initial investment through May of this year, revenue at the eight Catalyst Fund companies has grown, on average, an impressive 22 percent per year and cumulative revenue has grown from $5.92 million to $9.78 million, or 65 percent.

The EDA funds enable CEI to staff the fund in order to source a compelling pipeline of investment-ready businesses and connect them with business consulting and technical assistance, develop and implement innovative investment structures, and host investor forums to introduce Catalyst Fund investees to sources of additional growth capital. CEI will also raise $2 million for investments in an additional 10-12 new food sector businesses, which CEI expects will create or retain 150 jobs.

“The EDA award allows us to move forward with our vision to scale the Catalyst Fund,” said Gray Harris, Senior Vice President of Food System Strategies at CEI. “There are many creative, innovative entrepreneurs building food businesses that directly support Maine’s agriculture and marine economies, which have defined Maine’s working landscapes and coastlines for generations. These entrepreneurs are ready to take big risks to build companies that create jobs in their communities and in our iconic industries. As a mission driven investor, CEI is committed to helping these entrepreneurs pioneer a food system for the 21st century in Maine.”

Maine is known around the world for its heritage industries. A new generation of entrepreneurs is stewarding and leveraging the state’s rich natural resource base in farming and fishing, creating businesses that capitalize on the surging interest in local foods. Atlantic Sea Farms, American Unagi, Maine Grains, Oyster Tracker and Bluet are just some of the next-generation companies that have received equity investments from CEI.

“Entrepreneurs need investors willing to invest in infrastructure,” said Briana Warner, CEO, Atlantic Sea Farms. “That’s where CEI comes in. The Catalyst Fund is giving us the flexibility and time to scale up our value-added products, helping to grow the impact and health of seaweed farming along the coast, with the objective of building a diversified income stream for coastal fishermen in the offseason.”

“CEI played a number of different roles with Crown O’Maine and the financing needs that we’ve had ,” said Marada Cook, General Manager, Crown O’Maine. “When we were a cooperative, the Catalyst Fund provided high-risk, patient investments in the form of non-voting Class B shares, an important model of capital that cooperatives need. When we decided to shift from a cooperative to a Benefit Corporation, the flexibility of CEI’s capital was critical to the success of the transition. As a Benefit Corporation, we have a more expanded vision, including aspects of worker ownership and environmental responsibility.”

“Some investors have pretty stringent guidelines,” said Amber Lambke, CEO and founder, Maine Grains. “Sometimes, that has prevented us from getting financing. CEI is prepared to take more risks, particularly in food businesses. It’s great that we have them here.”

Businesses eligible for future investment will be new (generally less than three years old) and/or positioned to scale up significantly and demonstrate the potential for high growth, profitability, and job creation. The fund aims to serve diverse Maine entrepreneurs, including underrepresented populations, such as women, people of color, new Americans, and people facing systemic barriers who have low incomes or few assets.

See original CEI post…

About CEI
Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) helps to grow good jobs, environmentally sustainable enterprises and shared prosperity in Maine and in rural regions across the country by integrating financing, business and industry expertise, and policy solutions. CEI envisions a world in which communities are economically and environmentally healthy, enabling all people, especially those with low incomes, to reach their full potential. More at www.ceimaine.org.

  CLIMATE COUNCIL SEEKS COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC INPUT

CLIMATE COUNCIL SEEKS COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC INPUT
 
The Maine Climate Council consists of scientists, industry leaders, bipartisan local and state officials, and engaged citizens working to address the effects of climate change on our state.  The Council is tasked with creating concrete recommendations so Maine can achieve its goals to reduce emissions and become more resilient to a changing climate.
 
The Council is currently reviewing a series of draft climate change strategies, and is looking for community officials and public input and feedback on any or all of them. There are a number of ways to offer feedback and engage with Council. The first step is to visit here: https://climatecouncil.maine.gov/

The strategy recommendations for the Natural and Working Lands Group call for important incentives, technical assistance, research and funding mechanisms to help farmers and foresters stay on their land while protecting and promoting healthy, carbon-sequestering soils, and providing essential habitat protections for Maine's wildlife.

The strategy recommendations for the Coastal and Marine Working Group call for supporting Maine’s lobster and fishing businesses; expanding local marketing opportunities for Maine seafood; continuing to grow Maine’s diverse aquaculture sector; collecting scientific data to understand the changes to Maine’s coastal and marine areas; providing clear information and tools about climate change impacts; and protecting Maine’s working waterfront infrastructure from climate change impacts and more.
 
Here you can:  
•            Review the draft strategies and submit feedback through brief surveys
•            Download a climate toolkit to have an offline discussion about the strategies
•            Submit open comments to the Council
•            Invite the Council to present to your community or organization
 
Please offer feedback by August 22 (ahead of the Council’s September meeting). The Climate Action Plan is due to be delivered on December 1.

*MOFGA member? Please complete this survey - Deadline Friday, August 22