FOOD COUNCILS
Community Food Councils work within their own communities on food related issues. We work together as a network to support each other through collaboration, coordination and resource sharing. To get involved with, or learn how you might start a council in your region, email us at: mainefoodcouncils@gmail.com.
Food AND Medicine's Food Council
Greater Bangor, Maine
Our mission: Food AND Medicine (FAM) is a grassroots nonprofit whose mission is to organize, educate, and empower workers and our communities in the fight for economic and social justice.
As part of our food justice work, FAM organizes the Bangor Area Food Council (BAFC). FAM’s BAFC initiative provides a place where a diverse group of stakeholders can share resources, and work on FAM programs. BAFC members include college students, MOFGA members, local food entrepreneurs, the UMaine directors of Auxiliary and Dining Services, UMaine Office of Sustainability, representatives from Cooperative Extension, Husson University faculty, AmeriCorps volunteers, Good Shepherd Food Bank, Healthy Maine Partnership staff, and Bangor and Orono City councilors.
Community Food Matters
Norway, Maine
Projects: The Foothills Food Festival happens annually the second Saturday of August each year to highlight and celebrate farmers and food. Edible Main Street demonstrates how to grow food right in town. The Food Forest at Alan Day Community Garden is a long term project based on Permaculture Design principles. All in an effort to transition the Western Foothills of Maine to be more resilient in the face of climate change and resource depletion.
Cumberland County Food Security Council
Portland, Maine
Everyone is Welcome! Food is restricted, most often by limited income stemming from economic and other forms of injustice. The Cumberland County Food Security Council's Mission is to advocate, educate and take action toward increasing food access for food-insecure people in Cumberland County. We do this by working together to initiate, strategize, and innovate solutions to our community's hunger problem. Join us!
Good Food Council
Lewiston-Auburn, Maine
Our mission: Through education, advocacy, and community-based decision-making we work to shape a food system where our entire community of Lewiston-Auburn has access to good food.
How We Make Change:
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Fostering Collaboration within and between Sectors
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Identifying and working to Solve Gaps in the food system
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Providing Non-partisan Research and Educational Resources in matters of Public Policy
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Raising Awareness of and Support for Local Programs and Businesses
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Responding to emerging Community Needs and Opportunities
Greater Franklin Food Council
Franklin County, Maine
The Greater Franklin Food Council envisions a local food system that nourishes and educates all, provides a livelihood for farmers and food producers, and stewards the local and global environment.
Our mission: To foster a robust food system in Western Maine by bringing people together to: ensure access to nutritious food, promote local farmers, and advocate for food-related programs and policies that strengthen our communities.
Local Food Connection
Bethel, Maine
Our mission: The Local Food Connection is an organization working to build and sustain a movement in the greater Bethel, ME region that encourages all community members to grow, prepare, serve, purchase and consume local foods. There are many ways to get involved in the Local Food Connections work. We are here to support you in your effort to strengthen our local food system!
Merrymeeting Food Council
Brunswick, Maine
WHO WE ARE We are a collaborative network of farms, fisheries, businesses, nonprofits, government, and individuals working together to advance the food system in the 14 towns surrounding Merrymeeting Bay.
MISSION The Merrymeeting Food Council seeks to advance a thriving, resilient, and equitable food system that supports the health and natural resources of our communities.
VISION We envision a greater portion of the area’s food supply to be raised, caught, processed and consumed locally. This food system will protect and enhance natural resources, and create robust, meaningful economic and civic opportunities for the residents and visitors of the greater Merrymeeting Bay area.
TOWNS SERVED Arrowsic, Bath, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Brunswick, Dresden, Georgetown, Harpswell, Phippsburg, Richmond, Topsham, West Bath, Westport Island, Woolwich
Knox County Food Council
Knox County, Maine
Knox County Food Council is a community-based coalition that formed in 2019 to promote a more resilient food system in Knox County, Maine. The Council is comprised of community members and representatives from various businesses and non-profits, including the Knox County Gleaners and Midcoast Farmers Alliance. Virtual meetings for the public are held via Zoom from 5:00 to 6:00 PM on the second Tuesday of each month. FMI visit https://www.aldermere.org/programs/outreach/kcfc/
York County Food Council
York County, Maine
One of the newest food councils to join our ranks, the York County Food Council has really hit the ground running! They have begun regular meetings- open to anyone who lives or works in York County, and have started a "community food scan" to help then better understand what resources/groups are already active in their region and how their work can help fill in gaps in service, communication or otherwise. This dynamic new group is being led by a team of Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) coordinators, but has members from many different arenas of the local food system- from school nutrition staff to local farmers. To get involved, email Kelly Roberts at: Kelly.Roberts@mainehealth.org.
Healthy Northern Kennebec
Kennebec County, Maine
Another new-ish council in our network, Healthy Northern Kennebec has recently begun convening food security advocates and actors in their region to develop a cohesive group and plans for action to support one another and work together to address the issue of hunger in Northern Kennebec. To get involved with this fantastic group, email Sam Grenier at: Samantha.Grenier@mainegeneral.org
Waldo County Bounty
Waldo County, Maine
Waldo County Bounty, the newest group to join our ranks, works to ensure that everyone has access to fresh, nutritious food by collaborating with local farmers, organizations, and community members towards an equitable food system. Their programming includes: a farm-to-pantry program where they buy food directly from farmers and distribute it to food access and hunger relief organizations, a gleaning program to redirect unused and surlpus food to hunger relief organizations, and a gardening program where they support home gardeners with a wide variety of resources.
Washington County Food Council
Washington County, Maine
The Washington County Food Council (WCFC) was revitalized in Spring 2024 and is co-facilitated by staff at Healthy Acadia and Full Plates Full Potential. We host quarterly meetings across Washington County. The WCFC builds connections amongst actors in the food system to strengthen the potential for positive change and vibrancy in our region's local food and agriculture. We acknowledge the land where we live and work as home to the Passamaquoddy Tribe. Council activities: (1) Bolster existing initiatives in the county, such as the Downeast Gleaning Initiative, community suppers, community gardens, local food procurement for schools/institutions, and more; (2) Help lay a foundation for new initiatives to support healthy food ecosystems, and (3) Help meet the needs of our community members who experience food and nutrition insecurity. To connect with WCFC, contact Lucy Zwigard at lucy.zwigard@healthyacadia.org, or Kirtsen Tenney at ktenney@fullplates.org.
Maine Youth Food Council
Statewide
The Maine Youth Food Council works to address hunger in Maine by centering student voices and breaking down barriers to food access. This council is open to youth and adults and works in partnership with Full Plates Full Potential as well as other local organizations. Students on the Council are eligible for a $600 stipend!
Interested? Contact Kirsten Tenney at ktenney@fullplates.org,
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Formed in 2011, our network is composed of local food councils throughout the state that are tackling a variety of issues in our regional food systems. Local councils range in size, makeup and mission, but are united by a shared desire to make Maine’s food systems better for everyone. Some local council activities include:
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Food systems education
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gleaning and food recovery
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cooking workshops
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supporting local farmers
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creating food charters
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feeding their communities
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advocating for food sovereignty
The Maine Network of Community Food Councils exists to provide a community of practice for all local councils and allies. Our network aims to connect our members with other groups doing good food systems work around the state, to share information and help members stay up-to-date on happenings in our food system, to help promote the work councils are doing, and to provide a space for councils to discuss successes, challenges and needs. This includes:
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sharing funding
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monthly network meetings
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annual summits (currently on hold due to Covid)
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social media and website sharing
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professional development and education
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ongoing updates and communication