Truck sales, Fishbowl Farm, Bowdoinham, Maine.
Photo by Bridget Besaw, courtesy Maine Farmland Trust.
Local agriculture is a vital part of life in Maine. Our sense of place, our economy, and even our health can be tied to local food production.
Maine has a strong agricultural heritage, boasting more than 1.3 million acres of farmland. Agriculture contributes $1.2 billion to the state's economy. Growth in community supported agriculture, farmers' markets, organic farms, and farm-to-school initiatives indicate that the sector is ripe for support.
MaineCF is working with donors to explore the connections between their philanthropic interests and public, private, and nonprofit efforts to promote and grow healthy food and healthy communities.
In partnership with donors, MaineCF hopes to make more funds available for this vital work and to contribute to the groundswell of awareness about the role that local food production plays in providing a sense of place, fostering economic opportunity, improving health and well-being, and building community.