CCFSC 2025 Local Food Report : simplebooklet.com

History of the Cumberland County Local Food Report In 2015, the Cumberland County Food Security Council (CCFSC), led by Jim Hanna, articulated a strategy and developed a presentation entitled Closing the Hunger Gap with Local Food. This was delivered by Kristen Miale, President of Good Shepherd Food Bank, and Craig Lapine, Executive Director of Cultivating Community, at the Closing the Hunger Gap Conference in Portland, Oregon that September. In 2018, a written report building on this presentation was published by Jim Hanna, Ali Mediate, and Kathryn Sargeant, with nal editing support from Kristina Kalolo. This report captured local food system strategies in Cumberland County and helped lay the foundation for future work in the region. In 2021, Adele Wise revisited the data from this earlier work to assess the impacts of COVID-19 on the local food system. She updated and added new projects, analyzing how the pandemic had exposed vulnerabilities and disrupted food access. An update was posted on the CCFSC website and is publicly available. In the fall of 2023, the Local Food Action Team was initiated when Ali Mediate (2024 CCFSC Board Member) expressed interest in developing an annual local food report. This idea was inspired by the 2018 Closing the Hunger Gap Report and by external examples like the 2014 Food System Report from Thurston County, Washington. Using that initial framework, CCFSC began documenting, in greater detail, the people, programs, and collaborations working to build food security in Cumberland County and beyond—centering local food as the foundation. In 2025, in collaboration with doctoral student Victoria Forkus of the Data Innovation Project, CCFSC’s Local Food Action Team (LFAT) is publishing Creating Pathways to Collective Action: Building Awareness of Local Food Initiatives in Cumberland County—the rst Cumberland County Local Food Report, designed to document, elevate, celebrate, and inspire local food strategies addressing food insecurity across the region. 4

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Table of Contents History of the Cumberland County Local Food Report..............................................................4 Opening Remarks..................................................................................................................... 6 Introduction to the CCFSC Logic Model.............................................................................13 An Introduction to the Five Local Food Strategies................................................................14 Strategy-Specic Survey Findings................................................................................................. 21 Strategy 1: Land Access...........................................................................................................21 Strategy 2: Education.............................................................................................................. 24 Strategy 3: Local Food & Nutrition Incentive Programs...................................................... 27 Strategy 4: Farm (and Garden) to Institution........................................................................ 32 Strategy 5: Charitable Food & Emergency Hunger Relief.................................................... 36 Celebrating Key Players in the Local Food System................................................................44 Strategy Type Key..............................................................................................................44 VI. Directory of Local Food System Organizations...............................................................59 5

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Opening Remarks Maine curates its brand identity: "The way life should be." It is grounded in a back to nature movement articulated in the Nearings’ book "Living the Good Life.” Before the Europeans’ arrival, the people indigenous to this land spoke of their "good life." Each Wabanaki tribe had a word or phrase that expressed the collective wellness of a thriving community. Food is at the center of that vision. Maine people are resilient, as we have to be, facing rugged and changeable conditions on land and sea. There was a time we, together, addressed far more of our local food needs than we do today. The modern food system now provides much for us, bringing fresh and packaged foods great distances, distributed mainly through super markets, before they arrive on our tables. Still, people struggle to feed their families for reasons common 400 years ago, 200 years ago and today. Bad luck, poor health, low wages, and a tough winter are among the obstacles to getting enough good food to thrive in Maine. In the face of that, why do we organize our communities in ways that limit access to basic human needs? We ask this especially in the context of a nation that has generated wealth unprecedented in human history. Why then are so many of our neighbors forced to live with economic uncertainty and food insecurity as normal and accepted conditions? We have the knowledge and resources to end hunger if we choose. We demonstrated this during the COVID-19 pandemic e.g., when universal school meals were implemented. In 2018, CCFSC published Closing the Hunger Gap with Local Food Report. Then, as now, we hold a vision to eliminate poverty related food and nutrition deprivation in our communities. We believe locally produced food resources are critical to building nutrition security in Cumberland County. Local food supports nutritious diets, stimulates regional economies, sustains healthy environments, and creates strong social connections. Increasing local food production, processing and access helps alleviate hunger through a variety of strategies while building a resilient and equitable food system for all of our neighbors. The following report documents how stakeholders across Cumberland County and Maine are caring for each other and using local food to build nutrition-secure communities. It is especially important, in this spring of 2025, that we take time to celebrate, establish, and document baselines of progress in our collective food systems work here in Cumberland County and in Maine. We are facing extraordinary pressure against the creative solutions to sharing food that we have diligently developed and implemented in recent decades. We must tell the story of how we are using local food resources to strengthen our communities, so that our history and this movement toward local food and nutrition security is not lost. – Jim Hanna, Executive Director CCFSC 6

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The Local Food Access Team (LFAT) was established by Adele Wise and Ali Mediate in the fall of 2023 as a part of this larger eort and vision of increased local food access for all and as a means to better understand and identify the areas of greatest need, capitalize on our collective strengths, and highlight the important work of our stakeholders and partners across Cumberland County. The future Local Food Access Team (LFAT) members have been charged with surveying the work of local food security initiatives in Cumberland County on a regular basis; the results of the rst survey are included within this inaugural report. This report further highlights the importance of evidence-based collective action and high-quality data collection as a method for assessing the existing food security landscape in Cumberland County as well as determining the continued need and strategy of the Cumberland County Food Security Council. In addition, the Local Food Access Team (LFAT) developed and codied a CCFSC theory of change and a logic model that directly informs the work. CCFSC Mission The mission of the Cumberland County Food Security Council (CCFSC) is to initiate and facilitate collaborative action toward a just, resilient, and sustainable food system that ensures equitable access for all of Cumberland County’s people to enough healthy food. Local Food Access Report The Local Food Access Team (LFAT) inaugural 2025 report was co-authored by the founding members of the LFAT and all of the individuals who completed the survey on behalf of their organizations. It was directly supported by the Data Innovation Project Fellowship at the University of Southern Maine through the work of doctoral candidate Victoria Forkus. In this report, you will nd key insights, aggregated data points, and recommendations from the results of the rst annual LFAT survey. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Economic Research Service administers the Household Food Security Suciency Survey annually as a part of the current population survey (CPS - FSS). The USDA separates food insecurity into three levels of severity - food insecure, low food security, and very low food security (see deﬁnitions below). Food insecure—At times during the year, these households were uncertain of having or unable to acquire enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they had insucient money or 8

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other resources for food. Food-insecure households include those with low food security and very low food security. Low food security—These food-insecure households obtained enough food to avoid substantially disrupting their eating patterns or reducing food intake by using a variety of coping strategies, such as eating less varied diets, participating in Federal food assistance programs, or getting food from community food pantries. Very low food security—In these food-insecure households, normal eating patterns of one or more household members were disrupted, and food intake was reduced at times during the year because they had insucient money or other resources for food.1 Based on household food security suciency (FSS) data from 2021-2023, the level of food insecurity in Maine (10.9%) is considered to be at or near the national average in the United States (12.2%). The state of Maine saw a 0.5% reduction in the number of food-insecure households from 11.4% (153,000 people a year) between 2018-2022 to 10.9% (approximately 146,000 people a year) with the most recent iteration of the FSS. During the same period, the percentage of households in Maine with very low food security dropped from 5.5% of the total population to 4.4%.2 Advocates point to the surplus of funding that was used to support families during the COVID-19 pandemic as an explanation for the marginal decrease, however, the more recent impact of ination of the cost of groceries has been attributed to an anticipated increase in household food insecurity between 2023 - 2025.3 3 Snider, A. (2024, November). USDA data nds drop in food insecurity, but Maine groups say it’s an incomplete picture. Maine Public; WMEH. https://www.mainepublic.org/maine/2024-11-01/usda-data-nds-drop-in-food-insecurity-but-maine-groups-say-its-an-incomplete-picture 2 State Fact Sheets - State Data. (2025). Usda.gov. https://data.ers.usda.gov/reports.aspx?ID=4035&StateFIPS=23&StateName=Maine 1 USDA. (2025, January 8). USDA ERS - Key Statistics & Graphics. Usda.gov. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/key-statistics-graphics 9

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As identied in the Maine Roadmap to End Hunger by 2030, there is an equity gap in terms of rates of food insecurity across Maine; the available data demonstrates that race and ethnicity are statistically signicant factors in determining the prevalence of hunger. Between 2015 and 2017, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in Maine experienced food insecurity at more than twice the state average. Other subgroups with high rates of food insecurity in Maine include single-parent households (42%), individuals with disabilities (39%), home health aides (33%), and restaurant workers (22%).4 In the state of Maine, one in ve children face food insecurity – or 18.1%. Notably, “food insecurity in Maine is more common, more severe, and happens at higher incomes than elsewhere in New England and the U.S.”5 Through an analysis of the ‘Map the Meal Gap’ annual county-level datasets provided by Feeding America, there is an observable decline in overall food insecurity and child food insecurity in almost every Maine County (with the exception of child food insecurity rates in Androscoggin County) from 2019-2021. When comparing data from 2009 to 2021, the overall number of food-insecure individuals in Maine began to steadily decline in 2014.6 6 Food Insecurity by County | Feeding America. (2019-2022). Feedingamerica.org.https://www.feedingamerica.org/research/map-the-meal-gap/by-county 5 Ibid. 4 Ending Hunger By 2030, pg.16-18. Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. (n.d.).https://www.maine.gov/dacf///about/commissioners/endhunger/index.shtml 10

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In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic created an environment of increased risk for food insecurity and socio-economic decline for many families throughout the country. The pandemic exacerbated many pre-existing social issues across not only Maine but the entire world. Many post-pandemic research eorts have highlighted an increase in food insecurity rates that resulted from the economic impact of COVID-19. Although we have just entered 2025, the residual impact of the pandemic remains tangible in communities throughout Maine. As an example, the state of Maine enacted universal free breakfast and lunch for all Maine students beginning in the school year 2022-2023, a continuation of a pandemic policy aimed at combating food insecurity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, federal agencies such as the USDA expanded social benets to combat the increased need among vulnerable populations. As an example, the USDA expanded access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and school nutrition programming. The Pandemic-Electronic Benets Transfer (P-EBT) program provided additional benets to families in need to compensate for school meals missed from remote learning and increased benets by 15% per day. The USDA also provided supplemental funding to expand the summer food service program 11

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(SFSP).7 Other federal and state initiatives, such as stimulus payments, expanded child tax credits, and policies outlined in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) proved successful in decreasing the overall impact of the pandemic. This resulted in marginal declines in the rate of food insecurity across Maine counties, almost universally. Cumberland County has the largest number of individuals who are food insecure of Maine’s sixteen counties, estimated to be 10.6% of the total population in 2022 (approximately 308,000 individuals).8 In addition, Cumberland County is the most populous and the most racially and ethnically diverse county in Maine. There are “...55,020 children [in Cumberland County], and it is the county with the second most diverse child population with approximately 23% children of color.”9 The Cumberland County Food Security Council has been working collaboratively over the last decade toward a common vision of a food-secure Cumberland County. The council aims to bring together partner organizations and individual stakeholders, articulate a common food security vision, and facilitate greater alignment of food security work throughout the county. CCFSC believes working to improve the food system can boost economic growth, create opportunities to advance social justice, and provide an arena for addressing environmental and other important challenges. “Taking a systems approach to hunger means engaging all the stakeholders and considering all the processes involved, from production to consumption. Closing the hunger gap with local food is a systems approach that aligns with other eﬀorts to create a more robust and resilient food system in Maine. -Jim Hanna, Executive Director, CCFSC 9 KEY COUNTY INDICATORS OF CHILD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.mekids.org/site/assets/les/2428/mainekidscount_cumberland_2024.pdf 8 Food Insecurity by County | Feeding America.(2019-2022).Feedingamerica.org.https://www.feedingamerica.org/research/map-the-meal-gap/by-county 7 Tackling food insecurity through Pandemic Electronic Beneﬁts Transfer. Food and Nutrition Service U.S. Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). https://www.fns.usda.gov/blog/tackling-food-insecurity-through-pandemic-electronic-benets 12

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Introduction to the CCFSC Logic Model The Cumberland County Food Security Council (CCFSC) is charged with building a stronger, more collaborative network of organizations that are involved in addressing issues related to food security. This is accomplished by rst identifying the factors that contribute to the problem (root cause analysis) and then implementing strategies to address them. Some of the strategies that are currently being implemented include community workshops, training, facilitating and hosting dialogues, direct funding and scal agent support, and program administration (see the theory of change ﬂowchart). In a more granular sense, CCFSC administers the aforementioned strategies with the intent of achieving a specic set of deliverables. These deliverables include both long and short-term outcomes that will create a measurable community impact across Cumberland County. The collective work of stakeholders and program-based partners results in an increased number of healthy individuals and families through improved access to nutritious (and local) food sources, land access, and educational programs. 13

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An Introduction to the Five Local Food Strategies Although local food security programming has been divided into ve separate categories for this report and the survey that preceded it, we acknowledge that this work often happens on a continuum. Many organizations in Cumberland County oer programs across multiple or all ve strategy areas. This work, the work of food security program administrators in Cumberland County, takes the collective and collaborative eort of dedicated individuals, volunteers, and community stakeholders. The CCFSC Local Food Action Team has taken a systems-level approach to analyzing nutrition and local food security initiatives. The strategy-level approach identies key leverage points where resources, education and advocacy can impact signicantly community and individual food security. We work in partnership with our fellow food security advocates and organizers to mobilize a robust network of organizations, communities, and individuals to strengthen our food system in Cumberland County. We acknowledge that this work would not be possible without the eorts of many, and the transformation of the largest failures in our food system will require us to work together to achieve the changes we cannot accomplish alone. Even those who do not directly engage in this work benet from increased access to local food sources, the availability of community gardens and agricultural education, along with the overall healthier environments that result from our collective eorts. “A rising tide lifts all boats” - John F. Kennedy. 14

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The 5 Strategies: How do organizations in Cumberland County engage in this work? In this Local Food Report, we have categorized local food initiatives into ve main strategies: Land Access, Education, Incentive Programs, Farm-to-Institution (F2I), and Charitable Food and Emergency Hunger Relief. We recognize that these strategies often overlap, as many of the local food organizations in Cumberland County operate across multiple strategic tiers. These organizations facilitate various programs, engagement opportunities, and connect resources to combat food insecurity. These ve local food strategies are interconnected, as many partners actively participate in and collaborate on multiple initiatives to provide comprehensive support and services to community members. This data visual presents a brief description of each of the ve strategy areas, along with examples of programs that t each category. Each strategy plays a vital role in the collective eort to combat food insecurity in Cumberland County. By collaborating across these diverse areas, CCFSC and its partner organizations strive to create a more interconnected, resilient and equitable food system for all residents. 15

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Research/Survey Methods Beginning in 2024, the Local Food Access Team began to identify key stakeholders throughout Cumberland County who are engaged in the administration of food-based programs. This list included a diverse range of organizations supporting activities that range from community gardening and food pantries to farm-to-institution partnerships, spanning the ve food program strategy areas. In collaboration with the Data Innovation Project (DIP) at the Catherine Cutler Institute through the University of Southern Maine, a survey was developed and rened to capture the unique activities and outcomes of programs operating within each of the ve distinct strategy areas. This survey was distributed to stakeholders on December 6th, 2024, and was open for responses until March 21st, 2025. Click here to view interactive versions of all of the data visualizations included in this report. The survey contained seven sections in total: pre-questions, ve strategy-specic sections (Land Access, Education, Incentive Programs, Farm-to-Institution (F2I), and Charitable Food and Emergency Hunger Relief), and post-questions. Respondents were asked to self-identify which strategy area(s) their programs aligned with as the last question in the pre-question section; their response determined the question pathway for the remainder of the survey experience. Respondents were able to select multiple options. 16

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In total, forty-three responses were received reporting on forty-four programs, the majority self-identied as organizations that engage in Strategy 5, Charitable Food or Emergency Hunger Relief (59%). Of the responses received, twenty - one organizations indicated that they engage in more than one of the ve strategy areas (48%). This is a signicant nding and indicates, as we anticipated, that there is a high level of overlap across the strategy types and many community partners oer a continuum of food-security related services. More than three-quarters of respondents provided data from 2024 (77%), and the remaining (23%) of respondents provided data from 2023. Across survey respondents, the most common demographics served by programs were adults aged 16-64 (34%), younger people >18 (33%), socially disadvantaged populations (33%), individuals with limited resources (32%), and immigrants/refugees (31%). We’ve included a chart below that shows the breakdown of the demographics served by survey respondents for further review and consideration: 18

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The majority of respondents indicated that they rely on grant funding (39%) and individual donors (28%) to support and sustain their programs. Themes across the narrative responses received in the ‘other’ eld include a reliance on volunteer eorts and donations from local businesses, as well as, funding through school districts. When asked to indicate the languages spoken by the individuals who access services and participate in programs, respondents demonstrated that the population served is both linguistically and culturally diverse. Outside of the options made available on the survey, other answers provided include: Lingala, Vietnamese, Acholi, Yoruba, Russian, Khmer, Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili, Swahili, Maay Maay, Chinese, Mandarin, Creole, Lingala, Slovak, Ukrainian, and Italian. 19

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Strategy-Speciﬁc Survey Findings Strategy 1: Land Access Access to land for food production can be achieved through various strategies, each contributing to sustainable agriculture and community well-being. Community gardens and orchards, as well as school and home gardens, serve as shared spaces where individuals come together to cultivate food, fostering community and local food and nutrition security. Agricultural programs often provide training and resources to new farmers, enabling them to access land and learn the skills needed to establish their farming ventures while Urban Gardening initiatives provide land and learning opportunities for smaller scale new and beginning gardeners. Land trusts play a crucial role by preserving land through conservation easements and ensuring community members' long-term access to agricultural and forested land. Farm collaboratives bring together multiple stakeholders, including farmers, consumers, and local businesses, to share resources and coordinate eorts, enhancing productivity and reducing costs. Together, these strategies oer diverse pathways for individuals and communities to engage in and benet from food production and community agriculture, promoting resilience and sustainability. Of the forty-four programs reported on, fteen survey respondents (34% of 44 total programs reported) indicated that they provide land-access programming. The following graph demonstrates 21

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which type of programs respondents administer - the majority of respondents provide more than one type of program. When asked to provide the total number of individuals served through the project or program in the last scal/operating year, (27%) selected 101-201, (27%) selected 501-1,000, and (27%) selected ‘other’ and provided an exact amount. In addition, more than 71% of respondents stated that excess food cultivated through land access programs is donated either to food pantries, farmers (for animal feed), or directly to neighbors/community members in their network. The Westbrook Middle School garden project was established in 2021. This project primarily serves students, ages 10 - 14, with a signicant number of participants who are either socioeconomically disadvantaged or immigrants and refugees. An estimated 720 individuals were served by this program during the 2024 scal/operating year. The most common languages spoken by their participants are Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic, and English. In addition to providing garden access to students, Westbrook Middle School also administers garden/composting education, has an informal food pantry (which serves 51-100 individuals each week), and engages in gleaning initiatives. The average garden plot is larger than 4’ by 8’, and all excess food is incorporated into school meals through a partnership with school nutrition and cafeteria sta members. Westbrook Middle School purchases from both Sysco and Native Maine for food service purposes and to ensure that local and culturally appropriate food products (halal) are oered through the school cafeteria; WMS is among the rst third-party halal certied k-12 schools in the nation. In addition, WMS in collaboration with FoodCorps Maine oers taste-testing, and encourages participant engagement in menu development. WMS administers a school-nutrition program that is supported by both government-funding and farm-to-institution partnerships. Students working in the garden spaces at WMS 22

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Cultivating Community is a non-prot organization based in Portland that provides opportunities for land access through community garden initiatives, agricultural programs, farm collaborative support, and other programs. Cultivating Community oers programming and provides services across all ve strategy areas - to include youth leadership programs, school partnerships, community farms and farm stands (formerly New American Sustainable Agriculture Project and Fresh Start Farms) and the City of Portland Community Gardens. Cultivating Community was established in 2001 and currently provides programming across Cumberland County with a specic focus on Falmouth, Portland, South Portland, and Westbrook. In 2024, they served an estimated 501-1,000 individuals through various land access programs and helped an estimated 16-30 individuals gain free access to land, and 401-500 individuals gain access to land through a reduced fee system. The majority of their participants utilize a reduced fee sliding scale to access their programs (an estimated 51-75%). “Our farm stands are more than just a place to buy food—they're a space where people ﬁnd cultural crops like roselle, African spinach, and sweet potatoes that they can’t get anywhere else. It's also about connection—people bring friends, build relationships, and share their stories. We often hear 'thank you' every day from community members who keep coming back not just for the food but also to build community." - Cultivating Community Farm Program Participant 2024 Farm Manager, Badi Camara, is pictured in the Cultivating Community greenhouse on Hurricane Valley Farm. He is tending to culturally important seedlings that are sold to our farmers at signicantly reduced cost in comparison to local nurseries. Maine Foodscapes is a nonprot community agriculture organization that provides both educational and land access programs. The Foodscapes Garden Project (FGP) was founded in 2018 and serves communities throughout Cumberland County and beyond. They primarily facilitate home garden access programs for community members by partnering with food-insecure households to install raised bed gardens, providing free plant material (seeds, seedlings, fruit trees, etc.), reduced cost soil testing services, and more. The Foodscapes Garden Project (FGP) partners with Mainers who are currently experiencing limited resources, as well as schools and other community organizations who serve at risk community members, to increase accessibility to sucient, safe, and nutritious locally grown foods In 2023, the FGP served an estimated 101-200 individuals through this project, with an estimated 31-50 23

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new individuals in 2023 gaining access to land to grow food through free raised bed garden construction, free vegetable plant and seed material, and other resources; 100% of the land made available through this raised bed garden project is installed for free or at a reduced cost. A corporate volunteer team from IDEXX partnered with the Foodscapes Garden Project to bring Gardener Carol this ADA accessible raised garden bed in Gray, ME. Strategy 2: Education Food education programs as a strategy encompasses a diverse array of initiatives aimed at fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of local food systems, agricultural skills, and nutrition. Gardening programs often provide hands-on experiences in planting, tending, and harvesting crops, allowing participants to connect with the natural environment and learn about their sources of food. Cooking education programs teach essential culinary skills, emphasizing the importance of preparing healthy and balanced meals, and often incorporate lessons on food safety and nutrition. A good example of this in Cumberland County is the Maine SNAP-Ed program, which oers cooking classes and tips for creating healthy meals on a budget. While farmer training programs focus on equipping aspiring and current farmers with knowledge in sustainable agriculture and farming techniques. All of 24

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these programs provide learning opportunities focused on cultivating a resilient and sustainable local food system through education. Nineteen survey respondents (43% of programs surveyed) indicated that they provide educational programming. Across survey respondents, youth programs were the most common type of local food focused education programs, followed by cooking education and gardening program types. When asked how many classes were oered over the past year, organizations provided a range of answers between 1 and 92. Additionally, when asked to estimate the number of individuals who participated in educational programs over the past year, survey respondents provided answers with a range between 30 - 19,000; the aggregated total number of estimated participants is approximately 46,000. Among survey respondents, the most common types of educational content administered were gardening and horticulture (17.2%), food systems education (17.2%), and nutrition education (12.5%). Khmer Maine is a non-prot organization that was established in 2023 with a mission to “...improve the quality of life and the social and economic well-being of Cambodians in Maine through cultural exchange, community building and civic engagement.” One of the ways they achieve this is through their intergenerational health and wellness programming with a specic focus on intergenerational gardening, culturally important food, and food systems education. In addition to education programming, they also administer charitable food distribution for those in need. During 2023, Khmer Maine oered more than 15 classes and estimates between 16-30 total participants in that program year. “We hope to build our own community garden one day, so we could invite our community members who have limited access to land to grow whatever they wish to grow” - ChanBunly Uy, Health and Wellness Manager Photo retrieved from: https://khmermaine.org/food-farm 25

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Intercultural Community Center’s Project STRIVE started in 2023 and primarily serves the City of Westbrook. “The Intercultural Community Center (ICC) supports and improves the lives of immigrants and refugees by providing educational, health, social opportunities, and resources.” They provide nutrition education, gardening and horticulture, food preservation, cooking classes, and composting education through various youth and adult programming. In addition, they oer both free programming and transportation services for individuals in need. During the last scal/operating year, Project Strive oered more than 90 classes and served an estimated 100 unique individuals. For those wishing to get more involved or attend a class, they oer a newsletter on their website. "I love PowerSchool! This is the ﬁrst club I've ever joined in my life!" - Power School Student 2024 In this image, Power School's nutrition and cooking instructor, Donny, helps lead Power School students along with Enclave nursing home residents through rolling spring rolls. This photo was taken at The Enclave in Scarborough on October 2nd 2024. The University of Maine’s Cooperative Extension oers a variety of educational programming, including cooking education, home horticulture, Master Gardener and Master Preserver Certication,, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), technical assistance for farmers and more. To prioritize neighbors with limited resources, the Cooperative Extension oers Master Gardener Volunteer Projects that focus on food security through supporting both therapeutic and public gardens. As an organization, the Cooperative Extension emphasizes foods that can be grown in Maine (or, primarily at home for participants) in their educational programming, and they use a ‘pay-what-you-can’ pricing option to ensure equitable access to educational opportunities. Kate McCarty and Allison Pollock, UMaine Extension sta, delivering kids' gardening/preserving programming at Tidewater Gardens in Falmouth through 4-H programming. Master Gardener Volunteers have started programs in school, in community gardens and donation farms as well as home gardens. In 2024, the home horticulture program served an estimated 2,417 unique individuals. 26

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In terms of their involvement with the charitable food system, one of their program coordinators stated the following, “We are on the side of the donations and help facilitate the Harvest for Hunger program and work with community gardens and gleaning programs” (Abi Grith - Horticulture Special Projects Assistant). In 2024, between 91-100% of the food distributed was Maine grown or produced. Also in 2024, an estimated 524 youth and 65 adults engaged in the EFNEP program, and between 12-15 webinars were held for the home horticulture/master gardener programs. The EFNEP program provides educational courses on the following topics: nutrition, cooking, local food access, and food systems education. EFNEP educator (Brenda Bracy) teaching nutrition education classes to new Mainer adults through Fedcap in South Portland in 2024. Strategy 3: Local Food & Nutrition Incentive Programs Several federal initiatives work to connect recipients of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and other folks with limited incomes with fresh produce and healthy food options. Maine has been a leader in implementing SNAP incentive programs to connect recipients with fresh, local food. Here are the specic programs operating in Maine: Maine Harvest Bucks This is Maine's primary nutrition incentive program, providing SNAP customers with matching "Harvest Bucks" when they purchase local fruits and vegetables. Maine Harvest Bucks is run by a collaboration of organizations administering and implementing the program at direct to consumer locations. Each program partner claims ownership of certain Maine Harvest Bucks “outlets” as listed below: ● Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stands are managed by the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets (MFFM) ● Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) sites are managed by Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) ● Small grocery stores are managed by Good Shepherd Food Bank, via the related incentive program, Farm Fresh Rewards 27

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At most locations, this nutrition incentive program oers a 50% discount on SNAP purchases in Harvest Bucks to spend on local fruits and vegetables. Meaning, for every $1 spent by participants, they are taking home $2 worth of Maine produce. Maine Senior FarmShare Program (MSFP) The Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) was formally authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill after Representative John Baldacci (ME-2) sponsored legislation to create the program. This established SFMNP as a permanent program within the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service. Maine was among the early adopters, implementing what we now know as the "Maine Senior FarmShare Program." Maine's implementation was notable for its emphasis on creating direct relationships between seniors and local farms. MSFP complements other food assistance by providing eligible low-income seniors with $50 worth of fresh produce from local farms annually. MSFP is administered through the State of Maine’s Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF). This incentive program is available at participating farms and farmers’ markets across the state with approximately one hundred active locations. Over the past scal/operating year, over 17,000 transactions occurred at locations where the incentive program is oered. “This program provides eligible low-income adults the opportunity to receive a share (worth $50) of ﬁrst-quality, fresh, local produce at no cost directly from local Maine farmers during the growing season. Applicants must be Maine residents 60 years or older, 55 years or older for Native Americans, or more than 18 years old for disabled adults living in a housing facility with congregate dining.” - Website, Maine Senior FarmShare. Farm fresh winter squash and apples on display at Applewald Farm in Litcheld, Maine. Together, these Food & Nutrition Incentives programs form a comprehensive network aimed at improving food security and increasing access to local food among our most vulnerable populations. Very early in the pandemic, USDA announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). This program initiated a series of actions to assist farmers, ranchers, and consumers in response to the COVID-19 national emergency. By the end of September, 2020, 100 million food boxes had been distributed through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. Evaluating the impact of federal investments that paid farmers to produce food 28

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distributed directly to their communities, the Biden administration initiated the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Program (LFS). As part of the President’s equity commitment, while it was not mandated, the program recommended administrators contract with historically underserved and socially disadvantaged farmers. In Maine, these incentivized procurement contracts have had a huge impact on building the capacity of many beginning and socially disadvantaged farms and farmers to serve institutional scale markets. Supported through LFPA, many Maine farms sold produce by way of Mainers Feeding Mainers to Good Shepherd Food Bank and Preble Street Food Hub. As a result of these cooperative agreements, assistance and local food purchasing incentives programs, Local Food from Maine has been integrated into food pantries as well as prepared and distributed meals across Cumberland County. As of the writing of this report in 2025, $1,249,360 of Local Food Purchase Assistance funding has been cancelled. This will have a multiplier eect of $2,133,447 of lost economic activity in the state of Maine. Moreover, $2,782,433 of Local Food for Schools funding has been cancelled. After considering the multiplier eect of these local purchases, this will result in an estimated loss of $4,808,052 in economic activity in the state of Maine. Moreover, together, these cancellations will lead to $4,031,793 of lost federal funding and $6,941,499 of lost economic activity in Maine. 29

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A total of eleven survey respondents (25%) indicated that they administer a local food or nutrition incentive program. All respondents (11) selected that their programs are government-funded, either in part or in full. The following graph demonstrates which type of programs respondents administer, with the majority of respondents selecting more than one category: When asked to identify where their incentive programs were oered, (18.8%) of respondents selected farmers' markets, (12.5%) selected food pantries or schools, and (31.3%) selected ‘other’. Of those that selected ‘other’, the responses ranged from mobile farmers’ markets, specic food pantry locations, farms, Power Summer/School, and adult education programming. When asked to provide a dollar amount of funding allocated to local food purchasing and distribution in Cumberland County in the last scal/operating year, responses ranged from $3,000 to nearly $300,000 annually. An estimated (and aggregated) 19,000 transactions occurred during the last scal/operating year across all survey respondents. Westbrook School Department administers a K-12 government-funded school nutrition program. They also provide summer meal sites for students in their district. They rely solely on federal and state funding to support meal reimbursement, the district budget does not provide additional funding to support the school nutrition program. During the last scal/ operating year, approximately $14,000 by way of the State of Maine’s Department of Education Child Nutrition’s Local Food Fund (LFF) was allocated specically to local food purchasing and distribution within Cumberland County. For every $3 spent on Local Food by any school district in Maine, the MDOE Local Food Fund (LFF) will reimburse $1 - up to $5,000. When districts spend $15,000 on Maine grown food, they receive $5,000 back through this Food and Nutrition Incentive Program administered through the Maine Department of Education Child Nutrition program. 30

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"Food is how we fuel our bodies and fuels learning. We want every student who wants to eat with us to be able to eat with us. School meals are accessible to all of our Westbrook students." - Mary Emerson,School Nutrition Director, Westbrook Public Schools Colorful Cauliower - WMS School Nutrition Sta use multiple colors of produce on salad bars daily (2022). The Somali Bantu Community Association’s agriculture program, Liberation Farms, was established in 2014 and serves multiple counties across Maine through community farming and incentive programs. Notably, although Liberation Farms is geographically located in Androscoggin County, the incentive program is also administered in Cumberland County. They distribute produce from their farm at the SBCA Oce, Community Centers, and at local food pantries through a partnership with the Local Food Purchase Assistance program (LFPA) and Mainers Feeding Mainers, incentive programs. They received $75,000 in LFPA funding and approximately $47,000 in Mainers Feeding Mainers funding in 2024. Of the total funding received, about $58,000 was used in Cumberland County. In addition to marketing and selling their produce through these incentive programs, Somali Bantu Community Association oers community farming programs. They operate two land access programs, including their commercial farmer group. Each farmer receives 1/3 acre, eld prep support, seedlings, wash station access and support, tool sharing, and market access. Their Family Farmers receive 1/10 of an acre for gardening/ subsistence farming with eld prep support. All of the land (100%) oered to participants has been made available at no cost or a reduced cost. “As a man of over four decades worth of experience farming on African soil, today [in Maine], we get much better results from what was once regarded as enough space for a children's garden. This speaks volumes on the importance of eﬃcient land use and I am also grasping the impact of suitable marketing techniques coupled with the fundamental principles of demand and supply.” - Ahmed Baraki, SBCA Iskashito Farmer, 2024 Farmer Maryan Mohamed at Liberation Farms in Wales, ME. 31

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Strategy 4: Farm (and Garden) to Institution Farm-to-institution initiatives represent a systems-level approach to sourcing locally produced food and often strengthen local economies and promote sustainable agricultural practices. These programs connect farms directly with institutions such as schools, healthcare facilities, correctional institutions, and commercial kitchens, ensuring that fresh, locally-sourced produce is available to a variety of consumers within various institutional settings. School nutrition programs not only provide healthy meal options but can also serve as educational platforms to teach students about the food products that are sourced and produced here in Maine (Farm and Sea to School Network, Fishermen Feeding Mainers, The Opportunity Alliance - Head Start). In correctional facilities, similar initiatives can oer nutritious meal options while supporting therapeutic and rehabilitation programs that teach culinary and gardening skills. Processing facilities, aggregators, and distribution centers play a vital role in supporting the supply chain, eciently managing and delivering fresh products from farms to participating institutions. Overall, farm-to-institution programs champion the cause of local food systems and improve access to locally sourced food. Photo provided by The Opportunity Alliance Head Start Program which serves pre-k students in Cumberland County. Seventeen survey respondents (39% of programs reported) indicated that they participate in farm-to-institution programming, the following graph demonstrates which type of programs respondents administer. The majority of respondents indicated that they provide school nutrition programming (11) or a commercial/ shared kitchen (5). It is made clear through the data that several respondents provide or participate in more than one type of F2I program. 32

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Across responses, (50%) of organizations engage in farm-to-institution programming through either a food pantry or the charitable food system; (43%) of survey respondents selected that they engage in farm-to-institution initiatives through food service, production & processing, or buying; (36%) of respondents selected coalition/ network building or distribution services. When asked to identify which food distributors were used by organizations, the most common responses were Native Maine, Sysco, and Crown of Maine. Organizations that selected ‘other’ indicated that they use the following distributors: Peak Season Produce, Locker Project, Wayside Food Programs, Good Shepherd Food Bank, PFG, and Baldor. More than (50%) of respondents stated that they have active partnerships with farms in Cumberland County, and more than (90%) stated that they incorporate locally sourced foods into their programs or 33

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activities. In aggregate, respondents reported distributing more than 16 million pounds of food in 2024. Based on the data provided, the majority of respondents utilize squash and greens in their organization’s farm-to-institution eorts. This is closely followed by tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes. Fork Food Lab is a non-prot food business incubator. It began operations in Portland’s West Bayside neighborhood in 2016 and has hosted dozens of food business startups by way of a shared commercial kitchen membership model. The top three demographics they serve include socially disadvantaged populations, farmers and producers, and immigrants/ refugees. Fork Food Lab engages in farm-to-institution initiatives through buying/ aggregating local food, production and processing, and coalition/network building. Fork Food Lab uses both Native Maine and Peak Season Produce as food distributors. In addition, they have active partnerships with the following Cumberland County-based farms: Jordan Farm and Crystal Spring Farm. In 2024, Fork Food Lab distributed 25,000 lbs of local food with an estimated dollar value of $30,750 and served more than 10,000 individuals. Currently, the Fork Food Lab is undergoing a new initiative with the support of the USDA to open a new meat and vegetable processing facility—a bold step toward lling a critical gap in our local food system. This facility will create much-needed capacity for local foods to be processed safely, stored securely, and then ow back out into the community through their trusted distribution partners, helping to strengthen the entire regional food web and empower producers and consumers alike. Photo provided by Fork Food Lab. Maine Course by Sodexo was established in 2016 and has been actively developing partnerships to incorporate local products into their food service across the state of Maine for eight years. Currently, they utilize Sysco, Native Maine, and Crown of Maine as distributors and do not have direct partnerships with any farms located in Cumberland County. In 2024, Maine Course distributed more than 2.3 million dollars worth of local food (grown in Maine), which amounted to approximately 16,679 meals daily. The common types of local food incorporated into meals include: dairy, grain, greens, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, potatoes, meat, ﬁsh, fungi, and whiteﬁsh through the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI). In addition, Sodexo facilitates culturally preferred food access by oering gluten free, dairy-free, kosher, vegan, vegetarian, and halal options. 34

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Maine Course regularly hosts tasting events across the University of Maine system, encourages students to engage in menu development, and participates in the Maine Harvest of the Month initiative. "As a farmer, it is sometimes diﬃcult to think beyond the ﬁeld or the barn. Being a part of the Maine Course team helps connect me to the people who trust farmers like me to put food on the menu and the table. Every bite we take is emotional and meaningful, and the work of the Maine Course is so key and integral to making sure that we are connected from ﬁeld to table, farm to plate with intentionality, integrity, and dignity. I am so honoured to be part of the work and eﬀorts to make certain that when we are feeding people we are nourishing the whole community.” - Jenni Tilton-Flood, Dairy Farmer A Maine Course by Sodexo tabling event with Tristan Noyes, Director of the Maine Grain Alliance at the University of Maine Fort Kent, featuring locally-grown grains. Cumberland County Food Security Council (CCFSC) initiated the Food Fuels Learning (FFL) program in partnership with Portland Public Schools in 2017. FFL’s purpose is to advance nutrition security goals across all areas of the school food system through their Farm-to-Institution initiatives. This has evolved to include South Portland and Westbrook districts by way of a FoodCorps Maine partnership (a nationally funded AmeriCorps program) that places service members in each school district’s food service department. The program provides both nutrition and food systems education in these districts. In total, this partnership served 11,800 students across three school districts during the last program year. “Some programs, such as collaborations with SNAP-Ed, speciﬁcally work with under-resourced students. Additionally, education and programs around the Halal School Meals Network prioritizes families who have not had access to school meals” - Zoe Grodsky, School Food Systems Program Manager, CCFSC. “10/10. Pardon my bluntness: This is incredible . We need more diverse things like this. Thank you for this blessing - My Taste Buds” - Student at Portland High School (2022) CCFSC Portland FoodCorps School Nutrition Member (Sam Dolan) and School Food Systems Manager (Zoe Grodsky) taste test chickpeas and vegetable sauce at Amanda C. Rowe Elementary School 35

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Portland Public Schools administers the largest school nutrition program in Maine. During the most recent school year they integrated $450,000 of local food into school meals and served between 5,001-10,000 unique individuals. Their vision is that the cafeteria is a hub for nourishment, experiential learning and community connection. They engage in local food procurement and scratch cooking. They are partners in farm & sea to school coalition and network building. Their main distributors are Sysco and Native Maine and they also have an active partnership utilizing forward purchasing contracts with Liberation Farms (Somali Bantu Community Association) located in Androscoggin County. The most common local foods incorporated into meals include: dairy, grain, greens, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, potatoes, and meat. In addition, PPS oers gluten-free, dairy-free, halal, vegan, and vegetarian options. They also host federal Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sites that serve their students meals during summer vacation. "I was so excited to see our school garden greens on our salad bar!" - Bergen Montague, 5th Grade, Longfellow Elementary PPS Chef Tyler processed 280 lbs of local carrots, tomatoes and onions to create a delicious bolognese sauce, topping pasta for 2,800 students on a cold December day. It was delicious and well received! Strategy 5: Charitable Food & Emergency Hunger Relief Charitable food and emergency hunger relief programs play a critical role in alleviating hunger and improving food security for individuals and families in need. Food pantries store and distribute food staples directly to those facing shortages, while soup kitchens and community meal sites oer hot meals in a congregate environment. There are more than thirty-ﬁve active food pantries across Cumberland County oering various services and support. Gleaning initiatives rescue surplus produce from local farms and orchards and then redirect it to food banks and other charitable organizations. The federal Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) ensures that socio-economically disadvantaged youth who depend on school meals during the academic year continue to have access to nutritious food during the summer months. Similarly, school distribution programs such as those run by the Maine Locker Project ensure that students have access to nourishing food year-round, inclusive of weekends and school breaks. Charitable food delivery services, such as Meals on Wheels, deliver 36

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pre-made meals directly to those in need, ensuring they have access to a healthy and nutritious supply of food. Together, these programs help combat food insecurity, relieve hunger, promote nutrition, and strengthen communities. A customer survey was conducted in 2023 by Farms for Food Equity to better understand the food pantry user experience and landscape throughout Cumberland County. In total, 210 responses were received from a representative sample of individuals who access food pantry services across Cumberland County communities. More than (58%) of respondents indicated that locally grown produce is available every time they visit their community pantry. Some respondents stated that local produce is dicult to access, often not fresh (or rotten), and that the fresh and local food options are often limited. When asked if they would like to see more Maine produce oered at their community pantry, more than (97%) of respondents selected yes. The common themes across the narrative responses to the question, ‘What Maine produce do you wish was available?’, include: fruit(s), berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.), potatoes (to include sweet potatoes), lettuce, and all vegetables. In addition, more than (82%) of respondents indicated that they felt comfortable expressing their dietary or cultural restrictions with pantry volunteers or sta. Twenty-six survey respondents (59%) indicated that they participate in charitable and emergency food relief programming, the following graph demonstrates which type of programs respondents administer. (42.4%) of survey respondents that regularly visit the pantry responded yes when asked if they would be interested in materials to create a home garden or have access to community garden space. The majority of respondents indicated that they manage food pantries (21), ‘other’ (16), and gleaning initiatives (13). This question did not allow respondents to provide a narrative or explanation for their selection of ‘other’. 37

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When asked to identify the specic type of charitable and emergency food relief program administered, (26.8%) selected local food pantry/ church pantry, (15.6%) selected mobile distribution/ meal delivery services, and (13.2%) selected school pantries. Of those that selected ‘other’, the following responses were provided: food bank farms; and (61%) of respondents stated that they partner with Maine farmers to supply local food for their Charitable Food & Emergency Hunger Relief programs. For the remaining responses, (48%) stated food pantries or food banks, (39%) stated Mainers Feeding Mainers, and (39%) stated gleaning programs & community volunteers. In aggregate, survey respondents distributed more than 873,934.75 (lbs) of food during the last scal/operating year. The majority of respondents (52%) reported that 91-100% of all food distributed during the last ﬁscal/ operating year was Maine-grown or produced. Growing to Give was established in 2017 in Brunswick and serves communities across Cumberland County. Growing to Give oers charitable agricultural programs (community farming), educational programs (to include farmer training and student ﬁeld trips), serves as a community resource center, and engages in gleaning initiatives. All of the food produced on their farm is donated to local food pantries, share tables, early childhood Head Start locations, low-income elderly housing (across 7 Maine Counties), or other charitable organizations. Growing to Give has active partnerships with land trusts, community garden networks, non-prot organizations, school districts, and local food pantries. During the last scal/ operating year, Growing to Give hosted over seventy school visits with an estimated 750 total student participants and over 1,900 hours of programming administered. Through their educational programs, Growing to Give worked with 1,000 unique students and 500 volunteers. In total, Growing to Give distributed ~11,000 pounds of local food through their Charitable Food and Emergency Hunger Relief programs in 2024 - primarily greens, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, and potatoes. In response to a survey question around the facilitation of culturally appropriate food access, Growing to Give responded with the following statement: “We 38

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grow food requested by New Mainers and indigenous populations.” Approximately 200 individual meals are provided weekly through their charitable food program. "The vital work that the volunteers and staﬀ at Growing to Give undertake each year means that I have access to fresh, locally grown veggies at the Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program food pantry. I feel so fortunate to have this healthy food, grown with love, in my diet on a regular basis." - MCHPP Program Participant (2024) This photo was taken at Growing to Give. Preble Street, as an organization, has been in operation for 32 years and serves some of the most vulnerable populations in Cumberland County. The Food Security Hub, in its current form and new location, opened in November 2021. As an organization, they engage in farm-to-institution initiatives through production, processing, and food service. Preble Street utilizes Sysco, Native Maine, and Good Shepherd Food Bank as distributors for their Charitable Food and Emergency Hunger Relief programs. In addition, they partner with Jordan Farm via Farms for Food Equity, based in Cumberland County. During 2024, Preble Street distributed 140,899.75 lbs. of local food, which resulted in 547,786 individual meals. They operate a commercial kitchen equipped with chopping, slicing, liquefaction, emulsiﬁcation, mixing, packing, and freezing equipment. The most commonly utilized local food products include: dairy, grain, greens, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, potatoes, meat, ﬁsh, and fungi. In addition, they accommodate both gluten-free and vegetarian diet preferences. Preble Street served an estimated 2,757 unique individuals in 2024. Volunteers preparing hot meals to be delivered, Food Security Hub, South Portland The Maine Locker Project is a charitable food distributor that provides children and families with fresh food through their school pantry, share tables, and distribution network. They have been in operation since 2017. They primarily serve the communities of Westbrook, South Portland, and Portland. Their program involves grocery distribution through partnerships with schools and other agencies and free community food tables. On average, the Maine Locker Project provides 40 food access opportunities per week and reaches more than 500 unique individuals across 41 schools and 39

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preschools and 5 other agencies. During the most recent school year, they distributed approximately 103,000 lbs of local food. On average, between 11-20% of the total food distributed is Maine-grown or produced and the majority of that comes through GSFB’s Mainers Feeding Mainers program. Currently, 12 school pantries partner as distribution sites with Maine Locker Project, and there are 10 community sites where fresh food share tables are hosted every week. These distributions are set up to feel welcoming and dignied, oering a wide range of options including fresh produce, dairy, proteins, and shelf-stable items. Emphasis is placed on procuring locally sourced, and culturally important foods whenever possible. “I have two students in Portland Public Schools, and I have seen what an amazing direct impact the Locker Project has on the students in our district.” - Katie Lamb, 2024 Fresh food table at a South Portland school. Immigrants Community Integration (FeedME) is a non-prot organization that was established in 2023. They serve multiple counties across the state of Maine through their Charitable Food and Emergency Hunger Relief distribution program. Currently, they partner with Cumberland County food pantries as well as Wayside Food Programs to access local food products for distribution to those in need in their communities. On average, they serve 50 individuals a week through partnerships with 3 distribution sites, all of which are faith-based organizations. “My goal is to nourish one at a time.” - Marcelo Ngimbi, Multicultural Outreach Volunteer Coordinator, FeedME Mardochee Mbong in action with a volunteer during the food distribution. Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program (MCHPP) is a non-prot that has been in operation for more than forty-years serving communities across multiple counties, but primarily serves the 40

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Cumberland County communities of Brunswick and Harspwell. They oer food pantries (to include school and church pantries), health center food programs, mobile distribution and home-meal delivery services, regularly occurring fresh food share tables, and they administer the Merrymeeting Gleaners program (since 2017). They acquire local food products through partnerships with Maine farmers, Mainers Feeding Mainers, grocery stores, and local gardener/ volunteer contributions. More specically, they actively partner with the following Cumberland County farms: Pineland Farms, Wolfe’s Neck Farm, Growing to Give, Scatter Good Farm, Sound Pine Farm, Crystal Spring Farm, and others. In total, they partner with between 26-50 local food producers. More than twenty meals are provided each week through various food access opportunities reaching an estimated 1,500 unique individuals. During the 2024 scal/ operating year, MCHPP distributed approximately 100,000 pounds of local food. MCHPP partners with between 41-50 distribution sites ranging from school pantries (12), fresh food share tables (6), faith-based organizations (3), community centers (8), and senior housing/ medical facilities (16). “I've been part of gleaning since the program began with Merrymeeting Gleaners. Besides trying to alter people's perceptions that I was volunteering to clean houses, I realized that I was actually helping to "clean" farmers' ﬁelds of excess produce! Initially, my activity was a way to be involved in my community following retirement, but what has kept me coming back year after year are the farmers, the friendships with other volunteers, being outdoors in beautiful surroundings, and feeling good about our eﬀorts to glean healthy produce.”- Sue Elsaesser, Merrymeeting Gleaners Volunteer Volunteers with the Merrymeeting Gleaners sorting carrots at Six River Farm. The Cumberland County Food Security Council was established in 2011 and oers various programs aimed to reduce food insecurity, increase access to local food sources, and promote land access. One such program is the Cumberland County Gleaning Initiative, a member of the Maine Gleaning Network, which is entering its ninth season of harvesting excess produce from local farms and distributing it throughout Cumberland County. CCFSC utilizes fresh food tables, educational materials, and social media to engage and increase access for neighbors with limited resources. In 2024, 32 partner farms primarily located in Cumberland County supplied fresh produce for 41

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collection and distribution through the Gleaning Initiative. CCFSC distributes produce to pantry network partners 3-5 times a week and administers a fresh food share table twice a week during the growing season. Through the Gleaning Initiative, they reach an estimated 105-150 unique individuals each week through these initiatives. During the 2024 ﬁscal/ operating year, the CCFSC Gleaning Initiative distributed more than 30,000 pounds of local food with the support of twenty-eight distribution sites (food pantries, community centers, faith-based organizations, and fresh food share tables). "I love working outside, helping to harvest! It's important to reduce food waste wherever possible, and gleaning produce to help feed people in need is an incredibly good use of my time." - CCFSC Gleaning Volunteer A group of volunteers gleaning spinach at Frith Farm in Scarborough. Long-time volunteer Tim appears on the right hand side of the photo. Wayside Food Programs is a non-prot organization that administers various programs that support equitable access to fresh and often local food. They serve as a food distributor, oer community meals, engage in food rescue, and support land access and gardening initiatives through their Harvest for Hunger gardening plot hosted at their Portland warehouse and oce location. Although they serve multiple counties, they primarily serve communities within Cumberland County. Wayside provides the following Charitable Food and Emergency Hunger Relief programs: community center food programs, mobile distribution, home meal delivery, and community meals. During the 2023 scal/ operating year, they partnered with approximately ninety partners to supply local food for their programs, such as Maine farmers, Mainers Feeding Mainers, gleaning programs, community volunteers, Harvest for Hunger, other local community and home gardener contributions, grocery stores, food banks and pantries, and other community groups. Image retrieved from: https://www.waysidemaine.org/ 42

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Final Remarks, Recommendations & Areas for Future Inquiry The 2024 Local Food Access Team pilot survey was designed to capture the activities and outputs of programs involved in local food and nutrition security eorts across Cumberland County and to publish its ndings in the 2025 Cumberland County Local Food Report. These initiatives were categorized into ve distinct strategy areas: Land Access, Education, Incentive Programs, Farm-to-Institution (F2I), and Charitable Food and Emergency Hunger Relief (an updated framework from previous local food reporting eorts). Future reports will incorporate adjustments to the survey format, outreach/ distribution list, and data collection methods. A more targeted approach is being considered, which would include focus group sessions with key stakeholders in the local food system and the application of universally applicable performance metrics for each strategy and for multi-tiered approaches. As we’ve started digging into the specic data visual included in the report, it became clear that some of the self-reported strategy types may not align with what we know to be true based on our collective experience in the eld. We believe that some survey respondents have either under- or over-identied their engagement in certain strategy types. This may require a future process of further rening the survey instrument to support a more universal understanding of the questions being asked of participants. This initiative has compiled valuable information to illustrate the collective impact of food security programs and to develop a resource guide for those interested in learning more about the local food system in Cumberland County. One of the report's goals is to inspire potential volunteers or program participants to become more engaged in these eorts. CCFSC is in the process of developing a “menu” of opportunities for community members to be involved in eorts to build nutrition security in Cumberland County communities. Through this Local Food Report, the Cumberland County Local Food Action Team aimed to engage the current landscape of local food programs, celebrate successes, and encourage future collaboration. This eort also serves to build a stronger network of local food system stakeholders. 43

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The release of this 2025 report also initiates a public process of reviewing the purpose and priorities of our food security council. As CCFSC reviews our organizational projects and strategic plan, we are also asking existential questions about what it means to be a food council. We will be convening meetings in the coming months to bring local food security system stakeholders together to discuss our collective eorts and goals and how we can collaborate better to meet community needs. If you are seeking assistance or additional information about any of the programs or initiatives mentioned in this report, please refer to the appendices or contact CCFSC directly. Thank you for taking the time to review this report. We hope you found it both informative and inspiring. To leave you with a nal thought for reection: “On a household level, knowing the farmer who grows our food is one of the most meaningful things we can do to strengthen our community. On a collective level, working together to produce more food locally and sharing it liberally is revolutionary.” - Jim Hanna, Executive Director of CCFSC 44

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Appendices I. The 2025 Cumberland County Local Food Report Survey Questions ○ LFAT Qualtrics Survey (4.4.25) .pdf○ LFAT Survey CCFSC - 2024 II. Denitions ○ “Local Food” 1. Geographic Distance-based deﬁnitions: Within 60 miles, within 100 miles, or within a day’s drive. 2. Political/ Administrative deﬁnitions: State-wide, Regional, Institutional or Distributor based, Distributor dened; e.g. Sysco curates a “local products” list, School Buyer led Farm to School denition; e.g. county, state, region, 100-miles, etc., and Institutional Buyer led denitions. 3. Consumer/ Community deﬁnitions: Home grown, Community grown, Food Co-operative Member dened, and Food Sovereignty denitions that includes Culturally relevant, self-determined; food grown, harvested, processed, and prepared by the community. 4. Economic/ National deﬁnitions: USA-based, American made; e.g. “Buy American” and Not imported. ○ “Fresh Food Share Tables:” A "share table" is a designated area in a school cafeteria or similar setting (such as a food pantry, health center, or community center) where individuals can place unconsumed unexpired and fresh food items for others to take, reducing food waste and potentially addressing food insecurity. ○ “Food Systems/ System-Level Approach:” “A systems level approach views problems and solutions within the context of an entire system, recognizing that complex issues are often the result of interactions between interconnected elements.”10 ○ “Limited Resources” v. “Low Income:” “While "low income" specically refers to having insucient money to meet basic needs, "limited resources" encompasses a broader range of limitations beyond income, including lack of access to education, healthcare, transportation, and other essential support systems. Low income is a major factor contributing to limited resources, but limited resources can also stem from other circumstances like geographic location, social barriers, or lack of opportunities.”11 11 Beginning, Limited Resource, and Female Farmers and Ranchers | Economic Research Service. (2025). Usda.gov. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/beginning-limited-resource-and-female-farmers-and-ranchers 10 Seward, N., Hanlon, C., Hinrichs-Kraples, S., Lund, C., Murdoch, J., Taylor Salisbury, T., Verhey, R., Shidhaye, R., Thornicroft, G., Araya, R., & Sevdalis, N. (2021). A guide to systems-level, participatory, theory-informed implementation research in global health. BMJ Global Health, 6(12), e005365. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2021-005365 56

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○ “Outputs” vs. “Outcomes” in Data Measurement:“In project management and organizational contexts, output refers to the tangible deliverables or results produced by a project or activity, while outcome refers to the broader, long-term changes or benets resulting from those outputs. Outputs are immediate, measurable, and often quantiable, while outcomes are more about the impact or value created by the outputs.”12 ○ USDA Denitions for Food Insecurity: 1. “High food security:” No reported indications of food-access problems or limitations. 2. “Marginal food security:” One or two reported indications—typically of anxiety over food suciency or shortage of food in the house. Little or no indication of changes in diets or food intake. 3. “Food Insecurity:” The condition assessed in the food security survey and represented in USDA food security reports—is a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food. 4. “Low food security:” Reports of reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet. Little or no indication of reduced food intake. 5. “Very low food security:” Reports of multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.13 ○ “Food Systems” 1. Local Food System: A food system rooted in the production, processing, and consumption of food within a specic geographic area (typically within a 100-mile radius).14 Emphasizes direct relationships and transparency between producers and consumers. Key Features: Short supply chains, CSAs, farmers markets, local economic resilience.15 2. Conventional Food System: The dominant industrialized model of large-scale, input-intensive agriculture and global food trade. Key Features: Monocultures, mechanization, synthetic inputs, long-distance supply chains.16 Criticisms: Environmental damage, reduced biodiversity, inequity.17 3. Alternative/ Sustainable Food System: A food system centered on ecological health, social justice, and long-term viability. Often overlaps with local, organic, and Indigenous practices.18 Key Features: Regenerative farming, fair labor, reduced emissions, biodiversity. 18 National Research Council, Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century, Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2010. 17 IAASTD, Agriculture at a Crossroads: Global Report, Island Press, 2009. 16FAO, The Future of Food and Agriculture: Alternative Pathways to 2050, Rome, 2018. 15 USDA, Local Food Systems: Concepts, Impacts, and Issues, Economic Research Service Report No. 97, by Steve Martinez et al., May 2010. 14 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Local Food Systems: Concepts, Impacts, and Issues. Economic Research Service Report No. 97, by Steve Martinez et al., May 2010. 13 USDA. (2025b, January 10). USDA ERS - Denitions of Food Security. Www.ers.usda.gov. https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/denitions-of-food-security 12 Mitton, L. (2023, May 17). Outputs vs. Outcomes: Understanding the Dierences. Splunk-Blogs. https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/learn/outputs-vs-outcomes.html 57

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4. Traditional/Indigenous Food System: Food systems embedded in Indigenous knowledge, cultural practices, and ecosystems, including gathering, shing, and spiritual food relationships. Key Features: Biodiversity-based, intergenerational knowledge, cultural continuity. Examples: Three Sisters planting, seasonal sh runs, wild rice harvesting.19 5. Charitable/ Emergency Food System: Nonprot-driven systems oering short-term food relief through pantries, soup kitchens, and food banks—often dependent on surplus food.20 Key Features: Crisis response, volunteer-driven, donation-based. Critiques: Does not address systemic poverty or food access barriers.21 6. Global Food System: The vast international network linking producers, processors, distributors, and consumers across countries and continents. Key Features: Commodity trade, multinational agribusiness, supply chain complexity. Critiques: Vulnerable to climate, conict, and economic shocks.22 III. Links to Additional Resources 1. State of Maine, 2024 Annual Report, Ending Hunger in Maine 2. Maine’s Roadmap to End Hunger by 2030 3. New England Food Vision 4. New England Feeding New England 5. Cumberland County Community Health Improvement Plan 6. Portland Community Agriculture Plan 7. The Maine Food Strategy 8. The Cumberland County Pantry Report 2023 - Farms for Food Equity 9. Feeding America 10. USDA Food Access Research Atlas IV. Links to Additional Maps & Locations 1. Cumberland County Local Food Action Team Resource Map 2. Wayside Food Program, Community Resources: Food Pantries & Programs 3. Maine Harvest Bucks Locations - Interactive Map 4. Maine Federation of Farmers Markets - Interactive Map 5. Farm Fresh Rewards Locations 22International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food). From Uniformity to Diversity: A Paradigm Shift from Industrial Agriculture to Diversied Agroecological Systems. June 2016. 21Tarasuk, Valerie, and Janice M. Eakin, "Food Assistance Through 'Surplus' Food: Insights from an Ethnographic Study of Food Bank Work," Agriculture and Human Values, vol. 22, no. 2, 2005, pp. 177–186. 20 Feeding America. The Emergency Food System and Hunger Relief in the United States. Organizational overview and data reports, accessed 2023. 19 Kuhnlein, Harriet V., et al., Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems: The Many Dimensions of Culture, Diversity and Environment for Nutrition and Health, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment (CINE), 2009. 58

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6. Government Food Distribution sites 7. Get Real Maine 8. Maine Urban and Community Garden Database 9. Maine School Garden Network 10. Cumberland County Food Assistance VI. Directory of Local Food System Organizations Strategy Organization Name Project/Program Name Website City of Portland - Parks & Recreation Community Gardens https://www.portlandmaine.gov/514/Community-Gardens City of Portland - Friends of Forest City Trees Mt. Joy Orchard https://mountjoyorchard.wixsite.com/mtjoy Cultivating Community Youth Programs https://cultivatingcommunity.org/youth-leadership-internships/ Maine Foodscapes Foodscapes Garden Project https://www.mainefoodscapes.org/fgp.html Maine Organic Gardeners & Farmers Association Farmer Financial & Technical Assistance https://www.mofga.org/farmer-resources/nancial-assistance/ Maine School Garden Network School Gardens, Cumberland County https://msgn.org/garden-directory/ Healthy Communities of the Capital Area Maine Farm to School Network https://www.mainefarmtoschool.org/overview Portland Arts and Technology High School PATHS Horticulture Program https://paths.portlandschools.org/programs/horticulture Cultivating Community Community Farms & Food Stands Program https://cultivatingcommunity.org/fresh-start-farms/ Somali Bantu Community Association Liberation Farms https://somalibantumaine.org/ Westbrook School Department Westbrook Middle School Garden Project https://www.westbrookschools.org/o/wms/article/1400501 Khmer Maine Food and Farm https://khmermaine.org/food-farm Standish Food Pantry Standish Food Pantry https://www.standishfoodpantry.org/ Harrison Food Bank Food Bank https://www.harrisonfoodbank.com/who-we-are Presente! Maine Despensa Solidaria/Food Brigade https://www.presentemaine.org/ Coastal Enterprises, Inc. Food-Based Business Support https://www.ceimaine.org/advising/business/farms-and-food/ Conservation Law Foundation Legal Food Hub https://www.legalfoodhub.org/ Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District Education https://www.cumberlandswcd.org/education Good Shepherd Food Bank Cooking Matters https://www.gsfb.org/programs/cooking-matters-maine/ Intercultural Community Center Youth Program https://www.iccmaine.org/ Maine Department of Education, Child Nutrition Farm & Sea to School Program https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/programs/farmtoschool ReTreeUs School Orchards https://www.retree.us/ UMaine Cooperative Extension 4-H https://extension.umaine.edu/4h/ UMaine Cooperative Extension Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program https://extension.umaine.edu/cumberland/programs/efnep/ UMaine Cooperative Extension Master Food Preserver Volunteers https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/food-preservation/master-food-preservers/ USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Maine Urban Agriculture https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/eqip-environmental-quality-incentives/maine/maine-urban-agriculture Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District YardScaping, Technical Assistance, & Agriculture https://www.cumberlandswcd.org/agriculture EcoMaine School Recycling and Waste Diversion Grants https://www.ecomaine.org/tours-and-educational-outreach/grants/ Westbrook School Department Westbrook School Nutrition https://www.westbrookschools.org/o/wms/dining FoodCorps Maine School Meals & Food Education Partnerships https://foodcorps.org/locations/?state=us-me 59

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Gulf of Maine Research Institute Sea to School Project https://gmri.org/projects/sea-to-school-program/ Portland Public Schools Food Fuels Learning https://www.foodfuelslearning.org/ Maine Network of Community Food Councils (MNCFC) Network of Networks https://www.mainefoodcouncils.net/team-4 UMaine Cooperative Extension, Cumberland County Home Horticulture, Master Gardener Volunteer Program and Tidewater Gardens https://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/master-gardeners/ Good Shepherd Food Bank Farm Fresh Rewards https://www.gsfb.org/programs/farm-fresh-rewards/ Maine Department of Education, Child Nutrition Local Food Fund (LFF) https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/nutrition/programs/localfoods/producefund USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Local Food Purchasing Agreements (LFPA) https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food-to-usda/lfpacap Cumberland County Food Security Council School Food/ FoodCorps Maine Partnership https://www.ccfoodsecurity.org/child-nutrition.html Fork Food Lab Second Harvest Partnership https://www.forkfoodlab.com/secondharvest Maine Coast Fishermen's Association Locally Made Seafood Products https://www.mainecoastshermen.org/locallymadeseafood Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative Maine Marinara Collaborative https://www.mainefarmandsea.coop/single-post/maine-marinara-certied-and-delivered Sodexo Maine Course https://mainecourse.sodexomyway.com/ Good Shepherd Food Bank Mainers Feeding Mainers https://www.gsfb.org/programs/mainers-feeding-mainers/ Preble Street Food Security Hub https://www.preblestreet.org/what-we-do/food-programs/foodsecurityhub/ The Opportunity Alliance Head Start https://www.opportunityalliance.org/centerbased-preschoolhead-start Cumberland County Food Security Council Local Food Access/ Gleaning Initiative https://www.ccfoodsecurity.org/gleaning.html Farms for Food Equity Farms for Food Equity https://www.farmsforfoodequity.org/ First Baptist Church - Portland, Maine Food Pantry https://www.rstbaptistportland.org/food-pantry Grow Give Gorham Backpack Program https://www.growgivegorham.org/the-backpack-program Growing to Give Growing to Give Farm https://growingtogive.farm/contact/ Immigrants Community Integration (ICI) FeedME https://www.icimaine.org/feed-me Maine Coast Fishermen's Association Fishermen Feeding Mainers https://www.mainecoastshermen.org/shermen-feeding-mainers Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry Maine Senior FarmShare Program https://www.maine.gov/dacf/ard/food-assistance/farmshare/olderadults.shtml Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) https://www.maine.gov/dacf/ard/food-assistance/supplemental-food.shtml Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) https://www.maine.gov/dacf/ard/food-assistance/tefap/index.shtml Maine Farm & Sea Cooperative Maine Immigrant Greens Collaborative https://www.mainefarmandsea.coop/single-post/maine-immigrant-green-collaborative Maine Federation Farmers Markets Maine Harvest Bucks https://www.maineharvestbucks.org/about/about-maine-harvest-bucks Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Programs (MCHPP) Grocery Programs - Food Pantry, Deliveries, Satellites & School Pantries https://www.mchpp.org/prepared-meals Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Programs (MCHPP) Merrymeeting Gleaners https://www.mchpp.org/gleaning The Maine Locker Project School Pantry Network https://mainelockerproject.org/ UMaine Cooperative Extension Harvest for Hunger https://extension.umaine.edu/harvest-for-hunger/about-us/#totals Wayside Food Programs Portland Pollinator Partnership https://www.waysidemaine.org/pollinatorgarden Wayside Food Programs Mobile Food Pantries https://www.waysidemaine.org/mobile-food-pantries Wayside Food Programs Food Rescue https://www.waysidemaine.org/mealsandgroceries Wayside Food Programs Community Meals https://www.waysidemaine.org/community-meals Winslow Farm Community Supported Agriculture https://www.winslow-farm.com/ 60

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