Maine Food for Maine People is a Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) project that will expand marketing opportunities for historically marginalized agricultural producers and aggregators. Three strategic partners—Good Shepherd Food Bank, Cultivating Community, and Mi’kmaq Farms—will purchase local foods from no fewer than seven socially disadvantaged producers and aggregators. Because all these entities are cooperatives, aggregators, or represent community production in some form, we estimate that these seven direct beneficiaries represent upwards of 100 food and farm businesses. That food will be distributed through established and emerging pathways to feed underserved Maine communities. These pathways include existing Eligible Recipient Agencies of the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP ERA) and tribal pantry networks, as well as innovative, culturally responsive distribution models rooted in community demand. The project will provide nutritional benefits to the thousands of Maine pantry and meals clients and other low-income consumers receiving the food. We expect the project to result in local foods valued at close to $650,000 (83% of the cooperative agreement funds) being delivered to food-insecure Maine people.
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