NEW SWEDEN, Maine — The Northstar Variety store in New Sweden will host a low-cost Food for All Farmstand again this year, where visitors can buy produce using either cash or EBT.
In a community project aided by Power of Prevention, the stand will be open Wednesdays, Aug. 10 through Sept. 14, 2016 from 2-6 p.m. This year, it will feature produce that the Good Shepherd Food Bank purchases at a fair price primarily from Rankin Rapids in St. Francis. Sale at a low cost is made possible through support from the Mainers Feeding Mainers program.
The goal of the Food for All Farmstand project is to pay local farmers fairly for their product and give Mainers access to affordable, fresh, local produce. The stand is sponsored by the Maine Federation of Farmers Markets, Good Shepherd Food Bank and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mainers Feeding Mainers is a program established by Good Shepherd Food Bank to develop reliable local food channels to help feed the hungry, while supporting the state’s local food growers and producers. Through Mainers Feeding Mainers, the Food Bank purchases Maine-produced food, such as potatoes, squash, tomatoes, carrots, strawberries, apples and blueberries, as well as high-protein fish, cheese and meat, and distributes more than 1 million pounds of local food products annually to Mainers struggling with hunger. These products are then sold at cost at the Food for All Farmstand, or distributed to the Food Bank’s partner agencies for use in their hunger-relief programs.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Partnerships to Improve Community Health (PICH) is funding Power of Prevention’s involvement in this community project. PICH is working in rural Maine communities to increase access to environments with healthy food or beverage options by supporting local farmers. PICH promotes healthy eating and active living to help improve health, reduce health disparities, and control healthcare spending.
FMI contact Power of Prevention Project Director Julie Daigle at julie@powerofprevention.org or 834-2003.
