Buy Local Initiative

In a study of seed stock available in 1903 versus that available in 1983, the Rural Advancement Foundation International found that we have lost nearly 93% of lettuce varieties, over 96% of sweet corn, about 96% of field corn, more than 95% of tomato, and almost 98% of asparagus.

–Andrew Kimbrell, 2002

FoodRoutes Buy Local Initiative

Eat Local Foods Coalition/ Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA)

In Maine, the Eat Local Foods (ELF) Coalition?s ?Buy Local? initiative consists of three independent activities implemented by three separate agricultural groups: the Buy Local, Eat Fresh Delivery Service, Farm Fresh Connection, and the $10-A-Week Campaign.

Buy Fresh. Buy Local. Buy Local, Eat Fresh Delivery Service

The Buy Local, Eat Fresh delivery service, a project of the Hancock County Locally-Grown Foods Project, coordinates the sale of local produce from farms to markets and restaurants in Hancock County, Maine. With Hancock County being home to the highest concentration of dining establishments in the state, there is a ready market for farmers. Delivery service was initiated because:

Restaurants and chefs prefer the convenience and reliability of dealing with one entity, rather than having several farmers calling at their door.
Farmers find great benefit in not having to market and deliver produce during the short and extremely busy summer season.
Many of Hancock County?s dining establishments are on Mount Desert Island. With its 2 million seasonal visitors, congested traffic and long delivery times, the number of farmers willing to enter the market has been limited.

The Buy Local, Eat Fresh delivery service allows farmers to enter this market without having to actually make the delivery themselves. The service is also responsible for billing restaurants, paying farmers, and promoting the service to restaurant customers, the year-around residents and summer visitors of the region.

Farm Fresh Connection

Farm Fresh Connection (FFC), a program of the Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society coordinates the sale of food from farms to institutions (colleges and hospitals) in south-central Maine.

As it attempts to boost local economies and nurture community, FFC is building relationships between Maine farmers, students, food buyers in health and educational institutions, and local communities.

FFC is responsible for billing institutions; paying farmers; working with students to increase awareness of the importance of local farms; and promoting to students/patrons, and to the public-at-large, the institutions? commitments to buying local.

MOFGA $10-A-Week Campaign

The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association is implementing a media campaign to encourage Maine households to purchase $10-a-week of food from local farmers throughout the growing season. This amount of weekly direct sales to farmers can pump as much as $100 million into Maine?s farm economy over the length of a growing season.

Initiative Highlights

Buy Local, Eat Fresh delivery service:

Coordinates sales of local produce
Distributes 10,000 promotional brochures annually
Promotes participating restaurants
Promotes participating farms
Gross sales in 2002 more than doubled from the previous year
53 restaurants as well as a few grocery stores, farmstands, and other local public institutions (colleges, schools, and hospitals)

Farm Fresh Connection:

Coordinates sales of local foods
Purchases products from 25 farms/businesses
Creates point-of-sale promotional materials
Organizes public relations events for institutions
Creates linkages between college students and local farmers

$10-A-Week Campaign:

Promotes local agriculture to a statewide audience
Distributes 50,000 promotional inserts statewide
Seeks to convince 10% of Maine households to purchase $10-A-Week from local farmers

Key Partners

Buy Local, Eat Fresh delivery service:

Hancock County Planning Commission
Common Good Ventures
Homeworkers Organized for More Employment (HOME)
53 restaurants and other outlets
A dozen area farms

Farm Fresh Connection

Common Good Ventures
USDA/Rural Development
Bates College
Bowdoin College
Central Maine Medical Center
St. Mary?s Hospital (Lewiston, Maine)
25 farmers and food businesses

$10-A-Week Campaign

Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
Maine Farms Project of Coastal Enterprises, Inc.
Maine Farmland Trust
Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society
Hancock County Locally-Grown Foods Project

Contact Information

Buy Local, Eat Fresh delivery service:

Ron Poitras
Hancock County Planning Commission
395 State Street
Ellsworth, Maine 04605
Phone: (207)-667-7131 or (207)-667-6330
E-mail: ronp@acadia.net

Farm Fresh Connection:

Andrew Files
Farm Fresh Connection
c/o Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society
5782 Winslow Hall
Orono, Maine 04469-5782
Phone: (207)-581-3108
Fax: (207)-581-4278
E-mail: andrew.files@umit.maine.edu

$10-A-Week Campaign:

Russell Libby
Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association
P.O. Box 170
Unity, Maine 04988
Phone: (207)-568-4142
E-mail: rlibby@mofga.org