Farm Fresh for ME is a newly established initiative of the Maine Department of Agriculture in collaboration with Western Mountains Alliance and other for-profit and NGO’s who are supporting development of food buying clubs throughout Maine. The ultimate goal of Farm Fresh for ME is to increase the market for small family farms in their local communities while providing nutritious, healthy and affordable foods to Maine families.
Farm Fresh for ME embraces the concept of consumer food buying clubs. A consumer food buying club pools the demand of several households, allowing them to purchase larger quantities of food at less than full retail price. Local food buying clubs are a wonderful way to help Maine farmers sell more products in a more organized, collective way.
Funding from USDA and the Maine Department of Agriculture helped Farm Fresh for ME pilot an innovative buying club model in Readfieldwhere Maranacook Area School’s support enabled student involvement in the project and a distribution site at Maranacook Middle School.
Farm Fresh for ME seeks to support the development of additional buying clubs. For more information contact Tricia Cook at tcook@westernmountainsalliance.org.
Maranacook Buying Club
Maranacook Local Foods Buying Club
This is a pilot club relaunching at the beginning of September. To learn more, visit www.maranacooklocalfoods.com.
FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions About Farm Fresh for ME
What is Farm Fresh for ME? ………Farm Fresh for ME is a new initiative of the Maine Department of Agriculture, supported by Western Mountains Alliance and other organizations and businesses in Maine.
What is our Vision? ……..The ultimate Vision of Farm Fresh for ME is to increase the market for small family farms in their local communities while providing nutritious, healthy foods to local Maine families and communities at an affordable price.
Buying Clubs are as diverse as the people who create and join them, but they do share a few common elements. In general a Buying Club is a group of friends, neighbors or interested local families who pool their household food demands to allow them to purchase larger quantities of local food at wholesale or below retail prices. Club members can create their own marketplaces of any vendor they choose, as well as their own rules of participation and operation.
