We’re all absorbing a lot of news right now, and it’s not a time to add to the noise. We do, however, want to share how Cultivating Community’s work is impacted by the uncertainty and loss of federal funding and how we are approaching our work moving forward. We’re going to keep growing good food and building community.
This winter, we’re celebrating updates to our mission, a succesful raised bed building workshop at Boyd St., the launch of our greenhouse fundraising campaign, and more!
This project is an exciting next phase of our partnership with the City’s Parks, Recreation & Facilities Department to ensure that Portland’s 11 community gardens are safe and accessible. We are happy to announce that we have secured funding through the Maine Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for the next 3 garden rebuilds!
Exciting news for school gardens! We’re happy to announce that, in collaboration with the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, Cultivating Community is launching a new initiative to support Portland Public Schools students and gardens. After a challenging school budget process, we’re stepping up to fill a gap so that all 3,000 elementary school students continue to have vibrant outdoor learning spaces. We’re excited to work with the 9 PPS elementary schools to uplift Wabanaki and STEAM curriculum and hands-on outdoor experiences.
Earlier this month the City of Portland conducted soil testing at the Libbytown Community Garden and found elevated levels of arsenic and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). Each garden has a unique history, and while testing had been done previously, this testing – which measured the levels of more than 90 potential contaminants – was more comprehensive.
his week we had a devastating setback to our farming season: For the second year, we had partnered with a local greenhouse to grow seedlings to supplement what we produce at Hurricane Valley Farm, but sadly, they have closed, breaking our contract without warning, and we are scrambling.
Temperatures are rising, the sap is flowing, seeds have arrived for ~40,000 culturally important starts, and community garden registration begins next week. This all means one thing: The growing season is right around the corner!
The ground may be frozen and farms blanketed in snow, but Cultivating Community’s staff are hard at work preparing for the season ahead.
As we close the year and plan for next season, we are excited to share highlights from our core programs. Our work is possible because of trust, partnership, and support from our community.
Winter may be a time for slowing down, but at Cultivating Community we are just getting warmed up as staff and new leadership reflect on lessons learned from the growing season.
In March 2025, the federal government announced the termination of Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA), a program that supported historically underserved farmers by distributing thousands of pounds of produce to low-income communities and schools.
In the face of increasing challenges Cultivating Community, New Roots Cooperative Farm, and Somali Bantu Community Association’s Liberation Farms are standing together to support immigrant and BIPOC farmers who have been and are systematically excluded from federal resources and access to food and land. Please join us in supporting local food!
