As we welcome Summer, we are reflecting on a Spring that marked new threats to the safety of the communities we support, funding losses, and a cold, wet start to the growing season. It has also given us hope in the power of community and what is possible when we stand together.
Cultivating Community’s Farms and Food Programs provide essential access to land, economic security, and fresh food. They are a lifeline with an impact that grows far beyond the farm fence.
This week, as the as the first harvests of the season begin, we have good news to share. This community SHOWS UP! While there are still gaps to fill with so much uncertainty, thanks to support from local foundations and everyone who contributed to the Immigrant Farmer Fund, Farm to Neighbor Maine (more below!), and our spring campaign, we will be able to keep our current staffing levels, keep our farms open, and provide:
- 1,500 veggie bags, each with culturally familiar produce for a family of 4, directly to our distribution partners, new immigrant families, and neighbors with limited resources
- $70,000 worth of produce to local food pantries in partnership with Mainers Feeding Mainers (a 39% decrease from 2024), with $19,000 additionally raised by individual pantries (Thank you!)
- Dollar for dollar SNAP/EBT and WIC match on sales at our network of mobile farmstands in partnership with the Maine Federation of Farmers Markets (if federal programs continue)
- More than 40,000 culturally familiar seedlings in partnership with Villageside Farm, including 1,620 African eggplants!
- Technical assistance, training, shared infrastructure, tools, and support for farmers
- Investments in soil health with new to us equipment to improve the efficiency and sustainability of the farms
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Summer Fun in the
Community Gardens
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This summer, we have three great ways to get involved in Portland’s Community Gardens: Workshops, Pop Up Picnics, and Community Volunteer Days. Learn new skills, get your hands dirty, and get to know your neighbors. More info is below!
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Urban Growers Summer Workshop Series
We have partnered with the University of Maine Extension to provide workshops on common garden questions and challenges. Workshops are free, but registration is required. Click here for more info.
Pop Up Picnics
Each summer, Cultivating Community partners with Wayside, The Book Fairy, Locker Project, Garbage to Garden, The City of Portland, local musicians, and many others to host four Pop Up Picnics at the community gardens. Food is free and all are welcome!
Volunteer Days
Feel the need to weed? Want to help chip away at mulching? It takes many hands to keep Portland’s Community Gardens vibrant and well-managed. Dig in with us! We have drop-in volunteer days scheduled at each of the 11 gardens this summer, with the next one coming up on July 9th at the Riverson Community Garden. Find more info on our website. No need to register, just stop by.
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Celebrating Community Farms
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Thank you to everyone who joined us for our 1st Annual Celebration of Community Farming! It was so much fun to see friends new and old come together to celebrate the beginning of the growing season.
With your support, we reached our Spring campaign goal, raising over $40,000 to support our Cultivating Community’s programs. Thanks especially to the local businesses who contributed to the raffle and donated food, the volunteers that made this event such a success, and our long time partner Allagash Brewing Co for hosting!
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Introducing Farm to Neighbor Maine
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A resilient, sustainable, and equitable local food system depends on the financial viability of local farms, functioning infrastructure, and the accessibility of nutritious food for all people, regardless of income or background. Our food system is interdependent and incredibly vulnerable.
As part of our response to federal funding cuts, we are proud to have joined 7 other groups, all former Local Food Purchase Agreement (known as LFPA) recipients, to launch a new initiative, Farm to Neighbor Maine.
Last week, Farm to Neighbor was thrilled to have been awarded the Kendall Foundation Food Vision Prize to support our work with school nutrition directors and farmers to coordinate crop and menu planning, which will help maintain and expand locally grown food programs in school cafeterias across the state. Click here to read more about this collaboration.
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This month, we got an exceptional surprise. We can’t thank Arundel Ford enough for donating a 2012 Ford F-150 truck to help us provide land access and support to immigrant farmers. From hauling compost and equipment to seaweed and staff across the 22 gardens and farm sites we manage, this truck will make everything safer, easier, and more efficient.
Thank you to Jeannie, Peter, Chuck, and the team at Arundel Ford for all of your support and dedication to showing up for the community. With additional support from the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, for the first time in years, our farm rigs will be fully functional this season!
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 Elisabeth Nkanga is Cultivating Community’s Youth Program Specialist, supporting the summer high school programs and sharing her passion for growing and cooking food.
Originally from Angola, Southern Africa, she moved to Maine with her sister in March 2022. She is a recent high school graduate from Westbrook High School and has completed two years of business studies at Westbrook Regional Vocational Center. Her post-secondary education goals include getting an Electrical and Computer Engineering degree at the University of Southern Maine.
When not working, she enjoys making clothes and doing clothing alterations. Her favorite vegetable is the cucumber.
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 Luke Jenkins is an undergraduate student at the University of New England and a summer fellow with Cultivating Community, where he’s working to develop sustainable plans for orchard management, composting, and invasive species control.
Originally from Connecticut, Luke brings a hands-on approach and a strong interest in food justice and community engagement.
This summer, he’s focused on creating easy-to-follow guides and systems to help maintain the farm’s health and support its role as a space for connection and reliability.
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 Lian Joseph, currently pursuing a Master’s of Social Work at the University of Southern Maine, is supporting the Youth Leadership Program. Originally from Virginia, Lian earned her BA in International Studies from Virginia Tech, with minors in Chinese Studies and Sociology. After graduating, she joined the Peace Corps and headed to Mongolia, where she co-taught English in both primary and secondary schools alongside local teachers. Back in the U.S., she continued her service as an AmeriCorps VISTA in southern Maine, supporting immigrant and refugee communities with education, health, and social resources.
When she’s not studying or working, you can find Lian hiking, digging in the garden, playing pick-up soccer, or hanging out with family and friends. She’s always up for a good conversation about food, animals, or her next outdoor adventure.
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Our work is possible thanks to the support of our community. Please contribute if you are able. Volunteer time and in-kind donations are always welcome. Thank you!
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