Free Local Vegetables are Within Reach at June 6th Event and at Bar Harbor Farmers’ Market

For Immediate Release Please

Date: May 20, 2024

Program Contact: Lucie Nolden, Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets, lucie@mffm.org, 207-412-3071

Media Contact: Tracey Carlson, Healthy Acadia, tracey@healthyacadia.org, (207) 667-7171

Bar Harbor, ME. An event planned for Friday, June 6, 2024, will bring free fresh vegetables and more to MDI Housing Authority sites. Residents of housing authority sites and guests can come to the Malvern Belmont community room, 80 Mt Desert St, Bar Harbor, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., or to the Ridge Apartments, 24 Village Green Way, Southwest Harbor, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., to pick up some free farm-fresh produce, explore enrollment opportunities for this season’s farmers’ market programs, and get information about local resources.

Participants will learn how they can get the best bang for their buck at the farmers’ market by using programs like Senior FarmShare and Maine Harvest Bucks, and will also hear from Resource Coordinator Linda Lunt, LSW, of the YWCA. Event attendees will have the opportunity to enroll in the Senior FarmShare program at the Bar Harbor Eden Farmers’ Market and receive $50 in free vouchers to spend on fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey at the farmers’ market, if eligible. 

Sign up forms will also be available at other MDI Housing Authority sites on June 6th, as well as at the Bar Harbor Eden Farmers’ Market on Sunday mornings

9 a.m. to noon in the MDI YMCA parking lot from Mothers’ Day to the end of October. For assistance with transportation to the farmers’ market, please email Lucie Nolden at lucie@mffm.org or call (781) 261-0457 at least ten days in advance.

Money-saving opportunities abound at the farmers’ market for people of all ages, beyond Senior FarmShare. For the second year in a row, anyone who receives benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/EBT) can use their EBT at the Bar Harbor Eden Farmers’ Market, anytime and get $1 back in Maine Harvest Bucks for every $1 of EBT spent! The same program is offered at over 60 farmers’ markets across the state. Visit maineharvestbucks.org to learn more.

Outside of the farmers’ market, there are other ways to find support in getting the food, fuel, and help you need for yourself and your family. However, these support channels can be challenging to navigate. Expert guidance can significantly ease the process. Linda Lunt, leveraging her extensive background as a social worker, now serves as a Resource Coordinator at the YWCA. She will be on hand at the event to provide valuable insights on accessing various resources, including state and federal benefits and local funds.

This free event is made possible with the support of the Maine Council on Aging’s CHEF Grant and through partnership with the Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets, Ellsworth and Mount Desert Island Housing Authority, Whitaker Farm, the YWCA of Mount Desert Island, and Healthy Acadia. Transportation to the farmers’ market will be facilitated through volunteer drivers for Island Connections. Senior FarmShare at the Bar Harbor Farmers’ Market is an offering of the

Maine Senior FarmShare Program, a program of Maine’s Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, is made possible through partnership with Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.