Washington County Food Council to Meet July 30

Do live, work, or play in Washington County, Maine? Are you looking for ways to connect with others to build a more resilient and local food system? Do you want to share your perspective and join in dialogue with a group of diverse actors across Washington County?

The next meeting of the Washington County Food Council will be on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, from 2:30- to 4 p.m., at the Lubec Community Outreach Center and on Zoom.

Together with community partners, we are reviving the Washington County Community Food Council, and you are invited to participate!

History

Between 2013-2018, the group focused on outreach and engagement in the food system, hosting two in-person ‘Food Summits’ in 2014 and 2016 with over 100 participants. You can view the PDF here, “History of WCCFC”, to learn more about the previous activities of the group. The Washington County Community Food Council was on hiatus 2019-2023.

On February 14, 2024, a small group from across Washington County gathered to discuss reviving the Food Council under renewed collaborations. We spoke about reestablishing connections that may have been lost due to Covid, the power of sharing meals to build community, ideas for shared-infrastructure, existing resources to tap into, and more. We have received the good graces of the Maine Network of Community Food Councils, who’s monthly meetings are a wonderful resource for Food Council coordinators across the State.

On March 26, 2024, we convened at UMaine Machias with interested community members to disuss Rebuilding the Washington County Community Food Council and are thrilled with the forward momentum!

Today

The Washington County Food Council (WCFC) is a co-facilitated, action-based coalition. The group brings together a diversity of roles and skills in the food system: farmers and homesteaders, fisherfolk, non-profits, education, community gardeners, businesses, artisans, healthcare, and more. The current co-facilitators work at Full Plates Full Potential, UMaine Cooperative Extension (EFNEP), and Healthy Acadia. Participation in the WCFC will help build connections and support for each other as caring members of our communities and food systems.

We are excited about what this group could accomplish to improve and bolster relationships in the Washington County food system. As national and global markets and industrial food supply chains increasingly show their weaknesses and destructive natures, we hope to work together to build a grassroots food movement so that our Downeast communities may be resilient and well-fed as we embrace new rhythms in our food, farming and fishing landscapes.

Want to learn more and help shape the conversation? We hope to gather as many perspectives and voices as possible in this work of reconnection.

At this point in time, your facilitators are: Vanessa Young, a talented cook and educator who works with UMaine Cooperative Extension), Kirsten Tenney, a born-and-raised Downeaster who works in Community Engagement at Full Plates Full Potential, and Lucy Zwigard, a musician and homesteader who coordinates Washington County Food Programs at Healthy Acadia.

Join the Washington County Community Food Council’s Facebook Group to stay updated and get involved! Click here to visit the group page.