Welcome, Jasmine Haines

Please join us in welcoming Jasmine Haines to the Healthy Acadia team! 

Jasmine Haines has joined Healthy Acadia as the Food Programs Manager for Washington County. In this role, she leads a range of food access programs and partnerships designed to improve food security and ensure that everyone has access to healthy, nourishing food. Her work includes coordinating efforts of the Downeast Restorative Harvest, Washington County Gleaning Initiative, Washington County Food Drive, and the Maine Senior Farm Share Program.

Originally from Mapleton in Aroostook County, Jasmine now lives in Eastport. She brings a deep commitment to supporting local farms and building healthier communities. Her work reflects her passion for sustainable food systems and ensuring that nutritious food is available to all.

Jasmine, what prompted you to join the Healthy Acadia team?

I bring over 15 years of experience as a Writer and Communications Specialist, with a background in marketing, grassroots organizing, and community engagement. I hold a Humanities degree from the University of Maine, where I focused on poetry, philosophy, and children’s literature—fields that continue to shape my approach to storytelling and systems thinking.

My passion for local food systems started early, growing up on my family farm in northern Maine. That passion was nurtured further through my participation in the four-year farm program at MSAD #1, which instilled in me a deep respect for agricultural education and the power of hands-on learning.

Later, I worked with Maine’s Own Organic Milk (MOO), a farmer-owned company that reinvested profits into local dairy farms. MOO played a vital role in strengthening Maine’s food system, and the experience deepened my commitment to supporting sustainable, community-based agriculture.

I currently also serve as a Consultant with the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership, where I support historically excluded entrepreneurs in gaining access to capital and assistance. I’m thrilled to bring this blend of experience to Healthy Acadia and help advance a more just and resilient food system in our beautiful state.

What most inspires you about Healthy Acadia's work? 

What inspires me most about Healthy Acadia’s work is its deep commitment to building a just and resilient food system that supports everyone in our community. I’m passionate about the way Healthy Acadia centers equity, local farmers, and community-driven solutions to address food access and sustainability. This holistic approach—connecting people, place, and policy—resonates deeply with my own values and experiences.

In my role, I’m excited to contribute by fostering connections between farmers, organizations, and community members and by helping create programs that increase access to fresh, nutritious food. I’m inspired by the opportunity to work collaboratively with such a dedicated team to make a tangible, positive impact on the health and well-being of Downeast Maine and beyond.

What most inspires you on a personal level?

What most inspires me on a personal level is the power of stories—especially those that carry deep feelings and big questions. I love sharing these stories with anyone who’s curious, because storytelling connects us in ways nothing else can.

Among my biggest influences are temperamental weather, the creatures I often encounter, my dad’s steady presence, and, of course, the quiet magic of late-night star gazing—when the world feels both still and full of possibility.

What is your favorite thing to do, or place to be, in Maine, and why?

You can take the girl out of The County, but you can’t take The County out of the girl. My roots run deep up there, and I’m happiest near the fields of potatoes, swimming in chilly rivers, and exploring the forests near my family farm. I feel a strong connection to Maine’s nature and wildlife—it’s where I feel most at home.

It was falling in love with a sailor that brought me Downeast, and I consider exploring the area and everything it has to offer my number one hobby right now.

That said, I also spent over a decade living and working in Portland, which I consider my favorite city in the world. Maine is full of incredible musicians, writers, and chefs—truly some of the best in the world, in my humble opinion.

I used to write a blog for the Bangor Daily News called “Pen & Potato,” and my bio there read “Maine’s biggest fan.” I think that still rings true today.

Email Jasmine at jasmine.haines@healthyacadia.org.