Maine Foodscapes

08/12/2026

A lot has happened since we built our first gardens in 2018. More than 1,000 raised beds later, Maine Foodscapes has helped bring gardens to households with limited resources, schools, early childcare centers, libraries, housing communities, community centers, and more.

This year, we’re especially grateful to the Garden Conservancy The Garden Conservancy and Benson Farm Benson Farm for sponsoring our work, and to our friends at United Way of Southern Maine who donated a portion of their paychecks to support garden building. We were able to add ADA-accessible raised beds at a Lewiston Housing senior community and build garden beds for a household in southern Maine this year.

Foodscapes has been quieter these past two years while our founder and lead garden builder has been busy serving Maine’s Farm & Sea to School Program through the DOE. Our board of four has also been thinking about what comes next.

In 2024, we were awarded a three-year Maine NRCS grant agreement of $100,000, but the required cash match wasn’t possible for our small, mostly volunteer-led organization. With other opportunities to fund our work on the horizon, we’re opening up a conversation about the future of Maine Foodscapes and looking for individuals and community partners who want to share resources, ideas, or possibilities with us.

If you’d like to be part of that conversation, DM us or email [email protected]. We’ll share more later this fall.

Thanks for being part of our story. We’re grateful for every one of you. 💚🐝🫜

08/26/2025

Sign up via Google Forms:
https://forms.gle/2V3bNjRNKg2fN1MfA

06/05/2025

🌱 FGP Gardeners: Seedling Pick-Up & Drop-Off Week is Here! 🌱

From June 7 to June 14, it’s time to get your vegetable seedlings for the season! If you’re an FGP gardener from 2018–2025, swing by to pick up your tray.

Can’t make it? No worries — we’ll drop off seedlings by request while supplies last.

This year, we’re excited to offer perennials too, including Elderberry, Blueberry, and more!

Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors and partners: Allagash, CMP, Skillins, CC Gleaning Initiative, Winslow Farm, and Bumbleroot for making this possible!

To schedule your pickup or drop-off, please email [email protected].

12/03/2024

🌱 This , Support Maine Foodscapes and Help Us Grow Stronger Communities! 🌱

At Maine Foodscapes, we partner with nutrition-insecure households and families across southern Maine to build no-cost vegetable gardens. Together with our dedicated volunteers and community partners, we provide these gardens to support healthy, sustainable food sources for those who need it most.

Your support can make a big difference! A donation of $500 helps us provide two 4x8 raised beds filled with seeds and seedlings for our gardeners. We typically build three raised beds for every household, and we aim to construct up to 45 new gardens each year that include three raised beds, or more, for households and community organizations.

Please consider donating today or anytime throughout the year. All donations are tax-deductible, and we hope we can count on your generosity to help us continue to grow and serve our community.

Together, we can help families nourish their bodies and their futures. 💚

12/03/2024

Thank you to all of you who have contributed to Maine Foodscapes in 2024! Contributions to our projects go directly towards developing healthier, greener, and happier lives in Southern Maine. 🌲🍂🌲

Now, on this , we ask you to give one last contribution of the year to help support our efforts in 2025. This year, we're striving to make a bigger impact than ever, as we expand our garden-based projects to brand-new households and communities. Support this effort by donating to Maine Foodscapes and helping to build a garden, support a family, or sponsor a community workshop! 🔨🏡👩‍🌾

Visit our website below to make a monthly or one-time donation, to tell us how you'd like to contribute, and to support the Maine Foodscapes community! https://www.mainefoodscapes.org/donate.html

11/19/2024

🌱🌟 Dear Community -- The Foodscapes Garden Project is officially part of the ! 🌟🌱

Our gardens are more than just patches of soil—they’re spaces for fresh food, connection, and growth 🌻🥕. With your help, we can bring more of these transformative spaces to households and communities in need.

Your support TODAY can help us launch strong 💪 and even win a bonus $400 grant 💰 for the project that raises the most early on! Let’s grow something amazing together.

Donate ❤️ here:
👉 https://donate.seedmoney.org/11304/2025-foodscapes-garden-project

Thank you for being part of this mission to grow gardens, grow community, and grow opportunity. 🌟✨

We empower community members by providing access to raised-bed vegetable gardens, providing the tools and resources needed to grow their own food.

11/19/2024

Last month, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work pressing cider! 🍎🎉 Residents of Sagamore Village and Front Street West joined in Autumnal celebrations, enjoying freshly made cider and festive fun.
A big shoutout to the Maine Tool Library for lending us the classic wooden cider press—dubbed "one neat machine" by a young participant—and to Orchard Ridge Farms for their incredible Gold Riot and Enterprise apples. 🥂🍏
Thank you also to for inspiring our lesson! Did you know apples have a deep-rooted history in New England? The first orchard in the region dates back to Old Orchard Beach!
We love sharing special activities and local history with such enthusiastic young learners. Here's to more moments celebrating community, food, and fun! 🌟

11/07/2024

🌾 Last Month, Maine Foodscapes welcomed our new AmeriCorps Service Members to the Maine food scene by jumping right into action at the Common Ground Fair’s famous Common Kitchen! 🎉 Nothing like a day in the kitchen to get acquainted with farmers, garden enthusiasts, and some seriously skilled cooks! 💪
Kyle, our VISTA AmeriCorps member, powered through chopping countless onions 🧅 (no tears, we promise!), while Darle Bailey, our Public Health AmeriCorps member, whipped up some delicious cranberry muffins! 🧁🍂
The Common Kitchen is where volunteers come together to fuel hundreds of other helpers with hearty meals and snacks throughout the fair.
🌻 Have you been to the Common Ground Fair in Unity, Maine? It’s the place to learn about all things homesteading, from farming and preserving to stonework, spinning, and even contra dancing! Next year, maybe you’ll catch us chopping, mixing, or just soaking in the community vibes. 😊

11/05/2024

Come one, come all! Join Foodscapes & Cooking Matters on Saturday, November 16th from 1-3PM at 409 Cumberland Ave in Portland for a free Community Workshop about how to achieve a seasonal diet without breaking the bank!

Educators will discuss nutrition, recipe building, qualifications for government assistance, and how to get the freshest produce for the lowest price! After, there will be a cooking demonstration utilizing squash and other farm fresh ingredients!
Join us and gain the tools and resources to eat locally and fresh and enjoy a light meal with fellow participants!

Led by Cooking Matters & Foodscapes Educators, Public Health AmeriCorps Members Riley Richardson and Darle Riordan.

Participants will leave having gained valuable resources about the produce available in Southeastern Maine!

🥗Link in Bio + via Eventbrite🥗

10/30/2024

What a fun and educational workshop led by Foodscapes Educator & Master Food Preserver Volunteer, Linsey MacDougall! Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Preserving Autumn’s Bounty: Canning 101 workshop at the kitchen! Special thanks to for donating such beautiful, crisp apples. We’re thrilled to share these awesome food preservation skills and tips with you. Sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on upcoming events! Happy Apple Season! 🍏🍎