Increasing Equitable Land Access & Justice

As coordinators of the Local Foods Action Plan (LFAP), we meet with actions leads quarterly to hear about milestones, updates, and challenges. We collaborate and troubleshoot issues that arise in our current landscape. We’re incredibly excited about the work our action leads have taken thus far and below we have provided a concise review of the goals, actions, and impact delivered across the LFAP action leads! 

 

Under the umbrella of our first goal Integrate Agriculture & Climate Resilience, we have seen heaps of progress!

Action: Agriculture Municipal Policy

Lead: City of Auburn Natural Products and Agriculture Working Group

Goal: Integrate Agriculture & Climate Resilience

Updates:

The Auburn Natural Products and Agriculture Working Group have begun to have lengthier conversations on creating a document that will list as many agricultural organizations, farms, and producers in our city and think of ways to get that information to those searching to consume local foods. The working group is now part of the permitting process where it pertains to potentially permitting proposed new farm construction development.

 

Action: Municipal Farm Protection

Lead: City of Auburn Natural Products and Agriculture Working Group

Goal: Integrate Agriculture & Climate Resilience

Updates:

The Auburn Natural Products and Agriculture Working group has been providing content and feedback on the updating of Auburn’s comp plan specifically in the areas of open space, natural resource preservation, and farm development.

 

Action: Climate Action

Lead: Bates Harward Center for Community Partnerships, Good Food Council Lewiston Auburn

Goal: Integrate Agriculture & Climate Resilience

Updates:

Bates students have conducted research vital to systematically collect data. The City’s of Lewiston and Auburn have put in a grant to do a vulnerability assessment in service of a joint municipal climate action plan and more will be known in August. 

 

Action: Comprehensive Plan Advocacy

Lead: Good Food Council Lewiston Auburn

Goal: Integrate Agriculture & Climate Resilience

Updates:

Good Food Council Lewiston Auburn has met with the Auburn Comprehensive Plan Committee and Long Range Planner to ensure Food System work is included in the 2026 plan update.

 

Action: Food Waste, Organics, & Compost

Lead: Jessica Lavoie

Goal: Integrate Agriculture & Climate Resilience

Updates:

Both Geiger and Farwell Elementary Schools received Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) grant funding to begin a compost program in the Fall of 2026. Development and planning is underway with the nutrition staff at these schools in preparation for the fall rollout.

 

Action: Future Generation of Farmers

Lead: RSC Consulting

Goal: Integrate Agriculture & Climate Resilience

Updates:

RSC Consulting has continued meeting with the Lewiston Regional Technical Center (LRTC) director and procured ongoing interest. However, no new programs can be established right now so the Middle School survey was not distributed.

 

Action: Garden Education In Schools

Lead: Healthy Androscoggin, Gather to Grow 

Goal: Integrate Agriculture & Climate Resilience, Strengthen Food Stability & Economic Growth

Updates:

Gather to Grow School Partnerships has held full school garden days at Geiger Elementary; 10 classes of all the students in the garden and Family Engagement Events. They also ran and organized the Harvest Fest at Montello Elementary.

 

Action: Scratch Cooking and Cultural Foods In Schools

Lead: Auburn School Nutrition, Healthy Androscoggin, Gather to Grow, Five Pillars Farm, Haali’s Halal Cuisine, Somali Bantu Community Association (SBCA)

Goal: Integrate Agriculture & Climate Resilience, Strengthen Food Stability & Economic Growth

Updates:

Students have been getting a voice in meal selection and have loved it; The chicken shawarma, Five Fillars, and Haali’s Halaal were a big hit! In 2025, round 9-10% of the school food budget was spent on local food. There has also been a grant funded purchasing agreement with 5 local farms and a Processing Manager has been hired!

 

Action: Farmers’ Market’s

Lead: Lewiston Farmers Market Association (LFMA)

Goal: Integrate Agriculture & Climate Resilience, Strengthen Food Stability & Economic Growth

Updates:

The LFMA received official in-kind support from the City of Lewiston to continue placemaking at 75 Lincoln Street including opportunities for further grounds transformation in partnership with Lewiston Public Works. As part of the placemaking effort, with support from the Public Arts Committee and in partnership with LA Arts, the LFMA will be working with a local artist to put up a dynamic community inspired mural at a neighboring business. A4 year foundation award will support the market in having consistent year round management and growth.

 

Action: Coordinated Food Pantries

Lead: Gather to Grow, The Root Cellar

Goal: Strengthen Food Stability & Economic Growth

Updates:

There have been a series of informal lunches at Gather to Grow with area food and service providers. Began interviews with organizations offering pantries to understand the role a pantry plays in mission work.

 

Action: Land Security and Justice

Lead: Somali Bantu Community Association (SBCA)

Goal: Strengthen Food Stability & Economic Growth, Increase Land Justice 

Updates:

We are working with organizations to secure resources and ensure that land access work continues in this climate despite loss of federal funding.The FSA grant ended suddenly which divested from Land Access Work. Throughout this process we have many to thank; Blessing was amazing and so were the Peacekeepers on forest use! We have been working on evaluating our farming program as well as creating evaluations that youth are going to administer while looking at what they need from staff and from the farm. SBCA reached out to community partners and grantors to help raise funds to give community members culturally important foods that they would need, doing home delivery for community members- during the ICE surge, produce available for half off with SNAP, and doing Senior Farm Share.

 

Action: Protect Community Gardens

Lead: Gather to Grow, Land in Common

Goal: Strengthen Food Stability & Economic Growth, Increase Land Justice 

Updates: 

A Gather to Grow staff member completed a Dee Clarke Fellowship with the Permanent Commission on Racial, Indigenous & Tribal Populations to investigate and develop a proposal to secure and rematriate land currently in use for community gardens This proposal will help guide the work as it continues to unfold.

 

Action: Lewiston Auburn Community Market

Lead: Arlo- Lewiston Auburn Community Market (LACM) Board, RSC Consulting

Goal: Strengthen Food Stability & Economic Growth, Build Food Culture & Identity

Updates:

So far the Community Market has reached 50 members for the cooperative and are tabling at different events to continue to grow this number and spread the word. Our goal is to get to 1000 members!

 

Action: Celebrate Lewiston Auburn Foods

Lead: LA Metro Chamber of Commerce, City of Auburn Natural Resources Working Group

Goal: Build Food Culture & Identity

Updates:

The Auburn Natural Products and Ag Working Group is planning an Auburn Open Farm Day October 17th! 

 

As we inch toward the second half of the summer we’re excited by the progress our partners have made and look forward to updating you all on what our next steps are. If you’d like to hear more about a or get connected to a community partner leading an action, email info@goodfoodcouncil.org or check updates on our website https://lafoodplan.com/the-plan/actions/. Thank you for your continued support!