18 Blue Hill Peninsula Community Food Grants Awarded!

Each year, MFT awards grant funds for projects that promise to increase food sustainability and improve the health and well-being of the Blue Hill Peninsula community. This year, we’re thrilled to share that 18 projects received a total of $45,000!

Among the grantees are Healthy Peninsula (photo above), who are using the funds to enable home delivery of free, fresh produce to better meet community members’ needs. Executive Director Anne Schroth shares: “Funds from Maine Farmland Trust have allowed us to push into critical service gaps identified in our healthy eating work on the Blue Hill Peninsula and Deer Isle. For example, when we wanted to offer the option of home delivery from the Magic Food Bus during the pandemic, the BHPCFG funds made that distribution possible, and we were able to provide fresh, free produce, even to people who were not able connect with us in public. This additional support has immeasurably strengthened our ability to build trust and confidence that we recognize and respond to emergent community needs. Thank you!”

Farmers Trent & Emma Quinby are leveraging their grant funds to reach several goals for Spring Tide Farmstead on an expedited timeline: “Last year we were able to purchase and construct a high tunnel large enough for farrowing multiple pigs. With the structure in place, we have been able to add registered Gloucestershire Old Spot breeding stock and will be farrowing our first litters of piglets this month. This has allowed us to help support the resurgence of a rare breed and offer a new source of local heritage pork to the Blue Hill Peninsula. [With this year’s funds] we will be building a walk-in cooler to widen our capabilities and offer custom butchery to the peninsula as well.”

We look forward to seeing how Healthy Peninsula, Spring Tide Farmstead, and the other 16 grantees continue to strengthen the local farm and food community on the Blue Hill peninsula!