August Harvest: a monthly digest of articles, podcasts & more

All of the stories we’ve gathered this month help surface the things we need to address, fix, or to build upon in order to work toward a better future. For all the troubling headlines out there, it’s important to remember that there’s hope in equal measure, and to cultivate the good to solve problems. + It was exciting to see several Maine food and farm stories reach national news outlets over the last month, illustrating why our collective work to grow the future for farming here in Maine is so important to our region and our country.

Read:

Good Food News - Civil Eats

That Flour You Bought Could Be the Future of the US Economy - New York Times Opinion

Farmers Markets are Essential, and so are the Policy Relationships they Hold - National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Big Money Investors Gear up for a Trillion Dollar Bet on Farmland - NPR

Maine Farmers Struggle with New Harsher Climate Reality - a story from our 2020 Maine Farms Journal, republished by Civil Eats!

Could putting farmland in the commons support land justice and sustainability? - Civil Eats

Young Farmers and Farmers of Color have been Shut Out of Federal Assistance - National Young Farmers CoalitionThe pandemic could actually strengthen the US food system - National Geographic

Listen:

Catch up on Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg of Food Tank to hear interviews with farm and food experts on a wide range of topics related to the food system.

Watch:

This video profile of the Somali Bantu Community Association and their Liberation Farms community farming program. You can help them reach their goal of acquiring a 107-acre farm in Wales, ME by pitching in here.

These Local Food in Cooperation videos from our friends at Cooperative Development Institute, featuring Maine and Northeast-base cooperative food businesses like Cabot Creamery, New Roots Cooperative Farm (a Forever Farm!) & more.