Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today announced Cultivating Community in Portland, Maine has been awarded two federal grants. One award of $100,000 from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was granted for a project to build refugee agriculture in Maine; the second award of $537,604 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program was granted for a project to support socially disadvantaged farmers.

“Local agriculture is growing rapidly in Maine, and in recent years has become a backbone of our economy. New Mainers have been a key part of that growth,” said Pingree. “These grants will help Cultivating Community to strengthen Maine’s farm economy by including new Mainers and helping them to grow their farms. I’m thankful for the work Cultivating Community does and I’m looking forward to seeing how this USDA funding helps Maine’s small farms succeed.”

"New Mainers are generating some of the brightest spots in our communities and in our economy," said Cultivating Community Executive Director Craig Lapine. "That's true generally, and it's true in agriculture. We're grateful to have these resources to lift up, support, and accelerate some of the amazing work being done by New American farmers in Maine."

"With an aging population of Maine farmers and growing development pressure on farmland throughout the state, we're thrilled to partner with the federal government to animate new pathways for New Mainers to enter our agricultural economy. Many members of Maine's growing refugee and immigrant population bring deep agricultural knowledge here with them, and our local food system only stands to benefit by welcoming new growers into our food and farming community,” said Cultivating Community Farmer Training Program Director Alex Redfield. “As part of these two funding opportunities, Cultivating Community will be collaborating with the Cooperative Development Institute, New England Farmers of Color, Prosperity Maine and Catholic Charities as partners in improving access to high quality local food, agricultural skills and business development training, and land access for New Mainers."

Cultivating Community is a nonprofit food justice organization whose work has extended to the refugee and immigrant community in Maine. The group has taught new Mainers about sustainable food practices and has increased access to local, healthy foods through affordable CSA shares, farm stands, and mobile markets. Their work in Cumberland and Androscoggin counties through the New American Sustainable Agriculture Project (NASAP) has established the largest land-based farmer training program in Maine. 

The funding for Cultivating Community’s HHS grant comes from the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). Pingree, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, is a longtime advocate for robust ORR funding. 

Cultivating Community’s USDA grant will provide a comprehensive suite of farm business development services to Maine’s largest cohort of socially disadvantaged farmers—refugee and immigrant farmers living in greater Lewiston and greater Portland. Funding for this program is set by the Agriculture Committee in the Farm Bill, written every four years. Pingree was a member of the Agriculture Committee from 2009-2012 and regained her seat on the committee in the 116th Congress.