How our new partnership is making local produce more accessible to our neighbors seeking food assistance while supporting Seacoast farmers and reducing food waste.
At Seacoast Eat Local, we believe healthy, locally grown food should be within everyone’s reach. Sadly, that is far from the reality in America today. Food insecurity is rising faster than ever, and an estimated 2.4 million Americans are expected to lose food stamp benefits in the coming year. Even at our own farmers’ markets, staff have seen a noticeable drop in SNAP use this summer as many recipients report reduced monthly benefits. This decline has been accelerated by the end of COVID-era eligibility expansions and benefit adjustments.
We also believe farmers should be fairly supported for the essential work they do. Many of our vendors generously donate food through gleaning at our markets, but the current donation-based model cannot keep pace with the growing demand facing food pantries and community kitchens.
This is why we are excited to introduce Farm to Footprints, a new collaboration between Seacoast Eat Local and Footprints at Mainspring in Kittery, Maine. Footprints is an organization working to ensure that no member of our community struggles to feed themselves or their family. Our goal together is to get more fresh, locally grown produce into the hands of those who need it most while ensuring the farmers who grow it are paid and supported.
Here’s how it works: With the help of a generous donor, Seacoast Eat Local connects Footprints with farmers in our network who have produce available that might otherwise go unsold or go to waste. The Footprints team, led by Megan Shapiro Ross, purchases this produce directly from farmers at wholesale prices, picks it up, and brings it back to the pantry. From there, it is distributed to community members or incorporated into Footprints’ Community Suppers.
This program not only has a meaningful impact for footprints but also for the farmers involved. Josh Andrews of Roots in Reverie Farm shared:
“The Farm to Footprints program has had a profoundly positive impact on the farm and farmers at Roots in Reverie. We are proud to be supplying fresh produce to those who need it most in the Seacoast and are most grateful for the outlet and generosity of the Farm to Footprints program.
With the help of the Footprints initiative, we have eliminated all waste from the farm. Each week, we provide produce to our CSA members, uphold our contract with Gather, service our restaurant and assisted living facility accounts, as well as attend two Seacoast Eat Local farmers’ markets in Dover and Exeter, and now, we provide the remaining bulk of the harvest to Footprints. No waste, just fresh produce going to good places…”
In just this past May & June, Footprints purchased nearly $5,000 worth of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, flowers, and meat from seven Seacoast-area farms! Farm to Footprints is proof that when our community comes together, we can make locally grown food more accessible, support those most vulnerable to food insecurity, reduce waste, and keep our farms thriving.
If you are a farmer interested in participating in Farm to Footprints and selling your excess harvest, please email our Executive Director, Shawn at [email protected].
If you would like to support this work, visit seacoasteatlocal.org/get-involved/ to learn more about how you can get involved with Seacoast Eat Local.