Cultivating Community

Cultivating Community is committed to building sustainable communities by growing and distributing food, preparing new farmers and youth leaders, and promoting social and environmental justice. Learn more about our programs and mission at www.cultivatingcommunity.org. 

Founded in 2001, Cultivating Community leads local food justice work in Southern Maine with four complementary programs that meet community-identified needs for land and food access while organizing or for systems change:

• Youth Grower Internship program: 4 multilingual paid nature-based leadership development sessions yearly for up to 50 youth in Portland Public Schools.

• School Partnership Program: hands-on garden-based education, curriculum development, school garden support, and advocacy for healthy, local, and culturally important food for ALL 3000+ Portland elementary students. 

• Urban Agriculture program: Managing Portland’s Community Gardens, where 450+ neighbors grow food on public land as well as open harvest sites and urban orchards. We build community connections through free workshops and events. 

• New American Sustainable Agriculture Project Community Farms: New American grower training, support, and land access for 60 families. 

• Community Food Programs: Free fresh food access through Mainers Feeding Mainers and market support for New American farmers who produce over $500,000 in sales annually and match SNAP/WIC 8 multilingual farm stands.