"A vibrant local food movement is working to change this paradigm and supply our communities with superior food produced with a lower carbon footprint"

Nowhere is the Western Foothills region more fossil fuel dependent and reliant on others than in our food supply. In a century and a half, the region has gone from food self sufficiency, and even exporting food to our neighbors, to becoming almost entirely reliant on food imported from the far reaches of this continent and beyond; food that is almost exclusively grown and transported with petroleum-based fuels, fertilizers and pesticides. It is estimated that the average meal from the supermarket has traveled 1500–2000 miles and requires over 10 calories of fossil fuel inputs to grow 1 calorie of food. It is becoming increasingly clear that the food that sustains us is derived from an untenable situation.

A vibrant local food movement is working to change this paradigm and supply our communities with superior food produced with a lower carbon footprint, but we have a long way to go on the path to food self-reliance. According to the USDA, our area has thousands of acres of prime farmland of “statewide significance.” Much of this land is under-utilized, either growing hay or returning to forest. By some estimates this is enough land to feed half of our population a healthy, diverse diet. Other degraded farmland and areas with marginal soils can be revitalized and brought into productivity. Indeed, much of the intensive food production that is supplying our newly developed local food markets is coming from marginal lands that are being willed into productivity by determined growers.

Thoughtful design and an inspired, well-supported agricultural workforce will replace the brute force of fossil fuel on which our food system is based. The result will be a healthier community that has rediscovered the joys of working the land together and the profound pleasures of sharing real food. A goal of 50% regional food self-reliance, creating hundreds, if not thousands of new jobs.

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Our volunteer-led Food Working Group meets quarterly to brainstorm new projects, support existing efforts, and share opportunities to engage in advocacy.

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Fedco Trees Group Order
Deadline Mon., Dec. 2nd at midnight   

Every year, we combine our Fedco tree orders to qualify for their volume discounts (20% if we reach the deepest discount tier). Your order will be available for pick-up at CEBE in late April or early May.

This group order is for TREES ONLY. Our Organic Growers Supply group order will open at a later date. We do not do group ordering for Fedco Seeds.

Anyone is welcome to order. You are committing to paying for your trees when they arrive, and you are committing to picking them up at CEBE in Norway when they arrive in late April or early May. Fedco will give us a shipping notice dependent on weather temperatures, and we will provide a few options for days and times to pick up your order. Prompt pick-up is necessary for your trees to survive.

Your final amount due will be calculated based on the group discount, shipping, and any out-of-stock items. Fedco will not charge you for items they are unable to stock in the spring. If you are planning to order extremely popular items that sell out each year, you are better off ordering directly from Fedco on your own while items are in stock now, rather than waiting for our discount deadline and discovering that your items are no longer in stock on Dec. 2.

To order: Submit this form. Then a link to a customized order form will be sent to your email address. Whilst browsing the Fedco Trees catalog in paper or online, add items to your order form.

 

 

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Community Food Matters

CEBE is a founding member of our local food council, Community Food Matters (CFM). CFM's mission is to cultivate community-wide collaboration that nurtures equity, health, and regeneration in our Western Foothills food system.

 

Founded in 2009, the CFM network has brought our community together around food, from drafting the Community Food Charter, to celebrating the Foothills Food Festival, to feeding neighbors and growing food through the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Learn more about Community Food Matters here!

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Maine Food Convergence

CEBE participates in and supports the work of the Maine Food Convergence through our membership in Community Food Matters and Maine Climate Action NOW! The Maine Food Convergence is convening organizations, networks, groups, and individuals to catalyze collective action towards a thriving Maine food system that is equitable, just, and regenerative. Learn more about the Maine Food Convergence here.

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