The Harvest Fund supports Maine projects that help restore rural communities and build food systems that are environmentally sensitive, economically viable, socially responsible, and sustainable over the long term. The Harvest Fund will pool donations from foundations, corporations and individual donors in order to make small seed grants to community groups, nonprofits, and advocacy organizations working to facilitate systemic change. Food is the cornerstone of life. Survival culture, health, economics, and the environment are all linked to a community's food supply.
Maine is a rural state.
Along with forestry and fishing, agriculture has played a key economic role in Maine's history. It should be part of our future. Alterations in food production, distribution, and consumption have had a devastating impact on Maine's economy. From 6,269 farms in Maine in 1987, we dwindled to 5,810 in 1997. In areas where population is growing, prime farmland is being lost to subdivision and development.