What has made Portland’s food scene thrive? What is the right balance for Maine farmers who want to both make an impact and a decent living? Should farmers stay small or go big? How to understand both the ever-growing global food system and the demand for local food? Who’s willing to speak up and lead the discussion?

We found farmers, food processors, brewers, innovative researchers, retailers, entrepreneurs and consumers willing to keep the conversation going. Join Source and Whole Foods Market for SoMaine, a unique speaker series-cum-community gathering that will tackle these questions and many more. Have a nosh, toast with a local libation, listen and debate.

The series will launch with Lisa Webster, owner of North Star Sheep Farm in Windham and president of the Agricultural Council of Maine. She’ll talk about the big-picture challenges facing Maine’s ag community, connecting the dots in terms of scalability and touching on small farms versus large ones and good versus bad from the consumer perspective. The event will be emceed by Christine Burns Rudalevige, who writes the weekly Green Plate Special column in Source.