BRUNSWICK

Local land trusts are forming a community food council for the southern Mid-coast region, in the hopes of bringing together elements of the local farm and food scene in promotion and protection of the local environment, farmlands and economy.

That’s according to Local Farms — Local Food, a partnership between Brunswick- Topsham Land Trust and Kennebec Estuary Land Trust that seeks to conserve farmland, increase local food production, and promote a more resilient food system in the region.

There are about 200 food councils nationally with six active in Maine, while about a dozen more are in formative stages, according to LFLF.

“The idea behind the food council is to get all of the stakeholders together and gather as much data as you can as to what’s happening with the food and farm system in your area, and make informed decisions as a group as to what the priorities are, and where the redundancies are,” said Lee Cataldo, outreach and education coordinator of the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust. “The idea is to get together people who know what’s going on and be a forum to make decisions.”

The council’s goal would be to create a system that promotes the health of the local environment and economy, while providing healthy, affordable food for the community.

In forming a local council, LFLF is working with stakeholders that include Access Health, Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, Midcoast Economic Development District, farmers and other community mem- bers.

“A big part of it is to have as much community input as we can get,” said Cataldo, adding that the council will want to know how people are getting their food. “It’s important for us to know if people feel like food at the farmers’ market is exclusive and they can’t afford it, or that a lot of people are going to the grange for supper.”

LFLF wants to hear from farmers, as well as restaurants, hospitals, schools, and any other organization that regularly distributes food.

The council will also want to look at ways to keep the money locals spend on food “close to home,” Cataldo said, as a way of supporting local businesses and increasing local wages.

“It’s important to get input from the community,” said Cataldo. “The local food movement is trending, but we want to know what’s working and what isn’t.”

As part of the formation of the council, a film series is starting Saturday highlighting food and farm concerns across the nation. “Community Food: A Forum & Film Series” is being presented as part of an effort to create better coordination and leadership in the Mid-coast’s food system.

According to a news release from LFLF, the series “is designed to stimulate interest and identify resources as an early step in forming a community food council. Films will be presented in Bath, Brunswick and Topsham. Topics include the struggle to maintain the small farming tradition in Maine, meat production methods, food insecurity and government subsidies, food waste, and efforts to increase the number of community-focused farms.”

Representatives from local organizations and farms will lead a discussion following each film.

“This community input will guide the initial focus of the CFC — helping leaders to identify and prioritize issues. In addition, these forums are an opportunity to forge connections between community members who wish to be involved in creating the food council or gathering data about the local food system,” according to the release.

For information on the food council and the film series, visit www.btlt.org/events, email [email protected] or call (207) 729-7694.

jswinconeck@timesrecord.com

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