Bringing Food Home

In addition to our food security work, Healthy Lincoln County is also a substance prevention organization. In the realm of substance use care, prevention is the field that works to prevent the initial use of substances that can lead to substance use disorder. However, the prevention world has come a long way from the days of “just say no.”

After years of experience, we know that “just say no” does not work. Prevention is really about fostering an environment and individual relationships where young people have plenty of activities, resources, relationships, and incentives not to begin using substances in the first place, and not to want to.

We call these positive attributes “protective factors,” and communities that have a lot of them have been shown to have a lower incidence of substance use over time.

Providing food where it’s needed most is one such protective factor. Young people need stable sustenance, not only to grow, but also to be successful in school, to learn physical skills, to adjust socially, and to stay resilient when things go wrong. Not having enough food in our bellies throws off not just our energy levels, but our mood, our thinking, and our behavior. Having access to regular, consistent meals allows us to focus and thrive rather than just survive.

Many people in Maine live with food insecurity, and some young people get a substantial portion of their food through free meals at school. That’s why Healthy Lincoln County leads Lincoln County Summer Meals, the local outlet for the USDA Summer Food Service Program, which provides free lunches to all children 18 and under at qualifying locations.

Our own Amy Bedard will be coordinating our summer meals program this year, taking the van out every day to make sure young people across Lincoln County have access to satisfying and nutritious lunches whenever they might need them. This type of program not only provides kids with vital nutrition to help them thrive right now, it also shows them they are part of a community that cares enough about its people to help meet their basic needs.

It shows them one more caring adult, like Amy or one of our many incredible volunteers, will show up for them and connect with them on a regular basis. These types of connection are harder to quantify, but they form the fabric of a community that at least tries to plug the gaps before we fall through them. Children don’t always recognize these factors at first, but in the long run protective factors form the memory of a community that cares.

No one protective factor is the key to preventing substance use. Instead, we need a constellation of synergistic disciplines that work together to form a web of trust and support. Food security is a central spoke on that web, and one that undergirds all the rest.

In short, having a robust food security network in the community is a vital component of substance use prevention, and it’s one you can be a part of. We are still looking for volunteers to help with summer meals this summer. To learn more, contact Healthy Lincoln County at 563-1330, or email abedard@healthylincolncounty.org.

 

BFH Farm Stands

Broad Arrow Farm, 33 Benner Road, Bristol, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday

Chase Farm Bakery, 333 Townhouse Road, Whitefield, open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday

County Fair Farm, Route 32, Jefferson, open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., year-round, self serve

Fuzzy Udder Creamery, 35 Townhouse Road, Whitefield, open 24/7, self-serve

Morris Farm Store, 156 Gardiner Road, Wiscasset, open noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

Goranson Farm Store, 250 River Road, Dresden, open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., year-round

High Hopes Farm, 777 Bristol Road, Bristol, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday

Spear’s Farm Stand, Atlantic Highway in Waldoboro, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday; and Center Street in Nobleboro, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

Sunset Hill Farm, 98 Cross Point Road, Edgecomb, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday (Cash, checks, or Venmo only)

Swallowtail Farm, 98 Main St., Whitefield, open daily using the honor system from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Switchback Farm, 195 Morgan Hill Road, Nobleboro, open for self service

Straw’s Farm, 30 Brick Hill Road, open 2-6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday

 

BFH-Farmers’ Markets

Boothbay: Thursdays, May 18 through Oct. 5, 9 a.m. to noon, 1 Common Drive, Boothbay

Damariscotta: Fridays, May 26 through Oct. 27, 9 a.m. to noon, 3 Round Top Lane

Somerville: Pumpkin Vine Farm, Sundays, May through October, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 217 Hewett Road

Waldoboro: Sundays, May 21 through October, noon to 3 p.m., 1600 Atlantic Ave.

Wiscasset: Fridays, May 26 through Oct. 6, 9 a.m. to noon, 51 Bath Road

Maine Harvest Bucks is a program that doubles SNAP/EBT benefits when you buy food from local farmers. When you shop with your EBT card at farmers’ markets you earn vouchers to spend on fruits and vegetables. This program is currently offered at the Bath Farmers’ Market, the Damariscotta Farmers’ Market, and at the Pumpkin Vine Family Farm-hosted market.

What is SNAP? Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federally-funded program traditionally known as “food stamps.” SNAP-eligible food items include baked goods, breads and cereals; jams, jellies, pickles, honey, maple syrup; fruits and vegetables; meats, fish and poultry; cheeses, eggs, dairy products; seeds and vegetable plants which will produce food to eat; edible pumpkins, cider.

The following local farms accept SNAP benefits: The Byre at Piper’s Pond, Bristol; Goranson Farm, Dresden; Pumpkin Vine Family Farm, Somerville; Lakin’s Gorges Cheese, Waldoboro; East Forty Farm, Waldoboro; and Sheepscot General Farm Store, Whitefield.

 

BFH-Public Meals

Boothbay Harbor: Brady’s Restaurant, at 25 Union St., hosts community lunches every Monday at 11:30 a.m. All are welcome.

 

BFH Share Tables

Boothbay: A 24-hour community fridge with free food for all has opened behind the Boothbay town office. Stop by any time to take items you need or leave items to donate.

Bristol and New Harbor: Enclosed food stands with produce and dry goods are located outside the fire station in Bristol Mills and outside the fire station in New Harbor.

Damariscotta: A share table with fresh produce and dry goods is located inside the lobby of the Watson building at LincolnHealth’s Miles Campus, CLC YMCA, and Skidompha Library. There is also a share table inside Main Street Grocery’s front entrance.

Newcastle: Share table located at Faith Baptist Church.

South Bristol: An unlocked pantry is located inside the Union Church at 25 Middle Road.

Waldoboro: A food stand is located outside the Broad Bay Church at 941 Main St., facing the road.

Wiscasset: At the Morris Farm, there is an enclosed free food stand outside the farm store at 156 Gardiner Road.