To the editor:
It started with a bold vision. In 2004, Karen Kleinkopf, a mom and first-grade teacher, became motivated to create a change in the community. She saw a need for children in our schools to start eating more nutritionally dense foods and stop eating the foods that were making the community and the world obese. With help from Amy Winston, the Lincoln County Economic Development Office director, they worked together to create a nonprofit organization that would reach as many members of the community as possible and educate them about healthy eating. FARMS was born.
Empowering all in our community to live a healthy lifestyle has always been at the core of our work. Fourteen years later, thousands of children and adults have benefited from Karen’s vision. We are excited to announce the next chapter for FARMS. Later this year, FARMS will officially become “FARMS at the Y,” a program under the CLC Y’s umbrella of healthy living programs. This represents a logical and exciting next step for the growth and impact of the FARMS mission. This relationship is the culmination of a collaborative process, undertaken by a task force made up of members from both organizations’ boards, that aimed to maximize our collective ability to impact our community. We are confident that this partnership will help us make progress on the issues of food insecurity and childhood obesity as we go forward.
Karen Kleinkopf, our fearless co-founder and youth program director, and educator Leslie Wicks will be joining the Y’s healthy living staff. And while some exciting developments are on the horizon, our farm-to-school and farm-to-pantry programs will continue and expand to reach more of the community. FARMS at the Y will work in a new teaching kitchen that will be part of the newly renovated CLC YMCA. We plan to maintain our relationship with the Community Kitchen that is part of the Rising Tide Community Market. We have enjoyed a collaborative relationship with Rising Tide for five years and we hope that continues for the foreseeable future.
Stay tuned for more information about the grand reopening of the CLC Y. In the meantime, thank you for your loyal and consistent support and we hope you will stay engaged as we embark on this exciting next chapter.
The FARMS Board of Directors
Samuel Kaymen, Walpole
Ann Baldwin, Walpole
Patti Bradley, Bristol
Ellen Durgin, Walpole
Matthew Goetting, Damariscotta
Virginia Hill, Damariscotta
Jean Kerrigan, Nobleboro
