Agency Spotlight: Twin Villages Food Bank Farm

In this edition we are excited to put the spotlight on Twin Villages Food Bank Farm, an organizational partner that grows and distributes organic produce for agencies located in Lincoln county. Here we hope to highlight the innovative work they provide to address food insecurity.

How did Twin Villages Food Bank Farm get started? What was the driving mission behind its creation?
Twin Villages Foodbank Farm (TVFF) started in 2015 when co-founders Megan Taft and Sara Cawthon approached the Executive Director of Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust (CRCT), Steven Hufnagel with the idea of partnering to utilize conservation land held by CRCT to grow food and address food insecurity in Lincoln County. TVFF's mission is to increase access to quality, nutrient dense, local produce for our community in Lincoln County.

What type of produce does the Food Bank Farm grow? How many seasons has Twin Villages Food Bank been in production?
TVFF focuses on growing a range of organic vegetables with a focus on root crops that can be stored and distributed through the winter months. TVFF's crop plan is responsive to the needs of food pantries in Lincoln County who often see fresh food donations from local farms drop off at the end of the summer. This makes it challenging to keep fresh product available at a time when many community members lose summer/seasonal employment and may need to rely on a food pantry more frequently to meet their food needs into the winter months. In 2019 TVFF will grow and distribute 50,000 lbs. of produce directly from the farm, including lettuce, beets, carrots, chard, zucchini, summer squash, kale, onions, several winter squash varieties and flowers.

How does Twin Villages Food Bank Farm distribute its produce?
In 2018, TVFF secured funding to renovate the basement of CRCT's Darrow's Barn. This space is now home to TVFF's food hub which serves to aggregate, store and distribute fresh TVFF produce as well as produce from surrounding farms and local growers. TVFF is currently serving food pantries in Newcastle, New Harbor, Wiscasset, Whitefield, Waldoboro, Jefferson, Alna, and Boothbay as well as several local youth and senior food programs including Headstart and Backpack Programs.

What are some exciting opportunities happening with your organization?
In our fourth growing season, 2019, we are excited to have completed the major infrastructure projects needed to support the production end of our operation. As a result, we have been able to shift our attention to building a volunteer program that is now engaging an average of 600 individuals in our local community. A partnership with the Great Salt Bay Community school facilitates the involvement of every 5-8th grade student at the farm and a 3-year grant from Harvard Pilgrim's Healthy Food Fund, has provided further support to deepen the volunteer program with the expansion of weekly volunteer opportunities. We are grateful to work in a community that values collaboration. Much of TVFF's success is due to partnerships with the CLC-YMCA FARMS (Focus on Agriculture in Rural Maine Schools) program and the Great Salt Bay Community School as well as sustained support from the Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust. TVFF was recently nominated and awarded the Coloumbe Center for Health Improvement's second annual Award for Innovation.


For more information on Twin Villages Food Bank Farm check out their website.