Maine universities and business partner to create sustainable food solutions

Food producer Jasper Wyman & Son, headquartered in Milbridge, is partnering with the University of Maine at Presque Isle, University of Maine at Farmington, Good Shepherd Food Bank and global food service provider Sodexo to develop new capabilities for vegetable freezing in Maine.

The endeavor represents a first-in-the-area opportunity to meet demand for locally sourced and processed food at a price the state can afford, according to a news release.

Vegetables that are sustainably grown in New England will be sold into institutional markets and will also enhance nutrition in hunger relief programs, using the food bank’s existing network as well as distribution channels to public schools.

The project is an initiative of UMaine at Presque Isle, UMaine at Farmington and Sodexo. To implement the project, the three were awarded a $250,000 New England Food Vision Prize Award by the Henry P. Kendall Foundation. The Maine university team was led by Sodexo and partnered with the Good Shepherd Food Bank and Wyman.

The team was one of six in New England to receive the prize.

“This initiative brings our universities and our strategic partners to the table for a vital, common purpose: to increase access to sustainable, locally-produced food year-round, and, in doing so, improve the quality of life for Maine citizens,” University of Maine at Presque Isle President Raymond Rice and University of Maine at Farmington President Edward Serna said in a joint statement.

The prize is designed to accelerate progress to helping New England produce at least 50% of its food by 2060, while promoting healthy food, sustainable farming and fishing, and thriving communities. The prize is designed to support ideas that result in higher procurement of regional food by institutions, more regional food on campus menus, and increased demand for regional food by students while on campus and after graduation.

The Henry P. Kendall Foundation is a Boston-based nonprofit working to create a food system in New England that increases the production and consumption of local, sustainably produced food.