Community Food Center
Certified Kitchen - Greenhouse
At Alan Day Community Garden, we believe that everyone should have access to affordable and nutritious food. For nearly 15 years ADCG has demonstrated a commitment to youth empowerment, building community capacity, increasing local food access, and addressing the root causes of hunger.
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We are excited to open the doors to the Food Center as the next step in our commitment to building resilience in our local food system. The Food Center infrastructure includes a certified commercial kitchen and four season greenhouse. Visit us in 2023 to see the latest construction progress!
The Food Center will host...
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Maine SNAP-ed cooking classes
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Youth Leadership Programs
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Classes from MSAD 17
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Free cooking and gardening workshops
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Seedling production
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Community meals
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Value-added products and food preservation
The Food Center project is part of our work to support
LD 1159 - Resolve to End Hunger in Maine by 2030.
ADCG prioritizes the following efforts towards a hunger-free Maine:
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Ensure all people have consistent access to healthful, culturally appropriate food.
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Sliding-scale CSA program
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Connecting SNAP shoppers with resources through our farmers' market and CSA
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Partnership with Foothills Foodworks
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Land access and support for gardeners
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Address emotional and social wellbeing.
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Create healthy, welcoming spaces for community gatherings (farmers' market, community events)
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Cultivate a sense of belonging through Youth Leadership Programs and community building
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Build infrastructure and capacity to implement Maine's Plan to End Hunger.
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Community Food Center project
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ADCG hosted an Ending Hunger Corps VISTA member, and seeks to host another VISTA in the near future
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What's your vision for the Food Center?
The Food Center will open in 2023. Please let us know how this space can be a resource for you.
Community Testimonials
“Over the past several years we’ve been proud to partner with the Alan Day Community Garden in work to improve the health and wellbeing of local people. This work has included supporting efforts to improve access to fresh, healthy produce at schools and early childhood education sites, youth mentoring and empowerment through the Youth Leadership Program, and developing the garden as an inclusive, welcoming space for all. Community members have told us that isolation and disconnection are getting in the way of health, and the ADCG is actively working against those challenges by emphasizing the community in the Community Garden, and creating a space where both healthy food and healthy relationships are grown.”
-Brendan Schauffler, Oxford County Wellness Collaborative Network Facilitator
Debbie Riley
Cooking Matters Class
“I really enjoyed taking the family cooking class at Alan Day. It was a wonderful way for my husband and I, and 2 daughters to meet other families and learn new recipes and cooking hacks. It was a great family bonding experience as well. I'm so excited to hear their vision to expand their cooking area.”
Kelly Margolin
Cooking Matters Class
“We took a family cooking class at the garden a few summers ago. We had a great time! We were a bit limited with an actual stove and oven, but we would definitely like to do it again!”
Holly Stuhr
Community Nutrition Educator
ADCG Board Member
“I teach some of my Snap-Ed cooking classes there, under the pavilion. Jeff is on the Buildings and Grounds team. Together we have had a garden share, a garden plot, helped build the pizza oven, and cooked pizzas at the Community Market. Being a part of ADCG has rooted us in this wonderful community.”
Avery, age 15
Youth Leader
“The community garden is a refuge in nature. It’s a place where I can connect with people who care about things that are important to me and get away from the stresses of school and Facebook.”
Frankie, age 14
Youth Leader
“I came to the community garden pre-diabetic and was spending much of my time on the couch watching TV and eating chips. Being at the garden I discovered I liked to eat fresh vegetables and exercise and my mind and emotions became clearer. Now I work out, eat healthier and have a job. I am proud of serving the community.”
Susan Jennings
Maine 4-H Foundation Director
"The 4-H program has been a collaborative partner for a number of years because the Alan Day Community Garden is a health and wellness program at its best. The focus on teaching young people how to grow healthy whole foods is an excellent way to get children and teens to eat healthy and care about where their food comes from. 4-H is all about youth leadership and service-learning, the Alan Day Garden is a true example of a giving back to the community through growing healthy foods with respect to the environment."
Brian Shibles
CFO Norway Savings Bank
ADCG Development Team
“The Alan Day Community Garden has grown to become such an important community resource since its soils were first tilled back in 2009. Beyond being a place for people to grow nutritional vegetables, fruits and herbs, the garden has become a center for education, leadership development, culture, art and agricultural commerce with a focus on diversity and inclusion. The value that the ADCG and its Board, staff and volunteers bring to this community can simply be measured as “priceless”, which is a reason why it’s worth my time to try to help.”