Right to Food for Maine

03/29/2024

“Because the word ‘harvest’ is already widely used and understood to include hunting in Maine, the plain language of the amendment unambiguously affirms a right to hunt for the limited purposes of ‘nourishment, sustenance, bodily health and well-being’ by including the ‘right to … harvest’ food,” the justices wrote.

::

The right to hunt has been affirmed by the Law Court as part of the Right to Food amendment, just as we meant when we wrote the language, but the right to hunt can still be regulated, just as we told supporters and opponents of the amendment.

Unambiguous.

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court disagrees with a Readfield couple who argued that the ban contradicts a 'right to food' amendment voters approved in 2021.

02/04/2024

“Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground.”

— Frederick Douglass

12/03/2023

Are you ready to make the next growing season the best it can be? Looking for camaraderie, as the nights get longer, and the winds blow colder?

The local food movement is about bringing people together, expressing gratitude for each other, and getting stronger as a region.

Join us December 15th and 16th for the Liberty Food Fest in Bellows Falls, VT.

This celebration of the local food system is going to lift your spirits.

Craig Hickman is co-author of the first-in-the-nation Right to Food Constitutional Amendment, the Maine Food Sovereignty Act, and a transformational poet, organic farmer, and public servant who truly works across the aisle to create a better food system.

Joel Salatin is one of the most uplifting, motivational farmers out there, full of new ideas. You’ll leave his talk with an extra pep in your step as you plan out your next growing season.

Winona LaDuke will give you perspective on how to live in harmony with the earth, and you’ll have a renewed spirit and sense of purpose.

This is a celebration you don't want to miss.

08/21/2023

The plan to address these issues was born, in 2019, out of a bill, L.D. 1159, sponsored by then-Rep. Craig Hickman, D-Winthrop, and signed by Gov. Mills, which later charged the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to develop a comprehensive plan to end hunger....

Hickman, an organic farmer who runs Annabessacook Farm in Winthrop and is now a state senator, said this may be the only legislation he has presented that passed unanimously and without amendments.

“Most importantly, the right to food and food sovereignty are integral to ending hunger in Maine,” Hickman said. “Right to food and food sovereignty need to more clearly guide public policy and decision-making in localities across the state from Kittery to Fort Kent. The right of the people to define their own food and agricultural systems is paramount to ensure that all people have access to nourishing food.”

The Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future has convened a committee of 40 permanent members who will work together to implement Maine’s 'Roadmap to End Hunger by 2030.'

05/04/2023

What does the right to food mean?

02/15/2023

https://biglivestockgreenwash.com/ New website everyone should check out.

The total combined livestock emissions of 15 of the world’s largest meat and dairy companies exceed the individual emissions of ExxonMobil, BP and Shell.

02/06/2023

From Heather Retberg:
"If you've got a good thing cooking in the kitchen and an hour and a half, this is a webinar panel on reclaiming democratic control of our food system through food sovereignty. Excellent food for thought while you're stirring your pot.
Thanks to Betsy Garrold, I was invited by the National Family Farm Coalition to share Maine's work toward food sovereignty and enshrining the right to food (starts at 7:37). Then stay on to learn more about the inspiring work in NYC, in India, and in Mexico sharing the international scope of the rights of peasants (small-scale farmers/land-holders) the world over.
Then, read the essays on the Disparity to Parity website (disparitytoparity.org) and make a habit of listening to the webinars while you're cooking. The breadth and depth of knowledge put together in one place is a treasure trove.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvzclj4bnWk

A small number of multinational agribusinesses control our current food system, leading to the loss of local control and widespread prioritization of profit ...

09/14/2022

Support Maine Lobstermen! Fresh, healthy, sustainable, delicious, FOOD!

05/19/2022

https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/us-news/2022/02/17/americans-assert-inalienable-right-to-grow-their-own-food/

US state of Maine has passed a constitutional amendment that gives residents greater freedom to shun the corporate food chain

05/01/2022

"There was once a kaleidoscope of diversity in collards, as people diligently collected and replanted seeds, passing them from one generation to the next to preserve the qualities they found most important. Collards — an inexpensive, nutrient-rich vegetable — became a staple for many Southern families, especially African Americans trying to feed their families healthy food year-round.

"'Where I grew up, if you didn't eat greens at least five days a week, you were funny — ya know?' Wallace joked. 'Like, what is wrong with you?'"

Collards were once as diverse as the Southern families they fed, but countless varieties have vanished. The race is on to preserve and propagate. That's where the Heirloom Collard Project comes in.