Food Rescue MAINE

More information on this pilot is coming soon!

FRM worked with the Maine towns of Portland, Waterville, Winslow, Readfield, Wayne, and Fayette to implement a community food recycling program. Goals  To measure the potential of a community food recycling program to divert food out of landfills. Methodology  Select a diverse range of Maine communities based on size and location. Identify community-based leadership for […]

Goals  To help Maine businesses, organizations, and individuals understand WHY and HOW to donate food instead of throwing it away. Methodology  With so much untapped food donation potential in Maine grocery store chains, we originally wanted to work with them to increase food donations throughout the state. However, there was a lot of reluctance on […]

Food Rescue MAINE is currently working to develop a comprehensive map of Maine’s food system, organized by the pieces of a successful circular food system. This map will provide Mainers with critical information about the food system in their region. Data sets will include categories such as food recycling organizations, farmers, schools, cold storage facilities, […]

After Pilot 3 was completed, we had many recipes to upcycle food, but no knowledge about what products would be feasible to sell in store. Mainers Feeding Mainers, a Good Shepherd Food Bank program, did a crucial study to see what items would be marketable in Maine stores. Goals To develop a resilient local Maine […]

After discovering how many surplus crops farmers struggled to sell (pilot 2), we knew we had to figure out new markets for their use. Upcycled food products are foods (often surplus food or produce seconds) that are repurposed through processing techniques. Goals To expand the available markets for surplus crops. To increase the shelf life […]

Goals  To help connect Maine farmers with surplus food to large, institutional customers. Methodology  Every week we reach out to Maine farmers and determine if they have any surplus food that they would like to sell. This list is sent to institutions that are seeking affordable food in large quantities. The institution can then pick […]

Goals  To reduce on-farm food loss by identifying profitable ways to use their extra food. The survey was aimed primarily at Maine’s fruit and vegetable farmers and sought to answer the following questions: How many Maine farms have a surplus? How much surplus do Maine farms have? How often do Maine farmers have a surplus? […]