Share the Harvest

Beech Hill Farm

Bridging the gap between farms and families

Share the Harvest is a student-led food access initiative based at Beech Hill Farm. Our mission is to make fresh, organic, and local produce more accessible to low-income residents of Mount Desert Island—one box, one voucher, and one delivery at a time.

How the program works

We offer two primary ways to get fresh food into the hands of those who need it:

  • Farmstand vouchers – Usable during regular hours at Beech Hill Farm Stand to purchase any produce.
  • Harvest deliveries – Summer and fall produce boxes delivered directly to homes of those with transportation or mobility barriers.

Our efforts complement food pantries and nutrition programs, filling the gap with high-quality, farm-fresh food.

Program Impact

  • Over 70 individuals and families served each season
  • Partnerships with Bar Harbor Food Pantry, Common Good Soup Kitchen, and others

Share the Harvest is the only farm-based food access program on Mount Desert Island.

How it started

  • 2008: Launched with a $1,000 Healthy Acadia grant and farmstand donations
  • 2009: Reviewed and redesigned by COA’s Launching a New Venture course
  • 2010: Entered COA’s sustainable business incubator, The Hatchery
  • Today: Operates without a lottery system and serves more than 70 participants annually

This student-built model continues to evolve with sustainability, equity, and dignity at its core.

Support & fundraising

Share the Harvest is sustained through:

  • Farmstand round-up donations
  • Local and regional grants
  • COA community fundraisers
  • Merch sales and community events

Every dollar makes a difference. Donations directly increase the number of households we can serve.

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Voices from the Community

“It gives me hope to know that there are programs like this—and younger people that care if others are hungry or not.”

 —Brenda, recipient & artist

“We’ve been signing up for two or three years now. I used to grow my own vegetables—now I can still eat like I used to.”

 —Kathleen, 87

“They bring the food right to my door. It means a lot.”

 —Sylvester, veteran and lifelong Mainer

Other food access initiatives at Beech Hill Farm

Gleaning initiative

Fighting food waste with community-powered redistribution

In collaboration with Healthy Acadia, COA students and farm staff participate in a gleaning initiative that collects surplus produce from Beech Hill Farm and distributes it to local food pantries.

This initiative:

  • Increases access to fresh food in underserved households
  • Creates meaningful volunteer and service-learning opportunities for COA students
  • Reduces waste on the farm

Mainers feeding Mainers

Partnering to feed our neighbors with dignity

Since 2014, Beech Hill Farm has partnered with the Good Shepherd Food Bank as part of the Mainers Feeding Mainers program. The partnership supports the production of high-quality, locally grown vegetables for regional food pantries—including the Bar Harbor Food Pantry, which receives over 1,000 pounds of food from COA annually.

  • Food is grown specifically for donation
  • Farmers are paid fair prices to support sustainable agriculture
  • Families in Hancock County receive fresh, nutrient-dense options