Food Access Resources

Community Fridge

The Community Fridge is located in Kaelber Hall basement near the Free Box. Take what you need, leave what you can—it’s stocked with produce, pantry items, and leftovers from COA Beech Hill and Peggy Rockefeller farms, and TAB.

COAmmunity Dinners

COAmmunity Dinners happen Sunday nights from 5:30–9:00 p.m. at the Davis Center. Cook with friends starting at 5:30 p.m., with dinner served at 7:30 p.m. These dinners are open to all students, staff, and faculty on a mutual-aid model.

COA Share the Harvest

COA Share the Harvest provides farmstand vouchers, farmers’ market vouchers, and home harvest deliveries, working to bridge gaps between low-income residents and local farms.

Open Table MDI

Open Table MDI offers a free community meal every Tuesday from 4–7 p.m. at 116 Cottage Street in Bar Harbor. Contact: opentablemdi@gmail.com

Bar Harbor Food Pantry

The Bar Harbor Food Pantry is open Tuesday–Friday at 36 Mount Desert Street in Bar Harbor. No documentation is required to shop for free groceries. Contact: bhpantry@bhfp.org

The Good Food Box

The Good Food Box provides prepared meals and fresh produce delivered around MDI. Complete a short form to qualify.

Farmers’ markets

Local produce, meats, and goods are available spring through fall at farmers’ markets across the island. Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor, and Acadia Farmers’ Markets all participate in SNAP, WIC, and Share the Harvest programs.

SNAP Benefits

• Monthly funds to purchase groceries via EBT cards.
• Maine residents can apply through My Maine Connection.

WIC Nutrition Programs

• Supports low-income women, infants, and children with food benefits and nutrition education.
• Nearby WIC clinic located in Ellsworth.

Maine Harvest Bucks

• Bonus fruits and vegetables when using SNAP benefits at participating farmers’ markets and farmstands.

COA Community Garden

Located on the north end of campus, the Community Garden has always been a key feature of the COA landscape. From the very first days of the college, students have been growing organic produce for the kitchen or for their personal consumption. Plots are available in the spring, on a first-come, first-served basis. To find out more, contact Suzanne Morse at smorse@coa.edu. 

Beech Hill Farmstand

Tuesday–Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., June–October
171 Beech Hill Road, Mount Desert
Contact: beechhillfarm@coa.edu

Beech Hill Farmstand offers a wide variety of organically grown fresh and seasonal produce as well as locally produced goods. They carry bread, dairy, meat, honey, jams, gifts, and snacks. Additionally, the farm offers two different CSA options: a traditional box-style CSA and Beech Bucks, a debit-style, free-choice option. Payments are organized on a sliding scale and reduced-price shares are available to households that qualify for SNAP benefits. They accept cash, credit cards, WIC, EBT, and Share the Harvest vouchers. Contact the farm via email for more information, or visit the Beech Hill Farm webpage.

Bar Harbor Community Farm

CSA pickups from June–August on Tuesdays and Fridays, 4-6:30 p.m. 
115 Gilbert Farm Road, Bar Harbor
Contact: barharborfarm@gmail.com

Situated on a 50-acre property that is permanently protected as farmland, the Bar Harbor Community Farm maintains the legacy of a historic farm and carries on the tradition of supplying the local community with locally grown, MOFGA-certified organic fruits and vegetables. The farm offers a CSA box containing various fruits and vegetables off season. They facilitate Tuesday pickup both at St. Saviour Church in Bar Harbor and at the farm. Pickups are also offered on Fridays at the farm. Reduced-price shares are available to households that qualify for SNAP benefits. Contact the farm via email for more information.

MDI FarmDrop

MDI FarmDrop is an online farmers’ market that connects community members directly with local farms. Customers can enjoy the convenience of shopping from home, ordering from what local farmers and food artisans have available each week. Farmers benefit from minimal time spent off the farm and the security of a harvest-to-order operation.

What sets MDI FarmDrop apart from other farmers’ markets is its embedded 10% handling fee that supports Healthy Acadia’s Downeast Gleaning Initiative, a farm-based food collection and donation project that makes nutritious, local produce accessible to all people in our community. At minimal cost to the customer, this model brings more local food into the homes of individuals and families with limited food budgets.

You can pick up your FarmDrop orders every Wednesday from 2-5 p.m. at the Bar Harbor Community Farm.