COA student-run food security program Share the Harvest promotes an equitable food system in Hancock County by helping people access fresh, local foods.
Share the Harvest (STH) aims to make fresh, local, healthy produce available to people on Mount Desert Island and throughout Hancock County. Working closely with area food pantries and other organizations dedicated to eradicating food insecurity and inequality, STH distributes vouchers that participants can use at either the farm stand at COA Beech Hill Farm or the Bar Harbor Farmers’ Market. The group also offers harvest deliveries to community members in need.
“Share the Harvest acts as a liaison between the MDI community and the local food system, ensuring access to the space, knowledge, and resources that it takes to sustain an equitable food system,” said STH student coordinator Indigo Woods ’21. “We work in conjunction with existing programs to complement their efforts and meet specific needs that are not being served.”
Initial fundraising for the STH program began in the summer of 2007, and in 2008 a $1,000 start-up grant from Healthy Acadia and donations from patrons of COA Beech Hill Farm facilitated the program’s launch as a student project. During the group’s first season, $50 farm stand vouchers were distributed to a total of 20 families.
Share the Harvest, COA's student-run food security program, distributes vouchers that can be used at COA Beech Hill Farm stand or the Bar Harbor Farmers' Market, as well as offering delivery service to those who cannot get out easily.
In 2020, through donations, sales of stickers, reusable bags, and various events, STH was able to provide fresh, local produce to over 130 individuals and families on and off Mt. Desert Island.
Interested parties can apply for STH online, by mail, or by phone. Applications will be accepted until May 20, and services will be given on first come, first serve basis. For more information or to apply, visit coa.edu/sharetheharvest, call 207-801-0135, or email sharetheharvest@coa.edu.
