Eat Downeast!
We’re grateful for the opportunity to implement and administer a Local Food Promotion Program here in Washington County, with support from the USDA.
Our program promotes food and food producers in Washington County through our Farm Store, by providing access to our cooperative commercial kitchen, and by supporting local food producers with marketing and business development. Sign up for our newsletter to hear about opportunities, invitations, projects, and more! They are infrequent (but information-rich!).
Take Our Survey!
Calling all Washington County growers, farmers, and food producers!
We have created a survey to solicit ideas and suggestions of what local growers and food producers are interested in, as far as promotion and support.
If you are a Washington County grower, farmer, or food producer, and you have not filled out this survey yet, we’d love you to take five minutes with a freshly caffeinated brain to share your ideas.
Note: There is no cost to participate in the program. Participation is opt-in, meaning we will not include you without your consent. You can indicate your participation preferences in the survey.
The Minke Commercial Kitchen
We have created a shared-use facility at The Minke Commercial Kitchen, located at 13 Little Falls Road in Pembroke.
Want to check out The Minke? Schedule an appointment to come by to check out what we’ve been up to! Your input and ideas are really important to us as we keep improving the space.
We are keen to collaborate!
Learn more about what’s available at The Minke on our Facilities page.
Please fill out the survey above, and be in touch anytime with your creative inspirations and ideas.
Smithereen Farmstore
The Smithereen Farmstore is your one-stop shop for food produced right here in Washington County. This is where we stock our produce and value-added products, as well as products from local Maine producers. Thanks to the USDA grant, we’re able to expand our offerings and hours. For the 2024 season, we’re open 8am–3pm. We typically carry these wonderful local products:
Smithereen Farm certified organic veggies, Smithereen and Maine Coast Sea Vegetable seaweed products, blueberry muffins, scones and baked goods made in the Minke Kitchen, Rime Nor Reason Farm beef and eggs, Smithereen frozen blueberries and cranberries, award-winning monkfish stew from the Maine Fishermans’ Association, a wide variety of cheeses from the Maine Cheese Guild, Crown O’Maine fermented drinks, cheese, butter, local Maine dried grocery items, Tide Mill Organic Farm meat, Juji’s Kitchen bread, Mongr wild salmon, Equal Exchange oils, chocolate, and coffee, 44 North Coffee, Wrenovations local honey, Beals’ Island oysters, Starboard Farm yarn and soap, recycled fish rope welcome mats, Greenhorns tee shirts and Almanacs, and much much more!
Eat Downeast! Local Food Map of Washington County
We have been hard at work contacting local producers and gathering the data to create a printed and digital map of farm stands and local food producers and venues of Washington County.
The digital map (Google) is ready! Take it with you on your next road trip!
Would you like to be added to the map? Do you have suggestions or edits? Please email [email protected] with your edits!
We are building this list and sharing it with Edible Maine, Downeast Magazine, Downeast Acadia Regional Tourism, St. Croix Valley Chamber of Commerce, Sunrise County Economic Council, and others.
Small Business Coaching
We have three small business advisors signed up to help those who are interested in some business coaching for your small business.
Intrigued? Reach out for more information, this service is FREE!
Marketing Materials
We are in the process of developing print and web marketing materials to spread the word about Washington County’s food producers. Here are a few examples of our work so far.
Pembroke Area Local Food Tri-Fold Brochure for Visitors (PDF)
Print ad for Edible Maine, Spring 2023 (PDF)
2024 Local Food Events
We’re lucky to have such a robust network of local food- and ag-centered events here in Washington County. Here are the ones we know about! Are we missing some? Let us know!
March 22-24
Jonesboro Grange Easter Basket Festival
Friday March 22, 4-7pm, Saturday March 23, 9am-5pm, Sunday March 24, 10am-2pm
Jonesboro Grange (Festival), Jonesboro Elementary School (Egg Hunt, 1pm Sat): 57 School St. Jonesboro ME
March 22-24
Maine Maple Sunday
Locally: Church’s Sugar Shack in Columbia Falls. Find complete directory of state-wide participants here.
Tuesday March 26
Public Meeting: Rebuilding the Washington County Community Food Council
Hosted by the Washington County Community Food Council, HealthyAcadia.org. 2:30-4pm. On Zoom (meeting link here) and in-person at UMaine Machias, Torrey Hall 232 Agenda link here
May 24-25
Third Annual Pennamaquan Alewife Festival
Hosted by Smithereen Farm, Greenhorns, and Downeast Salmon Federation, with support from Maine Office of Tourism. 10am–5pm each day. Pembroke, ME
June 1
Rhubarb Festival
Hosted by Kendall Farm Cottages, 12–5pm, Perry, ME
July 7-14
Maine Wild Blueberry Festival
Hosted by the Union Fair Society. Free admission July 7-9; Paid admission July 10-14 at the Union Fairgrounds
July 27
Maine Artisan Bread Fair
Hosted by Maine Grain Alliance, 9am–3pm. Skowhegan State Fairgrounds
July 28
Maine Open Farm Day
Various locations
July 19-21
Houlton Agricultural Fair
Houlton
August 16-18
Machias Wild Blueberry Festival
Centre Street Congressional Church, Machias
August 24-25
Washington County Fair
Hosted by the Pembroke Trotting Association, 9am-4pm. Pembroke Fairgrounds
August 29–September 2
Blue Hill Fair
Hosted by the Hancock County Agricultural Society
September 20-22
Common Ground Fair
Hosted by MOFGA, in Unity, ME
October 5
Perry Harvest Festival
Perry, ME
Local Food Pantries
Irene Chadbourne Ecumenical Food Pantry
Monday 3–5pm, Thursday 10am– 12pm, Friday 1–3pm
513 Main St. Calais
207-726-3908
Jonesport Food Pantry
Wednesday and Friday 9–10:30am
28 Sawyer Square, Jonesport
207-497-5947
Lubec Community Food Pantry
Saturday 10am–12pm, Third Wednesday of the month 9:30am–12:30pm
44 South St., Lubec
207-733-5262
Machias Area Food Pantry
Mondays 1–6pm
207-259-6044
44 Kennebec Rd, Machias
Maine Seacoast Mission Family Food Center Pantry
Tuesday to Friday, 9am–3pm
6 Weald Bethel Road, Cherryfield
207-546-7424
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