Maine's Downeast member network has united Alliance members and supporters on several projects, most recently local ordinance to protect farm-to-table food sales. Such sales are a big part of the local economy, as well as a traditional foodway. They're threatened by federal food inspection guidelines that are written with industrial-size agribusiness in mind and that often mandate large and expensive processing or butchering facilities that are far beyond the need or budget of small farmers.

In addition, Downeast members have worked with AfD's Defending Water for Life campaign to educate the public in support of measures that would protect Maine water resources from privatization. 

Local members have also worked with the Maine Fair Trade Alliance on trade and economic issues.

For information on what's going on in Maine, contact AfD vice co-chair Bonnie Preston at bonniepreston [at] earthlink [dot] net.

December 21, 2011

Not long after Boston-Cambridge and North Bridge members held a conference call with Maine food activists, Boston-Cambridge chapter coordinator Dave Lewit alerted us to this TEDx video in which Roger Doiron talks about his subversive garden and gives a shout-out to the Local Food and Self-Governance ordinances being passed in Maine.

For info on the Maine initiatives, see localfoodlocalrules.org.