CCFSC believes our country’s history of institutional racism is at the root of current poverty and food insecurity. Economic and racial justice are inseparable. Any plan to end hunger must be conscious of intentional policy choices that resulted in disparate outcomes for targeted groups. The resulting economic inequality impacts not just people of color, but is the foundation supporting the poverty that afflicts everyone who cannot put nourishing food on their table. This poverty is a burden on us all. It compromises the humanity of those who have enough, making us all complicit in a system that punishes people for being economically vulnerable.
Land Access for Indigenous & African American Farmers in Maine
CCFSC led in the research specific to the experience of Maine-based African American farmers of a report to the legislature on LD 870: Resolve, Directing the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations To Study the Impact of Policies Regarding Agriculture, Access to Land, Access to Grants and Access to Financing on African American and Indigenous Farmers in the State.
Maine Black Community Development
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We are honored to partner with, and be the fiscal sponsor for, Maine Black Community Development. "The purpose of Maine Black Community Development is to improve the quality of life for people who primarily identify as being from the African and/or American diaspora through a self-determination framework while advancing racial equity and justice for all people living in Maine."
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Uprooting Racism Training with Soul Fire Farm
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The Uprooting Racism training is a theory and action workshop for environmental and food justice leaders to uproot systemic racism in our organizations and society. We delve deep into the history and structural realities of racial injustice and develop an understanding of the movement strategies of frontlines communities struggling for food sovereignty. We will examine our personal and societal roles of complicity in and resistance to the system. Much of the time will be spent developing tangible action plans – to use our sphere of influence to uproot these oppressions. True to Soul Fire Farm’s values and culture, this work will be rooted in fierce love, courageous self-reflection, and healing connection to land.
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Groundwater Institute
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The 1.5-day Immersive Experience is designed to develop the capacity of leaders to better understand root causes and lasting solutions to our most pressing problems. The program does so by providing participants with:
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21 Day Racial Equity Challenge
We encourage everyone to sign up for Food Solutions New England’s 21 Day Racial Equity Challenge. "The 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge is simple! You commit to deepening your understanding of, and willingness to confront, racism for twenty-one consecutive days in April of each year and the Racial Equity Challenge will:
- Raise your awareness, change your understanding and shift the way you behave.
- Go beyond individual or interpersonal racism by helping to demystify structural and institutional racism and white supremacist patterns that are sometimes invisible to people.
- Inspire you to act, on your own or with others in your organization, business, or group, to dismantle these systems, to make changes in your work and the world that can build true equity and justice for all."
Allyship with New Americans
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We believe that creating access to the means of food production is the most effective strategy to empower people experiencing food insecurity. In solidarity with the Somali Bantu Community Association (SBCA), CCFSC submitted a proposal to USDA Community Food Projects in their name with CCFSC as sub-awardee. This four-year, $400,000 grant was awarded with the project beginning in September 20l6. Through this initiative, CCFSC is supporting the Bantu community’s expressed desire to return to farming, as well as building the SBCA’s organizational and leadership capacity. Additionally, we provide ongoing grant writing, staff and volunteer capacity, and consulting to the organization.
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