Community Programs

Community Programs

OUR MISSION

Our mission is helping families, friends, and communities to feed one another by providing superior seeds, tools, information, and service.

GIVING STATEMENT

We are committed to assisting agricultural and horticultural nonprofit organizations with programs that align with our mission. Areas of support include land access and preservation, new farmers, agrarian equity, food sovereignty, and healthy eating for young students.

Community Giving
COMMUNITY GIVING
Elevating agricultural programs which further diversity and access to regenerative farming.

Community Requests
COMMUNITY REQUESTS
Supporting 501(c)3 entities with in-kind gifts or discounts, one request at a time.

Community Harvest
COMMUNITY HARVEST
Harvesting, gleaning, and recycling in support of local Maine communities.

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COMMUNITY GIVING

Our Giving Committee meets each year to consider agricultural nonprofit organizations with programs that align with our mission. Areas of interest include but are not limited to new and young farmers, land access and preservation, and agricultural equity.

We selected these causes because they are crucial for the progress of human-scale, regenerative farming. New and young farmers are the future of farming, and yet, access to land is a significant barrier to them. Furthermore, thousands of acres of farmland are lost to development every day, and millions of acres will likely need to be passed to new farmers in the years ahead. Protecting agricultural land enables long-term food security to our communities and provides essential environmental benefits. Finally, we support agricultural equity because farmers who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color have not had access to resources and opportunities that other farmers have long had available to them.

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COMMUNITY REQUESTS

 AREAS OF SUPPORT
The requestor must be an agricultural or horticultural needs-based, 501(c)(3) organization with programs supporting one or more of the following causes:
  • Small- or human-scale, organic, or regenerative farming.
  • Food security and/or food sovereignty within the local community.
  • Healthy eating habits in young students.
  • Vocational agriculture for teens and adults.

 HOW TO QUALIFY
Qualifying requests will receive an in-kind gift of seeds or an organization discount.
  • Requestor must be a 501(c)(3) organization with a qualifying program (see Areas of Support).
  • We limit in-kind donations to organizations that physically engage in planting the seeds.
  • One request will be considered per requestor every 12 months (July 1 through June 30).
  • A fee for shipping and handling of physical items may be assessed at our discretion.
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COMMUNITY HARVEST

Our Community Harvest Program is a mix of distributing the harvest, gleaning, and recycling at our Research Farm in support of communities across Central Maine. Each year, the program is active from May through November, with August to November containing the bulk of harvest and gleaning events.

HARVEST
We work with Johnny's Research Department to harvest and distribute available produce to our employee-owners throughout the growing season, as well as area food pantries and soup kitchens.


GLEAN
We invite local gleaning organizations to our trial fields to assist in larger harvests and bring produce to Maine neighbors and towns outside Johnny's immediate community. Groups we work with include Central Maine Gleaners Group, Veggies for All, and Daybreak Growers Alliance.
RECYCLE
We recycle row cover, growing trays, and various other supplies that still have value to local farms and nonprofit organizations throughout Central Maine.


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