With one in seven Mainers experiencing food insecurity, the need for common-sense solutions like those posed by Farms for Food Equity has never been greater.

“It’s an especially challenging time right now,” said board member Mike Wiley, a well-known chef. “But there’s a nice simple logic to Farms for Food Equity: Support local farms and get that food to local people.”

The nonprofit’s May 22 “Spring Into Action” fundraiser at The Cellars at Allagash Brewing Co. had a similar down-to-earth approach: Allagash donated the venue space. Rosemont Market and Bakery coordinated a buffet of tasty bites from Colvard Sausage Co., Harbor Fish Market, Six River Farm, Shovel + Spoon, Winter Hill Farm and Dean’s Sweets. Between event sponsors, ticket sales and donations, the event netted $10,000 for Farms for Food Equity.

Unfortunately, that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the need. In addition to regional foundations, Farms for Food Equity has relied on the support of U.S. Department of Agriculture Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program (LFPA) grants — which were cut three months ago. Farms for Food Equity lost $75,000 in buying power.

“Last year we purchased about $300,000 of food from farmers, and the need is greater now,” said board member Lee Warner, a health coach from Kennebunkport. “We partner with farms to purchase overages and imperfect product, then aggregate it, and distribute it back out to food pantries, in particular to Wayside Food — which does our distribution — and to Preble Street and The Locker Project. We’re feeding hungry neighbors while helping create a reliable revenue stream for some of these farms.”

Nate Drummond of Six River Farm in Bowdoinham explained that produce farms lose about 30 percent of what they plant. Sometimes there’s a glut of something quite perishable, like lettuce. Or pests eat holes through the kale, making it unappealing to shoppers. Or cabbages grow too fast and become so big that even cabbage lovers are overwhelmed.

“We have to make decisions about what to harvest based on what we can sell,” he said. “And, even being deeply committed to feeding our neighbors and our community, the farm needs to be financially viable. For us, that’s where Farms for Food Equity makes a big impact. When those cabbages are huge in the field and we know we can’t sell them at farmer’s markets or natural food stores or grocery stores that we sell to, we can still justify the cost of harvesting, washing and packing them. We know that Farms for Food Equity will purchase that product at a discounted cost that covers that labor.”

Statewide, the end of the of the LFPA meant a loss of $1.25 million that was vital to connecting 75 Maine farms with over 200 hunger relief programs. In response, explained Farms for Food Equity founder Penny Jordan, a coalition called Farm to Neighbor Maine is coming together to protect Maine’s local food system and hunger relief network.

In addition to Farms for Food Equity, the partners include Cultivating Community, Daybreak Growers Alliance, Healthy Acadia, Mi’kmaq Farms, New Roots Cooperative Farm and Somali Bantu Community Association with support from Peak Season Maine and Full Plates Full Potential.

Jordan said, “Together, we’re working to fill the gap and ensure Maine-grown food continues to reach those who need it most.”

Amy Paradysz is a freelance writer and photographer based in Scarborough. She can be reached at amyparadysz@gmail.com.