Local and Organic Pledge Challenge
The Pledge
The pledge continues throughout 2020!
Supporting our local organic producers is as important now as ever. Local organic farms are the foundation of healthy communities. In August 2019 MOFGA launched the local and organic pledge challenge to support local organic production. The pledge encourages individuals to eat all local and organic foods for a time period ranging from one meal to forever!
Participants who take the pledge receive recipes and resources from MOFGA for eating and cooking seasonally year-round. The pledge highlights the abundance of local organic products that contribute to diverse and tasty meals that help to support Maine’s organic farmers, gardeners and food producers.
The Reasons
Economic Benefits
Every time Maine citizens pay $1 directly to a Maine organic farmer, we
- provide that farm with $1 in direct funding
- create 83 cents in spending for other local businesses
- create 67 cents in spending by Maine’s organic farm families
- help sustain the 59,730 acres of Maine land currently in organic production and the farmers who carefully tend that land. On average organic farms create 21 percent more jobs than conventional farms.
Environmental Benefits
- The complex and biodiverse relationships created on organic farms benefit plants, animals, soils and the atmosphere.
- Organic agriculture reduces the amount of toxic chemicals in our environment and in our bodies.
- Certified organic farmers preserve pollinator habitat, promote biodiversity and build healthy soil.
- Organic food cannot be produced with genetically engineered ingredients (sometimes called genetically modified organism, or GMOs).
- Certified organic livestock are produced humanely, without synthetic antibiotics or added growth hormones.
The Details
Those who garden or homestead organically pledge to eat the crops produced at home.
Those who purchase products pledge to purchase options that are local and organic. If the product is not available in a local organic form, but there is a reasonable substitute (for example maple syrup as a substitute for honey) or it’s produced sustainably locally then pledge takers may purchase those items. Many items that are not available locally, such as coffee or spices, may be certified organic by MOFGA and pledge takers can use all MOFGA-certified organic products. There may be a few items that are not available organically or locally and we encourage pledge takers to learn as much about the product as possible to make an informed purchase that’s in the spirit of the pledge.
Seafood is an important part of many diets, and we want to support our local sustainable fishermen. Pledge takers use the seven principles for choosing seafood developed by the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance.
Products that have been legally and sustainably harvested or hunted can be consumed during the challenge period.
Can Maine Feed Itself?
Maine can build a resilient food system – one bite at a time. Chef Cheryl Wixson has been celebrating the joys of cooking and eating local, organic food for over 20 years. In 2010, as MOFGA’s organic marketing consultant, Cheryl helped develop the Maine Local Twenty: Twenty food groups that Maine has the capacity to produce for its citizens to enjoy year-round. Read Cheryl’s recent assessment of Maine’s food system here.
What's In Season
Our popular Seasonal Food Guides now emphasize Local AND Organic! Brochures are 3.5 inches wide x 4.25 inches tall and are packed with information on both sides.
Click on the images to view or download PDF files of individual brochures.