The Common Ground Fair in September highlighted the ongoing partnership between the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) and Maine Department of Corrections (DOC) facilities’ agricultural programs.
Mark McBrine, the food service and garden director at Mountain View Correctional Facility, brought several agriculture apprenticeship program participants to help prepare livestock barns, repair storm-damaged greenhouses, and prepare the grounds ahead of the three-day fair. This summer, MOFGA staff volunteered at the Mountain View farm.
Sarah Alexander, executive director of MOFGA, said, “I called Mark on Wednesday before the fair, because we were short on produce for the volunteer kitchen, which serves thousands of meals. I expected him to bring a few things in his truck when he came to the fair the next day. He called me an hour later – he had talked to all the DOC facilities, and they were harvesting 2,000 pounds of food to transport in their refrigerated truck. It was beautiful, and we used all of it. It was a wonderful surprise and gift from all those agricultural facilities and their work.”
The DOC facilities also entered fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers in the exhibit hall and received 35 blue ribbons: Bolduc Correctional Facility (1); Downeast Correctional Facility (1); Maine Correctional Facility (3); Maine State Prison, Earned Living Unit (8 plus 1 judges award); Maine State Prison, general population (10); and Mountain View Correctional Facility (12).
Alexander said MOFGA looks forward to continuing to partner with the DOC’s agriculture apprenticeship program by connecting residents with educational opportunities they generally can’t access at the facilities, such as working with livestock. McBrine and other agricultural directors will continue to work with residents to grow award-winning produce to exhibit and serve residents.
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