Maine Food Policy Workgroup

Weekly Newsletter

May 12, 2025

Food policy is moving fast in Maine! Here’s what’s happening this week and next, including key legislative updates, upcoming hearings, and opportunities to get involved.

Next Maine Food Policy Work Group Meeting: Wednesday, May 14, from 2:00-3:00pm on Zoom.

Agenda will include: 

• Review of Food Bills 
• Review of the Legislative Process as Committees wrap up Bill Review.
• Federal Funding Impacts
• Questions 
• What is current status of cuts?   What legal challenges are underway?  How can we help?

Note: during the legislative session and also amidst all the federal chaos, we may have to alter our meetings a bit. This meeting is staying on the same date, but changing from 1 to 2 pm. Thanks for your understanding

See notes from last meeting (4/16/25)

Notes on Tracking Bills:

• Monitor Committee Calendars HERE or HERE
• Track Bills by LD number HERE:
• Subscribe to Committee emails: Click on “Mailing List” link at top of Committee pages.
• Submitting Testimony:  Click on “Testimony” link at top of Committee pages
• If you are submitting testimony before the Work Session but after the Public Hearing, you may need to click on the date of the Public Hearing.

Based on the 2024 member survey, our priorities for this session are to:

1. Support development of a Maine food plan
2. Increase investment in viability of Maine farm and fishing enterprises
3. Strengthen food supply chain infrastructure (processing, storage, distribution and marketing)
4. Support ending hunger in Maine and access to healthy & nutritious food
5. Expand farm to school and farm to institution policies
6. Promote equity in Maine's food system

Note: inclusion of bills as work group priorities does not mean that every participant endorses or supports every bill that has been identified by the group as a priority or noted in this update

Note: The LD #s listed below are active links to the online Legislature Bill Search. Public Hearings and Work Sessions for Bills are listed when available. All bills are being heard in the ACF (Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, Rm. 214 in the Burton Cross State House unless otherwise noted. Meetings can be livestreamed here, and testimony submitted here.)

Bills We're Tracking

Audio links and committee rooms listed below. To submit testimony electronically or register to testify by zoom: https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/. Note that electronic testimony and zoom registrations need to be submitted 30 min before 

By committee (priority area and bill tiers listed following the individual bill or series of related bills, and committee info, including room location, date, and time of hearing or work session): 

ACF Comm.  

• May 13, 1 pm Public Hearing
• LD 473, An Act to Support Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry in Maine - tier 2
• LD 1925, An Act to Improve Access to Grant Funding for the Maine Farms for the Future Program - tier 3
• LD 1953 - tier 2
• May 13, 2pm Work Session
• LD 1450, An Act Regarding the Voluntary Municipal Farm Support Program - tier 3
• May 15, 9am Work Session
• LD 473, An Act to Support Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry in Maine - tier 2
• LD 1925, An Act to Improve Access to Grant Funding for the Maine Farms for the Future Program - tier 3
• LD 1953 - tier 2

AFA

• May 13, Public Hearing, 3pm
• LD 210, HP0132An Act Making Unified Appropriations and Allocations from the General Fund and Other Funds for the Expenditures of State Government and Changing Certain Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operations of State Government for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2025, June 30, 2026 and June 30, 2027 

ECA Comm

• May 15, 10am Work Session
• LD 577, An Act to Address Student Hunger and Nutrition Through Expanded Access to Free Milk in Schools - tier 2
• LD 1858, An Act to Promote Local Seafood in Schools - tier 2

ENR Comm.

• May 12, 10am Public Hearing
• LD 1903, An Act to Conform the State's Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Laws to Federal Standards - tier 2
• May 14, 1pm, Work Session
• LD 1065, An Act Regarding the Reduction and Recycling of Food Waste - tier 2
• May 15, 1pm Work Session
• LD 1903, An Act to Conform the State's Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Laws to Federal Standards - tier 2

HED

• May 12 3:30pm Public Hearings; May 15, 9am Work Session
• LDs 1894  An Act to Address Consumer Grocery Pricing Fairness
• LD  1907  An Act to Protect Consumers from Unfair Dynamic Pricing in Grocery Stores - tier 3

HHS

• May 15, 1pm Work Session
• LD 1017 - An Act to Include Food Provided or Served at Emergency Shelters in General Assistance Reimbursement   Incorporates food provided at shelters into General Assistance funding - other bills

TAX

• May 16, 9am Public Hearing
• LD 1879 - An Act to Support Maine's Agricultural Economy by Increasing Revenue from the Corporate Income Tax and Providing Property Tax Exemptions For farmers and corporate income tax to fund agriculture - tier 2

VLA

• May 12, 9:40 am Work Session 
• LD 1838 - An Act to Provide Opportunities and Sustainable Revenue for Maine Farms, Agricultural Fairs, Wabanaki Tribes and Veterans' Homes  -  tier 3

Upcoming Policy-Related Events

The 2025 Convergence will explore how shifts in the food system can advance social and racial equity while increasing climate resilience.

Registration deadline: May 15th or until full

Where: Wavus Camps, 88 Wavus Point Road Jefferson, ME 04348

Who: The Convergence is a space for members of Maine's food, land, climate, and social justice efforts to gather, explore collaborations, and celebrate together.

Join Us

The Maine Food Policy Workgroup meets monthly on the second Wednesday from 1:00-2:00. Complete the form below to receive a recurring calendar invite with Zoom info.

Visit the Maine Farm & Sea to Institution website to learn about our other workgroups and get involved.

Maine Farm & Sea to Institution Network is supported by the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation

Maine Farm & Sea to Institution Network is supported by the Henry P. Kendall Foundation

Maine Farm & Sea to School Institute is supported by the United States Department of Agriculture

For any questions about the Maine Food Policy Workgroup, please reach out to our facilitators Amy Winston: Amy.Winston@ceimaine.org and Ken Morse: kenmorse@mac.com

For any questions about Maine Farm & Sea to Institution, please contact Healthy Communities of the Capital Area's Food Systems Team Alida Peterson at a.peterson@hccame.org or Sarah Sims at s.sims@hccame.org