Chellie Pingree & Xochitl Torrres Small Visit FFL

We are so honored to have hosted a group of special visitors at the Lab last Friday! Maine Representative Chellie Pingree and U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small, along with others from organizations such as CEI, USM, MOFGA, Maine farms, and more, spent a few hours with us.

During the visit they took a tour of the facility, learned all about our mission, our history, our future, held a press conference, and participated in a round table Q&A with members of the community. 

Chellie Pingree, a longstanding advocate for local farms and food producers (and Fork Food Lab supporter), has tirelessly worked to promote sustainable agriculture practices. Xochitl Torres Small, also a former U.S. Representative, has dedicated her career to uplifting rural communities and fostering economic growth.

This visit was vital to supporting Maine's agricultural and food landscape; by giving many folks whose livelihoods sit at the intersection of agriculture and business, those impacted by decisions made by government had a direct line to discuss what's working and what's not working in current policy. It was inspiring to see two dedicated public servants who deeply understand the importance of sustainable agriculture and small business have a chance to connect on a personal level and participate in lively discussion. Small and rural entities need to be heard by those in positions that can foster real change moving forward.

This was the Deputy Secretary’s first visit to Maine, and we were thrilled to hear that she considers Fork Food Lab one of the most innovative and flexible incubator spaces she has visited in her travels across the country!

We work closely with the USDA in many capacities, and have received $2.2M in USDA grants over the past five years, the most recent of which was awarded last October; a note of correction: many local news outlets who covered this visit incorrectly reported that we were awarded a $1M grant on Friday. The USDA also supported our expansion to our space in South Portland by providing a loan guarantee.

A huge thank you to Rep. Pingree, Dep. Secretary Torres Small, and everyone else who came out to spend the day with us! If you'd like to see behind the scenes, you can watch the coverage from Newscenter Maine!