Ali Sheikh

Participates in the Fresh Start Farms program through Cultivating Community and sells produce at the Kennedy Park Farmers Markets in Lewiston. For more information about the times and locations of this farm stand please visit the Fresh Start Farms website (https://www.cultivatingcommunity.org/programs/fresh-start-farms/).  The Fresh Start Farms program is one of several endeavors initiated by Cultivating Community. For more information on the larger organization visit their website at https://www.cultivatingcommunity.org/.

Fresh Start Farms, a food hub operated by Cultivating Community, serves as a direct link between our Farmer Training Program and Maine consumers. The food hub works with New American farmers—many of whom are refugees or immigrants from Somalia, Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, and South Sudan—to distribute the produce they grow to numerous outlets in the community, such as schools, pantries, and retail outlets. Fresh Start Farms produce can be purchased through a CSA membership, directly by wholesale buyers, or at farm stands and farmers markets throughout Central and Southern Maine. Fresh Start Farms is also a major vendor for the Good Food Bus and Cultivating Community’s Elder Share program. All profits from our food hub go directly back to the farmers, as Cultivating Community subsidizes food hub operations in conjunction with the Farmer Training Program. Purchasing Fresh Start Farms produce supports New Americans farmers, strengthens the local food system, and provides you with delicious and healthy vegetables all summer long.