Click here for a copy of the 2008 USA Program brochure (PDF file, 1 MB).

  "You just can't compare the vegetables you get in your farm share with vegetables you buy in the store. The farm vegetables are so much better," said Carleton and Alice Brown, union members who got a farm share through Union Supported Agriculture (USA), an alliance-building program started by Food AND Medicine (FAM), the Eastern Maine Labor Council (EMLC), and local organic farmers.

    What's a "farm share"? It's like an investment in farm production. Union and community members support farmers in the spring with an up-front investment of as little as $160 by June 1st.  This up-front money helps farmers buy seed and keep the farm running until the crops get going in July.

    From July through October, union and community members get back more than their money's worth in vegetables.  This can amount to as little as $16 a week!  When compared to their grocery store and big-box store counterparts, past years' organic USA "shares" (which include tomatoes, melons, peas, garlic, potatoes, sweet corn, peppers, and more than 15 other types of vegetables) were far cheaper and, of course, healthier and fresher!

    USA is about neighbors helping neighbors. It's about building an alliance between working people that can help create positive change in our communities--good jobs, a decent social safety net for everyone, and a living wage. With thousands of jobs leaving our communities, we need to stick together through tough economic times.

    Of the roughly $3 billion that Mainers spend each year on food, just 4% goes to the thousands of local farmers and producers around the state.  Why buy Idaho potatoes or New York onions when they are grown by hard-working farmers right down the road?

    USA makes it easy to buy local. For more information on how to get a share, how to help out, or how to support laid-off workers through the program, call Brent Hall at 989-5860 or send Brent an email.