Presente! Maine is building a worker-owned food cooperative that anchors local production, aggregation, and distribution within immigrant and working-class communities in southern Maine. The organization formalizes years of mutual aid and grassroots organizing into a cooperative model where those who grow and distribute food also guide its governance, ensuring revenue and decision-making stay within the community. Presente! Maine connects small-scale producers to households, community networks, and institutional partners like schools and healthcare programs, providing culturally connected and equitable access to local food. By embedding cooperative ownership, community control, and sustainable operations into the food system, Presente! Maine demonstrates a replicable model for resilient, community-led food economies.
