Local Food in Washington County
Maine Food Data Consortium
The goal of the Maine Food Data Consortium is to create a statewide database of information about Maine's food system that can be accessed and maintained by everyone with an interest in the food system using multiple mapping platforms and at the regional scale appropriate to each user's needs.
Purpose Statement:
The Maine Food Data Consortium formed in January of 2014. It seeks to ensure the creation, availability and long term maintenance of high quality data to describe Maine's vibrant and growing food system. Collaborators from all over Maine are "pulling together on the same rope" to avoid duplication of effort and to establish common standards for data collection and a central location available to all users. The quality of food system data "behind the maps" is a primary focus.
Members of the Maine Food Data Consortium include:
- University of Maine at Machias GIS Service Center, Director Tora Johnson and 2 of her GIS students Lisa Ravis and Laura Teisl
- Community Center for GIS Director Stephen Engle
- Maine Rural Partners Executive Director Mary Ann Hayes
- Coastal Enterprises Inc. Food Sustainability Director Daniel Wallace
- Maine Farm to School Network Coordinator Ken Morse
- Washington County Council of Governments Executive Director Judy East
- Fishing Industry and Seafood Education Consultant Monique Coombs
- Cupboard Collective Program Coordinator Bria White
- Conservation Law Foundation Legal Fellow Ben Tettlebaum
The Maine Food Data Consortium is working on data quality, ways and means of hosting the information, and platforms that are so useful and engaging that users will be strongly motivated to keep their information up to date.
As Maine-led efforts are developed we are also reviewing the local/regional food system mapping efforts in other parts of the country inlcuding:
- Maryland Food System Map
- Vermont Food System Atlas
- Montana's Food Infrastructure
- the USDA Economic Research Service GIS Food Environment Atlas
- the Maine Local Food map prepared by the University of Maine at Machias GIS Service Center
- the Oxford County Pilot Project under development by the Comunity Center for GIS in partnership with the Maine Network of Community Food Councils (link to Powerpoint describing project).
For more information on this exciting effort please contact any of the members of the Maine Food Data Consortium above.
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