Cultivating Community

Happy Autumn Equinox! 🍁🍎⭐️

Even though it's officially autumn, there are still so many magical and delicious things the gardens have to offer, and we are so thankful. We rang in the first morning of fall by harvesting and gleaning lots of beautiful apples off our fruit trees at the Boyd Street Urban Farm. ✨

Are you still looking for ways to get outside and enjoy this beautiful fall weather in the gardens? Join us for our Boyd St Urban Farm Fall Tidy this Friday!
🗓 Friday, September 25th
⏰ 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
📍 Boyd Street Urban Farm

We'll be weeding, mulching, and giving the garden some love. Make sure to wear closed-toed shoes, bring warm layers, & come prepared to get dirty. We will have light snacks and water for all volunteers 🧑‍🌾 🍓

Click the link in our bio to sign up and reserve your spot. We hope to see you there💚

There's nothing quite like getting to see and enjoy the harvest! ⭐️🧄✨

Look at these beautiful bundles of garlic that were grown at Hurricane Valley Farm and purchased by our amazing supporters at last year's Garlic Gathering! We planted over 5,000 cloves of garlic last October, and we truly couldn't have done it without the support of our friends and neighbors. 💚

Want to continue supporting community farmers and local food security? Join us at this year's Garlic Gathering and help us do it all over again!
🗓️ When: Saturday, November 7th | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Where: Hurricane Valley Farm, Falmouth
🎟️ FREE: & family-friendly! All are welcome!

What to expect:
🧄 Help us plant another 5,000 cloves of garlic for next year!
🍩 Fresh donuts & coffee
🎵 Live music
🎨 Fun activities for the kids

Come out for a morning of community fun and getting your hands dirty!

Click the link in our bio to register so we know you're coming. We can't wait to see you there!

In the face of growing challenges, join us in standing together to support immigrant farmers of color and nourish neighbors in need.

The Immigrant Farmer Fund is a powerful way to support local farmers while making fresh food more accessible. Your mid-season donation will help us collectively share over 100,000lbs of fresh local food for free to immigrant communities while also increasing access to nutritious, culturally familiar veggies, like amaranth, flint corn, roselle, African eggplant, and molokhia. All funds raised will go directly towards paying more than 70 immigrant and refugee farmers fair prices for produce grown right here in Maine.

Click the link in our bio to donate now and support Maine farmers!

Who doesn't love garlic?!? 🧄🧄🧄

We are only about a month and a half out from our second Annual Garlic Gathering at Hurricane Valley Farm and all we need is you! If you missed out last year you won't want to miss out this year.

Join us on November 7th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and help us plant 5,000 cloves of garlic! Come on out to the farm for a morning of fun-filled activities including planting, music, donuts, pasties, coffee, kids' activities, and more! Support our farms and help give back to the farmers who give so much to their community.

This is a free, family-friendly event. All are welcome! ✨ Click the link in our bio to register and let us know you're coming.👇

We hope to see you there 💚

Highlights from Youth Growers 2026! ✨🌱🍓

We had a FANTASTIC summer with our high school students in our Youth Growers Program! They got up to so many fun and amazing activities, including: cooking mufete (among other delicious meals), planting kohlrabi at Growing to Give, and delivering free vegetable bags with friends from the Portland Youth Corps & Gather to Grow. They also checked out sustainable farm systems at Wolfe's Neck Center all while playing games, building community, and forming friendships in between gardening and caretaking at the Boyd Street Urban Farm.

Our staff is grateful to work with SUCH warm-hearted, engaged, and curious youth every summer. We are so lucky to have them caring for the garden and helping provide fresh food to neighbors in the Portland community. Here's to the next! 💚

It may be September, but the gardens are still growing and thriving and all we need is you!

If you're itching to get out in the garden before the growing season comes to an end, join us this Wednesday, September 9th, from 5pm-7pm at the Libbytown Community Garden.

Meet new friends and neighbors, wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty, and come out and have fun in the garden with us! We will have gloves, tools, and light snacks to go around.

We hope to see you there 🌻🌱

If you can't make this one, see the poster below for other upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Please join us in welcoming Marly Davies to our team! Marly is joining our Urban Ag team as the new Urban Ag Engagement Manager ⭐️

Marly moved to Maine in 2021 after receiving a degree in Environmental Sociology from St. Lawrence University. Her first season here was spent living and working on an organic vegetable farm, where she fell in love with getting her hands dirty and engaging with folks around fresh produce. Since then she has spent her time farming, landscaping & gardening, and supporting local food access initiatives. Beyond growing food, Marly's joys include swimming in the ocean, experiencing live music, and connecting with people. She is thrilled to have space to connect with Cultivating Community's volunteers in her role, and her favorite vegetables are cucumbers and kale.

Welcome to the team Marly 💚💚💚

We want to wish all of the students a great first week back to school!!! 🚌

We are excited to welcome you all back into the school gardens. All of the PPS Garden Coordinators, Environmental Literacy Educators, school garden volunteers, friends, and neighbors have been doing an amazing job keeping the gardens up and running for you all summer. Make sure to check them out next time you're at one of the elementary schools in Portland. There are lots of fun and exciting plants to explore 🍅🥬🥕

Want to support all 3,000 elementary students access to hands-on, experiential learning opportunities in school and out in the garden? Click the link in our bio to learn more about our Schools Partnership Program or email
info@cultivatingcommunity to learn more. 💚

Picture Credits: Leigh Quigley, Environmental Literacy Teacher, Lyseth Elementary School

We are excited to host our 2nd Annual Garlic Gathering at Hurricane Valley Farm on November 7th from 10AM -12PM! 🧄 🧄

Last year we planted over 5,000 cloves of garlic that was shared with community farmers and donated to local food pantries. Help support local food security and immigrant neighbors. Join us at the farm, get your hands in the soil, enjoy delicious coffee & pastries, and help us plant this beautiful garlic.

This is a free, family-friendly event. All are welcome!
Click the link in our bio or visit our website to let us know you're coming.
We hope to see you there 💚