Eastport blooms with healthy, edible landscapes

When young Eastport resident Kieran Weston has collected enough of his chore money, he heads down to the farmers' market for a tasty treat, like a quart of wild blueberries or some sweet carrots. But even without the jingle of quarters, he's likely to be down there anyway, helping farmer Jim Kovaleski set up his stand. "He thinks it's fun," says his mother, Lindy Weston. "We think it's great."
Young Weston's interest in healthy food and where it comes from is exactly the direction many Eastporters, including families, business owners, farmers and nonprofit leaders, are hoping for with a number of different initiatives. The city hall has its "Please Pick Me" garden just under way; the Labor of Love (LOL) Nutrition Center and the Eastport school system have edible gardens in the works; and a number of projects have been started through the Healthy Maine Streets Program coordinated by the Eastport Area Chamber of Commerce (EACOC), Eastport Healthcare and the Tides Institute & Museum of Art. However, at the forefront is Eat Local Eastport (ELE). In existence for eight years, it is a local cooperative that brings together 12 Washington County and 20 Maine farmer producers with over 100 Eastport households interested in locally produced healthy foods.
ELE Manager Anne Hopkins has Weston in mind as she expands the co-op's range of products and hours. The co-op serves a wide range of customers, including retirees, but it also serves many young families. "We have a lot of kids in the community whose parents shop here and they really love coming in. They can see everything, read everything and the small space feels safe to them and their parents." The ELE retail outlet operates out of the storefront next to The Commons at Bank Square. When young Weston comes by, Hopkins wants to have healthy snacks available for sale, along with the tasty and healthy foods offered at the retail outlet and being picked up through pre–ordering services. To that end, the co-op is expanding its retail hours from one day a week to three. On Thursdays it will be open from 4 to 6 p.m., and on Fridays and Saturdays it will be open from 12 noon to 6 p.m. With the recent purchase of new energy efficient appliances, the goal of serving walk–in retail residents and visitors will be much easier, says Hopkins.
The farmers' market is just about to hit its summer stride at its new location next to the new Eastport Welcome Center and Eastport Port Authority building at the head of the breakwater. EACOC President Meg Keay notes that the market accepts EBT/SNAP cards and will have additional funding from Healthy Acadia "to double the spending power of these cardholders, with the use of double coupon vouchers." The market also offers debit/credit card use to all card holders. ELE is working on its EBT/SNAP application as well, and accepts cash and checks. For downtown shopping convenience, a new ATM machine is being placed in the entryway of the WaCo Diner.
Edible gardens are a big part of the picture with downtown businesses getting into the act with planters and permanent landscaping. When The Quoddy Tides had to rebuild its foundation in 2014, new landscaping plans included elderberry trees and honeyberry shrubs. In a few years they should provide berries for the pantry. The healthcare facility plans to begin building edible landscapes, and, just up the street at city hall, the "pick–me" garden is well under way, including deer barrier netting. The idea for the garden came from similar efforts in Milbridge, says City Manager Elaine Abbott. On the menu are radishes, carrots, rainbow chard, green peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, buttercup squash, rutabaga and cabbage. "I'm hoping people will actually come pick them; that's what they're there for," says Abbott.
Over at the LOL Nutrition Center on Route 190 volunteers have been busy building a garden out front. Amy Zipperer, who coordinated ELE before Hopkins took over, and has been joined by Hopkins, Emily Guirl and others in the garden work, notes that dwarf apple trees, highbush blueberries, asparagus, herbs and other perennials have been planted as the perennial backbone, with annual crops like squash, carrots, beans and garlic planted as well. The produce will primarily be going toward regular food pantry distribution, but if there's any surplus Zipperer hopes that it can be preserved using the nutrition center's kitchen.
Up at the elementary and high schools Zipperer and others have been expanding the edible landscaping plan with a combination of perennial and annual plants. She says, "At the school, Colin Brown's horticulture class planted a variety of annual vegetables in the high school's raised beds." The school gardens have been evolving over the past several years, with raised beds built two years ago to grow vegetables on the south side of the elementary school. She adds, "And at the elementary school, we added apple trees, native honeysuckle and strawberries to our raspberries, hawthorns, herbs and raised vegetable beds. One of the biggest challenges in both gardens continues to be deer protection. The electric fence is coming together at the LOL and we are using a lot of plastic netting to protect individual plantings at the school."
The hard work seems more than worth it when a youngster like Weston comes biking into town looking for a special farm–grown treat. Thanks to the Healthy Maine Streets Program, bicycle riders will have places to store their bikes. Keay reports that 10 bicycle racks will be located around town ranging from different spots downtown to the IGA, Shackford Head and the airport. The racks are being assembled by youth from Shead High School and the Sprocket Society.
Zipperer says up at the school "elementary school kids have been nibbling garlic greens, lemon balm and anise hyssop. I love hearing things like, 'Wow, you can eat that?!' Followed by, 'Can I have some more?'" Abbott adds, "To me, it's also about community building and quality of life. The idea seems to have really taken off with different groups all coming together at the same time with the same idea. It's really exciting."