Community invited to celebrate Downeast Restorative Harvest Garden project

MACHIAS — On Saturday, Sept. 9 from 4-7:30 p.m., all are invited to the land that is now home to the Downeast Restorative Harvest Garden, located at 73 Broadway, for an unforgettable celebration of community and the flourishing future gardens of the Project.

Healthy Acadia, in partnership with the Washington County Jail, Department of Corrections, and other community partners, is establishing Downeast Restorative Harvest, an innovative community garden program in Washington County. The garden will engage jail and prison residents, members of the recovery community, agriculture educators, and other community members in growing food for the jail’s kitchen as well as for donation to local food assistance programs. 

The partners will work closely with Maine State Prison, which has developed a robust horticultural training program to provide healthy food and meaningful vocational training for residents. Downeast Restorative Harvest has been met with enthusiasm by Impact Justice, a nonprofit working to expand access to nourishing food in prisons and jails nationwide as a fundamental human right through initiatives such as Chefs in Prisons.

The Sept. 9 event will feature live music, headlined by the renowned fiddling sensation, Gus La Casse, and the soul-stirring sounds of Milk and Honey Rebellion, and food from local favorites Johnny’s Tacos and Za’spresso Pizza.

This event is open to the public and everyone is welcome. Registration is not required. While a suggested donation of $20 at the door is greatly appreciated to support the Downeast Restorative Harvest project, no one will be turned away. To make an online donation in support of this event, go to . For more information please email Regina@HealthyAcadia.org or call 207-255-3741. 

To learn more about Downeast Restorative Harvest, contact Regina Grabrovac by email at regina@healthyacadia.org or by calling 207-255-3741. To learn more about Chefs in Prisons, contact Madeleine Cunningham at mcunningham@impactjustice.org. To make a gift directly in support of these projects, please visit or impactjustice.org/donate. The organizations are tremendously grateful for all community support.

Healthy Acadia is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that engages in a broad range of initiatives to build healthier communities and make it easier for people to lead healthy lives across Washington and Hancock counties. Learn more at www.healthyacadia.org.

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