A Growing Town: Developing a Local Food System in Orono, Maine

Local food systems are different from industrial agriculture systems in their social interaction, economic size and stability, political support and assistance, and environmental impacts. Industrial agriculture has flourished, while the ability of widespread local food systems to survive for the long term has yet to be determined. Research of local food systems reveals that dedicated and involved communities, motivated and knowledgeable managers, and political and financial support are the most essential determinants of successful systems. This research explores three existing local food system models and examines the extent to which Orono, Maine could support these models. A suitability analysis of Orono was used to identify possible locations that could contribute to a new agricultural infrastructure. Prospective locations were identified that would be useful in the infrastructure of a local food system, and possible distribution locations were identified through GIS analysis. It is important for any local food system to properly plan and map out the system, since the connection between the community and local food systems is so strong