Meeting House Collaborative Awarded $100,000 USDA Specialty Crop Grant to Help Expand Maine Organic Herb Production

Collaborative to help support Maine-based farms in diversifying operations, increasing income, and strengthening sustainability through organic herb production.

SCARBOROUGH, ME, UNITED STATES, February 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Meeting House Collaborative, established in 2019 by Emily Springer, farmer and founder of Meeting House Farm, has been awarded a $100,000 Specialty Crop Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grant has been awarded to help the Collaborative support Maine-based farms in diversifying their operations, increasing farm income, and strengthening long-term sustainability through organic herb production.

This award builds on the success of a 2023–2025 Specialty Crop Block Grant through which Meeting House Collaborative supported hundreds of local farms with grower education, quality guidance, mentorship, and business support. Work under the initial grant resulted in over 2,000 organic herb sales transactions, 116% growth in year-over-year sales of locally grown organic herbs, and the launch of an online herbal marketplace that enables over 50 organic herb growers to sell herbs to consumers nationwide.

“Through the initial grant, we were able to support farmers with the most common challenges they face when exploring organic herbs as part of their crop plan, from growing, drying, and processing knowledge to market access and administration,” said Emily Springer, organic herb farmer and founder of Meeting House Farm and Meeting House Collaborative. “Initial results demonstrated strong consumer demand for U.S.-grown organic herbs, with demand on our marketplace consistently exceeding supply, and confirmed that collaborative infrastructure can help small farms expand market reach and diversify their income while staying rooted in sustainable, organic practices.”

With the support of the new 2025–2027 grant, Meeting House Collaborative will continue to provide grower education, technical assistance, and shared infrastructure to support Maine farms as they integrate herbs into diversified crop plans. The project will also enable the expansion of the Collaborative’s online marketplace, which allows participating farms in Maine and across the U.S. to reach customers beyond their local regions - providing national market access for local growers while expanding the accessibility of responsibly grown organic herbs to consumers nationwide.

“Emily and Meeting House Collaborative have played a meaningful role in strengthening Maine’s organic herb farming community,” said Ryan Dennett, Programs Director at Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). “Through education, mentorship, apprenticeships, and collaboration, their work has helped Maine growers build viable businesses while advancing organic practices, community connection, and long-term farm resilience.”

Growers participating in Meeting House Collaborative report tangible benefits from the supportive community approach and marketplace model. “Working with Emily and becoming part of the Meeting House Collaborative has helped Patch Farm refine our goals as a diversified, sustainable farm - one that is sustainable as a business, that sustains our employees and supports our community,” said Brenna Mae Thomas Googins, co-founder of Patch Farm in Denmark, Maine. “The marketplace that Meeting House has built allows us to expand our reach, providing both income growth and diversity while helping get these nourishing herbs into the hands of more people.”

While the grant is designed to directly support Maine-based farms, the Collaborative operates as a nationally accessible marketplace creating a scalable model that continues to expand beyond the state. As the Collaborative grows, it offers small organic herb farmers a platform where they can remain locally grounded in their communities while also participating in larger, values-aligned markets. Over the grant period, Meeting House Collaborative aims to support hundreds of additional farmers through education and mentorship and to add up to 200 additional farms to its marketplace - strengthening Maine’s leadership in organic herb production while contributing to a broader, more resilient, domestic supply chain for organic herbs.

Emily Springer
Meeting House Farm & Meeting House Collaborative
+1 207-303-0733
hello@meetinghouse.farm
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