At this year's Maine Fare, a celebration of Maine's local food and drink and their history, sustainability will be a major focus of the weekend's activities. From Friday, September 11 to Sunday, September 13, a series of panels, tastings, classes, dinners and even a Maine Fare Marketplace will put Maine's diverse local products on display.

The first of Maine Fare's panels is a keynote discussion called "Can Maine Feed Itself?" Sustainability will be the theme of the panel, asking if it is possible for Maine's farmers, foragers, fishermen, and producers to feed the state's population. Friday, September 11, at 2:00 p.m., Moderator Craig Lapine will lead the discussion at Brewster Point in Rockport. Lapine is the president of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), the executive director of Cultivating Community (a Portland-based group focused on community and school gardens) and an activist committed to growing sustainable communities.

Confirmed "Can Maine Feed Itself?" panelists include: Eliot Coleman, renowned author and co-owner of Four Season Farm; Seth Bradstreet, commissioner, Maine Department of Agriculture; Russell Libby, executive director of MOFGA; Tim Cunniff, Vice-president, Backyard Farms, LLC, Portland; Glen Libby, chairman of the Midcoast Fishermen's Association and a member of the New England Fishery Management Council; Marada Cook, Crown O' Maine Organic Cooperative; John Piotti, Executive Director, Maine Farmland Trust, Majority Leader, Maine State Legislature.

"Can Maine Feed Itself?" is free and open to the public. For information about Maine Fare weekend tickets and other events, visit www.mainefare.com, call (866) 877-5900, or send an email to info@mainefare.com.

About Maine Fare:
Maine Fare explores the past, present and future of Maine's wonderful foodways. The event exists to communicate the importance of preserving, protecting, and sharing our state's storied culinary history, its ongoing traditions, and its rich and developing resources. Attendees have a chance to meet and speak with farmers, artisans, chefs, food writers, as well as fishing, farming, and culinary experts and enthusiasts.

Guests of Maine Fare leave with an informed perspective of the breadth of Maine's culinary resources and a clearer understanding of how they can contribute to our state's long-term economic development. Maine Fare honors every aspect of the state's gastronomic profile. For more information, visit www.mainefare.com. Maine Fare's goal is to communicate the importance of preserving, protecting and sharing Maine's storied culinary history and its rich and developing resources.