Democracy, Opportunity, and Voice in the blueberry barrens of Downeast Maine depend on whether small farmers can compete with multinational big ag encroachments in the region. To address small farmer’s concerns, the Wild Difference Project linked community partners with students from 5 university classes with the following project outcomes: 1) launch of online Maine Wild Blueberry Museum, 2) parallel social media campaign, 3) designs for Spire: The Maine Journal of Conservation and Sustainability, 4) funding for a physical museum, and 5) plans for a National Heritage Area. This interactive presentation with Q &A will draw out best practices and lessons learned from this fruitful partnership while inviting the audience to sketch out possible projects for their own eco-regions.

 

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